Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone

 

 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  

 

Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  

 

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

- John 6:1–15 

 

 In our recent readings, the lectionary has taken us through chapter 8 of John's Gospel.  In that chapter, the setting is autumn of the final year of Christ's earthly life.  He attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and while there disputed with the religious leaders in the temple.  They sought to have Him arrested, but the temple officers were so struck by Christ's words that they were unable to do so.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus replied to the religious leaders, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

  After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Today the lectionary skips backward in John's Gospel, to chapter 6 (we'll return to begin chapter 9 next week).  This entire chapter parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several significant way.  This is the second Passover festival recorded in John's Gospel, so it is now the middle of Christ's earthly ministry; one year from this time He will make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and begin what we know as Holy Week, leading to His death on the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.  Here in these verses, we understand the following parallels with the Passover story:  in the Exodus account (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed His signs against Pharaoh, ten gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, a great multitude followed Christ because they saw His signs, and these events take place at Passover. 

 

 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  My study Bible says that Christ is testing Philip to increase his faith here, for Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii, it says, corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip:  he knows that the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for over 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so offers the food brought by a certain lad.  Nonetheless, even Andrew is still weak in faith, as he questions what a mere five loaves could do for the number of people there.

 

 Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.   This feeding of the multitude is the fourth of Christ's seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels.  My study Bible comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks  (Greek ευχαριςτω/eucharisto), and distributed them prefigures the celebration of the Eucharist. 

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  My study Bible remarks that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, these crowds were so desirous of an earthly Messiah that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were filled with earthly things (see John 6:26).  Because of this misunderstanding, my study Bible says, He departed from them.  

I always find it intriguing that the Gospel lets us know that because Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  It tells us about the multitude (these five thousand men whom He has fed in the wilderness), and what they are looking for in a Messiah, or as they call Him, the Prophet.  It seems the time of the promised Messiah was expected to be a period of prosperity, at least a time of foreign rule to be overthrown, and a return to the time of the kingdom of David.  Certainly these men, we're told, sought to force Jesus to be king because of this great sign of the miraculous feeding in the wilderness.  As we go farther along into chapter 6, not only will events mirror the story of Exodus, as we read in today's commentary from my study Bible, but the theme of feeding, and its fulfillment in the Eucharist will play a very strong role in what Jesus will preach to the people.  This effort to take Jesus by force to make Him king also reveals to us much about Jesus.  He doesn't want a title or an honor because of His miracles;  the signs that are given to us in the Gospel are meant to convey a different message.  His is not a position merely of authority or power in a worldly sense, but they are meant to point to something greater which is beyond the immediate worldly circumstances.  They point to God, and to the presence of God, and God's love for God's people.  For this is the real message of Christian faith.  It is in John's Gospel that we're told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  While we know a great deal of emphasis on the saving mission of Jesus Christ, perhaps we are inclined to overlook the first part of this verse that teaches us emphatically about God's love for us.  This feeding miracle in the wilderness (in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, there is an additional miraculous feeding of four thousand) teaches us about God's love in the very gesture of hospitality and care it represents and conveys.  The miracle, of course, is in multiplying the loaves and the fish, something only the Creator could do; it is the sign of God's presence in an extraordinary sense.  Of course, the Eucharistic significance is there also, tying in both the Passover and the Eucharist to come in which all is fulfilled in Christ, who feeds us today in the same extraordinary and holy way.  That He refuses to be made king is simply an affirmation of the motivation of God's love behind all things He does, including His care and feeding in the wilderness, and this message of love present in today's reading and this fourth sign in the Gospel.  But what does one want when one gives love?  Do we want worldly glory and fame, a kind of adoration based on what we can do for others?  Or is love a language and communication of something completely different?  Love asks and awaits for love in return, for this is what communion is all about.  Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, in which the prodigal's father simply awaits his return to be a joyous reunion, God asks us for love in return, but does not coerce nor command it from us, for that's not how love works.  Let us ponder this great mystery, as we follow Christ returning alone to the mountaintop.

