Upwards Church

Jesus offers us spiritual sight to enable us to see him as our Savior and Lord. We are born spiritually blind and need the gift of sight that only the Light of the World can provide.

Jesus Heals the Man Who Was Born Blind / 9:1-12

All of Jesus’ miracles also pointed to who he was. John follows Jesus’ discourse about being “the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5) with the account of Jesus restoring sight to a man born blind. This story illustrates the spiritual truth of Christ being the Light of the World. As the blind beggar comes to “see” that Jesus is the Messiah, so Jesus offers us spiritual sight to enable us to see him as our Savior and Lord. We too are born spiritually blind and need the gift of sight that only the Light of the World can provide. The Light of the World becomes our light when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

9:1-3 In ancient cultures, blind people had no choice but to be beggars. This man probably was very poor and was begging along the roadside, thus Jesus saw him as he passed by. The disciples believed, based at least partly on Old Testament texts like Exodus 34:7, that a disability such as blindness was a punishment for sin. Many people around the world believe that suffering results from sin. People tend to believe that displeasing God leads to punishment; therefore, they assume that whenever a person seems to be undergoing punishment, there is reason to suspect wrongdoing. This assumption, for example, drove Job’s friends to treat him with heavy-handed judgment.

*LIFE APPLICATION: A CURIOSITY

We have a tendency not to “see” those who are disabled or to treat them in ways that emphasize or trivialize their disadvantage. For instance, blind people are often treated as if they can’t hear either, which is exactly what the disciples did on this occasion.

People appreciate being genuinely cared for, but resent being treated as a “case,” “problem,” or “curiosity.” When dealing with people who are suffering or disabled, we must try to empathize with them. We should always strive to treat others in the way we would want to be treated, were our situations reversed (see Matthew 7:12).

*LIFE APPLICATION: GOD MAY USE OUR SUFFERING

How can God be at work in a desperate situation? There may be times when we have done everything possible to solve a problem. After we have explored the options, exhausted our resources, probed our motives, asked for advice, and done what was suggested, we may have found that nothing seems to have changed. We may have persisted in prayer and asked others to pray for us, and yet perceive no answer. The truth is, the solution, resolution, or answer may not ever come in this life. But it is also true that regardless of our difficulty and whether or not our burden is removed, God is still at work.

• God may use our experience to help advise and encourage others who pass through the same trials.
• God may use our suffering to break through the hardness of another person and bring about change in them.
• God may use our unresolved need to motivate others to keep searching for a solution from which others will benefit.
• God may use our endurance in suffering rather than the suffering itself to be an encouraging example to other believers.

But if suffering always indicates sin, what do we say about babies born with deformities or handicaps? This man was born blind, so they asked, “Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?” The disciples were thinking about what caused the blindness. Jesus shifted their attention away from the cause to the purpose. Jesus demonstrated the power of God by healing the man. Instead of worrying about the cause of our problems, we should instead find out how God could use our problem to demonstrate his power. Jesus explained that the man’s blindness had nothing to do with his sin or his parents’ sin. God allowed nature to run its course so that the victim would ultimately bring glory to God through the reception of both physical and spiritual sight (see 9:30-38).

*LIFE APPLICATION: WHY THE HURT?

In Jewish culture, many believed that all calamities and suffering resulted from sin. But this man suffered so that God could be glorified. We live in a fallen world where good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior not always punished; therefore, innocent people sometimes suffer. If God removed suffering whenever we asked, we would follow him for comfort and convenience, not out of love and devotion. Regardless of the reasons for our suffering, Jesus has the power to help us deal with it. When we suffer from a disease, tragedy, or disability, we should not ask, Why did this happen to me? or What did I do wrong? Instead, we should ask God to give us strength for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening.

9:4-5 Jesus was speaking of himself and his disciples as coworkers. He wanted them to learn from him because they would continue his work as his sent ones (see 20:21). Jesus included the disciples in this work (although they actually did nothing for this blind man) because they would be the ones doing the work of God on earth after his resurrection and ascension. What a privilege to be called Christ’s coworkers (see 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 6:1).

While Christ was in the world, light was in the world. However, there was little time left before the night would fall and all work would come to an end. The night would come, that is, Jesus would soon die, and would no longer be in the world in physical form. The coming of the night speaks of the shortness of time Jesus had left to fulfill his purpose on earth. But while he was still in the world, Jesus would be the light of the world. The healing of the blind man affirmed Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, for the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would come to heal the blind (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7).

*LIFE APPLICATION: TODAY

Jesus’ words held a note of urgency. It may be “day” now, but it won’t always be so. We must not put off until tomorrow what God wants us to do now. Today is the day. If God presents an opportunity and also provides the strength, skill, or other resources to do it, we ought to respond immediately. The night is coming soon enough; then our day of opportunity will end. What have you done today with eternity in mind?

9:6-7 This is not typical of the way Jesus performed miracles, according to John. But Mark records two incidents of miraculous healing where Jesus used his saliva—to cure a deaf and dumb man and to heal a blind man (Mark 7:33; 8:23). John’s account, however, provides the only record of Jesus spitting on the ground and forming mud from it.

From antiquity, spit or saliva was thought to have medicinal power. But the Jews were suspicious of anyone who used saliva in healing because it was associated with magical arts. It is worth noting, however, that the role of Jesus’ saliva in the healing was primarily in making the mud. As has been pointed out before (see section on 2:6-8), Jesus did not use random objects without a specific purpose.

First, Jesus used the mud to help develop the man’s faith (he had to do as Jesus said, which was to go and wash in a certain pool). Second, Jesus kneaded the mud with his hands in order to put it on the man’s eyes. This constituted “work” on a Sabbath day and would upset the Pharisees. Jesus had much to teach them about God and his Sabbath.

Siloam is a Greek translation of the Hebrew name, Shiloah, meaning “sent.” The pool of Siloam had been built by King Hezekiah. His workers had built an underground tunnel from the Spring of Gihon in the Kidron Valley outside of Jerusalem. This tunnel channeled the water into the pool of Siloam inside the city walls. Located in the southeast corner of the city, the tunnel and pool were originally built to help Jerusalem’s inhabitants survive in times of siege. The man went and washed, and came back seeing! He did as he was told, and his faith healed him.

9:8-12 These verses record the various reactions of the blind man’s neighbors to his healing. Some thought he looked like the one who used to sit and beg. Others positively identified him as the same man. Still others objected that this only looked like that blind man. In response, the healed man insisted, “I am the same man.” Finally realizing that the person who once was blind had received his sight, they asked, “Who healed you?” The formerly blind man testified to the healing power of Jesus by recounting the story of how he had been healed.

Religious Leaders Question the Blind Man / 9:13-34

Because the people discovered both a miracle and a mystery surrounding the healing of the blind man, they took him to what they considered the most dependable place for exploring such matters. The Pharisees quickly concluded that whatever else the healer might be, he certainly wasn’t from God, for otherwise he would not work on the Sabbath. In their quest for “truth,” these Pharisees tried a number of explanations to invalidate the miracle: (1) perhaps the blind man had not been blind from birth or had not been totally blind; (2) perhaps God did this miracle directly (but they would recognize no human agent). When the formerly blind man pointed out the obvious answers that they had been so studiously avoiding, they responded by viciously berating him and expelling him from their presence. The astonishing fact of the man’s newly given vision eluded this group as if they were blind. Later Jesus pointed this out as their problem, over their strenuous objections.

9:13-15 Why did the people bring him to the Pharisees? The possible answer: Jesus had healed the man on a Sabbath. The people had realized that Jesus had performed another miracle on the Sabbath and that the Pharisees would want to know about this event. This miracle was news because it was very unusual (9:32). Healing, along with many other actions defined as work, was strictly controlled on the Sabbath. Healing was only to occur in cases of life and death, for which the blind man did not qualify because he had been living with his blindness since birth.

The Pharisees wanted to know how this man had received his sight, and the man explained it in the simplest of terms. Because the man was still blind during the interview with Jesus, he really didn’t know who Jesus was. He could only exclaim that he could see.

 *LIFE APPLICATION: CLEARER VISION

Our personal description of Jesus to others makes an impact. John encourages all of us whose eyes, hearts, and minds have been opened by Christ to speak out for the Lord. This lesson is for us because the formerly blind man’s vision of Jesus got clearer and clearer as he reflected on what had happened and listened to the accusers frantically trying to discredit what he knew to be undeniably true. At first his description of Jesus wasn’t accurate, but it was heartfelt. He said what he understood. New believers often bring that quality of freshness and earnestness to their statements about Jesus. How quickly we forget the wonder of being able to see spiritually for the first time!

We can testify to the fact that we were once blind to our own separation from God, blind to our need, blind to God’s influence in our lives, and blinded by the world around us. We may not be able to explain in detail how Jesus has done what he has done in our lives, but we can say with conviction: Once I was blind; now I can see!

9:16-17 Jesus’ actions of kneading the mud, anointing the man’s eyes, and healing the man (whose life was not in danger) were all considered work and therefore were forbidden. Jesus may have purposely made the mud in order to emphasize his teaching about the Sabbath—that it is right to care for others’ needs even if it involves working on a day of rest. But because Jesus broke their petty rules, they immediately decided he was not from God.

But some other Pharisees questioned this condemnation: “How could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” There is no indication that these men were inclined to believe in Jesus; more likely, they were protecting themselves from the charge of obvious bias. Thus, there was a deep division among them. While the Pharisees conducted investigations and debated about Jesus, people were being healed and lives were being changed. The Pharisees’ skepticism was not based on insufficient evidence, but on jealousy of Jesus’ popularity and his influence on the people.

The staunchest Pharisees attacked the healed man with a renewed attempt to break down his testimony. But this newly sighted beggar responded with even more praise for his healer than he had offered previously—he called Jesus a prophet.

9:18-21 The Jewish leaders wouldn’t believe that the man had been blind, so they called in the man’s parents in the hope that they would refute their own son’s testimony. Failure to reach quick agreement on the case meant they needed to review the “facts.” They asked the parents if this man was really their son, and if he was really born blind. The Pharisees were exasperated: “How can he see?” they asked, although we may wonder what they expected the parents to answer.

They knew their son, and they knew his previous condition, but how he could see they didn’t know. They responded, “Ask him.” The parents did not deny their son’s story, but neither did they support his claim.

9:22-23 The reason for the parents’ fear was that to say Jesus was the Messiah would cause them to be expelled from the synagogue. Jewish regulations stipulated two kinds of excommunication: one that would last for thirty days until the offender could be reconciled, and one that was a permanent “ban” accompanied by a curse. Because the synagogue controlled every aspect of life (civic, recreational, legal, and religious), an individual cut off from the synagogue would suffer severe isolation.

But why would such a harsh punishment be given people who followed this Jesus, whom the Pharisees had proclaimed as a fake Messiah? The Pharisees were facing a politically dangerous situation. If the crowds were to take Jesus by force and make him king, Rome would respond quickly and forcefully to suppress such a revolt. Roman intervention would cause incredible troubles for the Jews. So the religious leaders decided on the harsh punishment of being put out of the synagogue for anyone who dared believe in Jesus.

9:24-25 Not content with their cross-examination of the healed man, the Pharisees called him in a second time with a command, “Give glory to God by telling the truth.” The Pharisees tried to make the man confess his wrong in proclaiming Jesus as a prophet and to make him agree with them that Jesus was a sinner.

But the healed man would not give in; he would not say whether or not Jesus was a sinner. What he would say was what he had experienced: “I know this: I was blind, and now I can see.”

*LIFE APPLICATION: LOOKING FOR A LOOPHOLE

In reviewing the facts of the case, the Pharisees had no intention of believing or following the one who had performed the healing. They wanted to disqualify Jesus. They avoided the truth in their quest for a loophole.

Occasionally we will meet people who only want to argue and debate the merits and claims of Jesus without ever deciding to follow him. They mask their rejection under a thin cover of inquiry. Perhaps, like the Pharisees, they have too much to lose. Prestige, power, and personal independence are hard to give up. It is easier to keep the argument on intellectual grounds than to face our spiritual and moral shortcomings. Sometimes, people have worked hard to get to their comfortable place in life and are unwilling to consider change. We must help them see that Christ gives both the power and the desire to change.

9:26-27 The Pharisees relentlessly asked who did the healing and how it happened. Perhaps they hoped the man would contradict his earlier story so they could accuse him. The religious leaders were making such extensive inquiry about Jesus’ identity that it would appear they wanted to follow him—when actually they had no intention of becoming his disciples.

The religious leaders were unable to throttle the healed beggar’s willingness to testify for Jesus. In fact, the more the Pharisees questioned this man who had received his sight, the stronger and clearer he became about Jesus. At first, the man recognized his healer as “the man they call Jesus” (9:11); then he knew Jesus was “a prophet” (9:17); then he saw Jesus as one who was “from God” and had performed a miracle never done before (9:32-33). Finally, when confronted by Jesus, he believed that Jesus is the “Son of Man” (the Messiah), worthy of worship (9:35-38).

9:28-29 While the Pharisees questioned and cursed the man, they persistently defended their adherence to Moses (they were confident that God had spoken to Moses). But Jesus had already told them that if they really knew Moses and understood his writings, they would know the Messiah, for Moses wrote of him (5:45-47). But as for Jesus, they said they didn’t know anything about him. It is ironic that the Pharisees claimed not to know where Jesus was from, for that was one item they believed would be true about the Messiah: “No one will know where he comes from” (7:27). They refused to accept Jesus’ words or believe that the signs he did validated his claims. They chose to reject him.

