day 14: The Jews

Day 14: the Jews

Scripture Reading: John 8:42-59

In this passage, Jesus is not speaking to pagans or open unbelievers. He is speaking to deeply religious people who know Scripture, who cherish Abraham, who are confident in their spiritual heritage. And yet, they cannot recognize the One standing in front of them. They know about God. They claim descent from Abraham. They defend their religious identity. But they do not recognize the Son. This is what makes the scene so sobering. Spiritual blindness is not always the result of ignorance; sometimes it is the result of familiarity without surrender.

Jesus tells them that if God were truly their Father, they would love Him. That is a striking statement. True sonship is not proven by lineage, tradition, or even theological precision, it is revealed by love for the Son and receptive to His word. When Jesus declares, “Before Abraham was, I am,” He is not merely making a theological claim. He is unveiling His divine identity. And instead of worship, they pick up stones. Why? Because Jesus disrupts their control. He challenges their assumptions. He refuses to fit inside their religious categories.

We must ask: Do we love Jesus as Lord, or only as an idea? Are we willing to let Him correct us? When His Word challenges our pride, do we receive it or defend ourselves? The tragedy of John 8 is not merely that “the Jews” rejected Jesus. The tragedy is that those closest to the promises of God missed the fulfillment of those promises. And the grace in this passage is this: Jesus keeps speaking. Even in confrontation, He reveals Himself. Even in rejection, He declares truth. Heritage is a gift. Theology is a gift. Church tradition is a gift. But none of these replace daily surrender to Christ. May we not simply claim Abraham. May we not simply claim the church. May we claim Christ and allow Him to claim us. Before Abraham was, He is. And He still stands before us, asking to be received, not resisted.

Prayer:

God, I belong to you. Open my spiritu9al eyes to fully grasp the beauty of your incarnation, in order that your Son, Jesus, would be glorified in me just as you are in him. Conform my life to the pattern of holiness and goodness that you promise to all of your children.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Won Kim

Lead Pastor of RockSpring Church