Friday 26 March 2010

Background

This passage is set in the Temple area during the Feast ofDedication in Jerusalem. Certain Jews were preparing to carry out alaw which would allow them to stone Jesus for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16). Jesus reminds them of themany good deeds he has performed, but the preconceptions andunbelief of his accusers just adds fuel to their fire to stonehim.

While Jesus upholds the authority of the Scriptures from the OldTestament, he also explains that he is his father's son - God's son- and the proof is in the miracles he has performed. That's one ofthe reasons why he performed them - so that people would believethat God sent him (verses 36-38).

Today, with the benefit of hindsight, it's all too easy to blamethe Jews, the teachers of the law, for doubting Jesus. Many in thatposition would see Jesus as a bad or deluded person. But it couldbe for these reasons that Jesus had to die on the Cross and beraised from the dead... as a last testimony to the unbelievers.

To Ponder

Read the lyrics of the song 'When You Believe' from the soundtrack ofthe Prince of Egypt. (You can watch the video here on You Tube.) What do the words say to you?

Think of a time when your view of something haschanged with the benefit of hindsight. How has this affected yourfaith?