 

 

 

 

 

Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM

 

 "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  

Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

- John 8:47–59 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is attending the autumn Feast of Tabernacles.  It is the final year of His earthly life.  He has been disputing in the temple with the religious leaders, who have sought to arrest Him, but have failed to do so.  Yesterday we read that they answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can you say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.   You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

 

  "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  My study Bible notes that, unable to defeat Christ through logic or truth, these enemies (the religious leaders in the temple at Jerusalem) resort to personal insult. 

 

 Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."   In disputing with the religious leaders, Jesus has offered several witnesses to His identity.  In John 5:31-47, He offered four witnesses:  God the Father, John the Baptist, His own works, and Moses.  Earlier during the events of this particular festival, He offered two witnesses, God the Father and Himself (see this reading).  Here Jesus offers another witness to Himself as Lord, the patriarch Abraham, "who rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."

 

Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  Here Jesus uses the divine Name of God from the Old Testament, first revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15).   This is the I AM (in the Greek of the Septuagint and here in the New Testament, εγω ειμι/ego eimi).  To the Jews, my study Bible explains, this was a direct, explicit, and unmistakable claim to perfect equality with God, as evidenced by their reaction here (they took up stones to throw at Him); see also Mark 14:62-64.  John places special emphasis on the use of this Name to clearly reveal Christ as God, my study Bible says.  This divine claim illuminates Christ's authority even over death ("If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death," verse 52, above), a power which belongs only to God the Father.

 

Jesus say, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."   It indicates that eternal nature of the Son, and Christ's identity as the Second Person of the Trinity.  This is the name of the the Lord in the Old Testament.  Clearly, as my study Bible says, the religious leaders understand full well the implications of what He claims, as they took up stones to throw at Him.  But Christ's nature which He reveals through this statement is something we must deeply consider for ourselves.  What it would be like to be both fully human and fully divine is not something any of us could say we'd know, for we are not the Christ.  But Jesus' identity both as Son and as Human Being indicates that He is here in the world to live as one of us in order to meet the things that ail us, and to offer us a way out, from sin and from death, from the evil that afflicts the world and separates us from God.  I heard an interesting talk lately about the topic of atonement, which suggested that the deep longing for the Messiah among the Jews of Christ's time was rooted in the understanding that real atonement that was necessary for Israel was something that was a much deeper problem than just a matter of the proper sacrifices and following the Laws of Moses.  To await the Messiah was the only way to reconcile the cosmic problem of the world in the spiritual grasp of evil.  In John's First Epistle, he writes, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).  In this Gospel, Jesus speaks of the ruler of this world and the judgment that must come.  He tells His disciples, "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out," and,  "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me" (John 12:31; 14:30).  Therefore Christ's identity as Son of Man, both fully human and fully divine, is necessary for the salvation of the world and the created order, and there is none other to do so.  This is what Christ indicates in this statement, when He echoes the name of the Lord from the Old Testament and claims it for Himself.  As His followers, we may enter into and participate in Christ's salvation for the world, which is an ongoing and active process, as we also may witness of ourselves and continue what He has begun. Jesus has said to the religious leaders, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working" (John 5:17).   Until the end of the age, Christ continues this work in us, in the world, through the Body of Christ, and invites us to participate in it ourselves.  In today's reading, He gives His identity, He is the I AM, the One who already was before Abraham was born.  His testimony is for us, so that we know whom we follow, and whose redeeming work we serve.

 

 

 

 

He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God

 

 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can you say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  

"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."

 

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.   You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

 

- John 8:33-47 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is at the autumn festival the Feast of Tabernacles.  He has been disputing with the authorities in the temple in Jerusalem, who have unsuccessfully attempted to have Him arrested.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 

  They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can you say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  Christ speaks of Himself as Son, the Second Person of the Trinity.  In His divine identity, He shares power that no other before Him has had as human being.  Therefore in His role as Messiah, the Son can make us children by adoption, conferring a kind of liberation that the law could not.  

