Friday 07 July 2023
- Bible Book:
- John
'The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.' (v. 20)
Background
Our passage today is the dialogue that Jesus offers to the Jewish leaders who have not only heard about Jesus, but now have first-hand experience of his miracles, following Jesus' healing of the man at the pool at Bethesda (John 5:5-18). They have questioned his authority and Jesus is becoming more and more open about who he is and why he is here. He explains his connection to God, and how he derives his authority from God and for the purposes of God. The analogy of a father (God) and son (Jesus) is used to show a bond, not only in terms of passing on knowledge and learning, but also grounded in love. It is more than a teacher and student relationship: it conveys complete trust in the one who acts in the place of another.
Often, the words of Jesus speak directly to us in the present; they were not said just for the time or event being recorded. It is as if he directly answers the questions we have, such as 'Who is Jesus? Why did he come? What was his message? Who sent him?' The Bible is a living word, which both encourages disciples of Christ today, but also answers those who seek or question. The words we read in our passage today are hugely challenging, both for the Jewish leaders of the age and for many in our own time.
To Ponder:
- How do you think the Jewish leaders would be feeling as they heard these words, given all their religious understanding was telling them?
- How do we respond to the claims of Jesus? In what ways do we regard or understand this person offered in the biblical accounts?
Prayer:
We thank God for all that Jesus revealed and for the relationship that we can experience for ourselves with our Creator and Lord.