There are two extremes that we can take when developing an understanding of Jesus’ character. Many who are not Christians, but who admire and respect Jesus, think of him as one who always forgave, always loved, always accepted everyone just the way they were and never passed judgment. On the other hand there are those who say they are Christians and think of Jesus as the conquering king, and the ultimate judge who condemns everyone.
This chapter reminds us that Jesus is not so easy to put in a box.
First off, we should mention that the Pharisees are “at it again”. They’ve brought a woman to Jesus after catching her in the act of adultery. Because the ruling Roman government wouldn’t allow the Jews to perform executions (See John
18:31) Jesus was trapped between ignoring God’s law (See Leviticus and Deuteronomy ) and coming into conflict with the Roman government.
Jesus chose a response that acknowledged the truth of God’s law, but that also made it impossible for them to carry out the execution themselves. (Stoning probably shouldn’t have been done here anyway, since only a specific situation calls for it in Deuteronomy 22:23-24. Another example of the Pharisees re-working God’s law.)
But notice verse 11. Jesus chooses not to condemn her. The Greek word used here for “condemned” is katakrino. And here it means: to pronounce sentence against. So Jesus is saying, “I’m not going to sentence you to Hell or punishment right now.” However, he does tell her to “sin no more.”
Unlike us, Jesus (because he is God) has the unique authority to pardon sin. We cannot do this. At the same time, we can’t determine who will go where in death. So Christians should not be quick to say who is going to hell. On the other hand, we must still acknowledge in our minds what is sin. Although some sins have become acceptable to our culture, Christians should not allow their ideas of right and wrong to be shaped by anything but the Bible.
We can remember from verse 11 that Jesus is the only one fit to decide anyone’s eternal fate. Our role is to, a) keep clear in our minds what is sinful, while b) loving and caring for everyone around us, since we are all flawed sinners. Both aspects are vital. Emphasizing one over the other will result in veering away from the truth.
Let’s look at some of the claims of Jesus in this chapter:
v. 12- “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness”. In other words, he says he is the ultimate source of truth and knowledge.
v.16 He claims to be sent by “The Father”.
v.23 Unlike the rest of humanity, Jesus claims to be “from above” and “not of this world”.
v.28 After being “lifted up” (a reference to the cross and the resurrection that followed) people would know that he is who he claimed to be.
v.28 He speaks only what The Father has taught him.
v.29 The Father is always with him.
v.29 He claims to ALWAYS please the Father. In other words, he claims to be completely without any form of sin!
v.51 Anyone who keeps the word of Jesus will never see death.
v.58 “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (Hold that thought. We’ll come back to this one.)
Verse 31 leads into the popular (but often taken out of context) verse 32. Jesus says that those who are his students (the meaning of “disciples”) will follow what he teaches. And once they are doing this they will know the truth and THEN the truth will set them free.
Verse 32 also isn’t a general philosophical statement. Jesus explains what verse 32 means in 34-36. If we follow and learn from Jesus, we will ultimately be set free from the sinful habits and choices that bring pain to our lives and the lives of those around us.
Here’s a question: Who are the children of God?
We’ve probably all heard this term used in a variety of ways. Sometimes political figures will endeavor to make people feel unified by referring to us all as “God’s children”. But is everyone a child of God? What does Jesus say about this?
In verse 41, the Jewish people around Jesus said “God himself is our Father!” But in verse 42, Jesus says “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God.”
In fact, because of the evil desires in their hearts, Jesus told these people that their father was the devil! (v.44)
Lastly, why did this group of Jewish people attempt to stone Jesus to death in verse 59? Seems a little intense, doesn’t it? The answer comes from verse 58. Abraham was the man God chose to start the entire Hebrew nation. He is possibly the most revered ancestor of the Jewish culture. And Jesus says that before Abraham was born, “I am.” Was he being stoned for bad grammar? Now THAT would be a scary place to live!
Actually, these Jews recognized that Jesus was claiming to be timeless. Eternal. His words even partially echoed (as they would have noticed) the words of Exodus 3:14 when God told Moses what name he should call him. So the Jewish people tried to stone Jesus for referring to himself as God. A crime punishable by stoning (Leviticus 24:16).
As we can see with each chapter of the Gospel of John, it is becoming increasingly difficult to think of Jesus as simply a good man or prophet or a wise and compassionate teacher. In light of the radical claims Jesus continues to make, we have to consider the options of him being:
1. A complete lunatic
2. The greatest con-man to ever live.
or
3. God in human form.
Food for thought. See you next week!
Question for commenting: Aside from the three options listed above, can you think of another possibility to consider regarding the character of Jesus?
(We’d love for you to leave your comments or questions about this chapter, whether it’s something we covered or not! Let your voice be heard!)
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