The Word Of Jesus And The Work Of The Devil.

THE WORD OF JESUS AND THE WORK OF THE DEVIL.

John 8:37-47.

JOHN 8:37. Jesus did not doubt that these new would-be converts were physically of the seed of Abraham, but He rebuked them for having such an antipathy to His word that they even harboured murderous intentions against Him.

It is interesting to note again that Jesus knows all the thoughts and intents of people’s hearts, but He laboured on, nevertheless.

They sought to kill Him, said Jesus, because the word that they had heard, and even acknowledged, had no enduring place in their hearts.

JOHN 8:38. What Jesus speaks is the word of His Father.

Jesus’ words are the Father’s words.

But what His listeners were “doing” was that which their father, the devil (cf. John 8:44) insinuated into their minds.

They were plotting to kill Jesus.

JOHN 8:39. They claimed physical relationship to Abraham; Jesus instead referred to a spiritual relationship.

And in that sense, if they were Abraham’s spiritual children, they would be more like Abraham, and show a like faith to Abraham’s by their works.

JOHN 8:40. Jesus is no mere man: He is telling the truth that He has received from the Father in the counsels of eternity.

They should not be going about to kill Jesus for, surely, in the same situation Abraham would not be doing that.

JOHN 8:41. Collectively, “you all” do the deeds of your father: the devil was the one who was suggesting that Jesus should be killed.

Their collective answer was to deny any wandering away from the true and living God, which would be spiritual adultery, and to assert that they had but “one Father, even God.”

John 8:42. Even though Jesus proceeded forth from God, they did not love Jesus.

Without love to Christ, we cannot call ourselves Christian.

Those who will not acknowledge and embrace the only begotten son of God cannot call themselves children of God.

“I proceeded forth” speaks again of Jesus’ divine nature.

He had been commissioned with a mission from the Father.

He was, and is, the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ.

JOHN 8:43. They were unable to understand Jesus’ manner of teaching because they would not receive His word.

Their hearts were hardened because they insisted upon putting a literal, rather than a spiritual meaning on Jesus’ words.

Words like bread, freedom, father.

JOHN 8:44. We see a characterisation of the devil here as “a murderer from the beginning” and “the father of lies.”

It was the devil’s intention to destroy God’s work, and so he lied to innocent Eve and brought death into the world of men.

Now these people were seeking to kill Jesus, and as such they were, perhaps unwittingly, party to the devil’s plan to thwart God’s plan of salvation for mankind.

JOHN 8:45. Truth hurts, and people so dislike the truth that they would rather believe a lie.

Not believing Jesus is the same as believing the lie of the devil.

Those who will not believe Jesus, are disbelieving God Himself.

JOHN 8:46. There was nobody who could lay any charge against our spotless Saviour.

So why do people refuse point blank to receive the Gospel? This is the unreasonableness of fallen mankind.

JOHN 8:47. Elsewhere Jesus says, ‘My sheep hear my voice’ (John 10:27).

If we love God, we will love God’s word.

A person who dislikes of the word of God shows themselves to be “not of God.”