9:30-31 This reasoning (and probably their insults too) astonished the healed man, so he tried to explain to them that the act of giving him sight proved that Jesus was a man whom God listened to: “God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.” There are many Scriptures that support this man’s statement (see, for example, Job 27:8-9; 35:12-13; Proverbs 15:29; Isaiah 1:15). As a boy, this healed man certainly had been taught the Scriptures, and he pointed out this fact to these supposedly “learned” Pharisees. God does not listen to the requests of sinners, only to the requests of those devoted to him.

9:32-34 Jesus had done the unprecedented, but not the unpredicted. In their fury, the Pharisees were blind to the Old Testament descriptions that specifically speak of the Messiah as being able to open the eyes of someone born blind (see Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7). Indeed, many thought the healing of the blind would be the messianic miracle par excellence because there was never any record of such a healing in the Old Testament. Obviously, Jesus had healed him, so Jesus must be from God.

The healed man’s condemnation of the Pharisees’ irrational rejection of Jesus proved too much for them to take, so they threw him out of the synagogue.

Jesus Teaches about Spiritual Blindness / 9:35-41

Unless we have suffered rejection for our faith, we may not be able to identify with the state of this blind man whom Jesus healed. In a single day he went from being a disabled outcast to a celebrity who had miraculously received his sight, then to being a witness in court where he was treated like a criminal, and finally to being outcast again (literally) for simply telling the truth as he clearly saw it. At this point, Jesus intervened again. The man’s understanding of the one who had healed him had already expanded considerably. Here was his chance to really see Jesus.

9:35-38 Since Son of Man is a title of the Christ, Jesus was asking the man if he believed him to be the Messiah. Perhaps the man instantly recognized Jesus by his voice. He expressed immediate desire to believe, which here means not intellectual recognition, but wholehearted trust.

When the man asked who the Son of Man was, Jesus responded, “You have seen him.” The man could physically see Jesus with his healed eyes, and he could spiritually see because he understood that Jesus was the Messiah. The man acted on his newfound belief—he worshiped. He may have just been excommunicated from the synagogue, but he had found true worship. His personal belief is the culmination of the narrative. His belief sharply contrasts with the blindness of the religious leaders (9:40-41).

*LIFE APPLICATION: 20/20 VISION

The longer this man experienced his new life through Christ, the more confident he became in the one who had healed him. He gained not only physical sight but also spiritual sight as he recognized Jesus first as a prophet (9:17), then as his Lord. When you turn to Christ, you begin to see him differently. The longer you walk with him, the better you will understand who he is. Peter tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 niv). If you want to know more about Jesus, keep walking with him.

9:39-41 Do Jesus’ words here contradict his statement in 3:17: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it.” Jesus did not execute judgment during his years on earth, although he would do that in the future. However, his words here reveal that, as the light of the World, he sees and reveals people’s innermost thoughts and deepest motives. In so doing, he “judges” or separates those who claim to have great spiritual knowledge when in fact they are blind, from those who humbly seek to follow God and who thus find the Savior.

*LIFE APPLICATION: ULTIMATE ADVENTURE!

John 9 would make a wonderful script for a play or movie. The innocent hero, a disabled victim, is expelled from his home and lives on the periphery of society. Religious people suspect his parents committed some heinous sin, possibly before he was even born!

Into our victim/hero’s life steps a remarkable stranger who heals his blindness. The blind man is asked to wash off some miracle mud and loses track of the one who gave him his sight. Strangely, no one recognizes the miracle that has happened to him or shares in his joy. Instead, they treat him as if he has contracted a new disease! Even his parents maintain their distance. Finally, as he explains over and over what happened and what he thinks about the man who healed him, he finds himself thrown into the street. It is only then that he finally meets Jesus face-to-face and believes.

By relating this incident John prepares those who follow Jesus to expect opposition from unbelievers—even religious unbelievers. The trials of those who trust Jesus are real. The backlash and rejection can take financial, familial, social and religious forms. It takes courage and conviction to keep on following Christ. “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” (Psalm 27:10 niv).

Christ spoke these words to the healed man in the presence of the Pharisees who were standing there. The blind are those who realize their need for the Savior and humbly come to him for salvation. They will receive sight. But those who think they see are the self-righteous who think they have all the answers and have no need of the Savior. They are blind because they have rejected the “light of the world” (8:12).

The Pharisees quickly understood that Jesus had directed this statement toward them, but they were not fully sure of the meaning of his words. They assumed that with their learning, reputation, and high standing, they certainly would not be counted among the “blind.”

Jesus expanded his statement with the rather cryptic condemnation: “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty, but you remain guilty because you claim you can see.” In contrast to the man who had received his sight, the Pharisees had sight but no light. They were spiritually blind, though they claimed to see. Those who admitted blindness could receive the light and see, but those who thought they saw would remain in their darkness. And their guilt remained, whether they felt guilty or not.

*LIFE APPLICATION: CHOOSING BLINDNESS

The Pharisees were shocked that Jesus thought they were spiritually blind. Jesus countered by saying that it was only blindness (stubbornness and stupidity) that could excuse their behavior. To those who remained open and recognized how sin had truly blinded them from knowing the truth, Jesus gave spiritual understanding and insight. But he rejected those who had become complacent, self-satisfied, and “blind.”

Spiritual darkness describes the worst form of judgment. The Light of the World, Jesus, gives us a glimmer of hope. All of us need to follow the Light given to us. Otherwise we are left with nothing but our blind judgment and self-darkening opinions.

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

— Life Application Bible Commentary

— Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

“The truth shall set you free.”  “He who has no sin, cast the first stone.”  “I am the light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  These are the statements we will examine at today.    WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Are you trusting Jesus to be your Savior because he knows best, or are you reserving final judgment just in case a “better” option comes along? Are you trusting God to graciously meet your needs even when you do not fully understand them, or are you clinging to the belief that you know best what God can do for you? Are you still shopping for a better offer? Only Jesus can give forgiveness and eternal life. 

This is one today’s *Life Applications.  Read on for more great insights.

Jesus Forgives an Adulterous Woman / 8:1–8:11

 8:1–8:3 The teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. The religious leaders did not bring this woman to Jesus to promote justice; they used her to try to trap Jesus. Though indignant toward this woman’s sin, the religious leaders brought her to Jesus with political, not spiritual, motives in mind. They forgot the obvious fact that catching someone in the very act of adultery involves catching two people. Their devaluation of the woman (while ignoring the man’s sin) made her no more than a pawn in their efforts to trap Jesus.

*LIFE APPLICATION: DOUBLE STANDARD

The details of this event are painfully common.  Placing more blame on one person than the other covers a hidden motive: blaming others shifts the load of our own guilt. God stands against double or separate standards for women and men. He rejects the hypocrisy that holds others to a different standard than we hold for ourselves. When we accept our own blame, we take the first step toward experiencing forgiveness.

8:4-6 The Jewish leaders had already disregarded the law by arresting the woman without the man (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). Both were to be stoned. But the proceedings before Jesus had little to do with justice. The leaders were using the woman’s sin as an opportunity to trick Jesus and destroy his credibility with the people. If Jesus were to say that the woman should not be stoned, they could accuse him of violating Moses’ law. If he were to urge them to execute her, they would report him to the Romans, who did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions (18:31). But Jesus was aware of their intentions and did not give either of the expected responses to the dilemma they placed before him. He simply stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. Many have speculated what he wrote: maybe he was listing the names of those present who had committed adultery (and scaring them to death that he knew it); he might have been listing names and various sins that each person had committed; maybe he was writing out the Ten Commandments to point out that no one could claim to be without sin. In any case, Jesus made the accusers uncomfortable.

8:7-8 The religious leaders could have handled this case without Jesus’ opinion. Jesus was fully aware that the woman was only brought to him so the Pharisees could test him. Jesus’ statement of permission, “All right, stone her,” balanced several crucial points of truth. He upheld the legal penalty for adultery (stoning), so he could not be accused of being against the law. But by requiring that only those who have never sinned throw the first stones, Jesus exposed what was in the accusers’ hearts. Without condoning the woman’s actions, he highlighted the importance of compassion and forgiveness and broadened the spotlight of judgment until every accuser felt himself included. Jesus knew the execution could not be carried out.

How are we to apply Jesus’ statement about only sinless persons rendering judgment? Jesus was not saying that only perfect, sinless people can make accurate accusations, pass judgment, or exact a death penalty. Nor was he excusing adultery or any other sin by saying that everyone sins. This event illustrates that wise judgment flows out of honest motives. Jesus resolved an injustice about to be committed by exposing the hypocrisy of the witnesses against the woman. By making the accusers examine themselves, he exposed their real motives.

Jesus did confront the woman’s sin, but he exercised compassion alongside confrontation. As with the woman at the well (chapter 4), Jesus demonstrated to this woman that she was of greater importance than what she had done wrong.

*LIFE APPLICATION: INEPT JUDGES

The religious leaders who tried to trap Jesus were treating neither the sin nor the sinner with the necessary respect. The same blindness that caused them to not see their own sins made them unable to recognize who Jesus was.

Sin calls for compassion as well as judgment. But final judgment is God’s prerogative alone. Sins may be abhorrent, but sinners have been offered forgiveness in Christ. When we must confront sin, we ought not condemn, but rather present the need and opportunity for forgiveness.

8:9-11 When Jesus invited someone who had not sinned to throw the first stone, the leaders slipped away one by one, from oldest to youngest. Evidently the older men were more aware of their sins than the younger. Age and experience often temper youthful self-righteousness. We all have a sinful nature and are desperately in need of forgiveness and transformation. None of us would have been able to throw the first stone; none of us can claim sinlessness. We, too, would have had to walk away.

*LIFE APPLICATION: HYPOCRISY

How quickly and self-righteously we bring before Jesus the sins of others while overlooking and denying our own sins. These hypocrites were guilty of sin in their own lives and were unwilling to face it. They claimed concern for truth and justice, but were arrogantly using the woman who had fallen into their hands. In their anger at Jesus they made her life cheap.

When you find yourself enraged at others, you may be on the verge of a healthy discovery. You should examine what is behind the rage. Are you covering sins or excusing faults that have made you unusually sensitive to the faults in others? What wrong motives are you masking by your anger?

Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Apparently no one could claim sinlessness so as to stone this woman. Jesus had exposed their hypocrisy and embarrassed them, and there was nothing for them to do but go back and try to think of some other way to trap Jesus.

No one had accused the woman, and Jesus kindly said that he would not condemn her either. But there was more—she was not simply free to go her way. Jesus didn’t just free her from the Pharisees, he wanted to free her from her sin, so he added, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus didn’t condemn her, but neither did he ignore or condone her behavior. Jesus told the woman to leave her life of sin.

*LIFE APPLICATION: NOT SIN AGAIN

God hates sin; we must make no mistake about that. But he loves sinners—and that includes each of us. In fact, he loves us so much he sent his Son to die—to take the penalty our sins deserved. Jesus stands ready to forgive any person, but confession, repentance, and a change of heart are the properly prepared ground for forgiveness.

Our intention must be to not sin again. This does not mean that God expects us to never sin again, but he does expect that our life-styles are no longer sinful. Our desire should be no longer to live for ourselves and our pleasures, but to live for God. With God’s help we can accept Christ’s forgiveness and stop making a practice of wrongdoing. Only then will we be really free to not sin again.

Jesus Is the Light of the World / 8:12-20

In no other chapter of the Bible does Jesus make so many declarations about himself.

8:12   This records the dialogues that Jesus had with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem during the Festival of Shelters. In addition to the ceremony with water, huge lamps in the Court of Women in the Temple were lit in commemoration of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in their wilderness journey (Numbers 9:15-23). The light from those lamps lit up much of Jerusalem. In declaring himself to be the light, Jesus was claiming divinity. In the Bible, “light” symbolizes the holiness of God (see also Psalm 27:1; 36:9; Acts 9:3; 1 John 1:5). As the light, Jesus illumines the truth, gives people spiritual understanding, and reveals to us God himself and what he has done for us.

*LIFE APPLICATION: FIRE AND LIGHT

Jesus was speaking in that part of the temple known as the treasury, where the offerings were collected (8:20) and huge torches or lamps burned to symbolize the pillar of fire that led the people of Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22). In this context, Jesus called himself the Light of the World. The pillar of fire in the wilderness had represented God’s presence, protection, and guidance, though the holy flames were almost as dangerous to the Israelites as they were to their enemies. They were reminded that: “The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24 niv).

Because we no longer depend on fire as a source of light, we might miss the connection Jesus makes between fire and light. In Christ, God became light personified. Jesus brought God’s presence, protection, and guidance into the world in an approachable way. Now God could be known with an intimacy not possible with consuming fire. How well do we know God as a holy fire? Have we allowed Christ as God’s holy light to enlighten us?

In claiming to be the light of the world, Jesus defined his unique position as the one true light for all people, not just the Jews (Isaiah 49:6). Death brings eternal darkness; but to follow Jesus means not stumbling through the darkness, but having the light that leads to life. Believers no longer walk blindly in sin, rather his light shows sin and the need of forgiveness, gives guidance, and leads into eternal life with him.

