John 8:21-29
A pattern in the Gospel of John is an event followed by discussion. In chapter 8 the event was the woman caught in adultery. The event is followed by a discussion about witnesses and then two sets of judgments. First is judgment concerning non-believers.
For non-believers there is a time of grace, Genesis 6:3, Hebrews 9:27, but there comes a time when no amount of seeking for the truth will yield results.
Luke 17:20-21 The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.
Ultimately, refusing to believe leaves them without relationship to God.
Only back in chapter 7:33-36 Jesus had said he was going away and they would look for him and not find him and the Pharisees questioned whether he meant to go out of the country. Now both sides are more emphatic. Jesus tells them he is going away and they will die in their sin and not go where he is. And the Pharisees wonder if Jesus means to kill himself and wind up in hell, where they were sure they would never go.
They, like all of us, were born into the muck and mire of this world and we quickly adapt to living in conditions as we find them. Sin is the estate we inherit from our ancestors and sins is the mud pies we make with it.
Romans 7:14-15 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
This is the condition of everyone unless they believe.
In verse 24 the I AM shows up again. Unless you believe that I AM you will die still mired in the mire. Their response is, thou who art? As if they could not believe their ears, you’re who? Jesus doubles down on identifying himself as the eternal creator with his response, I’m The Beginning(of everything). Genesis 1:1.
Colossians 1:18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Jesus could have said a lot of things to the Pharisees but he confined himself to saying what the Father told him to say. To add verification to his words he predicted the manner of his death. Jesus stayed within his Father’s will in word and deed. In God’s will is in God’s presence. What is God’s will for us?
1 John 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
brotherpayne 