JOHN LESSON 24
We will begin this lesson in John 8:19.
V-19, "Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus
answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye
should have known my Father also."
In the previous lesson, the Pharisees had accused Jesus of
witnessing of Himself. They said His record was not true, completely
overlooking the fact that He had performed miracles that none of the
holy men of the temple could do. Jesus reminded the m, that in their
law a thing shall be established by two witnesses. Jesus had been
witnessed of by the Father when He was baptized by John the Baptist,
and the voice came from heaven for all to hear. Of course, John the
Baptist witnessed of Jesus, also. The miracles were a strong witness,
too. Now to the verse above, they believed Joseph to be Jesus' father
when, in fact, God was His Father. Jesus tells them, if they had
known God or His Word, they would not be disbelieving Him now. The
word is Jesus.
V-20, "These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in
the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet
come."
This treasury, probably, was the place of public assembly. We
see from this, and several other places in John's gospel, that Jesus
went often to the temple. The Pharisees, scribes, and high priests
did not approve of Jesus, but they could not do anything about it
until Jesus decided the time was right. They would have captured Him
here and punished Him, if they could have; but Jesus was in control,
not them. He would walk past them, and they could not see Him;
because He had blinded their view of Him.
V-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."
These people have rejected the Saviour of the world. They would
still be searching for their Messiah long after He had come and gone.
They would die in their sin, because they rejected Him. There would
be no eternal life in heaven with Him, because they rejected Him.
Read Romans chapter 10 verses 9 & 10. It explains what you must do to
inherit eternal life with Jesus. These Pharisees fell way short of
those requirements.
V-22, "Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he
saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come."
They assumed, because Jesus told them of having a short time to
live, that He would kill Himself. They cannot comprehend someone who
knows when He will die. They assumed Jesus was going to hell. Little
did they know that would be their place, not Jesus'.
V-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."
Jesus, in this, is telling them they better enjoy what they can
here on earth, because they are not preparing at all for eternity.
They can only see the flesh and are looking through physical eyes that
can only comprehend things of this world. Jesus is from heaven. God
is a Spirit. John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth." Jesus is Spirit, also. He
cannot be understood by a carnal, worldly mind. Our Spirit must
worship Him. Worldly and Spiritual things do not mix.
V-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."
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life." You see, to be saved we must believe that
He is, and believe that He is a rewarder of those who believe.
Salvation is very simple; BELIEVE. You see, these Pharisees did not
believe, so they cannot inherit eternal life. There is only one way,
and His name is Jesus Christ our Lord. If they do not believe that
Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, then He didn't die for their sins,
and they are still living in sin.
V-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."
When they asked, He could have said, Jesus Christ the Son of the
living God, or He could have said their Messiah. They would not have
believed any more by Him specifically saying one or the other of these
names. He just said, "The same as I have already told you." It was
not His time now, and there was no need to make them more angry than
they were now.
V-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."
Whether you and I care to admit it or not, God is absolute truth.
This is what Jesus is telling these Pharisees, but it also applies to
our day. We can say what we believe, and it may or may not be true;
but when God speaks, it is truth. Jesus is saying here, you are not
right in the sight of God. He, also, says that He is pointing out
their sins so that they can do something about them now, before they
stand in front of Him to be judged of Him. He says, if you believe in
the Father, then listen to what I (Jesus) am saying to you, because
the Father is the one who sent me.
V-27, "They understood not that he spake to them of the Father."
These people were so caught up in the formality of church that
they could not understand anything spiritual. They simply did not
know He spoke to them of Father God.
V-28, "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son
of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of
myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things."
Jesus is speaking prophetically of being lifted up on the cross.
Those who were present at the crucifixion, when the noonday turned
black as night and when the earthquake came, said surely this was the
Son of God. They did not understand that Jesus (the Son of God) took
on the form (flesh) of a man and dwelt among them. They could not
understand that this flesh, standing before them, could be the Son of
God. These Pharisees thought Him to be the Son of Joseph. Jesus'
will and the will of the Father is the same.
V-29, "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left
me alone; for I do always those things that please him."
This was evident even to the on-lookers. Jesus did no evil, only
good. On many occasions when Jesus did the miracles, the on-lookers
realized that these things could only be done of God. John 3:2, "The
same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that
thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles
that thou doest, except God be with him." You see, it was evident
from the beginning that mortal man could not do the kinds of miracles
that Jesus did. In John 14:11, we read in Jesus' own words, "Believe
me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me
for the very work's sake."
V-30, "As he spake these words, many believed on him."
It was evident who Jesus was and is. It is the same now, as it
was then. Some believe, and some don't. What are we talking about
when we say believe? Believe that Jesus was, in fact, God the Word
who took on flesh and became the Saviour of the world. Romans chapter
10:9 & 10 tells all.
Notes
John 24 Questions
1. What question did these Pharisees ask Jesus in verse 19?
2. What was Jesus' answer to them?
3. What had these Pharisees completely overlooked that should have
witnessed to them who He was?
4. Who did they believe was Jesus' Father?
5. Where did this conversation take place?
6. Why did they not lay hands on Him then?
7. Jesus said they would seek Him, and not find Him. What does that
mean?
8. What did Jesus say would be their condition at death?
9. What did the Jews think Jesus was talking about in verse 22?
10. He said, "...Ye are from ____________________________________; I
am from __________________________: ye are of this world; I am not
of this world."
11. In the fourth chapter of John verse 24, what is God?
12. Jesus said to them, "...for if you believe not that I am he,
________.
13. What is the one necessary thing to be saved?
14. Why did they ask Jesus, Who art thou?
15. What did Jesus say He spoke to the world?
16. In verse 27, it says they understood not that He spake to them of
whom?
17. When would they know who He was?
18. What did Jesus always do?
19. In John chapter 3 verse 2, what is the lesson to be learned?
20. In John chapter 14 verse 11, we read if they did not believe what
He said, believe Him for what?
21. What happened to many of those listening to Jesus?
Notes
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