John chapter 8

vs 21

I think John more than anyone else shows us that Jesus had a pretty solid message, and that he stuck to it. It might seem a little repetitive at times, but when your audience is mostly listening and reading, one of the best ways to get them to remember is repetition.

This time, though, he's being really harsh. But this is one good example of words of Jesus that are not true for all time. Surely he is commenting on their present state, and saying that the only thing that can save them is if they change their attitude. Rather than look for him, they should acknowledge that they have found him.

vs 22

We might almost think of it as assisted suicide, in that Jesus probably knew full well that he could be killed if he got the wrong people off-side. But that does not negate in any way the responsibilities of the killers. Good old concept of negative responsibility.

vs 23

Can he really make who he is any clearer? This is as much a condemnation of their attitude as it is an assurance of his deity though. If they had their minds set on heaven and not on earth, then they would recognise him.

vs 24

Jesus is my bro here, backing me up in what I said in verse 21. Their condemnation is conditional on their lack of belief. But Jesus is sort of making another point here, that you might not pick up at first. Read verse 21 again, and then read the Pharisee's response in verse 22. Jesus said to them "You, you guys I am talking to right now, you guys are going to die in your sins, and then that's it for you. It's bad. No good future for you guys." Their response was "What did he say about where he was going?" They are completely closed off to the idea of them dying in their sins, so much so that Jesus has to repeat it again. "LISTEN UP GUYS! If you don't follow me, you're dead in your sins, idiots!"

vs 25

Now they want to know who he is. And his answer is always a little bit mysterious. Jesus does claim to be the messiah, and just before he said that he comes from heaven. But Jesus mostly relies on other people witnessing to who he is. Testimony of two or three witnesses and all that.

vs 26

Jesus wants them to know that even though what he is saying is almost constantly condemning the Pharisees, it is still true because it comes from God. He's just passing on God's message as God's servant. The fact that the Pharisees have gotten themselves into a position where they require condemnation and judgement is their own fault, and now they are copping it.

vs 27

But of course if you don't want to hear something, you don't hear it. To give them the benefit of the doubt, who really did understand it when he was saying it? It's easy to look back and see what he was saying with hindsight, but we're still only about a third of the way through the story.

vs 28

Jesus regularly uses this phrase "lifted up", which is a harkening to the brass snake being lifted up. They might have thought he was talking about a time when they accepted and exalted him, which of course to them was unlikely. But of course, he's talking about his crucifixion. But then, they still don't accept him after that. It's the resurrection which will be the big kicker.

And yes, even then the Pharisees didn't all accept him. But more did than we realise I think. A lot of the early converts to Christianity were priests and religious leaders. Read Acts.

vs 29

Jesus might not be pleasing the religious leaders with what he says and does, but then that's not his job is it? His job is do do what God told him to do, and so he does that instead. It doesn't always make people happy, but then God somehow deals with all the bitching and complaining that people do to and about him.

vs 30

See, there you go. Even then, Pharisees were changing sides. Only the more stubborn or clueless were left, and we all know what happens when you get stubborn and clueless people together to make decisions, particularly religious ones.