Passion of the Christ - Communion (part one) ...

After opening his gospel with a prologue, and spending a great deal of time discussing at length all of the miraculous witnesses to the divinity of Christ; John now turns his attention to the fulfillment of the ministry of the Messiah.  Though miracles would still be a significant part of the completion of the mission of Jesus, the idea of the magnitude of His sacrifice warrants our undivided attention.  The time of His mission was nearly complete.  He would only be with them a short while now.  The immediacy and the priority of what He must share with His few faithful companions, His friends as He called them, was now of paramount importance.  These final hours would be the thing most prevalent in their minds as events were about to unfold.  So only the most important truths must be shared.  Everything else could wait, everything else could be discovered later, or revealed by the work of the Holy Spirit.  What He must share with His disciples now, had to be what was of utmost importance as time was nearly at an end.  Against this backdrop, Jesus begins by sharing the most important thing between God and man, He shares communion.

Communion is more than a tradition of the newly established Christian church.  It is fellowship between God and man.  As time is nearly out, Christ takes precious moments to “be” with His disciples.  As He used to enjoy His walks with Adam and Eve in the Garden at sunset, and even set aside an entire day to be “Holy” just to be with us; so now He takes out a moment to simply “be” with His disciples.  They will eat, drink, and commune together.  From the point of view of the disciples this is a celebration of the feast of Passover.  From the point of view of the Messiah, this is the last meal He will ever enjoy with His disciples.  With all the burden that must come upon Him in just a few short hours, He makes time to be with His disciples and speak, and do, what is most important to them.  John sets the stage for us, in his gospel account beginning in chapter 13.  It is the time for the feast of Passover, but John puts his emphasis on the truth of the character of Christ.

He opens in verse 1 saying … “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”  The love of Christ never wavered.  He loved all of His disciples right up to the end of His life.  That love was paramount.  That love was the reason why He had come to our world.  Jesus did not restrict His love to only those disciples He knew would be faithful to Him in all things.  If He had so restricted it; who would have been left to enjoy the meal with Him?  For all deserted Him in His time of greatest need.  Judas was at this dinner.  Judas enjoyed this meal with His Lord like John, Peter, and all the rest of them.  Jesus did not restrict His love to Judas even knowing what Judas was about to do.  Nor did He restrict His love from Peter knowing how Peter would deny Him openly.  Both dined.  Both enjoyed the company of their Lord.

But John, with the benefit of hindsight, writes now what he knows about that night.  He continues in verse 2 … “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;”  Judas had too long refused to be changed by the Messiah he spent his every waking moment with.  His greed and avarice, and thirst for power and prominence had never given way to the simplicity of humble service that the life of Christ exemplified.  That life was not the one Judas wanted.  Judas wanted the life of a great leader.  He wanted the power and fame that comes from a position of authority.  He was not alone in his ambitions.  Right up to these moments the disciples often jockeyed for position in who would be the next greatest leader in the kingdom of Christ.  Judas was no different in that respect, if perhaps only in that he was more ambitious and more secretive about his own desires.  What he was not; was transformed.  He lacked the humility to be transformed.  He was “happy” with who he was, and only wanted more of it, not less.  In that respect, does he sound like the person in the mirror who stares back at you every day?  Are you so comfortable with “who” you are, that you believe you need no transformation into something else, something more humble, something resembling more of servant and less of a king?

Christ had a knowledge of the thoughts and desires of His disciples.  He knew that what Judas wanted was not so different than any of the others, though only Judas was willing to betray His Lord to acquire it.  John continues in verse 3 by revealing what Jesus knew … “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;”  His death is nearly upon Him.  His mission is nearly complete.  So does He finally accept the glory and praise He is due?  Does He seek out the people to praise Him, for the act of sacrifice He is about to perform for them?  Wouldn’t we?  We seek praise for our accomplishments.  We seek adoration when we do something good for others, if only to remind us of how good we are.  Yet Christ makes no such moves.  Instead John continues with what He does with time so short, and burden so high.

