John 8:12-20
12Then again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world! The one following Me shall by no means walk around in the darkness, but shall have the Light of Life! 13So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying concerning Yourself! Your testimony is not true!” 14Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I am testifying concerning Myself, My testimony is true, because I know from where I came and where I am going. But do not know from where I come and where I am going. 15Judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. 16But even if I judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father having sent Me. 17And also in Law it has been written that the testimony of two persons is true. (Deut 19:15) 18I am the One testifying concerning Myself, and the Father having sent Me is testifying of Me.”
19Therefore, they were saying to Him, “Where is Your father?” Jesus answered, “Neither know Me nor My Father. If knew Me, would also know My Father.” 20These sayings Jesus spoke in the treasury (in the area of the Temple where collection boxes were located), teaching in the Temple, and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Good Day Child of God! "Father? Your Will Be Done!" Continuing on in the Gospel of John, we must first look back to the last Study, where we discussed a portion of Scripture even though many theologians doubt its validity. In context the doubters seem to be unwise. We continue on from there with Jesus doing what He always does while in the Temple. Teaching.
Nothing has changed in terms of Jesus' visit to the Temple, given the fact that those that strive to be good Jews are there to challenge Him. As a reminder, there are five groups of men that make up the upper echelon of the ruling Jews. Priests, the Chief Priest is the only one able to enter the Holy of Holies, Sadducees and Pharisees who are experts in the Laws, and some Scribes because they can read and write. From the Chief Priest down to the Scribes, that is the direction of power and influence each designation would carry. Sadducees and Pharisees being of equal nobility, with the Sadducees not Believing in Heaven, and the Pharisees who do Believe in Heaven. Is it a wonder why there are sects in any religion, when the Jews, who don't even agree that God is One and His ways do not go to and fro, back and forth, changing to one thing or another considering the circumstance at that moment?
Today's easy lesson: In our Scripture reading today we are finding Jesus once again tangled up in an argument with a group of Pharisees that is peculiar and what we call in our day and age "a teachable moment". Keeping in mind that the Pharisees are experts in the Laws, lawyers if you will, Jesus gets under their skin because He claims to be someone He cannot prove. What is both peculiar and teachable is this; In Deuteronomy, the verse used to back up Jesus' claim of Who He is, that Law is normally used if someone has done something wrong, to prove with two witnesses or more, that there is agreement in the accusation against that person, who is being brought before the Sanhedrin for judgement. What we call this is the rule of law. Strictly speaking that's what it appears to say, and has been used that way since that Law was written. Now comes Jesus and instead of using it for the rule of law, which He has already lectured the Priests, lawyers, and scribes that they will strain the Law for its rule, but ignore its intent, is is using it to prove His relationship to the Father, we could call it proving innocence, instead of guilt.
What is the message to help you in your daily walk with the Father? Taking our example above, or any of the Ten Commandments or other Laws, there is the Law. The rule is that, for example, one should not be jealous of their neighbors things. When you are jealous, who is hurt, you or your neighbor? You are, because you are suffering as your neighbor has either worked hard to acquire his goods, or inherited them, or acquired them in some other way, perhaps even illegally. The Rule of the Law says to mind your own business, for you don't know if the goods bring your neighbor peace or problems. The Intent of the Law is to save you unnecessary angst and anxiety when you don't know the whole story. This is true in the case of the Jews, especially those that are of the ruling class, who don't know Jesus or His Father because they have strayed from God's Provision. They are now leaning on their own understanding using the Rule of Law. Had they focused on the Love of God, the reasons that the Ten Commandments were given to begin with, to point the Israelites toward the way that by looking at the Law for their own solid foundation and a peaceful life, Jesus would not have to explain to those that should know these things. Once again, the Law is good, if you can understand why it was given, you will be a happier person. If you see it as a group of rules to control people, you miss the point of Love, and you do not understand that people in every way will always try to figure out how to go over, under, around, and through the Law. It is mankind's nature. Tell me "don't do that", and the first thing I want is to go and "do that". On the other hand if you stay close to the Father you will find that the way of giving His Chosen a start toward understanding how to think correctly is through the Law, and that is the teachable moment. It isn't an issue of control, it is an issue of a Blessing for God's Children. Where so many demand obedience to the Law for Salvation, the Law cannot Save, it just points to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That's why the Ten Commandments are no longer an issue between God and mankind, God's Chosen misused them and Grace was lost to them because of it. Amazing isn't it? Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete New Testament Grace Studies link: http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