"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  My study Bible comments here that to be a child of Abraham, it is not enough to be simply related by blood  Instead, the true children of Abraham share his faithfulness and his virtue (Luke 3:8).  According to St. John Chrysostom, the Lord wanted to detach these religious leaders and their followers from racial pride -- to teach them no longer to place their hope of salvation in being of the race of Abraham's children by nature.  Instead He encourages them to come to faith by their own free will.  Their notion that being a descendant of Abraham was enough for salvation was the very thing that prevented them from coming to Christ. 

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me."  My study Bible says that proceeded refers not to the Son coming eternally from the Father, but to Christ being sent from the Father to His Incarnation on earth.  

"Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.   You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  My study Bible notes that just as being a child of Abraham is based on sharing Abraham's attributes (of faithfulness and virtue), so likewise, those who reject Christ are sharing the same attributes as the devil.  In particular, this involves a hatred for truth.  Therefore, they are rightly called the devil's children.  

 

Jesus says, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."   There's a very significant distinction being made here; that of those who choose to embrace and participate in what are called the "energies" of God, and those who choose otherwise.  In teachings of the period of Jesus (and especially in the Didache, the oldest teaching document known to us in the Church), there is the teaching that is known as the "two ways."  There is the way of life, and the way of death.  This teaching was also a part of Jewish tradition; see, for example, Jeremiah 21:8.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  The way of life is also the way of truth.  As we discussed in yesterday's commentary, this truth of Christ isn't only a simple declaration of true statements or theories or intellectual concepts.  But as Jesus says of Himself, He is the Person who is truth.  "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  As the Son Incarnate, He has come into this world to show us the Father (which we can see in Him), to give us the truth, and to give us Himself, for in Him is life that is our light (John 1:4).   Therefore, Christ Himself is the way of life.  So, therefore, if we abide in His word, as He has said, then we will come to know the truth indeed, living, real, the banishment of illusion, of lies, and ultimately of death.  For it is the one who opposes this life and this truth that is the father of lies, as Jesus says in today's reading.  "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."  When we choose to worship Christ, we choose to participate in His energies, and thereby to make a choice for truth.  This is a dynamic and active way of being, and something that works in us through our faith, and through our faithfulness.  When Jesus speaks of being true children of Abraham, this is what He means, that we can only truly be children of Abraham if we are faithful as Abraham was faithful.  Genesis 15:6 says of Abraham, "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."  It is this righteousness, the righteousness of faithfulness, abiding in the word of the Lord, that Jesus calls us to, that He calls these religious leaders to, but they cannot receive it.  There has to be a deep and even fearless commitment to truth to embrace the kind of faithfulness that Jesus is all about.  The true freedom He would claim and offer to all of us is in this freedom to love the truth above all, to abide in His word, and to refuse the lies of the devil that deceive and mislead, leading to slavery and death.  For when we would deny ourselves that union of faithfulness to true existence, to choose instead an easy belief in convenient lies, the delusion of complaisance with deception and manipulation, the "safe" road of living a lie, then we refuse life itself for a kind of slavery to what is not ultimately real, because it's not rooted in God.  Think of the complacency of those who would go along with the plan to eliminate Jesus for the safety of not rocking the boat -- for to embrace truth is often to forgo a worldly ease.  But our God is the God of love who loves us and wants to lead us to life, even eternal life with Him.  Let us remember the two ways and choose the one that offers us what truly exists, the way of life.  Let us always hear His words and cherish what we have in Him.

 

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

 

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 

- John 8:21-32 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn festival.  It is now the final year of His earthly life.  He has been disputing with the religious leaders in the temple, who have unsuccessfully sought to have Him arrested.  Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Jesus tells them, "I am going away."  My study Bible comments that going away refers to Christ's death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.   The expression lift up has a double meaning here.  It includes both Christ being nailed to the Cross, and also of being exalted by the Father upon completion of His work.