John relays in verse 4 … “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. [verse 5] After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”  He served.  He took upon Himself the most humiliating duty of a servant and performed this act of humility on those who SHOULD have done it for Him.  Their feet were dirty.  Their feet were smelly.  They had no Dr. Scholls to reduce the smell, or orthodic shoes to protect their feet from the dirt, mud, and animal waste they must walk upon.  They had only sandals of rough leather to protect them from dusty, rocky roads.  They had no chance to bath regularly, or rub oils on their feet, or keep themselves well maintained.  Yet Christ who considered Himself willing, was willing to wash and dry the feet of these men.  All of them.  Judas included as well as Peter.  Jesus stooped to serve the one who would choose to be His enemy.  He did not restrict His love from Judas, nor did He refrain from serving one who would choose to do evil.  Every opportunity would be offered to all who were there, regardless of what they would choose to do with the opportunity and love He offered.

It was a stark contrast in the minds of those who were only moments before thinking to themselves what greatness would be theirs in the kingdom He was sure to establish.  Here was their King, serving them in the most debasing of ways, the most humiliating.  A King who served?  Who had ever heard of such a thing?  This was too much for Peter to accept.  Peter says in verse 6 … “Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? [verse 7] Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”  Peter had to question this.  Peter thought it his place to remind the Lord that servants do this kind of work, not Kings.  If he accepted Jesus performing this act of humility upon him, it was like admitting that his own pride had kept him from even considering doing this kind of work.  Not an easy pill to swallow.  Jesus however, tells Peter that while he may not understand this act right now, it will become clear to him later as to why He would do it.  Peter responds in verse 8 … “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. …”  Peter response is “forget it” Lord.  I am not going to allow you to humiliate yourself or me in doing this kind of work.  In effect, Peter was too proud to accept that.

But the words of Christ in response were overwhelming as Jesus responds continuing in verse 8 … “… Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”  Peter was blown away.  They were all just thinking about the establishment of the kingdom of Christ.  For him to have no part in it would be devastating.  Peter still does not understand why Christ would do this, but he will not risk becoming a power broker in the new anti-Roman kingdom Christ is surely about to setup.  So he quickly answers in verse 9 … “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”  If this is about cleanliness perhaps, then go ahead and give me a full bath.  Whatever it takes to be the number one general, or number one secretary of state, or number one chief council, just go ahead and do it Lord.  Ironically Peter was really asking to be the number one servant, but he just could not comprehend that yet, as Christ had just told him.

Jesus responds to Peter’s overdoing-it by saying in verse 10 … “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. [verse 11] For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.”  Obviously none of them had recently bathed, nor was Christ trying to say that a literal clean-up of our feet can take the place of proper bath when it comes to cleanliness.  However, being served in humility, is by definition humiliating.  We are cleansed by a power outside of ourselves.  That fact is humiliating.  To admit we are unable to cleanse ourselves is not something most Christians are comfortable with, let alone non-believers.  Christians like to think they can remove the sins from themselves by their power, or determination, or abundance of good works.  They like to think that at the worst case, they are in a partnership with God, where the Christian does his best work first, and only THEN does God do “His part”.  But none of this is true.  The disciples feet did not clean themselves, they were not allowed to participate in the cleansing.  They did not even necessarily want to be clean or at least want it enough to do it to themselves, let alone for others.  The act of cleansing their most exposed and dirty part was done solely by Christ.  They were clean only as they allowed Him to clean them.  They had NO partnership.  They did NONE of the work.  Christ did it all.  All they did, was let Him.

With time for Christ as short as it was, He takes time out to eat and socialize and commune with His closest followers.  And now with time growing even shorter, He serves them all in the most humble of ways, taking the part of the lowest slave to do work, none of them would even consider.  This is the heart of our God.  This is the level of service He will do for us if we but let Him.  He will cleanse us from the filth we have embraced like a patient parent who cleans up his baby from an accident in going to the bathroom all over themselves.  Sin is that distasteful to God, but He cleans us up from it because He loves us that much.  And in this act of humility, Judas participates.  He allows Christ to wash his own feet as well.  But his heart is unmoved by it.  We may allow Christ to clean us, but we do not remain clean if we do not choose to do so.  Judas was only growing more indignant that this purported King would so humiliate Himself and them.  And Jesus recognizes Judas resistance to being made clean by a force outside of himself.  Thus He offers out loud to all of them, the idea, that one has not accepted the cleaning He is offering.