8:13-14 After Jesus said this, the Pharisees replied, “You are making false claims about yourself!” But they did not know anything about Jesus. They assumed he was talking with no valid testimony from anyone else. Jewish law says that two witnesses are needed for a valid testimony in a capital offense, as their charge of blasphemy was (5:31; also Deuteronomy 19:15). Jesus claimed that his testimony was true because Jesus knows God the Father, and the words that Jesus spoke were from the Father himself. Therefore when Jesus spoke, not only was he testifying for himself, but because he spoke the words of God, God was testifying for him as well.

*LIFE APPLICATION: APPEARANCES

People today are very willing to acknowledge the greatness of Jesus as a man but not to acknowledge him as God. By human standards, Jesus was the greatest man who ever lived. Yet human standards are not enough to portray all of Jesus’ true identity. Calling Jesus “great” is faint praise in light of his identity as God. Mere admiration of Jesus as a great leader or teacher falls short. Our response should be to adore him as our Lord.

8:15-16 The religious leaders did not know Jesus’ divine origin and considered him to be no more than a fake Messiah; that is, they were judging him with all their human limitations. While they did that, Jesus was not judging anyone. Jesus meant that while his accusers judged by human standards, he did not. Jesus reserved for himself the right to judge, though that was not the primary reason for his presence. Jesus did not come to judge, but to save. He had already told a noted Pharisee (Nicodemus), “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (3:17). But as the Son of man, he has been given the authority to judge; and when the future day of judgment comes, Jesus’ judgment will be correct in every respect because he will judge according to the Father’s will (see 5:27, 45). Therefore, it could be said that while Jesus did not come to judge, his coming led to judgment because it forced a decision—and a rejection of Jesus led to judgment.

8:17-18 The religious leaders did not understand that the Father and Son lived in each other and were with each other (see 10:38; 14:9-11; 17:21). Therefore, even though the Son came from the Father (8:14) and was sent by the Father (8:16, 18), he was not separate from the Father—for the Father who sent the Son came with him and provided testimony for him. His confirming witness was God himself. Jesus and the Father made two witnesses, the number required by the law.

8:19-20 In asking to see his father, the leaders might as well have been saying, “Bring on the other witness; we wish to question him.” If his father was the other witness, then where was he? In their very presence, Jesus affirmed that they knew neither him nor his Father. Their unwillingness to “know” him when he was among them also kept them from knowing the Father, who was just as truly among them.

Jesus had already told them that his Father was with him, but their question showed that they did not know the Son or the Father—for “if you knew me, then you would know my Father, too.” When Jesus speaks, the Father speaks. But this was completely lost on these religious leaders.

Jesus Warns of Coming Judgment / 8:21-30

With chilling brevity, Jesus predicted the fate of those who fail to find him. The Pharisees continued to respond to Jesus out of rigid human standards. Because of this, they continued to be denounced by Jesus. But in this case, Jesus’ hardness proved to be compassion. Only the bluntness of Jesus’ vision of their condition finally broke through to some.

8:21-22 Speaking again to the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus declared, “You will search for me and die in your sin.” If the Jewish religious leaders would not believe in Jesus while he was with them, they would run the risk of not having any further opportunity to receive eternal life. Jesus predicted that they would continue to look for a messiah, though the real one had already been among them. The leaders’ fatal sin would be in rejecting the only one who could save them.

His statement, “You cannot come where I am going,” refers to his death and return to his Father—the religious leaders could not follow him there. The opportunity to speak with Jesus was limited; soon he would leave them having been rejected by them. Those who rejected Jesus would die without having their sins forgiven and would therefore literally not be able to go where Jesus would be.

As in 7:34-36, the Jews could not comprehend Jesus’ words. They surmised that he must be speaking about committing suicide. In Greek, the question expects a negative answer. Instead of responding to their tentative interpretation, Jesus explained why they were unable to comprehend his statements.

*LIFE APPLICATION: WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Those questioning Jesus were convinced they understood God’s plan. They thought they had a clear idea of exactly what kind of savior they needed, and Jesus did not fit that pattern.

Are you trusting Jesus to be your Savior because he knows best, or are you reserving final judgment just in case a “better” option comes along? Are you trusting God to graciously meet your needs even when you do not fully understand them, or are you clinging to the belief that you know best what God can do for you? Are you still shopping for a better offer? Only Jesus can give forgiveness and eternal life.

8:23-24 Those from below and of this world are earthly, born of the flesh, incapable of understanding heavenly and spiritual realities (see 3:6; 1 Corinthians 2:14-15). The Pharisees were set in their faulty perspective and were unwilling to consider that they might be wrong. They were looking very hard—in the wrong place. Therefore, Jesus told them, “Unless you believe that I am who I say I am, you will die in your sins.” By refusing to acknowledge Jesus as the divine Son of God, these people were committing spiritual suicide. To die in our sins is the worst that can happen, for it is to die without ever repenting of our sinful life-style or having our guilt and sin covered by the blood of Christ. Jesus confronted the leaders with their crucial need to recognize or reject his divinity. People today face that same need.

8:25 The Pharisees decided to try the direct approach; they asked Jesus, “Tell us who you are.” When the Pharisees pressed Jesus to declare his identity, he answered, “I am the one I have always claimed to be.” Jesus simply refused to answer their question, for to do so would have created an endless argument. Jesus had already revealed his identity to them through his speeches, his miracles, and the Father’s testimony about him. But the Pharisees were unable to understand because they were deaf to his word (8:43).

8:26 Jesus could have said more to them in way of judgment, but he would speak only what his Father commanded. The Pharisees claimed they wanted him to explain his identity, but Jesus knew they were simply heaping judgment on themselves. Instead of continuing an argument with these religious leaders who had already made up their minds not to believe, Jesus would say nothing more to condemn them. Rather, he would speak only what he heard from the one who sent him—and he would speak, not just to the Jews, but to the world. And whatever he says is the Father’s word; thus it is true, reliable, and valid (see also 8:16).

8:27 The Pharisees still didn’t understand that he was talking to them about his Father. They mentally blocked out the possibility that Jesus had come from God the Father and was still accompanied by God the Father, even though Jesus mentioned this twice. Jesus was not alone; the Father who had sent him had come with him (see 8:16, 29). Jesus had not come on his own, and he did not do anything of his own initiative (see 8:28, 42). He lived to please his Father.

8:28-30 The Jews in Jesus’ day understood the expression lifted up to signify crucifixion. That the religious leaders would realize who Jesus was does not mean that they would believe in him. Rather, it means that Jesus’ claims would be proven through the Crucifixion and Resurrection. “I am he” refers immediately to the title “Son of Man.” Jesus was pushing his hearers to recognize his full identity. Jesus was not on his own mission to gain glory for himself; he had come to fulfill the Father’s will by dying on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross exhibited his absolute submission to the Father’s will. He summed it up thus: “I always do those things that are pleasing to him.”

The passage concludes with a crack in the wall of resistance to Jesus. Many who heard, believed. Even among those most unyielding to Jesus were some who surrendered to his character and words. Groups may be labeled as being solidly against Christ, but God specializes in plucking out believers from the most unexpected sources.

*LIFE APPLICATION: THE RISK WORTH TAKING

To people who fear being offensive when they express their faith, the bluntness of Jesus’ statements stands as an example. Sometimes we do not love people enough to risk losing their approval. Jesus took the risk because he loved the people, even those who rejected him. Among those who did respond to Jesus were some who had once been firmly set against him.

At all times Jesus was truthful.  Jesus said what people needed to hear, fully knowing that they did not want to hear it. If we wait to speak about Christ until we are sure the other person is ready to respond, we may never speak at all. Our caution will prevent us from sharing our faith with some who might astound us with their unexpected openness.

Jesus Speaks about God’s True Children / 8:31-47

 Next Jesus singled out the group of people who recently had believed in him. They formed part of the scattered response from among the crowd listening to Jesus in 8:30. Difficulties with this passage arise from the fact that John called them believers in verses 30 and 31, but they proved to be faithless. Their belief in Jesus turned out to be merely superficial. Jesus tested their commitment with his first instructions; their response demonstrates their unwillingness to actually follow the one in whom they had recently declared their faith.

8:31-32 To those who believed in him, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.” As the following verses demonstrate, some of these new believers did not remain his followers for long. But Jesus urged those who really wanted to remain his disciples to hold to, or continue in, his teachings. John’s report of the failure of one group of followers is a strong lesson. We need to count the cost of following Jesus (see Luke 14:25-35). A true and obedient disciple will know the truth by knowing the one who is the truth, Jesus himself (1:17; 14:6). This knowledge frees people from their bondage to sin (see 8:34). When Jesus spoke of “knowing the truth,” he was speaking of knowing God’s revelation to people. This revelation is embodied in Jesus himself, the Word; therefore, to know the truth is to know Jesus. The truth is not political freedom or intellectual knowledge. Knowing the truth means accepting it, obeying it, and regarding it above all earthly opinion. Doing so offers true spiritual freedom from sin and death. Believers become truly free because they are free to do God’s will, and thus fulfill God’s ultimate purpose in their lives. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit living within us and guiding us on our journey through life.

*LIFE APPLICATION: THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE

Just as the Jews misunderstood what Jesus meant by “the truth shall make you free,” people today still take it the wrong way. In fact, this familiar phrase has been used out of context to promote a wide range of freedoms. Universities use it on their seals to promote the value of academic knowledge. Yet around the world people who know academic truths are still in bondage. So Jesus must have had some other kind of truth and freedom in mind. For many, “knowing the truth” means personal autonomy, creativity, and freedom from oppression and ignorance, which they define as mental slavery. But Jesus didn’t die to guarantee personal freedom of expression.

The error comes when we think of truth as a concept rather than God himself, which was the way Jesus used the term. Jesus clarified his meaning when he said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:36 niv). By interchanging truth and Son, Jesus implied that granting freedom is God’s work. So Jesus promised freedom from slavery to sin. That freedom begins when we acknowledge our bondage to sin. Only God can free us through his forgiveness, which he made possible by Christ’s death in our place on the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice did not free us “to do our own thing;” rather he freed us from doing our own thing so that we could serve him!

8:33 The Jews thought that Jesus’ words about their needing freedom devalued their ancestry and unique position with God, so they gave Jesus a little history lesson: “We have never been slaves to anyone on earth.” Yet the crowd’s denial of the obvious seems apparent even to us. The Jewish ancestors of these people had been enslaved by the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. And they were ruled by the Romans at the moment Jesus spoke. Though not actually in slavery, they were under foreign domination, and were looking for the Messiah to free them from Roman rule. But they insisted that as Abraham’s descendants they were free people who did not need to be “set free.” They also claimed that Abraham’s righteousness guaranteed their righteousness. Their spiritual superiority made them blind to their real slavery to sin. Jesus bluntly challenged their claims.

*LIFE APPLICATION: SET FREE!

Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us, and dictating our actions. It manifests itself in self-centeredness, rebelliousness, possessiveness, dysfunctional love, and addictive behaviors. Jesus can free us from this slavery that keeps us from becoming the person God created us to be. Even if sin is restraining, mastering, or enslaving us, Jesus can break its power over our life. Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free (8:36). He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from the consequences of sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus’ perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.

8:34-38 Not only was the crowd wrong about their national history, they were also wrong about the meaning of Jesus’ earlier statement. Jesus spoke of a different liberation—that of the soul set free from sin. He pointed out that they did indeed need to be set free, because, “Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” Jesus went on to explain the difference between a slave and a son. A slave has no permanent standing in the master’s household because he or she can be sold to a different master (in the Roman Empire slaves had no legal status). But a son always has a place in the family. The Jews had a false sense of security because they claimed to be descendants of Abraham—and thus thought this guaranteed them a permanent place in God’s family and household (heaven). But Jesus explained that they, along with all people, were slaves to sin. As such, they had no permanent standing in the Father’s house. The Son of God alone has the power and authority to free people from their bondage to sin. Jesus can free people from the slavery that keeps them from becoming the people God created them to be. Jesus is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. Jesus does not give people freedom to do what they want, but freedom to follow God.

The Jews were Abraham’s descendants only in the physical sense, not spiritually or morally, because they were trying to kill Jesus. In doing so, these leaders revealed that they were not Abraham’s spiritual children. If they had been, they would have recognized their Messiah. Instead, they were following the advice of their father, namely the devil (8:44). Jesus made a distinction between hereditary children and true children. The religious leaders were hereditary children of Abraham (founder of the Jewish nation) and therefore claimed to be children of God. But their actions showed them to be true children of Satan, for they lived under Satan’s guidance.

8:39 The Jews said that their father was Abraham, but Jesus said that if they really were children of Abraham, they would follow his good example. Sons copy their fathers, but the Jewish leaders did not behave like the one whom they claimed as their father. Jesus specifically pointed to their sin of wanting to kill him because this proved that they were not Abraham’s true children. Abraham believed in and obeyed God (see Genesis 12:1-4; 15:6; 22:1-14) and welcomed God’s messengers (Genesis 18:1-8).

