John 8, Part 2

Scripture: John 8:12-20

Observation: At the end of the festival of Tabernacles, there would be celebrations, merriment, songs of praise and dance (known as Simchat Beit Hashoeivah). During this ceremony the dancers would carry lit torches. It was during this celebration that Jesus announced that He is the light of the world (v.12). The Pharisees challenged His words as being self-testimonial. Jewish law required 2 or more witnesses for testimony to be valid (Deut. 19:15). Jesus tells them who testifies on His behalf: His Father. These men judged by human standards and therefore could not understand who Jesus is or where He'd come from. Jesus does not judge as people do; instead He judges as one with the Father. Unlike the Pharisees who judged by appearance alone and therefore wrote Jesus off, Jesus neither judged nor condemned them. He told them truth and let them decide their own course of action. But they continued in their misunderstanding of Jesus: they asked, "Where is Your Father?" (v.19), revealing that they did not know Jesus spoke of God. This is why Jesus said to them, "If you knew Me, you'd know my Father also." It tells how far from God they were.

Application: Jesus has the authority to judge, because He doesn't do so by human standards; He sees the heart. Yet He made clear that He judged no one (v.15). Jesus also taught us not to judge (Matthew 7:1). Does this mean we should ignore evil and falsehood? Not at all. What Jesus is telling us is not to judge by appearance, as humans do. We cannot see into a person's heart, therefore we cannot condemn anyone as lost or beyond hope of salvation. Only God knows our true standing with Him.

Prayer: Father, I recognize that You did not call me to lead people to salvation. You called me to present the Gospel, to tell people about Jesus, and then let You work in their hearts. Please keep me from being discouraged when Your message is rejected. Only You know what goes on in the heart of each person. Help me to continue planting and sowing seeds, and allow You to make them grow. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.