Now because it was still a mystery in the minds of those He had just served, Christ must explain to them why He did what He did.  Jesus asks in verse 12 … “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?”  Notice that it took Christ a minute to get his own clothing back on, and to sit back down at the table.  Notice too that no-one took the initiative to clean the feet of Christ with basin and towel.  Jesus continues in verse 13 … “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. [verse 14] If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. [verse 15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. [verse 16] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. [verse 17] If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

First Jesus acknowledges that He is indeed their Lord and ours, the title is not lost on Him, or inaccurate in any way.  He is God after all.  For God to be willing to stoop to serve man, in the most humble of ways, should show us that we should not be reluctant to serve each other in equal humility.  Christ was not setting up a feet cleaning business, or stating the clean feet are the mark of His followers.  He was however plainly stating that no act of humble service from one to another is something we should think ourselves “above” doing.  Often we continue the tradition of feet washing in our churches in times of performing an ordinance of communion.  We follow the literal words of Christ, but lose the deeper meaning.  Washing another member of our churches feet, is a much different proposition today, when everyone is sure to have bathed and worn appropriate footwear for just such an event.  But to bring a member in need groceries without being asked, or even desired, is something we are more reluctant to do, as it might embarrass him or us in the process.  To take the initiative to serve another in tasks we consider unpleasant do not spring to mind.  We reserve our service for more convenient actions that require less of our time, and perhaps only more of our resources.  Digging a latrine in a mission is not considered “glory” work … by anyone other than God.  The message of Christ to us, is that when we love each other as He loved us, no act of service is beneath us.  No need should go un met if we can meet it.  And there is no room for pride in any part of the equation of love and service.

To wash each other’s feet in our day, can hardly breach the gulf of an entrenched pride that refuses to be made humble.  And there is ancestor who felt that same way.  One who had the benefit of the literal company of Christ, but would leave that very night to betray Him to His death.  Is it the path of Judas we follow?  Or is the path of our King, who put aside his garments, took basin and towel, and washed each of the feet of his disciples in the condition they were in?  There is nothing wrong with following the traditions and ordinance of humility our communion services offer.  But the heart of the transformed by Christ can hardly stop serving before or after such an event.  When the heart is transformed, it values love above all else, and must express that love in humble service meeting every need it can, in any way that it can.  We can choose to express our love to our parents, our siblings, our spouses, or our children.  Or we can love greater, by loving those we know less, and associate with more.  Or we can love greater still, by investing our time and energy on those who seek to call themselves our enemies, and desire nothing but our destruction.  To love those who would do us nothing but harm, is to love as Christ loved.  For He showed that same tender love to the eleven as He did to the twelfth (Judas).  Nothing was ever held back by Christ despite what we would choose to do with it.  The same is true today.  But communion was not over yet …

 

Stubborn Love (witness number thirteen) ...

The Feast of Tabernacles, or booths, or tents with organic roofs if you prefer, was a several-day time for celebration and reaching out to God.  The brothers and sister of Christ planned to go, and in the beginning of the gospel of John chapter seven, they suggest that if Christ is really doing all these things people report about Him, that He ought to go to the Feast as well and let His disciples see Him publicly do them.  Perhaps they reasoned such a public display might win Him back those disciples who had left Him at Capernaum when He announced He was the only path to His Father God.  Perhaps they reasoned that to build an army large enough to take on Rome, He would need more followers and this might be an excellent opportunity to drum up support from around the nation, as many would be traveling to Jerusalem for this feast.  But no matter their logic, verse 5 reveals a sad and painful truth … “For neither did his brethren believe in him.”  Oh, his family knew He was special.  They knew He worked miracles as they had witnessed these things.  But the idea He raised in Capernaum, was that He descended from His Father God to save us all, and salvation would only be found in believing in Him – this was a bridge too far for them at the moment.  So despite knowing the religious leadership was looking to kill Him, they suggest He ought to go confront them in their home turf, perhaps this would test His divinity, and either prove His claims, or put the subject to bed.

