The Refusal Of Truth

The harshest human attacks on Jesus came from the religious establishment and the people who were most devoted to that establishment.

All religion claims to represent God, but some represents the devil, Jesus said that in verse 44. This is the highest level of the  conflict, when Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.”

Ten times in John 8 Jesus has been attacked and assaulted by the leaders of Judaism, one barrage after another. The greatest enemies of the truth have always been  religious because man is invariably religious, his false religion assaults the truth constantly.

Error follows a process when confronted with truth.

Conflict follows a path, it starts at an intellectual level, goes to an emotional level, then to a verbal level, and ends with a  physical level.

The Mental / Intellectual Level  Where Truth Is Discussed

Jesus has been sharing the truth with these leaders for some time, He always offers truth.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. 8:47 He that is of God hears God’s words; you therefore hear them not, because you are not of God.”

They refused that truth rather than asking Jesus to help them understand if they were missing something. You say this, we say that, they did not ask for help to know the truth, they were not willing to listen.

The Emotional Level When Anger Arises

John 8:48 Then the Jews answered and said unto Him, “Say we not well that you art a Samaritan and have a devil?”

This emotional anger has been rising between Jesus and the Jewish leaders for months. Two parties disagree, one can’t get your point across, one is unable to move the other person. One doesn’t like what the other said because they don’t like the  implications of it. Their actions show their rising anger.

The Third Level is Verbal Abuse

John 8:48 Then the Jews answered and said unto Him, “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?” 8:49 Jesus answered, “I have not a devil, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

When one party can’t make an argument any more and get it across, they get angry, the emotions take over, they just start firing off the abusive words.

They call Jesus an insane, demon-possessed Samaritan. It was as negative a statement that you could make of any Jew at that time.

Samaritans were people that the Jews hated because of what they had done recorded back in 2 Kings 17, when some of the Jews had intermarried with the pagan nations that came to occupy the northern kingdom of Israel.

Jesus replies to their verbal abuse with the simple truth.

John 8:49 Jesus answered, “I have not a devil, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

Jesus gives them the truth. “I do not have a demon. I honor My Father, ” who is God. “ But you dishonor Him by the way you treat Me. You can’t possibly be children of God and so dishonor Me, whom God honors. Jesus states the truth again, I am here just to bring glory to God.

Actually, I came for you, so you would not have to die.

John 8:51 Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man keep My saying, he shall never see death.”

8:50 And I seek not Mine own glory; there is One that seeks and judges.

We need to give people the truth and say, you’re going to be judged in response to the truth about Jesus. But, if you believe the message of Jesus Christ, you will never be judged.

John 8:52 Then the Jews said to Jesus, “Now we know that you have a devil! Abraham is dead and the prophets;

They believed He was demon-possessed and they were God-possessed, false religion will do that, it reverses everything. They said you haven’t got power over death. Abraham didn’t have power over death, he died. The prophets didn’t have power over death, they died. Who do You think You are?

The Fourth Level is Physical Abuse

John 8:59 Then they took up stones to cast at Him.

There comes a time when even the best have to walk away. Jesus doesn’t advocate standing there and letting people kill you unnecessarily. When time after time the truth has been shared and the response is unbelief, there is nothing you can do at that moment but walk away.

How do we respond to Jesus and truth? Do we fight it or believe it?