~ Who is He? ~
(A 10-part series on John 7:11–John 8:59)
Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.”
“Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. (John 8:21-30)
JESUS’ LANGUAGE about his identity often seems, and in fact is, cryptic. In rare times, when pressed, he will respond directly to questions of his claims of divinity, as he finally did during his inquisition before the Sanhedrin on the night of his arrest. “ The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.” (Matt. 26:63-64) Though in private moments he will sometimes reveal himself to those closest to him, most often in public his language is enigmatic, and his methods are to let his actions, and those who see them, speak to his motives. This is intentional on his part, as his witness becomes the actions themselves, and are testified to by those present at the time. Oftentimes those actions occur in the realm of God-like powers; he forgives sins, feeds thousands, calms angry seas by command over the winds, casts out demons, gives sight to the blind, heals the lame, and raises the dead. His methods work well for his purpose in carrying out his Father’s mission; he has become a widely known and talked about figure throughout all Israel and beyond. In the public mind, there is intense speculation that he may be the long-awaited and sorely needed Messiah.
In this narrative, Jesus builds on the mystique surrounding himself. “Where I go you cannot come.” (John 8:21b) “You are from below; I am from above.” (John 8:23a) “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be.” (John 8:28) And the listeners, as so often they do, exhibit their confusion and their attraction: “Will he kill himself?” (John 8:22a) “Who are you?” (John 8:25) His responses remain unclear to them, and the tension in their queries remain unresolved. This is intentional on his part. They will think much about these things, not only now, but in times to come. Perhaps they will arrive at their answer.
“‘Who are you?’ they asked.” (John 8:25) The question posed is one that demands a response from everyone who comes into contact with Jesus. Jesus asks Peter this question, “Who do the people say I am—who do you say I am?” (cf. Matt. 16:13-16) In this example, the on-looking people remain confused and questioning, but Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 16:17) Underlying this episode is a great truth, supported by scripture, about human nature. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13) The truth about our basic nature is that it cannot change until it either comes to the end of itself, or receives divine revelation, or both. Powerful inner forces drive us to seek an answer. The eternal truth about our divine nature is that our mutual Father is revealed in his Son: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col. 1:15-20)
When we arrive at our own satisfactory response to the question of who Jesus is, it is our identity that changes, not his. Our ‘yes’ is satisfying to God, this is true. But our ‘yes’ also satisfies the tension in our own soul and spirit; we become (are becoming) whole in Christ, and with that realization we enter into a sense of contentment in this life. Our citizenship is transferred to the kingdom of heaven, both in the here and now, and in the now but not yet. All things have been reconciled outside of and beyond what we once knew. We are at peace.
Q. Do I know that I know that Jesus who he says he is?
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