Jesus, reading their intentions, responds in verse 6 … “Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. [verse 7] The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”  Christ points out, that the thinking His family shares regarding His ministry is the same one the people and leaders cling to.  They look for a deliverer from Rome, from poverty, from oppression.  Because their thinking is in line with popular thinking, even with that of the religious leaders, they are not hated by them.  But Christ is, because instead of aligning Himself with these goals and ideals, He points out that the source of the problems of Israel is not found in Rome, but in the hearts of each person there.  It is the evil within us, that is the root of our problems.  It is our slavery to self-service that is the core of the evil that enslaves us.  We are powerless to defeat it, and equally consumed by it, blinded by it, and do not enjoy having it called to our attention.  This is particularly true, when we are unable to cast blame back on the person who brings it to our attention.  Often when confronted by someone else about the evil behavior we are engaged in, our first thought, is to defend ourselves, by pointing out the evil our accusers do as well.  We feel successfully defended if we can point out bigger sins in our accuser, than in ourselves.  But when the perfection of love reveals to us our error, we are unable to successfully “blame” it.  In the mirror of Christ, our selfishness is revealed, and we are unable to blame “the mirror”.  In that instance, the evil of selfishness, we embrace, we are stuck with.  And for some, hatred of this revelation follows.

Even here, Satan is offering Christ, “an easy way out”.  To win the love and respect and belief of His own family, all He needs to do, is give a little on the idea of reducing Rome’s power over them.  OK, so maybe we don’t overthrow them completely, but at least you could send a little plague their way, and cause them to reduce their presence in Judea.  But love does not manipulate to gain its objective, and love is not interested in control, but in choice.  The love of Christ was ever based in truth, and so He could not align with the near sighted goals, even of His family.  He must instead stay true to the will of His Father, who longed for an end to evil, the evil within us, not the evil around us.  As for the timing of going to the feast, Christ continues in verse 8 … “Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. [verse 9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. [verse 10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.”  Christ tells them to ahead and go to the feast, that he will be staying put for a while as His time is not yet fully there.  I would guess, His family interpreted this to mean, that His time to raise an army, or confront the religious leaders, was not just yet.  Though Christ may actually have been referring to His death and sacrifice for us, as not quite being the time.  In any case, He delayed His trip, and went there secretly.

The salient question then, is “why?”  Why on earth go back to Jerusalem, even in secret, when you know the leaders there are intent on killing you for the deeds you do, and the words you say?  Why put your own life at risk?  Surely the disciples, at least the original 12, did not need further “proof” you were the Messiah, they already declared they believed it.  Surely the people of Jerusalem had heard about Christ, as verses 11 thru 13 reveal, He was quite the topic of conversation at the feast this year.  So it was not as though Jesus needed a campaign of public awareness.  One could argue that He went to save Mary Magdalene from being stoned for adultery which would happen soon.  But then, that entire scenario was constructed to trap Christ, more than to punish Mary, had He not gone to Jerusalem, she might have been safely unmolested in her sins.  So “who” was Christ there to reach?  Who was He so stubbornly intent to love?  I submit, He was there to try again, to reach those leaders who were intent on killing Him.  I believe He went back, again, to reach them, His most ardent enemies.  He did not return in a spirit of confrontation.  Nor did he return in fame, carrying with Him a great crowd to protect Him, and display to the proud leaders, their inability to do anything about Him.  Instead He returns alone, anonymously, and looks to teach His doctrine of love to any who might listen.  Verse 14 states … “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. [verse 15] And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?”

Deja vu anyone?  When He was only twelve years old, He taught the leaders in Jerusalem for 3 days, having never had a “formal” education.  Here He was again, teaching the people, and the leaders, doctrines and scriptures, without the benefit of a long career of reading and study in the formal religious training schools of His day.  Christ knew scriptures the leaders did not believe Him capable of knowing.  Perhaps He quoted scrolls only few had had access to read.  Perhaps He cited little known prophets, or obscure references that only a man of deep education could possible know.  In any case, it was the religious leaders who appreciated the miracle they were witnessing.  He was doing something, saying something, teaching something, He should not have been able to teach.

Jesus knows what they murmur and responds in verse 16 … “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”  Therein is found two key truths.  The first, truth is not found within us, but in Him that sends us into the world.  In the case of Christ, the doctrine of love He was teaching came from God His Father.  In our case, the doctrine of love we bear witness to, the doctrine of love that transforms us into a new creation; does not originate within us, but comes from the Christ who saves us from ourselves.  The second truth, is that doctrine that is used to glorify the messenger instead of the message, is not truth at all.  Those conference leaders, or pastors, or evangelists, or television spokesmen, or laymen, or just ordinary Christians intent on witnessing – who look to present themselves as models of achievement, or sources of truth and understanding, reveal they know little of either.  Even the precious truth of salvation, is not intended as a vehicle for us to prop ourselves up, and try to become “proud” in the victories He has bestowed upon us.  The gospel at its core is not about pride, but humility.  It is not about our fame as His messengers, but about our work done in anonymity.  Christ, who was God of all, was the chief servant of all.  Who are we, to model ourselves differently than our leader?

