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When we choose to remain blind to the truth, the truth we
will never see. In our last account of
the sermon of Christ to those in the treasury of the temple, Jesus had revealed
Himself as the origin of light. Those
who submit their lives to His light will be made able to see. But those who shut their eyes, or turn away
from the Light, will find only darkness.
It is hard to find truth in the dark.
So it was that the Pharisees who had chosen to reject Christ as the
Messiah, and discard the witness to His divinity, had chosen to walk away from
the Light, and away from the truth. The
scriptures themselves are not the source of Light, they are a vehicle to reveal
God, who alone is the source of Light and Truth. The Pharisees had put their trust in their
own wisdom, and in their own ideas about the interpretation of scripture. But instead of leading them to the true
Messiah, they used scriptural interpretation to vaunt up pride, and boost
self-sufficiency. They did not see their
need. But Christ did. He knew the painful consequences they would
face, from choosing to remain in darkness while opportunity was right in front
of them, still offering them a way to the Light.
And so in verse 21 of John’s gospel account in chapter
eight, Jesus warns His prideful accusers … “Then said Jesus again unto them, I
go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye
cannot come.” Christ would be returning
the side of His Father, God. The
perfection of Christ would allow Him to return into the perfection of the
source of all love, without regret, or fear, or the revealing of evil within
Himself. The Pharisees who were present
would be unable to do this. Not simply
because they were mortal and would sleep until a final resurrection, but
because even when returned to life, the evil within them would still be in
control of “who” they were. They would
die in their sins. Seeking after another
Messiah who would not come, as only one would ever exist; the Pharisees looked
in the mirror for truth and salvation and would never find it there. Only by looking to the light would they
finally see. Only by putting their own
ideas of wisdom and scriptural interpretation on the altar of humility, would
they finally allow themselves to embrace the truth of the Messiah, and the
vehicle to their salvation. As we follow
Christ, we are changed by Him. We are
made pure, we do not simply evolve that way.
Nor do we find perfection by the strength of our will, our knowledge, or
our beliefs and intentions. We find
perfection or the complete removal of evil from within us, by submission to
Christ, and in no other way.
The Pharisees though, missed the warning of remaining in
sin, because they had rejected the only source that could externally change
them, and remove the sin from them.
Again they focused on the idea that Christ would somehow elude them to a
place they could not follow. A
perplexing concept. And so in verse 22
they ponder to each other … “Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because
he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.”
The only place Christ could conceivably escape them was in the grave,
for that was the one place none of them would dare to venture to find Him. Perhaps even more perplexing was the idea
that they would want to find Him at all.
At present, they would have been all too happy to be rid of Him
completely. If Christ had decided to move
to China, they would have been happy to pack His bags and send Him on His way.
But Christ was not done focusing on origins, in verse 23 He
answers … “And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are
of this world; I am not of this world. [verse 24] I said therefore unto you,
that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall
die in your sins.” First, in the history
of mankind, not a single soul has ever reached perfection through their own
strength. The mechanism for salvation
has always, and will always be, a full submission to God. This was a secret Enoch had discovered. To be human, is to be born into a condition
our first parents embraced for us, a native propensity to serve self, the very
nature of evil itself. It is naturally a
part of who we are. Therefore, salvation
must come from outside of ourselves.
Perfection must come from a source not within us, but external to
us. We must be made perfect; we will not
achieve it any other way. Christ states
to His errant religious leaders, that only a belief in Him, and His longing to
save them, will ever see them saved from themselves. This is not a threat. This is not a punishment. This is a statement of fact, and an offer of
love. Even now, He longs to see them
saved. Even now, the very ones intent on
killing Him, are the ones He is reaching out to. He is warning them of the natural results of
the choices they are making. But His
warning is not full of condemnation, and absent all hope, it is still a chance
to change, a chance to turn away from self, and turn towards the source of all
salvation.
The offer of Christ to the Pharisees, and the warning of us
dying in our sins, is no less relevant today.
It is NOT the wish of Christ or His Father that any of us should
perish. But He cannot compel us to choose
Him, or to choose to love. He can offer
to remake us, but we must accept that offer if we are to see ourselves
remade. Our belief in the truth of the
written word is NOT enough to save us, any more than it was for the Pharisees
who stood before Him still attempting to accuse Him and using the Word to do it. The scriptures were no less true then, than
they are now. But their minds were
clouded by their pride and their arrogance in their interpretations of the
written word. And they chose to reject
Christ, while still clinging to the written word that pointed unmistakably
right at Christ. We are at no less
risk. There is a reason why there are
hundreds of different Christian denominations and interpretations of the same
written words. It is because we have
allowed ourselves to believe only our own ideas of the Bible are the right
ones, to the exclusion of all others. We
build walls between ourselves based on the differences we see in the same
written words. And so in the process, we
forget, that ALL the words point us back to Christ, not deeper into the
book. Christ is the central point of
scripture, not just more scripture. And
for both the Pharisees and us, we must let go our ideas of truth, and find
truth were it lives, above us, from the source of truth, Christ alone. Only then can the written words reveal the
truth, and what we will find in them is only more about Christ.
