Day 993: Who do you believe? - John 8 vs 43-52

43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

44-45 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46-47 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49-50 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, 51 “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’” John 8:43-52 English Standard Version

The background to today's important words was that some of those listening to Jesus said to Him: “We weren't born of sexual immorality, we have one Father, even God.” They were suggesting Jesus was an illegitimate child. Their anger with Him was because He'd said: “I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” He also said to them: “If God were your Father, you would love me.” The question then becomes: 'Who was the actual father of those who were rejecting Him?' What was the startling answer Jesus gave? (vs 44-45)

Jesus never sugar coated harsh truth. Their inability to grasp the truth of what He taught, and their refusal to believe who His words and works showed Him to be, was evidence that they were under the deception of the devil, the father of lies. Notice how Jesus described the devil. He is a murderer who has nothing to do with truth. That is his character and nature. Many years later, John, the writer of this gospel, expressed this difference between those who believe on Jesus and those who reject Him by saying: “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but He who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:18-19)

All of the violence, greed, immorality and idolatry of our world today, can be traced to when Satan told the first human pair to not believe what God had said, but to listen to him. It was a murderous act that brought suffering and death into the world at its very beginning. Today's horrific wars, tyranny, widespread abortion, gender distortion, and wrongful sexual activities glorified in the movie industry and social media, are all due to people listening to the lies of Satan, rather than the truth of God, which Jesus spoke when He came into the world.

When Satan's lies are challenged in the world today, those who try and speak truth are often branded as racists or bigots, or some other derogatory phrase. What was the derogatory accusation people made in those days when people confronted them with truth? (vs 48)

They labelled such people as being demon possessed. And when Jesus went on to speak of the eternal life that He was bringing to those who believed on Him, they doubled down in their accusation. (vs 51) What was it that kept them from understanding Jesus? (vs 43)

They couldn't bear to hear His word. Truth unsettled and disturbed them. That's why the apostle John describes Christians as people “who know that the Son of God has come, and that He has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20) There are so many voices in the world today – even AI ones! So who do you believe? Jesus, or the devil? It's a life or death question.