 

 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  My study Bible comments that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples; in other words, learners.  (The Greek word translated as "disciple" is μαθητής/mathetes, literally meaning "learner.") To abide in His word is the responsibility of all believers, it says, not only of the clergy or an elite class of zealots.

 

 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  My study Bible tells us that the truth refers both to the virtue of truth and, more importantly to Christ Himself (John 14:6).  To be free is a reference to the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies, as well as the freedom from the bondage of sin and death.  

Jesus says, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   An interesting observation regarding this verse comes in the study of the word for truth here.  It is the Greek word ἀλήθεια/aletheia.  In studying the etymology of this Greek word, one comes to understand that it is rooted in the concept of being unconcealed, unhidden -- meaning something that cannot be hidden.  In other words, this truth is reality itself.  When applied to the concept of God, it is synchronous with an understanding of the name of God, I AM, as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, and used by Jesus a little further along in this chapter, at John 8:58.  This name of God, I AM, is the foundational nature of God we're given to understand, that indicating pure being, true ultimate reality -- against which all else must be tested.  This is reality as contrasted with illusion, with lies and deception.  In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus declared, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  In other words, so true is He to the Father's will and direction, that He represents the Father to us; if we know Him, we know the Father.  This, of course, is also deeply rooted in concepts of absolute truth, for the ultimate reality -- the I AM -- is the being of God.  In the nimbus surrounding Christ in Orthodox iconography, we see in Greek Ο ΩΝ, meaning "the One that is."  This is the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (meaning "four letters" in Greek), from which we derive "Yahweh."  In John 1:18, we read, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."  The "only begotten" is Ο ΩΝ in the Greek.  Therefore, the truth that makes us truly free is coming to know Christ, and thereby also the Father and the Spirit.  To come to know true being, the pillar and ground of reality, is to become freed from illusion, deception, darkness, falsehoods, things that keep us in the dark and from seeing our way in life.  We want to be firmly grounded in reality, and in order to get there, we must know Christ and His word.  This takes faithfulness, and growth in that faithfulness, in discipleship.  It reminds us of the words with which this Gospel so clearly and carefully begins, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5).  A light shining into the darkness banishes darkness and shadow, revealing what is.  Therefore let us endeavor to align with what is, the light that shines in the darkness.

 

 

Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12–20 

 

Yesterday we read that on the last day, that great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."   But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?   Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  My study Bible comments that these words were spoken by Jesus ("I am the light of the world") in the context of the great lamps being lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles.  This is now the last day of that feast.  Therefore, my study Bible says, Jesus declares Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scripture, it continues, God the Father Himself is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attribute which God bestows on the faithful (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  Christ confirms His claim by performing the great sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind in the chapter that follows (John 9:1-7; see especially verse 5).  

 

 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Earlier in this chapter, Jesus gave four witnesses to His identity (see John 5:31-47).  That took place during Christ's time in Jerusalem at the Feast of Weeks (the Old Testament Pentecost; see this reading).  Here, once again, He anticipates their argument, and responds accordingly.  Jesus cites Jewish tradition, in which a valid testimony required two witnesses.  Here He gives two:  Himself and God the Father.  

 

 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  My study Bible comments that, because the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other (John 14:7-11).  Note once again how the Gospel emphasizes that no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