8:40-41 They could not claim to have Abraham as their father when they were seeking to kill the one who brought them truth from God, for “Abraham wouldn’t do a thing like that.” Instead, they were obeying their real father. Jesus was speaking of Satan as being their father, but they did not understand this. Instead, they said, “We were not born out of wedlock.” Some commentators have said that this retort was a slur on Jesus’ own birth, but they would not have known about his unusual origins. They all assumed Jesus was Joseph’s son. Rather, they could have been claiming to be unlike the Samaritans, who were not purebred Jews or claiming to be devout monotheists untainted by spiritual fornication with other gods. Since their appeal to Abrahamic privilege was either deflected or challenged by Jesus (see explanation of translation above), they appealed to their position with God: “Our true Father is God himself.” Their retort shows that they took offense at being told that their ancestry did not automatically place them in a privileged moral standing before God. But they did not truly know the one God they claimed as their Father because they did not recognize his Son who had come to give them the truth and to set them free from sin.

8:42 Jesus forcefully challenged the leaders’ claim that they were God’s children. “If God were your Father, you would love me.” If those people truly loved God as their Father, then they would recognize and love the Son. And he repeated for them his origin and mission: “I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.” Jesus came as the one sent by the Father to bring God’s word to his people.

8:43 Jesus knew that they could not understand because they were unable to do so. They had already made up their minds about him, and thus could not hear and accept what Jesus had to say. Understanding was not the problem; being willing to hear and accept it as the truth was their barrier.

8:44 Jesus told these self-righteous people, “You are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does.” A person’s actions reveal what is in his or her heart (see 1 John 3:8). The Devil was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. In short, the Devil is the father of lies. The intent to murder comes from the Devil. The Devil was the instigator of Jesus’ murder (6:70-71; 13:27) and the perpetrator of the lies that the Jews believed about Jesus. The attitudes and actions of the Jewish leaders clearly identified them as followers of the Devil, though they may not have been conscious of this. But their hatred of truth, their lies, and their murderous intentions indicate how much control the Devil had over them. They were Satan’s tools in carrying out his plans; they spoke the very same language of lies. Satan still uses people to obstruct God’s work (Genesis 4:8; Romans 5:12; 1 John 3:12).

*LIFE APPLICATION:  DANGEROUS DEAFNESS

Jesus’ audience was hardened and deaf; the life-giving, enlightening word could not penetrate their closed hearts, ears, and minds. And this was very dangerous because not being open to the words of God made them receptive targets for the devil’s lies. The religious leaders were unable to understand because they refused to listen. Satan used their stubbornness, pride, and prejudices to keep them from believing in Jesus.

If we fill our life with distracting and conflicting messages from the heroes we follow, the books we read, the songs we listen to, and the movies we watch, we will discover that it is harder and harder to “hear” God speaking at all. He has not stopped communicating; we are just listening to other voices.

8:45-46 In contrast to the Devil, who habitually lies, Jesus speaks only the truth—and for that reason was not believed. In the end, Jesus was rejected not only because the Jews judged him to be a Sabbath breaker and blasphemer (5:18), but also because his words to them were very harsh and exposing. In light of his character and words, they could not stand to see and hear the truth about themselves.

If there was a chink in Jesus’ armor, his next question would have been their golden opportunity to destroy him. Jesus left himself completely open for a direct attack, “Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?” Of course, no one could. People who hated him and wanted him dead scrutinized his behavior but could find nothing wrong. And they were grasping at straws trying to make him anything but what he claimed to be. Jesus proved he was God in the flesh by his sinless life. He was speaking the truth, but they refused to believe.

8:47 Although some in his audience had heard and become believers (8:30), most remained deaf because their hearts were hardened (see 12:39-40). They refused to listen to (or obey) the words of God because they were not God’s children.

*LIFE APPLICATION: HEARING AID

Jesus’ use of the word whoever makes his statement easily applicable to our own time. The claim to hear God speak is much easier to make than to prove. Jesus consistently taught that obedience was the indicator of hearing. Take the steps to active listening:

• Get away from distracting noise.
• Approach God in a prayerful attitude.
• Devote your full attention to his Word.
• Open your heart and mind, and be willing to obey what he said.
• Don’t argue; listen.

Jesus States He Is Eternal / 8:48-59

At this point, the dialogue between Jesus and his Jewish audience took a decidedly angry turn. Since they had no answer for his clear diagnosis of their spiritual sickness, Jesus’ audience reacted with a verbal attack against him. Up until this point, Jesus’ opponents reserved one final accusation against him: blasphemy. But as Jesus responded to their angry tirade he finally led them to realize the full extent of his claims. He used the “I am” phrase in 8:58 to state his unequivocal claim to divinity. He left no more room for debate. The crowd took up the stones to carry out judgment for blasphemy, but Jesus removed himself from that place. He would choose the time and place for final confrontation.

8:48-50 This is the only instance in the Gospels where Jesus is charged with being a Samaritan. These expressions were filled with great anger. The Samaritans were considered beneath the Jews because of their intermarriage with heathens and their religious impurity. The Jews leveled this charge at Jesus because he, a fellow Jew, had accused them of not being true descendants of Abraham (see 8:37-44). Elsewhere in John, Jesus was accused of being possessed by a demon (see 7:20; 8:52; 10:20).

Jesus did not respond to the charge of being “a Samaritan devil”; he did refute the charge of being demon-possessed. Jesus told the leaders that they were dishonoring him by such a charge because Jesus always sought to honor and glorify his Father. Jesus was not seeking any glory for himself. The Father would seek glory for his Son and judge those who dishonor him.

8:51 Obeying Jesus’ teaching includes relying on the character, ability, strength, and truth of what he promised. When Jesus said that those who obeyed would never die, he was talking about spiritual death, not physical death. Even physical death, however, will eventually be overcome. Those who follow Christ will be raised to live eternally with him.

8:52-53 For Jesus to claim that he could prevent death was for him a claim to be greater than the prophets—indeed, it meant he was claiming to be divine. These Jews were convinced that only a madman (someone who was possessed by a demon) would make such a claim.

8:54-55 Again, Jesus deferred the matter of his divine identity to his relationship with his Father. He could never make the kind of claims he made apart from his union with the Father. If he had come of his own accord, his glory would be worthless. But the Father had sent him, and the Father would glorify him—even if the Jews didn’t. The crux of the matter was that the Jews did not know the Father from whom Jesus came, even though they claimed to know him. The one who really knew the Father and kept his word knew that these Jews were lying.

8:56 Jesus referred to Abraham as their ancestor, but he meant it only in the physical sense. Abraham, by some revelation not directly recorded in Genesis, looked forward to the Messiah’s coming (Hebrews 11:8-13). Several possibilities have been proposed: (1) According to rabbinic tradition, Abraham was given foresight about the future of his descendants. Jesus, perhaps knowing this tradition, pinpointed the one event that would have made Abraham rejoice—the day when the Messiah, his descendant, would come to deliver the world; (2) Genesis 17:7 mentions God’s establishment of an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s offspring, which some take to be a messianic promise; (3) Genesis 22:8 records Abraham’s prophetic words that “God will provide a lamb,” which received their complete fulfillment in Jesus. Of the three interpretations, the first makes the most sense because the text speaks of “my coming”—that is, the time of Christ’s presence on earth.

8:57 Jesus had not claimed to be a contemporary with Abraham or that he had seen Abraham; instead, he said that Abraham had foreseen Jesus’ coming. The comment about Jesus being not yet fifty years old is a roundabout way of saying that he was not yet an old man.

*LIFE APPLICATION: DECISION TIME

When Jesus said that he existed before Abraham was born, he undeniably proclaimed his divinity. Not only did Jesus say that he existed before Abraham; he also applied God’s holy name (I AM—Exodus 3:14) to himself. No other religious figure in all of history has made such claims. Either Jesus was God or he was a madman. His claim to deity demands a response. It cannot be ignored. The Jewish leaders tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy because he claimed equality with God. But Jesus is God. How have you responded to Jesus, the Son of God?

8:58-59 Jesus astounded them with his answer: “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!” Abraham, as with all human beings, had come into existence at one point in time. But Jesus never had a beginning—he was eternal and therefore God. He was undeniably proclaiming his divinity. No other religious figure in all of history has made such claims. Either Jesus was God or he was a madman. His claim to deity demands a response. It cannot be ignored.

This was too much for the Jews; these words so incensed them that they picked up stones to kill him for blasphemy in accordance with the law (Leviticus 24:16). The leaders well understood what Jesus was claiming; and because they didn’t believe him, they charged him with blasphemy. In reality, they were really the blasphemers, cursing and attacking the God whom they claimed to serve!

But Jesus hid himself or “was hidden” (perhaps meaning he was hidden by God). John doesn’t say it, but by now we know it—Jesus escaped their attempted stoning because his “time had not yet come.”

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

— Life Application Bible Commentary

— Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

REJECTED – Because the world hated Jesus, we who follow him can expect the world will consider our beliefs and life-style narrow-minded, intolerant, and prudish. We should not be surprised or embittered by the rejection of those still uncommitted to Christ. In fact, the way we accept rejection may be used by God to make a powerful impression on someone. If circumstances are going too well, we ought to ask whether or not we are following Christ as we should. We can be grateful when life goes well, but we must make sure we are not following Jesus halfheartedly or simply conforming to those around us. We must not compromise our faith in order to be accepted by our neighbors. (Life Application)

 Jesus’ Brothers Ridicule Him / 7:1-9

From this chapter forward, John shows Jesus as the suffering Messiah—suffering the unbelief of his own family, the divided opinions of the crowd, and the persecution of the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. By portraying Jesus’ rejection, John provided his first readers and us with a realistic picture of the costs of being a disciple. Those who followed did so knowingly and willingly. John encourages us to believe, to stand firm, and to resist being like those who opposed and doubted Jesus while he lived on earth.

7:1 Because the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem were plotting his death (see 5:18), Jesus stayed in Galilee for the next twelve months. He was not afraid of the Jewish leaders; rather, he knew that his time to die had not yet come (see 7:8). When God’s intended time came, he would willingly give his life. According to the synoptic Gospels, during this time Jesus ministered actively throughout Galilee (with Capernaum as his home base).

*LIFE APPLICATION: STAYING AWAY

Jesus was ready to die, but not to die prematurely before he carried out God’s purposes on earth. Timing was important. Although Jesus knew his purpose was to give his life as a ransom for sinners, he did not wish to be careless or play into the hands of the religious authorities.

We may be tempted to think that our allegiance to God somehow makes us immune to danger, burnout, mistakes, and even gross sins. Many who have regarded themselves beyond temptation have failed miserably. We can keep from living recklessly by honoring God’s timing in our lives. Sometimes obedience involves risk; sometimes it involves caution. We must determine to wholeheartedly cooperate with God’s plans.

Therefore, we should not be driven by fear, impulsiveness, ignorance, or anxiety. Sometimes the wisest, most difficult action is the decision to wait for God’s timing.

7:2 The Festival of Shelters occurred about six months after the Passover celebration mentioned in 6:4. This festival commemorated the days when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and lived in tents (Leviticus 23:43). Celebrated in the month of Tishri (September/October in our calendar), it marked the gathering of the autumn harvest including the grapes (see Exodus 23:16). During this time many Jews went to Jerusalem and built shelters in which they would live for a full week while enjoying the festivities in the city (see Leviticus 23:33ff.). These simple dwellings helped the people remember their days of misery in the wilderness.

*LIFE APPLICATION: FAMILY TIES

Jesus demonstrated courage with such consistency that at times we overlook it. He ignored the urging of his brothers to do something that would have been foolish. Among Jesus’ teachings was the fact that real faith would divide families, and he experienced that truth firsthand. When those we love, whose approval we long to have, minimize or belittle our faith, we can recall Jesus’ example. He relied on God’s approval and timing, not on the expectations and demands of people around him.

7:3-5 Jesus’ brothers, the sons of Joseph and Mary, did not believe that their brother was the Messiah (see Mark 3:21, 31-35). Apparently, they did not become believers until after Jesus’ resurrection. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7), who believed and eventually became the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13) and the author of the book of James. The prayer meeting that followed Jesus’ ascension included his family (Acts 1:14). The brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55). Judas (Jude) later wrote the book of Jude. Matthew writes that Jesus also had half sisters (Matthew 13:56).

Jesus’ brothers scoffed at him. The followers refers to the crowds, not the Twelve. Jesus’ brothers asked why he would remain in relative obscurity (in Galilee, at home with them) when he was trying to show the world he was the Messiah. They urged him to prove his identity by showing his wonderful miracles in Jerusalem, so that the world could see that Jesus was who he claimed to be. But because of their unbelief, they missed the point. The miracles had pictured Jesus’ power and glory. He would reveal his true glory and power through his death and resurrection, and the time for that revelation was coming.

*LIFE APPLICATION: YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE

Jesus’ brothers had a difficult time believing in him. Two would eventually become leaders in the church and New Testament letter writers (James and Jude). But for several years they were embarrassed by Jesus. After Jesus died and rose again, his brothers finally believed. Today we have every reason to believe, for we have the full record of Jesus’ miracles, death, and resurrection. We also have the evidence of what the gospel has done in people’s lives through the centuries. We simply can’t afford to miss our opportunity to believe in God’s Son.

