Father - John 8:37-42

The Jewish leadership doesn’t seem to understand how truth can make them free because, as Abraham’s descendents, they already worship the true and living God. Jesus tells them that His gospel can set them free from sin, which is what everyone is enslaved by. He continues, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.” Jesus is doing what he learned from his Father, but because these men want to kill Him, they are doing what they have seen their father do? Who is there father? Clearly not Abraham, but someone who desires to commit murder, Satan. They answer, “Abraham is our father. And Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.” The IM comments, “When the Jewish leaders boasted that they were Abraham’s seed, implying they held special privileges in the sight of God, the Savior reproved them for failing to do the workds of their highly esteemed ancestral father. They were no acting like the covenant children of Abraham; rather, they were trying to kill the God of Abraham, who was standing before them and telling them the truth. The book of Genesis records some of Abraham’s works that stand in contrast to the behavior of the Jewish leaders. Abraham converted others to the gospel. He avoided strife. He was obedient to God. He welcomed heavenly messengers. He exercised tremendous faith. The Savior reproved the Jewish leaders for their actions… clearly implying that the Jews were serving someone other than God.”

The leaders spit back, “We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.” I had no idea what that statement meant, but the IM says that it “was an insult about what was thought to be Jesus’ illegitimate birth because Mary and Joseph were not legally married at the time of Mary’s conception. This insult helps us understand the kind of treatment Jesus may have endured throughout His life. In many ways, He knew what it was life to have people revile Him, persecute Him, and say all manner of evil against Him falsely.” I had actually read this part several days ago, and then for family home evening on Monday night, my daughter did the lesson and her topic was bullying. She asked for examples of bullying, and I told about how Jesus had been bullied because people didn’t think that his parents were married when he was born. And if we think about it, Jesus had nothing to do with his conception or manner of birth or anything like that, so for him to be bullied because of something he had no control over, that’s sad. Mary and Joseph probably had many instances like that, where they were persecuted because she was obviously pregnant before she was married. In fact, imagine what would have happened if Joseph would have been alive during Jesus’ ministry. Every single thing that he said about his father would have gone right back to Joseph, and he would have had to say, “no I’m not his actual dad,” which would have caused problems for Mary, but because Joseph wasn’t there to be asked, it kept that particular matter more or less off the radar.

It’s pretty bold for Jesus to publically accuse the chief priests and Pharisees of a desire for murder, and it makes me wonder why he would do that? Perhaps he is letting them know that their secret plans are not so secret. Maybe he is demonstrating the connection he has to the Father, that he can know their thoughts. Even though they mocked him and his mother, Jesus doesn’t let it phase him, he continues, “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from god; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” This seems like another example of “by their fruits you shall know them.” If they do good, then they came from God, but if they do evil they come from the devil.