Once again (as in the reading in which Jesus gave four witnesses to His identity) we are invited today to think about witnesses and witnessing.  In today's reading Jesus gives two witnesses to back up His claim that He is the light of the world:  Himself and God the Father.  Jesus replies, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one."  How many of us can say with confidence that our witness is true in this same sense that Jesus claims it.  There is the obvious understanding that He knows where He came from and where He is going, and no one else knows that -- certainly not the men who challenge Him.  Note how His claim that His witness is true is linked to the next statement:  "You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the who sent Me."  Christ's judgment is based on that which He is given from the Father, not His own perspective in terms of a worldly point of view (according to the flesh).  How can we best be true, and how can our own witness be true?  Let us practice what Jesus does, let us seek to defer to God our judgments.  In this way is Christ true, for He will repeatedly say that His goals and ambitions are not worldly, not for Himself alone as human being, but rather His choices in all things are made to serve the will of the Father.  He aligns Himself with the Light and Source of all light (as He is "light of Light, true God of true God"), and therefore is His witness true.  Later in this chapter, Jesus will declare, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things" (John 8:58).  This is how His witness is true, even as the Father teaches Him, so He speaks.  He affirms this in today's reading when He says, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  So closely does Jesus reflect the Father that we know the Father through Him.  Our endeavors in our own lives, in order to be true, should always attempt to follow this pattern, that we seek to do the will of the One who is the light of the world.  We seek to align ourselves with Christ, to bear His light into the world, for He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and so in this sense we also can best be true witnesses.  Let us remember that the word in Greek for witness is μαρτυρας/martyras; we have come to know this word "martyr" in English as one who witnesses for Christ (and of course, one in particular who has perished rather than deny one's Christian faith).  To witness then, or to testify, is to be present in that truth through all things, to bear witness to the truth of Christ as best we can through all circumstances.  In order to do so let us emphasize in our own lives that we seek to align ourselves with His light, to seek God's will in all things, to practice what we know and to pray at all times for what we don't.  To seek God's truth is also to delve into mysteries, but that means primarily that we put our trust in God through all things.  Listen to Christ's words of absolute, unshakable confidence in the Father.  For Jesus knows His witness is true, and He knows who He is.  Let us be those who also know who we are in our faith in Him.  

 

 

No man ever spoke like this Man!

 

 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  

 

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."   But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?   Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."

 

Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 

- John 7:37-52 

 

Yesterday we read that about the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone will to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."  Then Jesus cried out, as he taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and he sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?" The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"  

 

 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.   The last day, that great day of the feast was the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  The ceremony of the drawing of water (in which water was drawn from the pool of Siloam to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar) provides the context for the Lord's words, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."  Christ's living water is the gift of the Holy Spirit and the new life which accompanies this gift.  

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."   But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?   Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.   My study Bible explains that the Prophet is a reference to the expected Messiah, the Savior foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.  Bethlehem was the town from which the Christ was expected to come, according to the prophecy of Micah 5:2.  

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  The chief priests had sent officers of the temple to arrest Jesus in the middle of the Feast (see yesterday's reading, above).  But now, it is the last day of the Feast, and no arrest has been made.  These officers have been converted Lord's teaching ("No man ever spoke like this Man!").  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, saying that the Pharisees and the scribes who "witnessed the miracles and read the Scriptures derived no benefit" from either.  These officers, on the other hand, although they could claim none of this learning, were "captivated by a single sermon."  When the mind is open, "there is no need for long speeches.  Truth is like that."

 

 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."  My study Bible notes that Nicodemus had spoken with Jesus (John 3:1-21), and had since increased in faith.  But his defense of Christ is still based on our law, and this was not yet a public profession of faith (see John 19:38-39).  According to the law, Jesus must be given a hearing before He can be judged, my study Bible says.  The Pharisees declare that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.  My study Bible comments that they show their blind hatred and also their ignorance of the Scriptures here.  The prophet Jonah came from Galilee, from the town of Gath Hepher, which was only three miles from Nazareth (2 Kings 14:25). 

