By Bill Brettschneider. June 21, 2011. BLOWING ROCK  -- Each Tuesday morning, the Men's Connection meets at Chetola Mountain Resort & Spa, Blowing Rock, for breakfast (7:30 am), fellowship and Bible study. Blowing Rock News is pleased to share these weekly meditations.

Meditations

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

“Know the Truth”

During our time last week with John Guest, he shared a wonderful story of a man who came to faith in Jesus. Following that decision, the new believer noted – “This is the day for which my whole life has been waiting.” What substance that provides to John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Today we embraced John 8 and the “truth” about Jesus.  As with us all, the content of our character springs from our words and actions. Others perceive and assess who we are by what we say and more so by what we do.

In our walk through the Gospel of John we have encountered a number of people and their varied reactions to Jesus.   In John  1:29, we hear John testify about Jesus – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Andrew enthusiastically finds his brother Simon Peter and tells him “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).” (John 1:41) John continues in this first chapter as we meet Philip who eagerly tells Nathanael, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Skeptically, Nathanael scoffs – “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Yet, when Jesus reveals He “knows” Nathanael, the latter proclaims - “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Consider now, the words of Jesus in response to this acclamation from Nathanael -

Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (John 1:50)

At the very beginning, Jesus “points” to a larger story, a greater reality than is readily perceived by those around him.

As the story unfolds we hear Nicodemus say, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”(John 2:2)  The Samaritan woman at the well announces “I can see that you are a prophet.”(John 2:19)  Seeking yet not seeing fully, ^“The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” (John 4:25-26)  On the heels of these words, in the hope of the Word, many Samaritans came to faith as “They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”” (John 4:42)

Following the feeding of the multitudes, the people “began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”” Yet when Jesus moves from “bread for the belly” to “the bread of life” - 

. . . the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (John 6:35, 41-42, 53-55, 60, 66)

Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus saw some come to faith and some fall away. As He became ever more direct in his statements about who He was and why He came, the reaction of those around him became more polarized.  In no group is this seen more clearly than in the Pharisees we meet in John 8:12-58. As you read the account you will see a “sparring” interaction between Jesus and the “learned men” of Israel.  Jesus will speak; they will refute and refuse, imprisoned by a pre-disposition to “see” Jesus not for who He is but for who they needed or wanted Him to be.

“Who are you?” they asked.  “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him.  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 25-32)

Many believed while others did not understand.  All were called, as we are, to answer one key question –

Is Jesus telling the truth?

For a moment, then consider –

If what Jesus said about himself was false; He either knew that it was false or he did not know that it was false.  If He knew and said anyway that it was true, then He was a liar and nothing else he did mattered.  If He did not know and said anyway that it was true, in effect unable to distinguish truth from fiction, then he was a lunatic and nothing else he did mattered.

If what Jesus said about himself was true, given His words – 

“my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14), then He is who is said He is – the Lord!

A bold claim in His day – a bold claim in our day. Yet, neither unreasoned nor unreasonable – only the truth! And so it was, that at the end of his discourse with the Pharisees, Jesus speaks the truth in response to which the learned men of Israel, experts in the Law and the Scriptures, exploded with rage and resentment.

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58) 

Can you see their faces reddened with outrage, that this upstart troublemaker would have the audacity to assign to himself the ancient name of God as so well known to those had studied the life and law of Moses –

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. (Exodus 3:11-15)

From their generation to our generation – an outrageous claim?

Except that it is true – Jesus is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords!

Will you claim the freedom that is yours in this truth? Will you claim Jesus as Savior and Lord?

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

REFRAIN

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Plan to join us next Tuesday, July 24 as we continue our summer season on our journey through the Gospel of John.  Bring your Bible . . . and bring a friend.

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