7:6 Jesus explained that now was not the right time for him to go. Jesus was simply indicating that the freedom to go up to Jerusalem had not yet come for him. As events unfolded, he did eventually go to the festival, but according to God’s timetable. Jesus added that his brothers could use time as if it was theirs to squander, basing their decisions about time only on immediate opportunities, and showing no apparent desire to fit into God’s plan. But Jesus’ time belonged to the Father; he lived according to a different and predetermined schedule. His every step on this earth had a purpose; he would only act according to God’s timetable. Whether he would go to this festival, and when he would go, would be determined by God alone, not by harassing relatives or waiting crowds.

*LIFE APPLICATION: USING TIME

Many of us excuse our poor use of time by thinking that if we knew exactly what God wanted us to do, we would use our days more wisely. We need to ask ourselves, however, how well we have followed the many specific guidelines given in God’s Word about the use of time (for example, Exodus 20:8-11; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 4:4-9; Colossians 4:2, 5-6). Perhaps God has withheld his guidance from us because we are unwilling to put into practice the directions he has already given.

7:7 The world at large hates Jesus because his testimony (as the Light of the World) exposes the world’s evil (see 3:19-21). By the world John means this nonbelieving world’s system of values and all those in it who have no love for or devotion to God. The world hated Jesus for accusing it of sin and evil. At this time Jesus’ brothers were one with the world in not believing in Jesus; therefore, the world could not hate them. Rebellion loves company. People do not realize that indifference to Christ makes them partners with those who hate Christianity.

*LIFE APPLICATION: REJECTED

Whoever believes in Jesus must expect to be rejected and hated by the world (see 15:18-25). Because the world hated Jesus, we who follow him can expect that many people will hate us as well. They will consider our beliefs and life-style narrow-minded, intolerant, and prudish. We should not be surprised or embittered by the rejection of those still uncommitted to Christ. In fact, the way we accept rejection may be used by God to make a powerful impression on someone. If circumstances are going too well, we ought to ask whether or not we are following Christ as we should. We can be grateful when life goes well, but we must make sure we are not following Jesus halfheartedly or simply conforming to those around us. We must not compromise our faith in order to be accepted by our neighbors.

7:8-9 Jesus would do nothing by coercion or persuasion of others. Whatever he did would be done for his Father’s glory and on his Father’s timetable. In this incident, Jesus’ brothers seem to be trying to taunt him into proving he is the Messiah. But Jesus knew his mission. No one, not even his taunting brothers, would turn him away from what he had come to do and from the way he had chosen to do it. True to his word, Jesus did not go up to Jerusalem when his brothers wanted him to. He remained in Galilee until after they left.

Jesus Teaches Openly at the Temple / 7:10-31

Throughout this chapter John highlights the various opinions the Jews had about Jesus. Before Jesus appeared at the festival, opinions about him were swirling through the visiting crowd. Some of these Jews may have seen Jesus’ miracles or heard him teach; others may have only heard of what he had done both in Jerusalem and in Galilee. That particular year, Jesus was the hot topic of conversation during the Festival of Shelters.

Meanwhile, Jesus was leaving Galilee for the last time. Events were moving rapidly toward “his time,” and he would have no further opportunities to travel back to the area where he had spent his childhood. This visit marked the third appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem during his ministry (2:13; 5:1).

7:10-12 After Jesus’ mocking brothers left for the festival in Jerusalem, Jesus also went, though secretly. Jesus would not go up to Jerusalem for the purpose of showing himself to be the Christ (which was what his brothers had told him to do, see 7:3-4). In fact, Jesus could not be found during the first few days of the festival (see 7:11, 14).

*LIFE APPLICATION:  KEEPING IT QUIET

Jesus came with the greatest gift ever offered, so why did he act secretly? The religious leaders hated him, and many would refuse his gift of salvation no matter what he said or did. The more Jesus taught and worked publicly, the more those leaders caused trouble for him and his followers. So it was necessary for Jesus to teach and work as quietly as possible. He still had many lessons to teach his inner circle of twelve disciples, and much of this teaching needed to be done without the impact of the crowds or the harassment of the authorities. Jesus’ primary objective was not to exclude the crowds, but to seclude himself with those who were ready to move on in belief. The proclamation of the gospel is often a public effort; but training and discipleship progress more effectively in private.

In the events that follow, a lot happened behind the scenes. Not only did Jesus travel to Jerusalem in secret, but intrigue and subterfuge were at work everywhere. The crowds were buzzing with opinions about Jesus, yet there was no clear consensus. The Jewish leaders were busily conferring and watching for the right time to legitimately arrest him. The tension-laden atmosphere fostered both excitement and treachery.

*LIFE APPLICATION: FREEDOM!

Today most of us can teach, preach, and worship publicly with little persecution. But at times, these very freedoms can lull us into complacency. Because we can practice religious freedom whenever we desire, some of us never get around to doing it. So our freedom means very little. In addition, our spiritual freedoms erode because our unfaithfulness and lack of diligence have allowed generations to grow up without learning the relevance of biblical truth, prayer, and personal integrity. We should be grateful and make the most of our opportunities to proclaim and practice the gospel while we have the freedom.

7:13 The Jewish leaders had a great deal of power over the common people. Apparently these leaders couldn’t do much to Jesus at this time, but they threatened anyone who might publicly support him. They could use excommunication from the synagogue as a reprisal for believing in Jesus (9:22). Jews considered this a severe punishment. Jesus’ listeners had their opinions but were afraid to express them. This created a power stalemate between the religious leaders and the crowds.

*LIFE APPLICATION: SPEAK UP!

Everyone was talking about Jesus! But when it came time to speak up for him in public, no one said a word. All were afraid. Fear can stifle our witness. Although many people talk about Christ in church, when it comes to making a public statement about their faith, they are often embarrassed. Jesus said that he will acknowledge us before God if we acknowledge him before others (Matthew 10:32). Be courageous! Speak up for Christ!

7:14-15 Midway through the festival, Jesus came out from secrecy and began to teach in public, in the extremely visible outer court of the Temple. Jesus’ delay in arriving and the crowd’s divided opinion created an anticipation for his appearance and teaching. The atmosphere was tense and excitable.

When the Jewish leaders heard Jesus, they were surprised at his knowledge, having never been trained as a rabbi in their schools. In other words, Jesus had no official human certification. He spoke with authority without relying on license or degree to legitimize his teaching. From what follows this statement about the amazement of the crowd, we understand that the unrest among the people about Jesus’ identity continued to develop. After the crowd’s initial amazement, they grew restless over the issues of Jesus’ identity and began to take sides.

7:16-18 Jesus’ teaching was authoritative because it originated from God, not from himself. Those who knew God and sought to do the will of God would know whether his teaching was from God or was his own. Unlike those who present their own ideas and are looking for praise for themselves, Jesus sought to honor the one who sent him. Jesus determined to bring God’s message of salvation to humanity and thereby to bring him glory. Therefore, Jesus could rightfully claim about himself that he is good and genuine. And only those who want to do God’s will can recognize Jesus for who he is—God’s Son. Jesus was saying that those who examine his teaching or the signs that accompanied his ministry must be open-minded and desire to respond to God’s will once it is known. Some people who demand more evidence may be covering up their refusal to submit to God. Every believer who desires to know God’s will must seek it with the intention of obeying it once it has been found.

7:19 Beginning with verse 19, Jesus alluded to the debate he had with the Jews during his last visit to Jerusalem (see 5:18ff.). Because Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath and then directly implied his own equality with God, his Father, the Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill him for Sabbath-breaking and blasphemy. The Pharisees tried to achieve holiness by meticulously keeping the rules that they had added to God’s laws. Jesus’ accusation that they didn’t obey the law of Moses stung them deeply. In spite of their pompous pride in their accomplishments and their rules, they did not measure up, for they were living far below what the law of Moses required. By enforcing their own laws regarding Sabbath-breaking and blasphemy, they were about to break one of the Ten Commandments: “Do not murder” (Exodus 20:13). But they didn’t see this error; they so hated Jesus that they were blind to their own sin.

7:20 In response to Jesus’ charge that they were trying to kill him, the people responded with an accusation of their own and a question. We cannot know how widely spread the plot against Jesus was. But verse 25 records the fact that a certain “they” were trying to kill him, and their intentions were widely known. At this point, the crowd wanted to know whether Jesus could identify the people behind the plot. But this crowd also blasphemed against Jesus by charging him with being demon possessed. Mark records an earlier incident (Mark 3:22-30) when a similar charge was leveled against Jesus. It was a particularly effective tactic on the part of the religious leaders to admit the spirituality of Jesus, but then define it as evil. This time Jesus did not even bother refuting the obvious dishonesty of the allegations.

7:21-24 Because Jesus was in Jerusalem, he most likely was referring back to the miracle in 5:1-15—the healing of the paralyzed man. Jesus mentioned that he had healed on the Sabbath, the point of contention surrounding the miracle. Jesus reminded the people again that their spiritual priorities were wrong. He noted that, according to Moses’ law, circumcision was to be performed eight days after a baby’s birth (Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus 12:3). This rite demonstrated the Jews’ identity as part of God’s covenant people. If the eighth day after birth fell on a Sabbath, they still performed the circumcision (even though it was considered work). By referring to Abraham performing circumcision, Jesus was pointing to an authority and principle prior to Moses. By healing the whole person, Jesus demonstrated that his creative power was equal to God’s and superior to Moses’.

The point was that while the religious leaders allowed certain exceptions to Sabbath laws, they allowed none to Jesus, who simply showed mercy to those who needed healing. He demonstrated from their own practices that they would overrule a law when two ceremonial laws came into conflict. But the Jewish leaders were so engrossed with their regulations about Sabbath-keeping that they failed to see the true intent of Jesus’ actions. Their superficial but tenacious adherence to their own traditions would cause them to miss the Messiah, to whom their Scriptures pointed.

7:25-27 Some of the people of Jerusalem had heard that the religious rulers were trying to kill Jesus. But since he was speaking in public and none of the rulers attempted to stop him, they wondered if the rulers had reconsidered and had recognized that Jesus really was the Messiah. But this seemed improbable to the crowds because even they could think of some objections.

Their reasoning? “We know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.” The people thought they knew where Jesus came from—Nazareth of Galilee. They saw him as a man, a neighbor, a carpenter, but they did not have a close relationship with him. They did not know that he had come from God and had been born of a virgin, heralded by angels, recognized as divine by shepherds and then by wise men from the East, and greeted joyfully as the Messiah by two aged prophets (Luke 2). Instead, the people were convinced that no one was supposed to know where the Messiah came from. There was a popular tradition that the Messiah would simply appear. It was just as mistaken as the belief that the Christ would be a military/political leader who would restore Israel’s greatness. Those who believed this tradition were ignoring the Scriptures that clearly predicted the Messiah’s birthplace (Micah 5:2). The popular tradition about the origin and appearance of the Messiah probably came from what is recorded in 1 Enoch 48:6; 4 Ezra 13:1ff., books that were not included in our Bibles because they were not considered authoritative. (They were, however, valued for personal study.)

*LIFE APPLICATION: IN THE MIDDLE

Many consider neutrality to be a sign of maturity and objectivity. Maintaining a neutral position toward Christ may be popular, but it is dangerous. People stay undecided about Jesus under the pretense of not wanting to make a hasty or wrong judgment. But Jesus never allowed indecision. He confronted men and women with the unavoidable choice of belief or unbelief. Today those who remain undecided must understand that they remain, by that choice, in opposition to Christ.

7:28-31 Knowing that the people did not believe in him, Jesus said: “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from.” Some versions render this sentence as a question rather than a statement. The people did indeed know where he was from geographically (he grew up in Galilee), but they really did not know because, as Jesus went on to say: “I represent one you don’t know, and he is true. I know him because I have come from him, and he sent me to you.” Jesus was declaring his divine origin and divine commission. From Jesus’ proclamation we can gather that it is important to know, not from where Jesus came, but from whom he came. To recognize this origin requires revelation. But the people did not know Jesus because they did not know the one who sent him.

This was too much for the leaders who tried to arrest him. This was the first spontaneous attempt to restrain Jesus. A little later there was an official attempt described in verse 32. But Jesus could not be detained, for his time had not yet come. The verse between the two attempted arrests says that many believed. There was turmoil in the crowd about Jesus’ true identity. People were taking sides. Some people believed and others did not. For a while there had been general confusion. But the confusion was resolving into belief and unbelief. Those who believed Jesus concluded that he had presented the true credentials of the Messiah.

 Religious Leaders Attempt to Arrest Jesus / 7:32-52

Nicodemus tactfully confronted the Pharisees with their failure to keep their own laws. The Pharisees were losing ground—the Temple guards came back impressed by Jesus (7:46), and one of the Pharisees’ own, Nicodemus, was defending him. With their hypocritical motives being exposed and their prestige slowly eroding, the Pharisees renewed their efforts to protect themselves. Pride would interfere with their ability to reason, and soon they would become obsessed with getting rid of Jesus just to save face. What was good and right no longer mattered.

7:32-34 Aware that the Jewish religious leaders had sent Temple guards to arrest him, Jesus alluded to his coming death: “I will be here a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me.” No one would be taking Jesus’ life from him; rather, he would depart this life according to the preordained time and then return to his Father. Jesus’ statement also served as a calm warning to those who were plotting against him that their efforts would only succeed subject to God’s plan. At that time, says Jesus, “You will search for me but not find me. And you won’t be able to come where I am.” Another way to say this is, “You will seek me and not find me because your unbelief has rendered you unable to understand where I am.” Even after Jesus (the true Messiah) left, the Jews would continue to seek for the coming of the Messiah but would never find him—because he had already come!