In Nicodemus' action in today's reading, we already see the transformation that happens through faith, and through the work of the Holy Spirit.  While my study Bible points out that this is not yet a full profession of faith, which will come later in the Gospel (John 19:38-39, as cited above), nonetheless he speaks up before the rest of the Sanhedrin to insist that they're violating the law by judging peremptorily.  The courage to begin to speak up here, his conscience not reconciled to the ways in which his fellow Pharisees are approaching Christ, is a sign of what is happening internally to change him, and cause him to speak up.  This is a beginning of separation from his fellow Pharisees and the rest of the ruling council, for we can see by their scathing and insulting response that they will brook no competition for how they must approach Jesus.  They want to do away with Him as handily as possible for He is seen as a threat to their authority and power.  But Nicodemus is not just going along with the rest of them, although he has yet to come to the decision to make the clean break he will later on in publicly confessing faith in Christ.  Let us notice the hostility of the religious leaders, even their insulting behavior toward Nicodemus for reminding them of the procedures of the Law.  They ask if he is also from Galilee, and go so far in their rash declarations as to make a fundamental mistake which they, as the experts in Scripture, are not supposed to make.  They claim no prophet has arisen from Galilee, when in fact a prophet as important as Jonah was from Galilee, from a town close to Nazareth.  What we can observe in this drama of Nicodemus among his fellow religious rulers is the start of separation, of one who is separating himself from the gathering of his own brethren, so to speak, from the important position he holds on the Council, in order to more fully follow his faith.  This is a process, but it is one that can be understood in spiritual terms.  To be holy, in the traditional sense of this word, is to be set apart.  That is, dedicated for the purposes of God.  What we see in the dynamics of the Council are men who, as John will say in his Gospel, "loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43).  Their pursuit of and use of power has become more worldly in its practice than truly serving God, and we can see the result.  As Nicodemus' faith grows and begins to take hold, transforming him, he in turn begins separating himself from them -- in just the same sense as Christ cleansed the temple upon His visit at the first Passover given to us in this Gospel (John 2:13-22).  He does not want to simply fall in with their corruption, and so this beginning of the process of setting apart is taking shape and leading him further into the direction of faith in Christ.  We might take a moment here to consider the work of the Holy Spirit, which was the great subject of discussion in Christ's visit to Nicodemus and His teaching in chapter 3.  Jesus spoke then about being born "from above"; that is, reborn in the Spirit.  He taught Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  As in that teaching, the Spirit is leading Nicodemus where it will, and so it is in each of us in terms of this process of faith.  We are not the ones leading the journey, and we "cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes."  As we, too, grow in faith, let us not be dismayed or surprised by the separations we might come to know, even from things or people we might cherish.  For surely for Nicodemus, being on the Council and a member of the Pharisees is something absolutely central to what he feels is right about his identity and heritage.  And yet, we know that he will separate from them for a higher, better truth, for the faith of an identity given by Christ.  Let us also let the Holy Spirit work in us and follow the path of faith in Christ.  Then we can say with the officers, and eventually Nicodemus, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"

 

 

 

You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and he sent Me

 

 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone will to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  

 

"Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  

 

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."  Then Jesus cried out, as he taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and he sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?" 

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?" 

 

- John 7:14-36 

 

On Saturday we began chapter 7 of John's Gospel.  Chapter 6 will be visited after this week, but we're to understand that the controversial events of that chapter figure into the setting here.  After these things (particularly including Jesus' teaching that He is the Bread of Life, establishing the foundation for the Eucharist) Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

 

  Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone will to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."  My study Bible comments that the simple desire to know and follow God's will is the key to understanding it.  It notes that spiritual blindness comes from unwillingness to know God or to recognize His authority.  St. John Chrysostom is cited as paraphrasing Christ in this way:  "Rid yourselves of wickedness:  the anger, the envy, and the hatred which have arisen in your hearts, without provocation, against Me.  Then you will have no difficulty in realizing that My words are actually those of God.  As it is, these passions darken your understanding and distort sound judgment.  If you remove these passions, you will no longer be afflicted in this way."

 

 "Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Once again, Jesus is being sought for a blameless violation of the Sabbath rule (among other things).   That is, for His healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath at the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Old Testament Pentecost, celebrating the giving of the Law (see this reading).  Here He gives another example of a blameless violation of the Sabbath, that of circumcision, and compares it to making someone completely well.  

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."  Then Jesus cried out, as he taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and he sent Me."  The crowds claim, "We know where this Man is from."   But, my study Bible comments, the crowds are mistaken, both in an earthly sense and also in a divine sense.  Humanly speaking, they believe tat Jesus is from Nazareth of Galilee, but He was actually born in Bethlehem, and they're not aware of this (see verse 42; also Luke 2:1-7).  Beyond this, they can't understand that He has come from the Father in Heaven, eternally begotten before all ages, and therefore His divine "origin" also remains unknown to them. 

