The Thiepharisees- John 10

On the last post we considered the blind man who was healed by Jesus and who was thrown out by the Pharisees.  The same story goes on in chapter 10 as Jesus continues his response to the Pharisees who were with Him.

And I don’t think that before now I had ever considered the fact that chapter 10 was doing just that, continuing Jesus’ response to the Pharisees.  So a new thought came to mind as I read today, specifically I thought about who Jesus was talking to (and why He was talking to them) when He said in verse 10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

(An interesting note here, the word kill in verse 10 is specifically used of sacrifice.  It is not the common word for killing)

The Pharisees were angry with Jesus because He healed this blind man on the Sabbath.  The great keepers of the Law, as John pointed out earlier in this book, thought that by Scripture they possessed eternal life.  They built their empire of the Law and Jesus was a threat.  Not because He transgressed the Law, but because He transgressed their “law”.

Jesus wasn’t concerned with serving their misconceptions and lies.  He was concerned with saving people, and He knew that the Law kills.  It’s a righteous law, and that is exactly why it kills.  It kills rightfully.  People deserve eternal condemnation for sin… every one of us, who have turned away from God.  And there’s nothing we can do about it.

These Pharisees though, they thought they found life in the Law, and they were going to do whatever it took to slay their own people with this “life”.  And with that misuse of the Law, which claims to impart life to the sinner instead of death, they were able to do only three things… steal men’s hearts from God, sacrifice the people, and destroy them.

Lately brother Hugh Barton has been doing studies on Wednesdays that contrast the Law of the Letter with the Law of Grace.  He’s been pointing out the biblical truth that there is indeed life, but it is not found in the Law.

We, every person, need to remember that the Law holds no promise for us as sinners.  It is good, and serves as a tutor to show us our need for forgiveness and our need for righteousness.  But it cannot impart those things upon the transgressor, nor does it ever claim to.  We can never be good enough.

Do not believe the lie.  A man cannot work his way to heaven.  Salvation by works was the lie that the Pharisees pushed, but God called them thieves for it.  “Salvation by works” is a lie that ONLY steals, sacrifices and destroys…

Don’t believe the lie…

But know that there is hope…

There is a Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for His sheep…

There is Christ!

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Where is Jesus? – John 9

God is at work in our world.  People are touched by Him in more ways than they can really understand.  Sometimes it’s hard to tell just how a thing came about.  Other times there is no question.  But knowing “who did what” isn’t the focus, rather its a signpost telling us where to go.  It is the thing that directs us while we are lost.  But we remain lost if we do not venture beyond the signpost.

The focus is coming to the Worker of all good things.  Our destination IS Him.

For the man born blind, whom John tells us about in his ninth chapter, there was no question Who worked the miracle.  It was the Man they call Jesus who opened his eyes.  The signpost was like writing in the sky, everyone knew who was responsible.

But one could not say that the man had truly found Jesus.  They could only that say that he was touched by Jesus. 

That healing touch of love did mighty things for the man’s soul.  He gave the man an opportunity to see, and I’m not talking about with his eyes.

When the Pharisees harassed him about the healing, the man told them it was Jesus who did it.  They continued to press the matter, twisting the truth into all sorts of distortions.   But in response to their lies the healed man said “One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!”

He may not have realized it, but the work of Christ in his life made him able to see the wickedness of the Pharisees.  He did not receive a miraculous gift of discernment, but he did have a clearer vision because of the one miracle worked upon his natural eyes.  The more he talked with the Pharisees on the matter, the clearer it became to him.  Theses guys had an agenda, and the truth would not sway them from their goal.

He didn’t know who Jesus was, but he saw that Jesus was from God.  Unfortunately today many of those who find themselves in a similar situation remain as they are.  They don’t seek the One to whom the signposts point.  They stand at the signposts and called it being saved, but they are still lost. 

And they are not able to truly show people who Jesus is.  Even if the right words come out of their mouths, they are only able to give lip service to Him…

Having been thrown out by the Pharisees, the healed man went on his way.  Then Jesus found the man and made it clear to him who He really was… the Son of Man, Lord, the Giver and Taker of sight, the Judge, the Gate, the Good Shepherd.

It is a great thing when God works in the lives of men.  But that work may only be the signpost, directing people towards Him.  If a person doesn’t follow that signpost and come to God on God’s terms, they may find themselves in the position of the Pharisees who were with Jesus when He healed the blind man.  They asked Him “What?  Are we blind too?”

Jesus responded “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”