John 5:31-47

February 8, 2008

One of the things that I have already written about in these short reflections on the Gospel of John is the sheer immensity and apparent insanity of some of the things that Jesus says if He is not the incarnate God-Man, as opposed to some nice moral teacher.  This is a theme that I am seeing as I read through Jesus’ words, and it stirs fresh affection for Jesus within me every time I read one of these outlandish claims.

This passage is one ripe with such examples.  Jesus says things here that appear to be the rantings of a madman if He is not God in flesh and blood:

The works that the Father has given me to accomplish…bear witness about me that the Father has sent me…

His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent…

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life…

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me…

Such sayings are simply astonishing.  In essence Jesus says, ‘Your whole Bible is about me, the things that I do reveal that I am sent from God, you don’t have His word within you because you don’t believe in me.  If you come to me, only then you will really have life.’  There are so many people who say that Jesus was a good man, but scoff at the idea that He is actually God.  But in the very same gospels that people use to determine that He was a good man, you have sayings like these which are ridiculous if He was anything less than God.

No person who said these kinds of things would be admired for thousands of years and have influenced so many millions of people except for Jesus.  May the shocking nature of His claims open more and more blind eyes to see that He really is the Holy One of God.

Posted by Larry | Filed Under Gospel of John, Seeking Him 

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