 

Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"    The text tells us that His hour had not yet come:   Christ's hour is the time of His suffering and death.  He is the Lord over time, my study Bible explains, an authority which is possessed by God alone.  He comes to the Cross of His own free will, and in His time, and not according to the plots of human beings (see John 8:20; 10:39).

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"  Here Christ is referring to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven ("I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come").  To go among the Greeks means to go among the Gentiles.  My study Bible calls this an unwitting prophecy which points to the time after Christ's Ascension, when His name will be preached among the Gentiles by the apostles. 

 

Jesus asks, "Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered Him, saying, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Note how quickly they tell Him He has a demon, suggesting He's out of His mind and imagining things, or perhaps, as we'd say today, He's paranoid.  It's telling, perhaps, that the people answer Him, asking, "Who is seeking to kill You?"  For we know at least some among the religious leaders are already plotting to kill Him.  Perhaps the people who answer don't know this.  But on the other hand, a little further down, some from Jerusalem already have heard there is a plot against Jesus to kill Him.  They say, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?"  John's Gospel is quite clever in how it suggests to us the huge mixture of responses that swirl around Jesus.  Some from Jerusalem have heard that the religious rulers want to catch Him and kill Him.  Others think He's beside Himself for saying so.  Some notice that the rulers are not saying anything to Jesus, and they say, "But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?"  Isn't this behavior rather typical even of today, with all of our social media and an interconnected entire world, in which people wonder what the leaders know, and what they aren't telling us?  Perhaps the Gospel is quite reassuring to us in that literally nothing much has changed, as much as we think truly that the world has changed in some respects.  All the rumors, and gossip, things half true and half false, the wrong assumptions, and wrong information about where Jesus is truly from (they think He's from Galilee but don't know He was born in Bethlehem) -- all of these suggest to us the modern world and the myriad rumors we can hear about anything, repeated and stretched and turned and twisted one way or another, all available on social media to all who have a voice.  So Jesus walks amidst the same world that you and I do, only He is the Son of Man, the Messiah, both fully divine and fully human, and yet He's misunderstood, and plotted against, and will be betrayed, and defied.  We should take heart that this is the same world, and that He's come before us with His light and truth in order to show us how we, too, should walk through it -- and giving us what is true and what is false.  Even though the people of Israel devoutly hoped in a Messiah, Jesus will be a rejected because He will not be what they expect, what they wanted -- and also because of the plots of the religious leaders who conspire to rid themselves of One so impressive  and well-known to the people.  Note that even while He is there at this festival, the religious leaders send officers, temple police, to seize Him.  Later we read, therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"   So there are those among the people who believed in Him, remarking upon His signs.  So some intuit the truth, although full faith is based not only upon the signs He performs.  But it's not yet His time, His hour has not yet come.  This, too, should reassure us that even in the midst of a chaotic, turbulent, fickle, and frightening world, Jesus is still in charge of the time, God's unfolding has a certain reality to it that we don't perceive.  As Jesus says earlier, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working" (John 5:17).   In this world of betrayal we don't expect, things unseen and hidden, plots we can't even imagine, let us take heart that this, too, remains true.  The Father has been working until now, and Christ is working, and so is the Holy Spirit.  It is there we meet our faith midst the world that swirls around us, and there we must remain and stay rooted, for it is the certain reality we can trust and cling to.  Jesus declares, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and he sent Me."  Let us stay true to the One who is true. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil

 

 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

 

- John 7:1–13 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse to the religious leaders, giving them four witnesses to His identity as the Son:  "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings how will you believe My words?"

