John 8:28
Then said JESUS unto them,
When ye have lifted up the SON+ of Man,
then shall ye know that I+ AM he,
and that I+ do nothing of Myself+;
but as My+ FATHER hath taught ME+,
I+ speak these things.
+ + +
Q. 1 : “Them” refers to the Jewish men who were considered the religious leaders in Judaism, the Pharisees.
The Pharisees were extremely well-versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. They were very well taught in the Ancient Jewish writings. They read them in the original languages ( i.e., Hebrew, Aramaic ).
The very learn-ed Apostle Paul was a P_________e until his conversion to CHRIST.
In the KJV, the “y” pronouns are always plural. So here, JESUS is telling them, “When ye have lifted up the SON+ of Man . . .”
which means to us, “When you __ __ __ have lifted up the SON+ of MAN . . .”
Yes, The LORD is talking to “you all”, that is, the entire group of Pharisees and their scribes and Jews gathered about HIM+.
Q. 2 : HE+ said to them all, “When you all have lifted up the SON+ of Man. . .”
“Lifted up” refers to the Crucifixion.
However, the LORD was crucified by the Roman government under Pontius Pilate and executed by Roman soldiers “just doing their duty.”
Was JESUS ever “lifted up” by a group of Jewish people, the Pharisees and the religious Jewish leaders, in specific ? _________
NO , not in the actual pounding of the iron nails into the rough wood of the Cross-beam and the stake.
Q. 3: Why then did The LORD say, “When you all have lifted up the SON+ of Man” . . . if they did not pound the nails into His+ Hands and His+ feet, if they did not affix the cross-beam to the stake, and if they did not lift a finger to lift up the actual Cross bearing His+ pain-wracked Body ?
It was to let them know that HE+ held them accountable for their
unb __ __ __ __ f.
YES, their unbelief was an obstinate unbelief.
These highly-educated, highly-trained religious men KNEW the Old Testament prophecies concerning a Coming Jewish Messiah.
Furthermore, no matter what kind of miracles HE+ had done, no matter what kind of godly teaching HE+ fed the multitudes, the Pharisees and religious Jewish leaders would NOT BE PERSUADED. They willfully CHOSE their unbelief.
This kind of unbelief is odious to GOD.
It is a stubborn set of the mind and an obstinate pitting of the Will against obeying the Truth, even the Will of GOD.
They had set their Will stoutly against Truth and willed themselves NOT to be persuaded.
+ + +
LET US PRAY:
O Holy FATHER,
I have willfully turned my ear away from Your still, small Voice, trying to re-direct me, trying to correct my use of my time, trying to nudge me on towards more Quietness in my day.
Even when I manage to sit still before YOU, my mind is busy and refuses to stop mulling over the temporal.
Worse, I justify my busy-ness EVEN THOUGH I know YOU have been calling my heart to BE STILL before YOU.
All my activities, not sinful in themselves, become odious to YOU Who said, “To obey is better than Sacrifice.”
Help me, LORD!
I do not want to be among those to whom YOU call, but they have fields or cattle to inspect and will not come when YOU call them; they want to come when all ELSE is taken care of. When all TEMPORAL “else” is tended.
They want to come when chores are “at a stopping point”, or when the row has been finished ( either hoeing or sewing, it matters not ), or after the room has been tidied nicely or when the last nail has been driven.
Guilty ! I am guilty of putting TEMPORAL before Your Summons.
Because I did not stop my temporal activities WHEN YOU SUMMONED me to stillness, I missed the Anointed Time.
O, FATHER, I came at my convenience, but the Anointing was not there then; my energy was spent lamenting instead of Listening. And my time was shortened.
I repent of this behavior. It is willful. Being stubborn and obstinate is NOT acceptable in Your eyes. It is odious.
I repent and turn from my “program” to accomplish, at the expense of obedience to YOU, O HOLY FATHER.
This I pray in the Holy Name of JESUS CHRIST, Who+ learned obedience by the things which HE+ suffered.
+ + +
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