Friday 27th October
Read John 8:41-42
“You are doing the works of your own father.’
‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself.’ 42 Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.” (NIVUK)
Jesus has claimed that He is doing the works of His father but there is no evidence they are doing the works of their father, Abraham. Therefore they must have a different paternity. Their protest demonstrates they understand the implications of what He is saying very clearly indeed!
It is a double-edged protest. They ramp up their Fatherhood claim whilst simultaneously questioning Jesus’ paternity. John does not recount the birth narrative of Jesus in his gospel but he, and the Jews, are not unaware of the rumours surrounding Jesus’ birth. At the same time they declare that their father is not just Abraham, but God – Israel is God’s son.
Jesus calls this bluff too. If they really were His brothers, they would love Him. He is not saying these things to big note Himself. In a certain sense it is against His will. He was sent and simply brings the truth. But that truth is too unpalatable for them to hear. Pray that we would have ears to hear, even those things we find unpalatable ourselves.
“We ought carefully to observe this passage, that there is no piety and no fear of God where Christ is rejected.” (John Calvin)