7:35-36 The Jewish leaders, not understanding that Jesus’ statement referred to his death, wondered if he was speaking about going to the Jews in other lands or even to the Gentiles. The Dispersion or Diaspora is a technical term referring to the large number of Jews who were “dispersed” (or scattered) throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Some of the Jews were dispersed among the Gentiles. The Jews listening to Jesus wondered if he was about to depart Judea and go to these Jews.

*LIFE APPLICATION: EVEN TO US

The mention of Greeks in this passage ought to catch the attention of those who are not Jewish. John’s readers appreciated the startling and hopeful nature of Jesus’ words. To appreciate the impact, we must remember that the Jewish people perceived anyone who was non-Jewish as totally isolated from God. They regarded the Greeks or Gentiles as pagans and infidels, cut off from God, without hope. But Jesus’ message promises rivers of living water to “anyone” who is thirsty. If we have believed in Jesus, we have discovered that God’s grace extended even to us!

7:37-39 The last day, the climax of the festival, was the eighth day. During the Festival of Shelters, the Jews celebrated the memory of how God protected their ancestors in their travels across the wilderness to the Promised Land, guiding them on their way and providing them with manna and, on one occasion, water from a rock (see Exodus 17:1-7). Every day during this festival, except for the last day, a priest stood in front of the Temple with a golden pitcher of water and poured the water on a rock. This commemorated the water flowing out of the rock that gave the Israelites water to drink. They performed this ceremony each day of the festival except the eighth, when they offered public prayers for continued rain.

Thus, on the last day when the water was not poured out, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.” Jesus’ words, “Come and drink,” allude to the theme of many Bible passages that talk about the Messiah’s life-giving blessings (Isaiah 12:2-3; 44:3-4; 58:11). By promising to give the Holy Spirit to all who believed, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, for that was something only the Messiah could do. There is no particular verse in the Old Testament that exactly says “rivers of living water will flow out from within.” Jesus was either paraphrasing a verse like Psalm 78:16 or Isaiah 58:11.

John provided an explanatory note: He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. At that time, the Holy Spirit had not yet been given to all believers. That happened after Jesus entered into his glory through the resurrection and ascension (see 16:7-16). The availability of the Spirit is linked with the glorification of Jesus, for it was after Jesus’ glorification through death and resurrection that the Spirit became available to believers (see 20:22).

*LIFE APPLICATION: WELL-WATERED

Those listening to Jesus’ words knew the importance of water. They knew, as we do, that water is essential for life and crops. Yet they did not take water for granted. Such a rare, precious commodity made an effective symbol.

All the water anyone used in their homes had to be carried from nearby springs or wells. People handled water carefully and conserved it. Because much of the country was arid, the survival of the crops was determined by rain. Late rains could cause the planted seeds not to germinate. In the cultivation of grapes, for instance, the vines require at least one hundred gallons of water in order to produce one gallon of wine.

Symbolically, water came to represent the people’s deliverance in the wilderness when they were actually dying of thirst. Jesus’ claims reflect both the availability and the abundance of God’s provision. He promised rivers of living water and bread from heaven so that thirst and hunger would be no more.

It is pitiful not to recognize the abundance we have in Christ. We do this when

• we discount his blessings instead of depending on Christ’s constant provision,
•  we foolishly crave what we do not need instead of trusting Christ to determine what we really need,
• we lean on the comforts of this life and our personal gratification instead of looking to the eternal destiny that Christ has promised.

7:40-44 Jesus’ exclamatory invitation generated faith in some of the hearers. Some said, “This man surely is the Prophet” (meaning the Prophet predicted by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18); others said, “He is the Messiah.” But others could not believe. They were convinced that the Messiah would not come from Galilee. They argued correctly from the Scriptures that he was to be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem (see Psalm 89:3-4; 132:11; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1; Micah 5:2). And, in fact, Jesus was David’s son (see Matthew 1:1-18; Romans 1:3-4) born in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 2:1-11). But soon after his birth, Jesus’ parents took him to Egypt to protect his life. Later, they brought him to Nazareth of Galilee (the hometown of Joseph and Mary), where he grew up (see Matthew 2:13-23). Thereafter he was identified as a Galilean and a Nazarene, not a Judean or a Bethlehemite. However, Jesus never once tried to explain that his birthplace was Bethlehem. Instead, he always pointed to his divine, heavenly origin. If a person knew God, he would know that Jesus was the Christ.

As the crowd argued about Jesus’ identity, they were divided and some wanted him arrested. But his time had not yet come, so no one touched him.

 *LIFE APPLICATION: GET OFF THE FENCE

There can be no fence sitting when it comes to deciding about Jesus Christ. By this point in the Gospel of John, it is already clear that picking and choosing what we like from the teachings and life of Jesus is unacceptable. If belief in Christ does not include his divine identity and his “hard teachings,” it isn’t really belief in him as he defined it. We must remember that claiming to accept the teachings of Christ includes accepting what he taught about himself. Jesus did not welcome fence sitting. Have you decided to follow or reject Christ as Lord?

7:45-49 The Temple guards were very likely police under the jurisdiction of the Jewish religious rulers, not the Romans. Some of the Levites were probably assigned this duty. Although the Romans ruled Palestine, they gave the Jewish religious leaders authority over minor civil and religious affairs. The religious leaders supervised their own Temple guards and gave the officers power to arrest anyone causing a disturbance or breaking any of their ceremonial laws. But these Temple guards couldn’t find one reason to arrest Jesus. And as they listened to Jesus to try to find evidence, they couldn’t help but hear his wonderful words.

Although sent by leading priests and Pharisees with specific orders to arrest Jesus, the guards returned empty-handed. When asked why they did not bring Jesus, they said, “We have never heard anyone talk like this!” When the guards heard Jesus, they recognized that they were listening to a man like no other, for, in fact, they were listening to the Son of God (see Matthew 7:29; Luke 4:22).

But the Pharisees rejected this simple testimony. They asked these guards if they, like the crowd, were also led astray. If Jesus really were the Messiah, they argued, at least some of the religious rulers would believe in him. And since not a single one of them did, then this man could not be the Messiah. Maybe the crowds believed in him, but the crowds were ignorant. But in judging the people for their supposed ignorance, the Pharisees were judging themselves, for they were ignorant of God and did not know the one he sent.

*LIFE APPLICATION: CAPTIVATED CAPTORS

Perhaps, until now, these temple guards had been protected by their duties from coming face to face with Jesus and hearing his teachings. But here they found themselves exposed. Being confronted directly with the character and words of Jesus always makes a greater impact than we may imagine. God doesn’t limit his life-giving insights to the academically trained or the socially elite. Meeting and observing Jesus led these simple men to give a ringing testimony to Jesus among those who hated him. Our task is to present Christ so that others may see him in action and hear his remarkable testimony.

7:50-52 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number (see 3:1-21), asked, “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” Nicodemus attempted to make his fellow Pharisees adhere to the law they claimed to know and to act fairly and justly. An accused person, according to Deuteronomy 1:16, must first be heard before being judged.

This passage offers additional insight into Nicodemus, the Pharisee who visited Jesus at night (chapter 3). Apparently Nicodemus had become a secret believer (see 12:42). Since most of the Pharisees hated Jesus and wanted to kill him, Nicodemus risked his reputation and high position when he spoke up for Jesus. His statement was bold, and the Pharisees immediately became suspicious. After Jesus’ death, Nicodemus brought spices for his body (19:39). That is the last time Nicodemus is mentioned in Scripture.

But these Pharisees would not listen even to one of their own. The depth of their real allegiance to the law became clear when their position was threatened by the truth. They retorted sarcastically, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!” The Pharisees and religious leaders were confident that they could reject Jesus as having any claim as the Messiah because of his Galilean origin. But they were wrong on three counts: (1) Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Luke 2:4-11; also Micah 5:2); (2) The Scriptures do speak of the Messiah as a “great light” for Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2); (3) Jonah (2 Kings 14:25) and Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) came from this region. The leaders may have been referring to the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15. They were proud and certain that he would come from their territory, Judea.

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 Sources:

Life Application Bible Commentary

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT IN GOD’S VOCABULARY

We can limit what God does in us by assuming what is and is not possible. Is there a seemingly impossible task that you believe God wants you to do? Don’t let your estimate of what can and can’t be done keep you from taking on the task. God can do the miraculous; trust him to provide the resources.

This is one of today’s *Life Applications. John Chapter six has 70 verses, its long but great none the less.

Jesus Feeds 5,000 / 6:1-15 

 Once again in this Gospel, John selects a particular place for presenting a spiritual truth about Christ. Earlier, the well in Samaria was an excellent setting for Christ to teach about the fountain of living water. Here, in chapter 6, the multiplication of the loaves provides a way for Christ to present himself as the Bread of Life.

6:1 Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee, a great body of water (which is actually a lake, thirteen miles by seven miles) given the name the Sea of Tiberias by Herod Antipas in honor of the Roman emperor Tiberias in a.d. 20.

6:2-4 Jesus was popular, and a huge crowd kept following him, mainly because of his miracles as he healed the sick. Presumably to continue teaching, Jesus went up into the hills (the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills) and sat down with his disciples. John mentions three Passover celebrations in this Gospel: the first in 2:13 (when Jesus was in Jerusalem), the second here (when Jesus remained in Galilee), and the third in 12:12 (when Jesus went to Jerusalem and was crucified shortly thereafter).

6:5-6 The crowds followed Jesus right up into the hills. As Jesus saw them, he asked Philip where they should buy bread to feed all these people. If anyone knew where to get food, Philip would because he was from Bethsaida, a town about nine miles away (1:44). Jesus was testing Philip to strengthen his faith. By asking for a human solution (knowing that there was none), Jesus highlighted the powerful and miraculous act that he was about to perform.

*LIFE APPLICATION: THE TEST

As he did with Philip, Jesus sometimes tests us by putting us in difficult situations with no easy answers. At these times we feel frustrated, as Philip did. However, frustration cannot be God’s intended result. The wise disciple always keeps the door open for God to work. When the first or second look at a problem yields no solution, do you trust God to work or assume it’s hopeless? Philip fell short because he allowed his thinking to be limited by his own limited resources instead of seeking God’s limitless resources.

John clues us in: Jesus was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. In usual use, the word “test” has a neutral meaning. It refers to a proving experience like Jesus’ testing in the wilderness or Abraham’s test over the sacrifice of Isaac. In all these cases, God allowed the test to occur, not expecting failure, but placing the person in a situation where his or her faith might grow stronger. Jesus did not want Philip to miss what he was about to do.

6:7-9 Philip realized that with the number of people climbing in their direction, it would take a small fortune to feed them. But, in fact, Philip did not really answer Jesus’ question. The Lord had asked him to consider where they could get food; Philip responded with what he perceived as the larger problem—the money it would take to supply the food.

*LIFE APPLICATION: IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT IN GOD’S VOCABULARY

When Jesus asked Philip where they could buy a great quantity of bread, Philip started assessing the probable cost. Jesus wanted to teach him that financial resources are not the most important ones. We can limit what God does in us by assuming what is and is not possible. Is there a seemingly impossible task that you believe God wants you to do? Don’t let your estimate of what can and can’t be done keep you from taking on the task. God can do the miraculous; trust him to provide the resources.

At this point, Andrew (who is usually presented in the Gospels as Simon Peter’s brother and takes a subordinate position to him) took advantage of an opportunity to join the discussion. Apparently a young boy who had overheard the conversation pulled out his lunch and made it available. It was Andrew who inadvertently answered Jesus’ original question. He pointed out that the only available food was the boy’s lunch: five barley loaves and two fish. (Barley loaves and fish were food for the poor.) Then Andrew added the disclaimer: “But what good is that with this huge crowd?” Whether Andrew was speaking in humor or hyperbole we can’t be sure, but we can be fairly certain that he did not expect what followed.

*LIFE APPLICATION: LITTLE WAS ENOUGH

The disciples’ skeptical reluctance contrasts with the youngster’s willingness to share what he had. Others may have been withholding what they had. They certainly had more resources than the boy. But they knew they didn’t have enough, so they didn’t give anything at all. The boy gave what little he had, and it made all the difference. If we offer nothing to God, he will have nothing to use. But he can take what little we have and turn it into something great.

6:10-13 What was offered was enough for Jesus. He told the disciples to have everyone sit down. The men (the Greek word means “male individuals”) numbered five thousand. So with women and children, there were many more. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and passed them out to the people. The fish were also distributed in like manner. After all had eaten and were full, they still had leftovers; the disciples filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over. This miracle and these leftovers reveal Jesus once again as the all-sufficient Lord. Our needs and problems are not obstacles to him, for his abundant power transcends any need or problem we place before him.

*LIFE APPLICATION: GIVING THANKS

Thankfulness helps us appreciate both meals and miracles more fully. Jesus regularly gave thanks for food. The way in which he always paused to thank the Father made an indelible mark on the disciples. It was so characteristic of Jesus that even the two disciples with whom Jesus walked to Emmaus after the Resurrection recognized him when he gave thanks (Luke 24:30). How well are we recognized by our spiritual habits? When we give thanks for our meals we follow the example of Jesus Christ himself.

