Thursday 14 April 2011

Background

Chapter 8 of John's Gospel does not provide easy reading forChristians in the context of dialogue with Jews.

Clearly the discussion has been conducted in a place of worship andprayer (see verse 59). The discussion though has been quite heated,even to the point where it threatened to get violent and somepeople "picked up stones to throw" (verse 59) at Jesus. 

The controversy begins with twice repeated words of Jesus: "Whoeverkeeps my word will never see death." (verses 51, 52)

But how can this be? Abraham died. The prophets died.

Jesus' words are not understood partly because no explanation isgiven of what is meant by the phrase "never taste death", althougheternity is hinted at when Jesus states "before Abraham was, I am"(verse 58). The term "I am" is John's way of identifying Jesus withthe eternal word made flesh.

So who did Jesus claim to be?

Jesus pointed only to God. He identifies God with the one the Jewsclaim as "our God" (verse 54). Jesus does not seek to glorifyhimself. God glorifies him.

The turning point in the controversy is reached when the languagegets provocative. (No one likes to be called a "liar" (verse55).)

Some people want to stone Jesus. (Did they pick up the stonesothers had brought earlier to stone a woman? (see John8:1-11)) But as he did when some critics wanted to push himover a cliff, Jesus slipped away quietly (Luke4:30).

The earliest Christian communities will have recalled times whenJesus calmly taught and preached in Synagogues in spite of strongopposition. They would have found meaning and strength in suchstories for their own experiences of open hostility.

Jesus himself avoided violence and did not use violence in suchsituations.

To Ponder

In your experience, how do preachers cope withstrong criticism?

How do you cope when your faith comes undercriticism?

In what sense do those who "keep my word neversee death"?