This morning I opened my Bible, and it opened up to John 12, and as I was reading through the chapter the last couple verses really grabbed my attention and require reflection. Here are the verses - John 12:44-50 NIV:
[44] "Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. [46] I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."
[47] “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [49] For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
These verses seem to make Jesus' mission so clear. Jesus again reiterates that He is representing the Father. If we look at Him we see the Father! As the author of the letter to the Hebrews says, He is the perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3). One of my favorite faith teachers, Bill Johnson, calls Jesus' life "perfect theology" and I find that very helpful. Jesus, as revealed to us in the scriptures, should be our grid of understanding for all theology and if we see it in Jesus' words or actions then we can assume that the Father would do it too, and so should we. Conversely, if we don't see Jesus doing something, then the Father wouldn't do it, nor should we.
I find verse 47 to be very interesting, especially considering the proclivity some in the church have for judging. Jesus appears focused on saving the world, not judging the world. There are some who equate these two, calling judgment love as they try to save people through shame and fear, but Jesus does not seem to share that attitude. Jesus is about saving the world. He is bringing revelation of the Father, speaking into our world revelation of what the Father is like. It is this revelation that ultimately becomes that which judges, but only on the "last day".
Moving past that topic, I want to look at Jesus' statement in verse 46. Jesus says, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." I find that last bit very interesting, as it appears that Jesus is saying that there could be those that believed in Him, but were in darkness. Matthew Henry, one of the great Biblical commentators says this about these verses: "By daily looking to Him, who came a Light into the world, we are more and more freed from the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery; we learn that the command of God our Saviour is everlasting life."
I find this explanation helpful but also wonder if Jesus wasn't making a statement about the Jews, who believed in the Messiah, but who largely were in the dark about what God the Father was really like, and thus missed the fact that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. In fact, if we go back a few verses that is exactly the point of John's writing this section - for verse 37 is his introduction to this section of his Gospel - John 12:37 NIV: "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."
Thus, it appears that Jesus was specifically addressing the Jews, calling them to believe that He was indeed the Son of God, and that He represented the Father and was shedding light on the true nature of the Father! Much of their understanding of God was centered on the revelation of the Old Covenant of the Law which was a whole list of rules that if broken would incur God's judgement and wrath. Yet here we see Jesus explaining to them that this was not what the Father is like, nor is it what He is like! They didn't understand, as we do now, that the whole of the sacrificial system established by the Law, and the Law itself was to lead them to Jesus, who would become the one true sacrifice for the whole of them, perfectly fulfilling the law, and re-establishing relationship with the Father, who loved them!
In his book titled "Ethics" Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about how Jesus came to restore that which was lost in the Garden, man's unity with God. He describes how the whole of the Old Testament was essentially directing man back to this lost unity, of which Jesus was the provision of the Father to bring restoration. It was from the the error in thinking (and perception) introduced from the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil that ultimately leads to judgment, that Jesus was saving the world. (I do Dietrich's theme and discussion great injustice by simplifying them here, and would highly recommend reading his deeply thoughtful book.) Suffice it to say that this is one of those times that Jesus is bringing illumination to man's state, and providing insight into the freedom and eternal life to which He was opening the door. Dietrich's point is that this unity with the Father was always God's plan for man, and that Jesus, in fulfilling the requirements of the law, in paying the penalty for all sins, and through His Resurrection, Ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit, re-established that which was lost in the garden. This is clearly the message of the Gospel of Grace, for we (man) could not restore what was lost, but God could and did and now offers man the choice to re-enter that relationship of Unity with Him! Wow!
Jesus is the light of the world! Jesus' life and words provide us the revelation of the Father, of the life that is available to us, and is now our choice! Jesus provided salvation to the world, but true to His desire that man might have free-will, He allows man to choose this salvation.
Finally, if the religion that you have experienced includes judgement, condemnation and a focus on rules and punishment, I think it is safe to say that this religion has been greatly affected by the thinking of man, and has not been set free from the error that was introduced in the garden. My prayer is that the true revelation of the Father, of Jesus and the Holy Spirit might set you free from the bonds of slavery to the law, that you might step into the freedom of Unity with
God! For that is Eternal Life!
Amen!
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