*LIFE APPLICATION: LEFTOVER LESSONS

We can learn from the leftovers. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we offer him in time, ability, or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations. If we take the first step in making ourselves available to God, he will show us how greatly we can be used to advance the work of his kingdom. Most of us want to see a great work of God, But can we take the first step of sacrifice?

6:14 The people saw and filled their stomachs as a result of this sign—who could have missed it?—and this led them to believe that Jesus was the Prophet whom Moses had predicted (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). John does not say the people were wrong to think of Jesus as “the Prophet,” but the next verse shows that they thought this Prophet should be a political leader. In this they were wrong.

Elisha foreshadowed this Prophet (who was one in the same as the Messiah) to come. According to 2 Kings 4:42-44, Elisha fed one hundred men with twenty loaves (a 5:1 ratio). But Jesus fed five thousand with five loaves (a 1000:1 ratio)! In Isaiah 25:6-9, the prophet said that the Messiah would prepare a great feast for all people, Jews and Gentiles. This miracle shows Jesus to be the Messiah.

6:15 During Jesus’ ministry, nationalistic fervor was high; the people wanted a king, a leader who would free Israel from Rome. The people expected this of the coming Messiah-King. When Jesus realized their intentions, he left. Jesus’ Kingdom would not be an earthly one; his Kingdom would not be established by a groundswell of popularity. This same opportunity for political power had already been offered to Jesus by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus knew that the immediate opportunity was nothing compared to what God had planned (see Daniel 7:13-14).

 Jesus Walks on Water / 6:16-21

Of the three Gospel accounts of this miracle, John’s includes the fewest details. He understates the action, and apart from a brief mention of the disciples’ fright, he makes little emphasis on this event. Matthew described Peter’s walk on (then in) the water. Mark mentioned the difficulties being created by the wind and waves as well as the fact that when the disciples saw Jesus, he was passing by them. The focus of Matthew and Mark highlighted the miracle and its effects on those who participated in it; John included the miracle as yet another indication of the true identity of Jesus.

6:16-18 Jesus had gone up to a mountainside to be alone (6:15). The disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. Though it was late in the day, many of the disciples were experienced boatmen who would have felt comfortable sailing at night as well as in daylight. Jesus had called Peter to follow him after Peter and his partners had been out all night fishing (Luke 5:1-11). As it got dark and Jesus still hadn’t come back, the disciples decided to head out across the lake toward Capernaum. This lake, the Sea of Galilee (or Sea of Tiberias, see 6:1), is very large. It is 650 feet below sea level, 150 feet deep, and surrounded by hills. These physical features make it subject to sudden windstorms that cause extremely high waves. Sailors expected such storms on this lake, but the storms could still be very frightening. Such a sudden storm arose as a gale swept down upon them.

The Sea of Galilee is about seven miles across at its widest point, and the disciples were rowing the boat through rough waters that the wind had stirred up at the north end. They had recently encountered a bad storm in similar circumstances, except that at that time Jesus was in the boat with them (Mark 4:35-41). This time they noticed his absence.

*LIFE APPLICATION: LIGHT THINKING

Sadly, most of us quickly forget in the darkness what seemed so clear in the light. As the disciples continually learned, we depend on tangible evidence more than we ought. Our senses, though valuable gifts, have limitations. As soon as Jesus left his disciples, they forgot the amazing powers he had shown them so recently. But before we chide their lack of faith, we need to examine our own. How much of our spiritual life is a series of peak experiences of God’s nearness followed by declines? When we can’t feel God’s presence, do we assume that he is not there and that he cannot help us? God’s presence and help should come as a welcomed expectation, not a frightening surprise!

*LIFE APPLICATION: EXPECTATIONS

Faith is a mind-set that expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome our fears. Even after watching Jesus miraculously feed over five thousand people, the disciples still could not take the final step of faith and believe he was God’s Son. If they had, they would not have been amazed that he could walk on water. They did not transfer the truth they already knew about him to their own lives. We read that Jesus walked on the water, and yet we often marvel that he is able to work in our lives. We must not only believe these miracles really occurred; we must also transfer the faith to our own life situations.

6:19-21 They had gone three or four miles. According to Mark 6:45, it had taken the disciples all evening to row this short distance—evidently because the headwind was so strong. Suddenly, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. Not only was Jesus walking on the water, he had walked a great distance over raging seas! Understandably, the disciples were terrified, but Jesus called over the wailing wind, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost (Mark 6:49).

*LIFE APPLICATION: STORMY WEATHER

When Jesus came to the disciples during a storm, walking on the water (three-and-a-half miles from shore), he told them not to be afraid. We often face spiritual and emotional storms and feel tossed about like a small boat on a big lake. In spite of terrifying circumstances, if we trust our lives to Christ for his safekeeping, he will give us peace in any storm.

Jesus Is the True Bread from Heaven / 6:22-40

To understand the action in these verses, we must back up and trace the movements of all the characters. Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand somewhere on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (6:1). That evening, his disciples boarded a boat headed west toward Capernaum (6:17) without Jesus, who had gone up into a mountain to be alone (6:15). Then Jesus came to the disciples during the storm (6:21). So Jesus and the disciples arrived together at Capernaum (presumably before dawn). On the opposite shore, the crowd that had seen the disciples leave knew that Jesus hadn’t gone with them and that the disciples had taken the only boat. The next morning they discovered that Jesus was gone, but they knew that he had not gone with the disciples. They assumed that he must have left to join his disciples.

6:22-25 At some point during the day, several boats arrived from Tiberias. Though it is not stated, the implication is that the crowds may have heard of Jesus’ whereabouts from someone on the boats. So people from the crowd used those boats, which were probably going to head back across the sea toward Tiberias anyway, to cross to Capernaum to search for Jesus.

6:26-27 The crowd, being satisfied once by what Jesus had done for them, wanted to see what else Jesus could do for them (maybe he’d provide more free meals?). But they did not realize what the miracle actually revealed to them. Jesus refused to encourage them in their desire for the material satisfaction he could provide. His beginning response in effect was, “You were so intent on being fed that you haven’t yet seen who provided the food.” The people may not have known it, but their needs went much deeper. Jesus’ signs were given to reveal that he could meet those deeper needs.

Thus, Jesus told them: “Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you.” The bread that fills the stomach, whether produced by a miraculous sign or made at the bakery, is not spiritual or eternal. Jesus was saying that the people should not be following him because he provided free bread, but because he provides spiritual “bread”—bread that can give them eternal life. He wanted the people to look to him as the one who could provide the food that endures to eternal life. He himself is that food. By coming to him and receiving him by faith they would partake of the Bread of Life. That is why God the Father sent him.

6:28-29 The crowd missed Jesus’ words about how he would give the food that lasts for eternal life. So they asked, “What does God want us to do?” Jesus gave a straightforward answer: “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.” The only “work” God requires from us is to believe in his Son. But for some reason, we feel better somehow “earning” God’s favor rather than accepting it as a gift. Eternal life is a gift; it cannot be earned; the only work to be done is to believe in Jesus.

*LIFE APPLICATION: THE WORK OF GOD

Many who sincerely seek God wonder what he wants them to do. The religions of the world have many answers to this question, but Jesus’ reply was brief and simple: Believe in him whom God has sent. Satisfying God does not come from the work we do, but from whom we believe. What does it mean to believe? The first step is accepting Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. We declare in prayer to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 nkjv). Accepting Jesus means giving him control of every area of life. To believe means to yield our wills, our desires, our plans, our strengths and weaknesses to Christ’s direction and safekeeping. It means moment-by-moment obedience. Believing is a relationship with the one who promises to live within, trusting him to guide and direct us to do his will.

6:30-31 Amazingly, the crowd then asked Jesus to do a miraculous sign if he wanted them to believe in him. The crowd had just seen the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, but they wanted more—not just one day’s supply of bread, but a guarantee of continuous supply. Their argument was that their ancestors ate manna in the wilderness—which, of course, was available every day for nearly forty years. And they cited their Scriptures, quoting from such verses as Exodus 16:4 and Psalm 78:24-25. A Midrash (Jewish commentary) on Exodus 16:4 says that just as the former redeemer (Moses) caused manna to descend from heaven, so also the latter Redeemer will cause manna to descend. They expected this from Jesus if he was the Messiah.

6:32-33 Moses hadn’t performed the miracle, the Father had. And the God who gave the manna to the Israelites for forty years now gives the true bread from heaven—Jesus. Just as the Israelites ate manna every day, so God provides the true bread of God for daily sustenance. God had given them his Son—the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world—as the true heavenly bread to meet their daily spiritual needs. The present tense indicates the continual supply.

*LIFE APPLICATION: WHO IS THE SOURCE?

The Jews wanted to give Moses the credit for what God had done. Can the same kind of misunderstanding creep into our own thinking? For instance, when we speak about prayer, do we tend to take part of the credit for the work that God actually accomplishes? We hear statements such as, “She was sick, and we prayed and she was healed,” or “The storm was approaching, but I prayed and it went around us.” Our phrases may imply that the power was in the prayers rather than in God who hears and answers prayer. Prayer allows us to participate in God’s work. We dare not get so involved in our experience of prayer that we neglect the source of our power. When prayers are answered, our attention must be on who answered rather than on who prayed.

6:34-35 The Jews did not grasp that Jesus spoke about himself as the Bread of Life; they wanted a daily supply of physical bread, saying, “Give us that bread every day of our lives.” Like the woman at the well who asked Jesus to give her the living water so she wouldn’t be thirsty again, this crowd wanted what Jesus could give so their lives could be made easier. They missed the point. So Jesus told them directly, “I am the bread of life.” If people wanted this bread, they must come to Jesus and believe in him. When Jesus used the words “I am,” he was pointing to his unique, divine identity. In essence this statement says, “I the Lord God am here to provide you with everything you need for your spiritual life.” For Jesus to say he is the Bread of Life is for him to say, “I am the sustenance of your life.” Just as bread supplies our bodies with strength and nourishment, Jesus, the true Bread from Heaven, had come to strengthen and nourish his people, so that they would never be hungry again and never thirst.

 *LIFE APPLICATION: REAL SATISFACTION

Jesus offers the ultimate spiritual satisfaction: If we believe in him, we will never hunger or thirst. But we have heard the gospel wrong if we think Jesus offers an escape from life and its problems. Thousands of Christians still face physical hunger, and millions face crushing difficulties. The gospel frees us to face life. In the middle of the world’s pessimism and despair, the gospel unflinchingly claims that Jesus offers infinitely more than this life can give. We will be disappointed if we expect the presence of Jesus in us to mean that we are immune to sin, struggles, and failures. There are many ways to know hunger and thirst, and we will undoubtedly experience many of them. One of Jesus’ last statements was, “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (16:33 nrsv).

6:36 According to some manuscripts, the reading is: “You have seen me.” This emphasizes that the crowds had seen Jesus, the very Bread of Life, standing before them, and yet they had not believed in him. Other manuscripts read, “You have seen and still you do not believe.” This emphasizes that the crowds had seen the miracles Jesus did and still they did not believe. They had not only seen but eaten the multiplied bread and fish, but they resisted the necessary conclusion that he was divine.

6:37 In the Greek, the word those is neuter singular, indicating the total body of believers for all time. The Father gives this collective group to the Son (see also 17:2, 24). Only those selected by God can come to the Son and believe in him. God’s Spirit enables them to come. All those who have been invited to come to Jesus and have done so can rest assured that God was at work in their lives.

While the first part of this verse speaks of the collective group of believers, this second part speaks about the individual: “I will never reject them.” God’s word assures us that Jesus will always welcome the sincere seeker, and the seeker who comes to believe will never be rejected (10:28-29).

*LIFE APPLICATION: OUR PLACE IN THE PLAN

The Father gives, the Son preserves, and we come. God’s foreknowledge is a part of his character that we must accept though we do not fully understand. We must ask ourselves: Am I one of those who has come to Christ? Whether or not we are among those whom the Father has given to the Son, or whether we are secure in Christ’s protection, depends on how we answered the first question—have we come? When we come to Jesus, we find great assurance in his promise that we will never be rejected.

6:38 Jesus did not work independently of God the Father, but in union with him: he came to do the will of God. This should give us even more assurance of being welcomed into God’s presence and being protected by him. All who respond positively to God’s call can be assured of his protection (see 17:11). The protection covers them in this life and for eternity. Our spiritual hunger and thirst are satisfied in this life, and we know in the future that we will be raised from the dead to live with Jesus forever. Yet the guarantee does not apply to superficial attachment. We must follow him wholeheartedly and commit our lives to him.

6:39-40 As in verse 37, the Greek word for all those is neuter singular; they indicate the total collective entity of all believers. All those who are among this group of believers can be assured of God’s promise of eternal life. Christ will not let his people be overcome by Satan. They will not be lost, and he will raise them to eternal life at the last day. However, this commitment must not be superficial, as was the “commitment” of those disciples who turned away (see 6:66). But those who believe will have eternal life. God values each person. Jesus demonstrated how valuable we are by his teaching: God sent the Son to earth; the Son came to earth; the Son promised to both preserve and to resurrect the ones he received from the Father.