Jesus continues in verse 17 … “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. [verse 18] He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”  Christ was not looking for fame, as the greatest religious scholar of His day.  He was not looking to replace the Rabbinical schools with new leadership.  He was not even looking to replace the High Priest with Himself, or His own appointees.  Instead, He was looking only to teach truth and love, and reach those who would listen.  The fears and insecurities of the religious leaders should have been put at ease, as Christ was no real threat to their organization or authority.  But those fears could not rest, because the message of truth and reform that comes from love placed within us, might truly undo the financial empire they had built around the forms of religion.  Instead of abandoning misconceptions and misinterpretations of scripture that Christ revealed and embracing a new knowledge of old truth that might have truly revolutionized the teaching in Israel, they chose to meet truth with hate, and respond to love with intent to kill it.  There would be no fundamental overhaul of doctrine that might actually change the world.  Instead there would be a perpetuation of existing thinking, even if it had to kill God to accomplish it.

And what has changed?  The original claimant of the Christian faith in Catholicism has amassed wealth, art, as well as political power and influence such as the world has ever seen; though Christ craved none of these things, shunning them all, instead serving in humility until His death.  He needed no spectacle, no pomp, no gold, no flowing robes of brilliant color – He only sought to teach love and truth.  Protestant Christian denominations have little more to say than their Catholic counterparts.  While not steeped in the gold and art of spectacle, protestant churches strive equally for a place in the halls of power and legislation.  They maintain elaborate organizational hierarchies, that are more intent on maintaining “their” particular brand of Christianity, than about serving in humility, poverty, and love.  Today’s American churches look to invest themselves in politics, in order to make legal, the teachings of morality they believe.  In an effort to defend themselves against the unbelievers, they would make themselves, the arbiters of morality and enforce it with controls of the government and effect of law.  In short, our religious leaders seem very preoccupied with leadership and the preservation of church influence, than with the simplicity of love and transformation it offers.  Were Christ to enter our pulpits of today, and advocate abandoning our doctrinal uniqueness, our wealth, power, influence, and spectacle – would we too reject Him, and look to kill Him to preserve what we have built?

Jesus knows His teaching will be met with hatred, by those who wish to preserve their influence and wealth over accepting the truth He espouses.  To them he says in verse 19 … “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?”  Here Jesus cites their “go to guy” and questions the motives that would kill love rather than accept it.  Rather than have their innermost motives reveal, they accuse Christ of being crazy saying in verse 20 … “The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?”  Had Jesus not been trying to win over those that hate Him, and attempt to undo their hatred, He could merely have responded to them by name.  He could have said … well, Bob over there is thinking he should stone me, and George in the red cap, is planning to knife me when nobody is looking.  He did not.  He does not reveal the individuals who seek His death to the rest of the crowd that might have decided to do something to prevent that from happening.  Again, Christ does not act in a manner that would preserve His own life, or incite the people to take “righteous” action in killing those who were intent on killing Him.  Love does not meet evil with equal evil; it meets evil only with more love.

Instead, Jesus will try again, to correct the misinterpretation of teachings on keeping Sabbath holy, that the people suffered from.  This time, He will point out an inconsistency that they allow for one kind of medical procedure to take place “lawfully” on Sabbath while decrying another.  He says in verse 21… “Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. [verse 22] Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. [verse 23] If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? [verse 24] Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”  If circumcision is allowed on Sabbath which does not accomplish any kind of healing, why is restoration on Sabbath something to be considered unlawful?  The ‘work’ of recreation is not something that takes the Sabbath off.  The ‘work’ God does to restore us unto Himself, is actually enhanced by the Sabbath.  For one day, we make a choice to focus our time and attention on just hanging out with our God.  Instead of all the things that vie for our self-centered vision of the world, we make a conscious effort to focus on God, and in so doing, service to others that mimics the behavior of God.  And Sabbath becomes something new entirely.  When love replaces our other motivations, obedience is truly possible.  While love is superseded by other motivations, obedience is not possible.  Unconverted, unchanged hearts, could not understand this.  But there were others who were listening that could.

