3-26-2022        I Always Do The Things that Please Him    

        What will Father say to us?

John 8:19-30

As her accusers left, one by one, as she was alone with Jesus, He forgave the woman caught in adultery and encouraged her to sin no more.  Jesus then tells those present that, yes, He testifies of Himself, and yes, a man’s testimony of himself doesn’t carry much weight, but He also has the Father who testifies of Him.  Thus, the law is fulfilled in two witnesses (Deut. 19:15).  The Law and the prophets speak of the Messiah and Jesus declares His fulfillment of those prophecies (Luke 4:20-21).

In our passage for today, the Jews challenged Jesus as to ‘just who is your father’?  Jesus responded “You don’t know Me nor my Father for if you had known me, you would also know my Father.”

Though the Jews didn’t like what He said, no one laid a hand on Him for Jesus’ time had no yet come.   Jesus then said “I go my way and you shall look for me and you shall die in your sins for where I go, you cannot come.”

The time Jesus speaks of is the cross where He would give His life, a ransom, for all who would receive Him and then would ascend back into heaven from whence He came.  Because many Jews still rejected Him, they would have no idea where to look.  Jesus also tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).  The Jews thought ‘keeping the law’ (works) was the way to salvation (Matt. 2:13-31), therefore, they would have no clue where to look for Jesus and that means searching one’s faith!  And they just weren’t looking any further than the Law.

Then Jesus gives them a hint “You are from beneath, I am from above.  You are of this world, I am not of this world.  That’s why I told you would die in your sins for if you don’t believe that I am the one God sent (the Messiah), you will die in your sins.”  

Then the Jews asked Him “Just who are you? And Jesus replied “I told you who I was in the beginning (John 3:5-13).  I have many things to say to you and draw conclusions about you. But He who sent me is true and I speak those things which I have heard from Him.”

Him?  The Jews didn’t realize that Jesus was speaking of (God) the Father.  Jesus went on “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you shall know that I am He and that I don’t do anything simply because I feel like it, but I speak these things in accordance as to how Father has taught Me.  He who sent Me is with Me for the Father has not left Me alone (Deut. 31:6, Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5).  For this reason I ALWAYS DO THE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM!”

Jesus emphasizes that He speaks the things Father has told Him.  Jesus says that when He is crucified on the cross, it will be evident that He has spoken the truth.  As Jesus died, what did the Centurion (a Gentile), standing by the cross say?  “Truly, this man was the Son of God.” (Mark 15:39).  Jesus says that the Father has always been with Him. 

Quick review: In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was (is) God … and is the light of the world … made flesh (John 1:1-14); Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost for His mother Mary was a virgin (Matt. 1:20); Joseph was directed to call the child “Emmanuel” which means ‘God is with us’ (Matt. 1:23): Jesus is baptized by John upon which the Holy Ghost immediately comes upon Him like a dove (Matt. 3:11-17).  Father is with Him, Jesus of course is the Son and now the Holy Spirit, all coming, all together, as one, completing the Godhead (Col. 2:9).  Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.  While there with Jesus, he made the comment “No man can do these miracles that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2).

How many times did Jesus say “I do the will of my Father” (John 6:38).  The answer: 7 X!  Don’t get nipicky on the wording, but it was what He said, seven times!

And so, what is the will of the Father? 

God is love (1John 4:7).  He expresses His love towards us through His ultimate sacrifice which is that He gave His only begotten son, His Word, who came into this world as a human being, born of a virgin (Mary) that whosoever believes on Him (Jesus – the Son) would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)! 

Jesus tells us that there is no greater love than to lay down our life for our friend (John 15:13).  Jesus also says that all who obey His command are His friend (John 15:14). 

So, just what is the command of Jesus?  Actually, in a two-fold, single commandment we’re told - to Love he Lord God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and then to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31).  For the Law of Moses (10 commandments) and all that the prophets have said reflect God’s love (Matt. 22:40). 

That is, we learn to love as God loves us.  God does not lie (Num. 23:19) for He is truth (Deut. 32:3-4).  He has our best interest at heart (Rom. 8:26-28).  He doesn’t ‘dilly dally’ (linger) making us go through situations unnecessarily, but He is longsuffering, hoping and waiting for us to repent (2 Peter 3:9), that is, or when we ‘err’, ‘get back on track’. 

Jesus came to seek the lost (Luke 19:10) so He meets us where we are.  Saul (Paul) was persecuting the Jews and was on His way to Damascus to destroy the fledgling Christian church when Jesus met him on the way.  Saul meets and receives Christ into His heart and is baptized (Acts 9:1-19) and his life is changed forever.   

Even, once we’ve come into His kingdom, Father ‘reprimands’ us to keep us on track (Heb. 12:6).  But we need to remember Job (Job 41:1-34, Job 42:1-6) during these times.  Job discovered that though things may not seem fair, God is still God and all things work together for those who love the Lord (Rom.8:28).  As we read the bible, we discover that the bible is, indeed, God’s love-letter to us!

So, in the end, God is still love and we need to worship Him in love and truth, remembering who He is – “I am that I am” (Exod. 3:14).  He is everything we need and/or should desire!

Therefore, God is love and that which He does is driven by His love for us.  We reflect that love back to Him by giving Him all glory, praise and honor, respecting Him for He IS GOD and reflecting that love to those with whom we come into contact for we love them.  In so doing, do we “Do the things that please Him!”

Amen