BIBLE STUDY: JOHN, JOHN, JOHN
A. BACKGROUND... I’ve got two tracks. LENT starts next Wednesday and we’re trying to get through JOHN. At the same time, next Monday we begin 50 days of daily devotions. So, I’ll be using each Thursday of Lent to write a devotion on John. Almost 40% of John’s Gospel is the last week of Jesus’ life, Palm Sunday to Easter. Together we’ll do the Lenten journey AND get further along in John. Welcome along!
B. TODAY... John 8 (various). “Who are you?” they asked (vs. 25) ... “Just what I’ve been claiming all along,” Jesus said, adding “when you have lifted up the Son of Man then you will know that I am the one I claim to be” (25-28) ... “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH and THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE” (vs. 31-32).
C. SUMMARY. In John 6-8 we have over 120 verses arguing, explaining about who and what Jesus is. Today’s verses, 8:31-59 carry it on deeper, tougher. The more Jesus claims a special relationship with God the more that makes some hearers uncomfortable, too close to blasphemy (the charge that later leads to his arrest). Jesus’ attempts to clarify confuse many. He broadly hints that his crucifixion will make it all clear, but his hint isn’t clear ‘till after. His equating sin with slavery insults some Jews who patriotically claim to be free no matter who enslaves them. Frustrated by doubts and opposition, Jesus calls the doubters and opponents children of the devil. Enraged, they call him demon possessed. And by vs. 59, ready to kill him. Jesus’ main defense is the famous vs 32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
D. KEY POINTS
1. Remember FORESHADOWING in English Lit.? Something points to the big reveal coming down the road. Facing disbelief Jesus says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man then you will know that I am the one I claim to be.” In 2021 we know he was referring to his crucifixion, when victims were nailed to a cross while lying down and then “lifted up.” Jesus’ Holy Week, his “Passion”, his Good Friday/Easter turn around did prove to be convincing for billions of people. But in the middle of John 8, in the middle of Jesus’ ministry, in the middle of his strongest teaching it was hard to believe, too much, unclear.
2. Roots of ANTI-SEMITISM. Verse 31 says’ Jesus is talking to “Jews who had believed him.” By verse 44 he says, “You belong to your father, the devil... a murderer... a liar.” Could Jesus really have said that? John’s Gospel is written decades after Jesus, long after Christianity separated from Judaism and stood against Judaism. Maybe these are John’s ideas put in Jesus’ mouth? Such words, added to more during Holy Week and more from St. Paul, become the excuse for 2,000 years of anti-Semitism: children of the devil... murderer... liar.
Briefly, Biblical studies have two main camps. Conservatives accept the Bible, noun, verb, and adjective, as the literal word of God. It is exactly true as it is. Literalists and inerrantists, they are called.
Liberal Biblical studies seek context, and look to language, culture, and history, etc. The “taste test” would be, does this sound like Jesus? Or a later edit? In my next book on Jesus (third week in a row mention!) I would guess it does not sound like Jesus. Either way, the day ended badly.
3. TRUTH. Is there a trickier, more politicized, slippery word than “truth”? Everyone who uses it claims to prize it. Remember the USSR’s communist newspaper Pravda? It means “truth”. Steven Colbert captures the slipperiness with his phrase “truthiness.” Yet, Jesus calls himself “the way, the truth.” And in today’s verse he promises “truth which will set you free.” His truth is rooted in his way. He invites us to try his ways, his values, his teachings, and then judge for ourselves their veracity. And like any methodology, it can’t be half-hearted. You can’t half-heartedly do what your golf pro, doctor, financial advisor says and then blame them for poor results. The truth of Jesus is found in the practice of Jesus.
