John 5:39-47

John 5:39-47

You all search the scriptures because you all think to have eternal life in them.  And these are the ones that testify for me.  And you all do not desire to come to me in order that you all should have life.  I do not receive glory from man.  But I have known you all that you all do not have the love of God in yourself.  I have come in the name of my Father and you all did not receive me.  If another should come in his own name, that one you will receive.  How are you all powerful enough to believe while receiving glory from one another?  And you all do not seek the glory from the only God?  Do not think that I will bring serious charges against you to the Father.  The one who brings serious charges against you is Moses, into whom you all hope.  For if you all were believing by Moses, you all were believing by me.  For about me that one wrote.  And if you all do not believe by the writings of that one, how will you believe by my words?

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus has some very unpleasant accusations that He delivers against the Jewish leaders here.  His first accusation in this section is their use of scripture.  They look to their scripture because they think that they can find salvation in their understanding of it.  Notice the difference between what Jesus is saying and how the Hebrew people are in reality.  Jesus says the scripture should point them to Him; but they think that salvation is found in understanding the scripture itself.  In other words, they are not looking into scripture to find God.  They are looking into scripture to validate their own ideas about God.  This should be a warning to all of use – especially those who seek to have a deep understanding of scripture.  Scripture points us to a greater understanding of God, not a greater verification of our own ideas.

Do you search the scriptures to find God?  When do you ever search the scriptures to prove your own point?

Second Thought:

The second great accusation is that the Jewish leaders do not have the love of God within them.  That is an incredible accusation.  Imagine taking some of the most important people in the world and having the guts to tell them that they do not have the love of God within them.  Imagine the power those people could muster against you!  Yet Jesus says this because He knows they are more in love with themselves and their own ideas than they are in love with God.  Perhaps more importantly, they are in love with their own agenda than they are in love with being God’s mouthpiece into the world.

Do you have the love of God within you?  How do you know?

Third Thought:

The third accusation that Jesus brings against them is their own love for Moses.  Jesus tells them that their own self-assurance in Moses will be their undoing.  After all, Moses brought the Law.  The Law points us to Christ.  Therefore, since the Law points us to Christ yet the Jewish leaders do not recognize Him, then Moses will be their greatest accuser!  Therefore Jesus argues that if they love Moses’ writings yet cannot be led in them to Christ – how could Jesus have any reason to think that the Jewish leaders could believe anything that He would say?

Why is it important to be open to God when approaching His Word?  When we aren’t open and instead come to God’s Word for our own purposes, what is the result?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 6:1-7