Lesson 11 – John 8: 31-59
In
this lesson, conversation begins as discussion, becomes an argument and ends in
shouting and name calling by the Jews.
Note
the reference to “the Jews”. Why did John derogatively call them “the Jews”?
Gary
Burge cautions us not to see this as criticism of all who are Jews by birth.
Some Christians through the centuries have based their anti-Semitism on this
language.
Lets
walk through this lesson – speaker by speaker:
Speaking
to the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said: “If you hold to my
teachings you are my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will
set you free.”
(or
“if you remain in my word”, or “if you abide in my word”, or “if you keep
obeying my teachings”.)
Barclay says these words have important meaning for
us, for Jesus defines the basic steps to be his disciple:
1. Believe,
-
We say we believe, but do we understand what
that means?
o
Believe he is who he says he
is,
o
Believe who God is and what
our relationship with him should be,
o
Understand sin and judgment
and forgiveness,
o
Believe what he said about
being a servant,
o
Believe what he said about
riches and rewards?
o
Believe what he said about
our relationship with our neighbor.
-
Here,
we must understand that a disciple is literally “a learner”.
2. Hold to my teachings –.
o
Once we believe, we must
hold to (keep close) – practice and apply what we learn. And again, we continue
to learn by doing.
3. Experience a new freedom.
Barclay says the truth sets us free in the following ways:
o
Freedom from fear, from
self, from others, and from sin.
The
Jews found one problem (at least) in Jesus statement – it had to do with being
set free. They considered themselves special – part of God’s covenant with
Abraham – a chosen people. So that is where they respond – and things go
downhill from there.
Jewish
believers say
- “We have never been slaves to anyone”
(What about Egypt and Assyria and Babylon and now
Rome)
What
is our claim today to being someone special?
We are Americans, Arizonans, Presbyterians, etc. – We like to transfer
this connection to something or someone special to us. These may all be special
things – but it does not rub off on us. We are who we are.
Question
for discussion: In God’s eyes – who am I?
Jesus
responds (v.34) – “All are slaves to sin. The
Son can set you free. And by the way, Abraham’s true (spiritual) descendents
would not try to kill me as you are trying. You must have a different father.”
Ogilvie
says – the Jews were mixing their physical heritage with their spiritual heritage.
Just because I have a physical father does not assure that I am like him in
personality, morality, wisdom, intelligence, etc. If I am really “my father’s son”, I act like my father.
Jews
respond -
We are not illegitimate! God is our Father!
This
hits a nerve with Jesus – the Son of God, and he responds accordingly –
-
If
God were your father you would love me,
-
God
sent me – I am not here on my own,
-
The
devil must be your father (because you act like the devil with murder and lies)
-
He
who belongs to God, hears what God says.
Fredrickson/Ogilvie
write: “Is not the work of the murderer and deceiver all around us? In a million homes where lies and violence
tear people apart and the courts are left to decide “what will happen to the
children”? Or in scores of church and business meetings where ugly words are
spoken and people divide up into sides insisting they must have their own way,
often in the name of God? Or in the massive build-up of weapons for war which
continues to rob the poor and the dispossessed of the resources of life-----
whose children are we?” (Published in 1985)
What
does Jesus direct us to do at his point? “To love Jesus and hear what God
says”.
Do
you hear what God says? Some in
religious circles regularly tell us what God has told them and we are
suspicious ----. It is as if they speak with God as a buddy. Jesus has a close
relationship with the Father, but it comes with much prayer and total
compliance with God’s will.
Question
for discussion: How may we hear what God says?
The
Jews now retort – “you are a Samaritan and demon possessed”, effectively –“you are a
mixed breed and crazy”.
Jesus
returns to his claims:
-
I
honor my Father,
-
I
do not seek glory for myself,
-
If
you keep my word, you will never see death.
The
Jews - This
last claim brings a puzzled response –
Abraham and all others have died – Are you greater than they?
Jesus
responds:
-
My
Father (who you claim as your God) knows me and glorifies me.
-
I
know him and keep his word,
-
Abraham
rejoiced at seeing my day
-
Before
Abraham was born, I am.
Jesus
claims he knows God, and God honors him, and he knows Abraham and precedes him.
Leon
Morris writes that this last statement –“I am” brings out the meaning of his
preexistence in a “more striking fashion than anywhere else in the Gospel.”
We
need to understand the word “blasphemy”. Here is Webster’s definition:
To
the Jews, claiming to be Godlike is blasphemy – Jesus is claiming he is divine.
This conflicts with the Jew’s understanding that “there is only one God”. According to their law, Jesus must be stoned
for blasphemy.
Gary
Burge writes: “It is easy now to align with Jesus and repudiate his
antagonists. This is like watching a movie and aligning ones self with the
hero. But there may also be times when
we are the residents of Jerusalem, when we are the defenders of orthodoxy, and
when we cannot tolerate a new word from God. I am naïve to think that if I had
lived in the day of Jesus I would have stood with him at all times. Many of us
would have been arguing against him in the courts of the temple.”
Discussion:
Often in history people claimed that God’s laws/scripture authorized them to
kill others to protect a religion or God? Muslims today try to protect the name
of Mohamed and Allah. The Crusades were to protect the Holy Land from the
infidel.
Questions: How do we, or should we, attempt to protect
the name or honor of God? Also, What “new word” from God has come in recent
generations? May others come to us today?