In verse 25 the Pharisees challenge Jesus to ask “who” does
He think He is, as they say … “Then said they unto him, Who art thou? …” What makes you think you can do for us, what
you point out, that we have been unable to do for ourselves? Verse 25 continues … “… And Jesus saith unto
them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. [verse 26] I have
many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I
speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.” Here Christ reminds them, that He has not
changed His position on “who” he is. He
is the same Messiah He has always been.
But far more important than that, He is speaking the truth to those who
are listening, the same truth He learned from the side of His Father who is
from above. Here again, Christ is
revealing the mind and will and motives of His Father, the God of the universe. He is revealing to those who will listen, the
precious truth of salvation, the precious origin and offer of redemption. All they need do is believe; all we need do,
is the same. Believe in Christ, and not
in ourselves; believe in His ability and desire to remake us, and not in our
own strength or abilities. Here again is
the united vision of the Godhead to save us from ourselves.
But John notes in verse 27, as it was evident to him, that
the Pharisees had no idea Christ was talking about His Father God. They refused to accept this idea, so to them
they must have assumed, Christ had learned His ideas of truth from the side of
His earthly father, who was obviously not present. So to insure they do not keep with this
misconception Christ makes a prophecy regarding His near future, in verse 28 He
continues … “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man,
then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my
Father hath taught me, I speak these things. [verse 29] And he that sent me is
with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that
please him.” Christ predicts for all to
hear, that soon He will be crucified.
The term “lifted up” had that special significance. What is more, the precious truths of
redemption that flow from Him are in perfect concert with the will of the
Father. Christ is not alone, His Father
is with Him, and His Father delights in the actions Christ takes.
Think of it. The
healings Christ has done, even the one on Sabbath that caused such disdain
among the leaders, was an action that “pleased” God the Father. The redemption of Mary Magdalene caught in
the very act of adultery, but spared, and freed from the bondage of sin was an
act that “pleased” the Father. The feeding
of the hungry, the provisions made at the wedding feast in Cana, the selection
of the disciples, even of Judas himself, were all actions that “pleased” the
Father. It is not the mercy and love of
Christ alone in the Godhead; it is shared equally with the Father. Their actions are in harmony. They are one in purpose, and one in love for
us. We are not loved by Christ, and
merely tolerated by His Father. We are
actively loved by God the Father, He may even think of us as His grandbabies
(as Christ is our Creator). The actions
to redeem us, and bring us home, are not just the work of Christ in isolation,
they are the work of God, all three parts.
It is both Father AND Son who are pleased at the ideas of saving us from
the pain and death that evil brings. The
Holy Spirit acts as the mechanism to achieve that transformation as we let Him
in. Here in this simple verse of
scripture recorded by John, is a revelation of WHO GOD IS. Here is a revelation about the mind and heart
of God, both Father and Son. This is the
God we serve, the one who delights in our salvation, both physical and
spiritual.
The passion of divinity flashed through Him, and His words
carry fire into the hearts of His listeners.
They have seen His patience with His accusers. Now they see that the love He bears, is
shared by His Father, to the point that He would sacrifice Himself to take on
their punishment and save them eternally from the pain of evil. These are words such as they have never
heard. This is hope. This is a reason to live. This is something more than they have ever
been offered by any man, as man could not make this offer. Only God could. And so in verse 30 John records the response
of the great many who were in attendance … “As he spake these words, many believed
on him.” His sermon was now bearing
immediate fruit. His passion, His love,
His consistent reach to save, had persuaded them. And salvation was to be had, right there, and
right then. It was not a future promise
His listeners were to cash in, it was a promise in the here and now. They would leave that place changed by an
encounter with God. A personal encounter
as if He spoke only to them. This is a
hallmark of truth. Truth has an effect.
Now Jesus, as He ALWAYS does, acknowledges and accepts those
who have only seconds ago, decided to believe in Him. He says in verse 31 … “Then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed;” We do not have to
follow Christ in person, then or now to be considered His disciples. It is enough that we allow Him to save us
just where we are, and in the condition we are in. Our transformation starts as soon as we let
it. No need to wait. No need to be home in heaven to get started
changing, we start right here and right now.
We simply follow His words. We
simple hear Him, and let Him transform us.
