Faith

Yesterday we saw a woman on the verge of being condemned.  Today we learn from John 8:12-20.

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” ¹³ So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” ¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. ¹⁶ Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father^[a] who sent me. ¹⁷ In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. ¹⁸ I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” ¹⁹ They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ²⁰ These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

I was originally supposed to read through to v30, but thought that reading to v20 was far enough for today.   Jesus has been preaching in the temple.  He had been tested by the Pharisees with the adulterous women, and now he is teaching them again.

Jesus: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Pharisees: “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”

Isn’t that an odd statement from the Pharisees?  It was an outright rejection. But why?  Because he was testifyng about himself?   Just struck me as so odd. Jesus handled the oddness though.

Jesus: “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.  In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

Jesus admitted he was testifying about himself, but that didn’t mean what he said wasn’t true.  I wonder if that was a “thing” in those days.  If you talked about yourself you were deemed a liar?  That’s what these statements seem to suggest.  I find it very odd, an odd way to phrase “we don’t believe you, we think you’re a liar”.

I find myself conflicted here, trying to figure out the best way to write my thoughts on this passage.  The verses seems so connected eh?   Jesus is clear.  His testimony is true… two witnesses are required to prove a testimony.   Not only is his testimony true, but he knows where he’s been and where he is going.  Even if the Pharisees do not. HE KNOWS!  Jesus testifies to God, God testifies to him, ergo what is said is true.

The Pharisees can’t know where he’s been or where he’s going, because they judge only by what they see, and they only see the physical world.   This isn’t how Jesus judges things.  And if he were to judge, his judgement would be true. (Implying I think that he doesn’t just judge by what he sees) and that he doesn’t judge in isolation.  GOD the Father and Jesus judge together.

Oh, I wonder if this judging bit struck a chord with them.  About judging only the outside because God oft said in the Old Testament (something the Pharisees would know well) was how man judges the outside, but God judges the heart.  The only response we get from the Pharisees is this “Where is your Father?”

Jesus: “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

You see it though right? How Jesus acknowledges that they don’t know God the Father? They haven’t the foggiest idea about how Jesus is, so how could they know God? Because to know God you need to know the Son.  They go together. If you want to know the Lord, knowing God helps and vice versa.  The more we understand Jesus the more we are enabled to understand God.  They reflect each other.

Again we get the words that, they wanted to arrest him, but didn’t because his hour had not yet come.  (it’s like being on pins and needles how often that is said eh?)

So where does this leave me (or you?)

The certainty that Jesus had in knowing where he was going.  Oh, to have that certainty even when people call you a liar.  Isn’t that a good thing?

The “if you know me you know God” oh… it’s like do people see God when they see me in action or do they just see the externals, not knowing the whys of what I do?  Do I have the surety to say “I do this because I believe in the Lord God?”

Good things to ponder.

 

 

Last week we saw the scorn of the Pharisees, today we’re looking at a passage not included in all the old manuscripts, John 7:53-8:11.

⁵³ [[They went each to his own house, 8 ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst ⁴ they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” ⁶ This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷ And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰ Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and then back down to the temple.  Based on what I see in the picture below, that involves a fair amount of walking. 

Jesus, doesn’t let the problems with the Pharisees stop him in his work.  He continues his ministry, teaching the people in the temple.  Showing them more of God’s way in the things that he does.

For instance, a woman has been caught in the act of adultery.   The Pharisees (and the scribes) bring her before Jesus.  They put her right in the middle where he’s teaching, and then say “This woman has been caught in the act of adultery.”  I’ve often found it interesting they didn’t bring the fellow along, but perhaps he wasn’t married, ergo adultery wouldn’t be an issue.  I don’t know.  We aren’t told about the fellow, we just told about the woman.

Anyways, she’s there, facing the accusations of the Pharisees.   The law of Moses states that such women are to be stoned.   What would Jesus say about that?   You see, this was a test.  They wanted to find some way to legally bring charges against Jesus, and what better way then to get him to say something counter to the law!!!

I love Jesus’ response eh?  I can just see him standing there being badgered by the Pharisees.  What would you say to this Jesus, what would you do Jesus?  HUH?   Come on tell us.  Jesus’ response was simple.  He wrote in the dirt, and stood up and said “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  He closed this statement off by paying them no nevermind.  He bent down and started to write in the dirt again. 

The response of the Pharisees and scribes?  They left.   One by one, started with the oldest, they simply left.  The woman remained, the men left. 

Can you see the scene?   All that commotion and noise, all the questions being silenced, just by saying “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Jesus doesn’t leave the woman condemned in her sin.  You noticed that too right? He asked her where her accusers where.  If anyone stayed to condemn her.  When he heard that no one did, he didn’t condemn her either, sending her away with the admonition to sin no more. 

What would you have done?

I see myself in here you know?   So often I start to condemn others, and then I found myself caught, seeing my own sin, and thinking, don’t do that.  Would you want someone pointing out your sins?  The obvious and the perhaps not so obvious? Does shaming a person change their heart?   Would throwing stones be a help or a hindrance to her?    Does shaming a person change their heart? Would throwing stones be a help or a hindrance to her? Share on X

Jesus knew a better way eh?   He didn’t condemn.  Just told her don’t sin anymore.  She knew her sin.  He didn’t need to heap burning coals on her head.  He quietly let those who would condemn leave, and let her leave too. 

Something to learn from this eh?