 

  After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  The lectionary skips over chapter 6 of John's Gospel, in which Jesus taught about Himself as the Bread of Life, giving an extensive foundation for the Eucharist.  It will return to chapter 6 after next week.  So these things is a reference to the many events in chapter 6 which further alienated Christ from the religious leaders, and even from many of His followers.  Once again, the term the Jews here, as is most often the case in John's Gospel, is a reference to the religious leadership and not to the people.  The author of this Gospel was also a Jew, as was Jesus, His disciples, and indeed all the people we read about, with exceptions which are usually clearly specified.

Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  The Feast of Tabernacles (called Sukkot in Hebrew) is an eight-day autumn harvest festival.  It is a commemoration of the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, and the people lived in tents, or tabernacles, sometimes referred to also as booths. Together with Passover and Pentecost, my study Bible explains, this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews.  It included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43).  In later times, it also included on the final day of the feast the drawing of water from the pool of Siloam (referenced in this chapter).  This water was mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and in remembrance of the water flowing from the rock that Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7).  Additionally on the final, eighth day, there was the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple, commemorating the pillar of light that led the Israelites, and illuminating the whole city of Jerusalem.  All of these will be reflected in Jesus' preaching and the events of this chapter, which will cover eight days during this festival.  It is now the final year of Christ's earthly life.  Throughout this festival, He will teach in the temple and attract a great deal of public attention, as we will see. 

His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. Jesus' brothers could be any number of extended family or kin.  In Scripture, and still today across the Near and Middle East, "brother" is used this way.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  My study Bible explains that Christ Himself had no blood brothers, for Mary had only one Son: Jesus.  These "brothers" are either stepbrothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or they are cousins.  As further evidence of this, we look to Jesus committing the care of His mother to John at the Cross (John 19:25-27).  In the context of the culture, had Mary had other children to care for her, this would have been unthinkable.  

But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.   Not openly, my study Bible explains, means not with a grand, public entrance as on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16).  We can see already the effects of Jesus' public appearance at the festival.  We see that right from His arrival, the religious leaders seek Him.  There are those who think He is good and others who believe that He deceives the people.  But no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the religious leaders, among whom there are those who already sought to kill Him (verse 1, above).

 

 What a controversy Jesus stirs up!  It is now the final year of His life, but already His preaching and teaching -- even before He arrives at this festival -- has stirred an enormous amount of controversy and extreme opinions, from those who are devoted to Him as disciples to those who already seek to kill Him among the religious leaders.  From the text of this Gospel, we may deduce that such opinions run the gamut of interest and passionate debate.  Note that such discussion among the people must be done in a hidden or secret way, for fear of the religious authorities, adding to the atmosphere of controversy and danger.  This tells us something important about truth, related to what we read in the beginning of John's Gospel.  John 1:4-5 tells us about the Son, the Logos (or Word), "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  That darkness that neither understands nor can fully "take in" or overcome the light of truth and life also resists, and it does so voraciously.  If we think about this in these metaphoric terms, we know that light extinguishes darkness altogether, and makes it disappear.  So it is with those who resist or fight Christ's truth.  So identified with whatever darkness cannot stand in that light are they, that they must fight tooth and nail, even to the death, to extinguish the light for their perceived survival.  So much so, that they feel they must seek to kill Him because He poses a threat to their way of life.  We can see this with truth of different levels in our world, society, communities, and families.  Secrets that some wish to keep hidden, because they cover up things that are wrong, become a type of shibboleth -- depending upon how dearly we cling to lies we think are necessary for us.  There have been elements in my own life that the light of Christ has exposed to me, made necessary for me to identify, and change, and from which to distance myself.  Some of these have been very hard and painful processes, but in the end there is the necessary trade off for what Christ offers instead.  So it is with those who seek to kill Christ.  We also see the depth of controversy that inescapably surrounds Him, which include rumors, misunderstandings, and in the long dynamic of the Church and religious controversy, a host of heresies that continually come to light and must be addressed.  This is a process that began long ago in the earliest Church and continues now. Jesus says to His brothers, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil."  Sometimes, simply by bearing His light as best we can, we also give such testimony.  St. Paul compared discipleship with the struggles of an athlete competing for victory in a race.  Let us be prepared for our own race, our own good fight of faith.