Jump Start # 3755
John 8:41 “’You are doing the deeds of your father.’” ‘They said to Him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, God.’”
John eight is one of the most heated and argumentative exchanges between the Pharisees and Jesus. Insults, name calling and arrogance become the tools of these closed minded, unbelieving Jews. Jesus is stressing the importance of His word.
Jesus says:
· My word has no place in you (37)
· I speak the things which I have seen with My Father (38)
· You are seeking to kill a Me, a man who has told you the truth (40)
· Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word (43)
· Because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me (45)
· If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? (46)
· He who is of God hears the words of God (47)
· If anyone keeps My word he will never see death (51)
In this heated, back and forth exchange, the Pharisees make two profound charges against the credibility of Jesus.
First, from our verse today, they imply that Jesus was illegitimate. We were not born of fornication, they said, implying that Jesus was. It’s been three decades and the rumors about Jesus’ birth were still floating around. The virgin birth was not believed. Too impossible to happen.
None of us have a say about our parents. To say that Jesus was born of fornication, strikes at the character of Mary, His mother. She was not what you think she was, is what the Pharisees were implying loudly.
Second, later in this exchange, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon” (48). Not only did they think that Jesus was illegitimate, but that Mary had relations with a Samaritan man. This would discount Jesus from the lineage of David and heir to the throne. And, to add that He was possessed with a demon, would mean that darkness dwelled in Him. He was not of God, but rather of the devil.
Character attacks. Implying immoral behavior of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Trying to change the narrative and the story. Fake news, as our current culture would scream.
And, from this, we learn some lessons:
First, anyone can say anything, true or not. The Pharisees had no evidence. They had no proof. On the side of Jesus was what the angels told Mary and Joseph. On the side of Jesus, was O.T. prophecies. When pressed in a corner, attack the person, rather than staying on the issue is what many do. We’ve seen this far too often in the political arena. Things are said. They are mean, hurtful and without proof. The purpose is to discredit and destroy someone. It often works.
Second, Jesus did not get sidetracked in this exchange. He never mentions Mary. He doesn’t defend her. He doesn’t back up His birth story. He doesn’t bring Joseph into the picture. He doesn’t talk about the virgin birth. The issue on the table is believing the Word of Jesus. That’s the topic at hand. Chasing rabbits through the fields is a wonderful way of not having to deal with what is most important. Illegitimate and the son of a Samaritan, if true would destroy the credibility of Jesus. Talks about the kingdom would have died.
The one charge that Jesus does answer is about the demon. “I do not have a demon,” Jesus says (49). What the Lord does, is continually bring the Father into the discussion. His proof is the Father.
This is a wonderful reminder for us. Parents with teens. Having a Bible discussion. Teaching a class. Talking with friends. The subject can quickly jump from topic to topic to topic and after two hours, everyone is exhausted and nothing much was accomplished. Stay on the subject at hand. When rabbits pop up, write them down and say, “We’ll look at those another time. But for now, we are talking about…” Switching subjects is a subtle way of playing verbal dodge ball. It keeps a person from being hit and having to deal with things.
Third, John eight ends with the frustrated and angry Jews picking up rocks to throw at Jesus. Anger. Violence. Name calling. These are all childish and immature ways of ending a conversation. When the audience didn’t like what Stephen was preaching, they put their hands over their ears, like a three-year-old, and rushed him and killed him.
You’ll notice, even though you don’t have to notice, that Jesus didn’t pick up any rocks. There was no first century rock fight that took place. Jesus left. Their hearts were closed, their minds were made up and they were no longer listening. There comes a time when a person must do just what Jesus did. End the conversation and leave. Jesus had said all that He could at the moment.
And, again, good reminders for us. One doesn’t have to sit there and be verbally pistol whipped by someone who is angry and has no intention of listening. A conversation, by it’s very definition, means an exchange. But when it quickly becomes a one-sided conversation, and lies, name-calling, and false things are being said, it’s time to leave.
Lessons from an unpleasant conversation.
Roger