Wednesday 1st November
Read John 8:49-51
“‘I am not possessed by a demon,’ said Jesus, ‘but I honour my Father and you dishonour me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.’” (NIVUK)
The place this invitation sits in the narrative is stunning. Those with whom Jesus is speaking have made it very clear what they think of Him and His ‘words’. They are disdainful, dismissive and disgusted. And yet, even at this late stage, even after the abuse, Jesus still offers life.
Many read these words and think they can’t possibly be genuine. Surely Jesus is speaking only to a select few potential disciples remaining in the audience? Yet His very presence in that place, presenting His case, suggests otherwise. It recalls the words of Isaiah…
“‘I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, “Here am I, here am I.”
2 All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations –
3 a people who continually provoke me
to my very face…” (Isaiah 65:1-3a) (NIVUK)
With those words, and Jesus’ actions, we see a picture of undeserved grace writ large. The offer is real, the consequences of rejecting it dire, yet the one offering is genuine in every way.
