From our Pastor

Hold on to God’s Word!

 John 8:48-59                                                            June 2/3, 2007

           Have you ever been in a situation where no matter what you said, no matter how you tried to reason, people were just against you, they denied what you claimed, they attacked your character, they put you down?  We see St. Paul in that situation in more than one occasion.  In many places where he went to bring the good news of Jesus Christ, he received hostile responses, including attempts on his life.  One notable example is at home, in Jerusalem.  Paul has even taken special efforts to show that he is keeping the traditions, but a mob ensues and tries to kill him. 

          This is the sort of thing Jesus is enduring.  The interchange between Jesus and the Jews, probably the religious leaders, starts even before where our reading began.  Jesus tells them “the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32)  They respond, “we’ve never been slaves to anyone!” (33)  Jesus is trying to help them, and they are offended.  Jesus replies, I’ve done what my Father says, you do what your father says to do. (38)  They say “Abraham is our Father.” (39)  There’s certainly pride in that statement.  Jesus responded, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the things Abraham did.”  At this point, Jesus is starting to point out their problems.  Don’t expect the conversation to cool down now.  It’s not that Jesus is being contentious.  He has to point out to them their errors, so that they can turn from their errors. 

          As expected, they strike back.  “We’re not illegitimate children.  We have one Father:  God.” (41)  Jesus really calls it as he sees it when he responds.  “If God were your Father, you would love me.” (42)  As Jesus explains we learn just a little about the relationship between Father and Son here.  The Father sends the Son into the world.  Jesus obeys the Father’s will.  Now Jesus goes on to say that not only would you love me if God were your Father, but your father is the devil! (44)  Jesus explains that, and then they respond, “you’re a Samaritan and you’re demon possessed.”  (48)  They were bigoted people who hated Samaritans, so to call Jesus a Samaritan and demon possessed was the biggest insult they could muster. 

          Jesus ignored the Samaritan issue, not even dignifying that with an answer.  But he did say, “I am not demon possessed.  But I honor the Father, and you dishonor me. (49)  Jesus went on to say “whoever keeps my word, he will not see death into eternity.”  (51)  They are practically beside themselves when Jesus says this.  “You are possessed.   Abraham and the prophets all died.  Surely you’re not greater than Abraham!” (53)  Jesus responded to that, concluding with, “Abraham saw my day and rejoiced.” (56)  This was too much for them.  You’re crazy, they said in effect, you’re not even 50 years old! (57)  Jesus says “before Abraham was, I am.”  We have what Jesus said recorded in Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written.  But Jesus was probably not speaking in Greek, but in the Jews’ native language.  I think when Jesus said “I am” that he used the Hebrew name for God which means I am, “Yahweh.”  He’s calling himself God.  They surely understood him to be calling himself God, because they took up stones to kill him. 

          Jesus couldn’t make any headway with them.  He told them plainly what they were doing, who he is and what he was doing.  The more he said, the more angry they became.  Know for sure that every word Jesus spoke, he spoke with love and compassion.  Jesus even makes a wonderful promise to them, but they are just offended.  Think of the promise:  “whoever keeps my word will never see death.”  What a wonderful promise.  Since we all die a physical death, Jesus was clearly talking about spiritual death.  Keep his word.  The people with whom Jesus was speaking did the opposite of keeping God’s word.  They rejected everything Jesus said. 

          Certainly we don’t want to fall into that category.  We want to keep his word.  His word is that we should love God.  But how many times have we, like those who opposed Jesus, not kept his word?  There are so many ways that we break God’s word.  It’s hard to know where to begin.  We do not show love for God whenever we take God’s name in vain, that is whenever we use God’s name to curse or swear, or just to emphasize a point.  We’re in the same category as those in this Bible reading who were opposing Jesus.  God’s word says that we are to worship regularly.  When vacations or other pursuits seem more important to us than worship, we’re breaking God’s word.  If we show up for worship and don’t engage, or we don’t worship from the heart, again we’re not keeping God’s Word.  We are to love our Lord more than anything else.  If anything becomes more important to us than our relationship with God, we’ve broken his word.  Then there are all the commandments about loving our neighbor as ourselves.  Whenever we don’t love our neighbor, we don’t love God, and we are not keeping God’s word. 

          But God’s word is not only commandments.  God’s word is also about forgiveness for our sins.  Confessing our sins, trusting God for forgiveness, is an important part of keeping God’s word.  God’s word is the good news that for Jesus sake, God still loves us, God forgives us, God restores us.  God’s Spirit enables us to live in such a way that we can keep his word.  The best part of all, is that holding onto God’s word, believing that Jesus is our Savior, we will not see death.  Rather we will see God. 

          Hold on to God’s good word.  Keep it for yourself, both his laws and his Good news. And know for sure, that as you keep God’s word, as you live by his grace and forgiveness, you will not see death.  You will see God when he brings you to heaven, there to live with him forever. 

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Mount Olive Lutheran Church

2001 N. Alpine Rd.

Rockford, IL  61107

815/399-3171

Pastor Ken Krause

kkrause@mtolivelutheran.com