There were some in that crowd that recognized the truth of what Christ was saying.  In verse 25 it reads … “Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? [verse 26] But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?”  These people knew, the religious leaders did seek to kill Christ.  They could see some of these very men in the crowd on this day at the temple.  Here was Christ in plain sight, teaching and answering them, and none of the men bent on killing Him, were doing anything about it.  Perhaps then, the religious leaders, KNEW, this was indeed the Christ.  Perhaps this is the reason they took no action.  Perhaps the truth of what He said, was true after all.

But almost as quickly as they had the thought that perhaps this was truly the Christ, doubt entered in.  In verse 27 they stated … “Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.”  This was a shot at the parentage of Jesus.  Jesus after all, from their perspective, came from illegitimate parentage.  Mary was found pregnant, before Joseph married her.  People knew it.  They might also have known, that Joseph’s first reaction was to put her away privately and not follow thru with the wedding.  But knowing that, they would have also known, that Joseph did follow through because of a message from an angel.  They would have also known, that the angel visited Mary, and told her she was chosen among all women from the house of David.  They would have known that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus escaped the carnage of Herod to the new children in Bethlehem when they fled to Egypt on the word of an angel.  They would have known Jesus was raised in Nazareth when His family returned from Egypt.  They had heard many things.  What they chose to believe was at issue here.  Belief after all, is a choice.

Jesus declares in verse 28 … “Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. [verse 29] But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.”  Christ points out to them the truth they also know.  The truth of the 3 wise men who bore gifts and followed a star from the east to the night of His birth.  They knew of the angelic host, who tore the night sky open with brilliant light of daylight and sang anthems to announce His birth.  They knew of the shepherds tending flocks by night, who also bore witness to the miracle of His entry into the world.  And more importantly, these same men bore witness to His miracles, His love, His healings, and His truth.  If they were to persist in refusing to know, it would be God they were refusing to know.  For God was the God of love, and Christ was love revealed to the world.  They had lost sight of the idea that God was a God of love.  Instead they had cast God the Father as a God of vengeance, justice, and punishment.  Christ aligned with none of these ideas.  They missed all the elements of redemption from the Old Testament witnesses, and focused only on the violence.  They missed all the tender mercy and love God had shown throughout all the stories of the Old Testament, and instead glorified the violent acts of men who thought to “help” God out in each of those situations.  As such, they did not know God at all, nor could they recognize Him in the form of His Son who bore witness of what it means to love in this world.

The reaction of those men, who did know the truth, but refused to accept it was swift and intense.  Verse 30 reads … “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.”  The only thing that prevented the death of Christ on that very day, in that very minute, was the preordained timeline God had established.  Angels literally had to restrain those who would have put an end to Christ on the spot.  They did this, because love had not yet been fully revealed.  We were to have yet a little more time with Christ among us.  We were to yet have a little more chance to see what it means to love like God loves.  When hatred is embraced however, and love is rejected, the only response left is one of murder.  Those who think the nature of evil is not so bad, those who believe not all evil is the same, forget the lessons written here of love rejected.  Murder was their response.  Death is the ultimate path and destination of every evil, no matter how small or innocent it looks.  It is the reason there is only one result, for there can be only one result, when one turns away from life and love, it is misery and death.  Thus the supernatural prevented, what evil would have determined. 

The bright spot in this otherwise dark storm however, was that not all the listeners were so determined to reject the truth of the words of Christ.  Verse 31 reads … “And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?”  Common sense won out, in those who were willing to use it.  It was painfully obvious to those who were not so consumed with hate as to ignore it.  Christ was teaching truth and love.  He was reciting texts and doctrines of love that He had never been formally educated to present.  He was working miracles in the plain sight of the people.  Who would ever come, that would do MORE, than He was already doing?  Healings, feedings, teachings, and packaged in humility, truth, and love – what more was there to wait for?  This had to be the Messiah.  This had to be the one they had so long waited for.  The intent of Christ to reach even His most ardent enemies had some limited success; for there were among the people those who made a choice to believe.