We come to Christ FIRST, it is only then that our transformation into
His true disciples can begin. The
Pharisees had an extensive knowledge of the word, but lacked Christ, so their
knowledge did not transform them, or illuminate their vision of truth. Had they come to Christ, their knowledge
would have been deepened and they would have seen truth more clearly. It is after we come to Christ, that the words
He would then utter become relevant to us.
Christ then says in verse 32 … “And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.”
Christ is the truth. Not the Old
Testament, or the New Testament, or the Law given on Mt Sinai, or the great Revelation
enumerated by John and expounded on by the Prophets – ONLY Christ is “the”
Truth. Through Christ, can all those
scriptures finally be understood properly, without Him they are sounding brass,
and tinkling cymbals. For it is only
Christ that can “make us” free. The Law
and the Prophets do NOT make us free.
The Bible does not “make us” free from sin, or our slavery to serve
self. The written word does not have the
power to transform, only to reveal us for who we really are. But Christ, the origin of truth, the shared
source of truth with His Father God, CAN actually MAKE US free. It is a work only He can do, and only as we
let Him. It was not the interpretation
of the Pharisees of the written words that would liberate them from their
pride, but it could be Christ if they let Him.
It will not be our doctrinal differences that define our denominations
that will “make us” any more free than were those Pharisees in the days of
Christ. It is Christ alone that can
“make us” free. Our freedom is not some
sort of hidden discovery, or achievable work ethic, or something we can earn
for ourselves. It is something that
happens TO us, that is done BY Christ, FOR us.
We are “made” free, and find freedom from sin in no other way. This is the central tenant of the gospel and
the entire point of the Bible. This is
the definition of our Salvation, and first truth Christ reveals to His new
followers.
Come to Christ, find truth in Him, and be made free. But the freedom Christ was offering from
slavery to self was not something his accusers would choose to comprehend. They interpreted His words to be related to
physical slavery of the poor to the rich, or the weak to the powerful. Since they were not bound to the
superstitions of the idolatrous nations around them, and wealthy enough never
to have tasted the servitude of debtors, or even the enslavement of Rome
itself; they looked to their heritage as a mark of their freedom. They responded in verse 33 … “They answered
him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest
thou, Ye shall be made free?” Their
pride was revealed again. They took
their ancestry as a sign of their spiritual prowess, and their apparent lack of
bondage to other men at the moment, as plain reasons they did not need to be
“made” free. How dangerously like
us. We look to our “Christianity” and
our study of the word, and decide we are better than those around us, and do
not need to “made” free from anything including our sin. We will simply stop sinning, when we choose
to, or when we get around to it, or at some distant point in our future after
we have had a little fun.
But Christ was not talking about being bound to another man,
or governmental power, He was talking about our slavery to sin. So in verse 34 He answers … “Jesus answered
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant
of sin.” There it is in a nutshell. The nature of evil is addiction we are unable
to control. When once embraced, evil
takes us over, and we are NOT free to remove it from ourselves. Adam and Eve created in perfection were
unable to rid themselves of it. Lucifer
who spent eons in the perfection of eternity was unable to rid himself from it,
when once he chose to forsake the wisdom of God, and trust instead to
himself. Evil is degenerative. Evil is addictive. Evil removes control from self, and makes
self the only God worth serving. It
results in an empty meaningless existence that offers nothing but pain, and
death. Only death can stop the degeneration, unless redemption halts the process. To commit sin, is evidence, that control is
ALREADY gone. This is why Truth must
“make us” free.
Christ continued in verse 35 … “And the servant abideth not
in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. [verse 36] If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Here Christ makes an analogy their culture
could understand. A slave or servant was
not the same kind of family member or friend as the Son was. Servants were not always welcome in the
home. But family was. Here is Christ saying, let me free you from
your servitude to sin. Let me make you
over again, and remove from you, what you cannot remove from yourself. When the Son makes you free, you shall be
free indeed. We do not trade the slavery
to self, for slavery to Christ. When
once the slavery of evil is removed, we are then free to love others. To love others is our choice, not our
requirement, it becomes natural to us, instead of foreign to us. We become in harmony with the law of God,
instead of constantly rebelling against it.
Our choice to love, literally liberates us from the need for laws of
restriction. Our freedom to do rightly,
and to love fully, make us fit citizens of a perfect culture and government
where the need for laws regarding limits to the service of self, are simply a
thing of the past. Evil requires
restriction, love does not. It is this
kind of freedom ONLY the Son can offer us.
Christ is the origin of truth. He is the origin of Light. In His Light we can finally see His
Truth. When we see, and we embrace, we
find He is next the origin of even something more …
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