From the Father

Many of the Jewish leaders did not understand that Jesus was from the Father. This devotion from John 8, explores their unbelief, and our response to it.

21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
(John 8:21-27, King James Version)

Let us pray that the words from John 8:21 may never be spoken about us!

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

Many of the Jewish leaders never saw beyond the humanity of Christ. They did not understand that Jesus was from the Father. Though He spoke plainly to them, they could not comprehend His Words, because they were bound to the chains of this world.

Jesus did not come to this world by chance; He was sent here by the Father so that He might reveal the Father to the people of this earth. He was a man--the God Man--with a mission. His entire earthly ministry, beginning with His baptism by John, was focused on purchasing a people for Himself by shedding His own perfect blood to pay the debt of their sins.

The Jewish leaders did not get it, did they? Unfortunately, in our world today, most people still do not get it! You see, Satan, too, is on a mission--a mission to deceive the hearts of man, and he is very effective! First, he determines to keep the truths of the Gospel of Christ hidden from man, and second, for those who do believe, he seeks to destroy their effectiveness for Christ.

Where does that leave us? How effective is Satan in our own lives? That really is the question for believers today, is it not? How effective is our testimony for the Lord? Are we seeking, most of all, to faithfully serve the Lord and pray for the lost, that their eyes may be opened to the truth? Are we faithfully praying for our fellow believers? We must remember that our own purposes in this life are given to us from the Father!

That is a pretty sobering thought, is it not?

Next: Never Alone - John 8:28-32