Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
(ESV)
—John 8:21-30
by: Dorothy Noel.
Have you ever started listening in to the middle of a presentation? It can be hard to catch the theme of the topic. But after listening a while, you can start putting together the purpose of the conversation and formulate your own view of what is being said. I imagine that was the feeling of some of Jesus’ listeners. While He had been speaking of the Father and His heavenly home for a few years at this point, probably not everyone had heard yet. In verse 27, we see it takes them a minute to figure out what was going on. Even so, verse 30 shows that God’s Word can pierce even the most confused hearts. No matter where our listeners are coming from, let us never doubt the ability for the Holy Spirit to reach them.
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