 The People Disagree That Jesus Is from Heaven / 6:41-59

Many of the crowd in Capernaum that day could not believe their ears. They knew this man’s family, yet he claimed to be the Son of God. To them, Jesus’ delusion seemed obvious. In their minds, Jesus was a local product with interesting powers and unusual authority, but was audacious when it came to speaking about himself. Jesus responded with uncompromising directness. He required then, as he requires now, an unconditional acceptance of his lordship. Any attempt to soften his claim amounts to rejection of his central message.

6:41-43 The people had some disagreement with Jesus. They knew his father and mother, so how could he say he came down from heaven? What they concluded was logical, but they really didn’t know Jesus’ parentage. Jesus had moved from Nazareth to Capernaum at the beginning of his ministry (see Matthew 4:13; Mark 1:21; John 2:12). Most likely, his parents and siblings had gone with him. The Jews in Capernaum knew Jesus’ parents, and therefore they thought they knew who Jesus was—the son of Joseph. But Jesus told the people to stop grumbling and complaining about what he had said. Not one of them could know his true identity if the Father had not revealed it to him. Jesus relied on this revelation.

*LIFE APPLICATION: EXCUSE OR REASON

If we listen carefully, we will hear people admiring Jesus in some way while refusing to submit to him. They might say, “He’s a great teacher, but I don’t believe he’s God.” Some so-called Christians or a respected leader or minister may have let them down or even abused them in some way. Perhaps a parent modeled a contradictory message of religious superficiality alongside violent behavior. Pain creates very real obstacles. We must not deny the pain in ourselves or in others, but pain and disappointment must not keep people from Jesus. Beyond whatever obstacles come between us and Jesus, we must honestly ask, Is what happened an excuse to reject Jesus or a reason to run to him?

6:44-46 A person cannot come to Jesus if he has not been drawn by the Father, taught by the Father, heard from the Father, and learned from the Father. God, not the person, plays the most active role in salvation. When someone chooses to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she does so only in response to the urging of God’s Holy Spirit. Thus no one can believe in Jesus without God’s help.

When Jesus quoted from the prophets saying, “They will all be taught by God,” he was alluding to an Old Testament view of the messianic Kingdom where all people would be taught directly by God (Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:31-34). He was stressing the importance of not merely hearing, but learning. We are taught by God through the Bible, our experiences, the thoughts the Holy Spirit brings, and relationships with other Christians. Are you open to God’s teaching?

Jesus’ previous statement about people being taught by God (and listening to and learning from the Father) does not mean that any person could actually see God the Father. Only Jesus has come from God’s presence, and only he has seen the Father. This last statement in itself implies divine privileges—for no man has ever seen God (see 1:18; 1 Timothy 6:15-16).

6:47 Jesus makes it plain that the believer has eternal life, starting now. The verb “believes” in these verses means “continues to believe.” We do not believe merely once; we keep on believing in and trusting Jesus.

6:48-50 Jesus then declared again (6:35), “Yes, I am the bread of life!” This is one of Jesus’ remarkable “I am” declarations recorded in John’s Gospel. No one but Jesus is the Bread that gives eternal life. The people earlier had spoken of the manna their ancestors ate in the wilderness (6:31), using that event as a standard for measuring Jesus. Jesus refused their challenge. Manna was a physical and temporal bread. The people ate it and were sustained for a day. But they had to get more bread every day, and this bread could not keep them from dying.

Without demeaning Moses’ role, Jesus was presenting himself as the spiritual Bread from Heaven that satisfies completely and leads to eternal life. Again, the personal effectiveness of this Bread comes not from seeing it or from recognizing its heavenly origin, but from taking it in—eating it.

6:51 To offer his flesh meant Jesus gave over his body to death on the cross, so that by his death people could live forever. To eat the living bread means to accept Christ into our lives and become united with him. We are united with Christ in two ways: (1) by believing in his death (the sacrifice of his flesh) and resurrection and (2) by devoting ourselves each day to living as he requires, depending on his teaching for guidance, and trusting in the Holy Spirit for power. Just as the Jews depended on bread for daily strength and relished it as a main part of their diet, so we should depend on and desire the living Christ in our daily lives.

6:52-53 Instead of directly answering their question about how he could give them his flesh to eat, Jesus reemphasized the necessity of eating his flesh and also drinking his blood. No one could receive his life until the giver died by shedding his own life’s blood. Thus, Jesus wants us to accept, receive, even assimilate the significance of his death in order to receive eternal life. Christians do this frequently when they commemorate the Lord’s Supper. But Christians should not limit this to only the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (or Eucharist); Christians can partake of Jesus anytime.

6:54-55 Those who eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood have eternal life. Those who accept by faith Jesus’ sacrificial death receive eternal life.

6:56 This is the first mention in this Gospel of “mutual indwelling” (that is, a simultaneous indwelling of two persons in each other, also known as “coinherence”). When we receive Jesus, we remain in him and he remains in us.

6:57 Here Jesus pointed to his relationship with the Father as a model of the vital union he would share with each believer. Jesus said that he lives by the power of the living Father who sent him, so those who partake of Jesus will live because of Jesus.

6:58-59 This verse summarizes the discourse and repeats the major points of Jesus’ message. He again contrasted himself as the true bread from heaven that gives life with the manna that could not give eternal life to those Israelites who ate it. Jesus gave this teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum to the Jews gathered there for worship.

 Many Disciples Desert Jesus / 6:60-71

Those listening to Jesus were experiencing a crisis in their determination to follow him. Many of his actions thus far had been attractive, though sometimes curious. But all this talk of consuming his body and blood was difficult to stomach. Jesus’ claims forced his followers to examine their real motives and the depth of their commitment.

6:60 At this time in Jesus’ ministry, he had several followers who could loosely be called his disciples (see 4:1). These “disciples” were not the Twelve, and many of them would not receive his message. They pointed out that it was hard to understand. The motive behind Jesus’ harsh words is not difficult to see—he wanted people to count the cost of following him (Luke 14:25-33). His words shocked and challenged. They were not comfortable half-truths, but hard-edged truth. Those who follow Jesus in hopes of feeling good will always be disappointed sooner or later. Only those who find in Jesus the rock-solid truth will be able to weather the difficulties of living in this fallen world

*LIFE APPLICATION: HARSH WORDS

The motive behind Jesus’ harsh words is not difficult to see—he wanted people to count the cost of following him (Luke 14:25-33). His words shocked and challenged. They were not comfortable half-truths, but hard-edged truth. Those who follow Jesus in hopes of feeling good always will be disappointed sooner or later. Only those who find in Jesus the rock-solid truth will be able to weather the difficulties of living in this fallen world. If our central motive for following Jesus isn’t because he is the Truth, we too will be disappointed.

6:61 Jesus, knowing that his listeners were complaining, asked, “Does this offend you?” or more literally, “Does this cause you to stumble?” (The Greek word skandalizo means “to ensnare, to trap, to cause to stumble”; it is often used to indicate a falling away into unbelief. See, for example, Matthew 13:21; 24:10; Mark 6:3; Romans 14:20-21.) Jesus was keenly aware that those not ready to respond fully to him would stumble over him or be offended by him. Remember that it is possible to be offensive in the way we communicate the gospel, for which we would be at fault. But if we present Jesus lovingly and honestly, we must neither be shocked nor feel guilty if the Good News offends someone.

6:62 They didn’t believe that Jesus came down from heaven. If they saw him return to heaven, would they then believe? According to verse 65, they would not, for they were not true believers. Jesus had been purposely harsh so as to separate the true believers from those who were accompanying him for the wrong reasons. Some sought a new political party; others thought Jesus might lead a revolt against Rome; still others were simply fascinated with theological discussions. All of these thoughts were potential starting points of interest in Jesus, but they were not enough to make people real disciples.

6:63 This statement gives us the key to interpreting Jesus’ discourse. His hearers had not understood the spiritual intent of his message. A fleshly interpretation of his words would yield nothing; one must apply a spiritual interpretation to Spirit-inspired words. Human effort that begins with the desires and objectives of human wisdom accomplishes nothing. Instead, it is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Jesus’ very words are spirit and life; therefore, we must depend on the life-giving Spirit to appropriate Jesus’ words. Peter was one such believer who came to realize that Jesus had the words of eternal life (see 6:68).

6:64 From the beginning of his ministry Jesus knew that some of the ones following him were not believers in his true identity as the Son of God come from heaven.

Jesus also knew from the first who would betray him. This was Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (6:70). For a moment, John interrupts with a brief word of explanation for his original readers and us. Jesus included Judas in every facet of his ministry, knowing all the time that he would not respond to the living truth. Jesus’ treatment of Judas was consistent with his own character, despite that which Judas deserved for his unwillingness to believe.

6:65 This repeats what Jesus had declared before (see 6:44-45). The signs in themselves, no matter how remarkable, are not completely convincing. Some believe through seeing and others believe though not seeing, but all require God’s assistance (20:29).

6:66 Jesus was saying tough things, and this caused many of his disciples to not follow anymore. Within sight of the Kingdom of Heaven, privileged with a taste of the bread of life, and watching the living water flow, they nevertheless walked away. In a short sentence, John captured one of the saddest moments in the ministry of Jesus.

*LIFE APPLICATION: TEMPTED TO TURN

Why did Jesus’ words cause many of his followers to desert him?

• They may have realized that he wasn’t going to be the conquering Messiah-King they expected.
•  He refused to give in to their self-centered requests.
•  He emphasized faith, not deeds.
•  His teachings were difficult to accept, and some of his words were offensive.

As we grow in our faith, we may be tempted to turn away because Jesus’ lessons are difficult. When discouragement, doubt, or confusion set in, will our response be to give up, ignore certain teachings, or reject Christ? Instead, we must consistently ask God to show us what the teachings mean and how they apply to our lives. We must then have the courage to act on God’s truth.

6:67-68 According to the Greek, this question expects a negative answer. Jesus knew their weaknesses and how little they really understood. He knew that one of them would not only go away, but betray him also. Yet he also knew that God had chosen eleven to believe in him.

We can’t stay on middle ground about Jesus. When he asked the disciples, “Are you going to leave, too?” he was showing them that he was not taking their faith for granted. Jesus never tried to repel people with his teachings. He simply told the truth. The more the people heard Jesus’ real message, the more they divided into two camps—the honest seekers wanting to understand more, and those rejecting Jesus because they didn’t like what they heard.

Peter replied, “To whom would we go?” In his straightforward way, Peter answered for all of us—there is no other way. Though there are many philosophies and self-styled authorities, Jesus alone has the words that give eternal life. People look everywhere for eternal life and miss Christ, the only source. There is nowhere else to go.

*LIFE APPLICATION: THE SOURCE

Peter’s declaration was a statement of faith, not a claim of complete understanding. He was convinced that when Jesus spoke, the truth about eternal life flowed in his words. Peter wanted what Jesus had to give. His simple affirmation presents us with two challenges:

1.  Do we (or those people we would like to reach) really desire eternal life? For many, eternity is an unattractive subject. Life is going so well. Death and disease are usually distant and unreal. Relationships, pleasures, and possessions are too cherished to even think about forsaking. The fact that we will be dead infinitely longer than we have lived is denied for as long as possible.

2.  Are we holding out for eternal life through another way? Some people avoid thinking about eternal life by denying its existence outright. In fact, many religious systems do not have a concept of eternal life. Those that do, make the requirements unclear or beyond attainment.

Jesus’ words are the only source of eternal life: “I am the bread of life. . . . If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (6:48, 51, niv).

6:69 Peter’s declaration parallels the one he made at Caesarea Philippi, but each of the synoptic Gospels gives a slightly different version of Peter’s words (see Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). Peter was actually saying more than he knew. The descriptive words he blurted out to tell Jesus how he and the other disciples felt about him conveys both Peter’s impulsive nature and his genuine impression of Christ. First, he called Jesus “Lord” (6:68). To this he added: (1) there’s no one else like you; (2) you have the truth about eternal life; (3) we have believed; (4) we know that you are the Holy One of God. Peter was doing the best he could to describe Jesus in a category separate from anyone else who ever lived.

Like Peter’s, our own understanding of Jesus must expand as we live for him. When we first believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, our understanding will be real but limited. But as time passes, our awareness of the breadth and depth of Jesus’ saving work and his lordship ought to grow.

6:70-71 Peter may have thought he was speaking for the Twelve, but not so. One among them—Judas Iscariot—was a devil, the traitor who would betray Jesus. According to 13:2 and 27, Satan put the idea into Judas’s heart to betray Jesus and then entered Judas to instigate the actual betrayal. Diabolos (6:70) means “slanderous, devilish,” and having Satan’s nature and qualities. Judas gave into evil thinking and came under the control of the devil.

John reminded his first readers about what was at stake. Almost every word of teaching uttered by Jesus was given in the context of intense spiritual drama. Heaven must have held its breath as humans tried to figure out Jesus’ true identity.

*LIFE APPLICATION: HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?

In response to Jesus’ message, some people left; others stayed and truly believed; and some, like Judas, stayed but tried to use Jesus for personal gain. Many people today turn away from Christ when they discern his real message. Others pretend to follow, going to church for status, approval of family and friends, or business contacts. We have only two choices for responding to Jesus—we either accept him or reject him. Have you accepted or rejected Christ?

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Sources:

— Life Application Bible Commentary

— Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary