John 8.25-38

25 “Who are you?” they demanded.

Jesus replied, “Just what I’ve been saying. 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father.

28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me — he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him.

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”

Comments

Finally someone comes right out and asks the most important question: hey Jesus, who are you? Jesus offers a twofold response. First, he says I am what I’ve been teaching all along. Jesus’ teaching and identity are intrinsically tied together, as John has been indicating from the outset by naming Jesus the Word of God. Everything Jesus taught reveals who he is, reveals who the Father is, and reveals who the Holy Spirit is.

But in case that’s too esoteric or vague, Jesus goes on to state the matter as directly and concretely as he does at any point in all the Gospels. If you want to know who Jesus is, if you want to see the fullest expression of the nature of God – then look to the cross. The cross tells us more about the nature of God than anything else in all of Scripture or history. And what does it tell us? What do we learn about God from the cross? Jesus elaborates on this too. What we learn is how much God loves us and how much God values our freedom. How much? Infinitely, completely. A love to die for. A freedom to be killed for. Some people will tell you that the cross shows us a God of wrath, but that is not true. The only wrath the cross shows is ours. All the violence is on our end. God absorbs our violence, God’s love overcomes our violence non-violently, and thus we are set free from our hostility toward God, each other, and even our own selves.

If you want to know what God is like look to the cross. There Jesus reveals God in all God’s glory, in all God’s power, in all God’s love. Who is Jesus? The lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Our victorious sacrificial lamb. The crucified God.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

John 8.12-24

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked.

Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”

22 The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”

23 Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you trust that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”

Comments

Here Jesus claims not to judge anyone. He says he came to illuminate the world, not cast judgment upon it. Some people are quick to point out that while this may have been true of his first coming, in Jesus’ second coming he will judge. Maybe so, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Even if Jesus comes back judging, it still remains true that he didn’t come to do so the first time. Which suggests that bearing light to the world and judging the world are at least things you can’t do at the same time. Hard to shine a light for someone and close them in a dark room at the same time.

And shining a light for people is what Jesus calls his followers to do. Not to judge people, but to serve them, to help them see and find their way. We shouldn’t miss the Jewishness of this passage. I underlined where Jesus calls himself “I am,” echoing what Yahweh spoke to Moses from the burning bush light (hmm, more light). And providing light for all the people has its roots in Jewish history too. During their trek out of Egypt, through the desert, and to the Promised Land, God went before them each day as a pillar of cloud and each night as a pillar of fire. I think it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus is not only identifying with the “I am” statement, but also with the fiery, light-giving presence of God, which stands as a beacon of warmth, protection, serving and benefiting all the people.

The religious leaders asked a lot of skeptical questions, expressed a lot of doubt, and were quick to judge Jesus. They were adept at the very thing Jesus declined to even do. And yet, how often do his followers these days jump straight to the judging – especially of each other. We are at least as good at judging as these religious leaders ever were. And if it’s true of Jesus how much more of us – shining light and judging can’t be done at the same time. We have to choose which we’re going to do. Should be an easy choice for followers of Jesus, but it doesn’t seem to always work out that way.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.