"Which Father"

September 3, 2013

“Which Father?”

Blessings Folk!

Today’s reading:

John 8:37-47

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The heated discussion continues between Jesus and the Religionists - the Pharisees, scribes, et al.

They were resting upon their lineage through Abraham.
They were “children of God.”
Therefore, they were in correct relationship with God...that is what they thought.

Jesus acknowledged that they were of Abraham.
He also pointed out that they wanted to kill Him.

Jesus tells them that He is speaking the things of Father.

Things He had heard.
Things He had seen.

They replied that “Abraham is our father.”
Good.
Then do the deeds of Abraham.

They were doing the deeds of their father.
Who?

They were furious.

They replied “we are not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”
What was meant?
At the surface, they were saying that they were of the line of Abraham.
They were not corrupted by blood of unbelief.
Under the surface, in a less-than-subtle way, they were accusing Jesus of being the fruit of fornication.

More than 30 years later they were still bring up the birth circumstance of Jesus.
In another place they said that Jesus was the “supposed son of Joseph.”

They could not hear.
They could not understand.
Why?
Their father was the devil.
They wanted the desires of their father.
They were not of God.

We learn some things about the devil:
  • father of lies
  • has offspring
  • has desires
  • murderer from the beginning (beginning of what?)
  • does not stand in truth
  • no truth in him
  • whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature
  • a liar

We learn some about Jesus:
  • spoke the things He has seen from Father
  • proceeded forth and came from God
  • did not come of His own initiative
  • Father sent Him
  • Speaks the truth

Do you believe Him?

He who is of God hears the words of God.
He who is of the devil hears the words of the devil.