Nothing Much Has Changed

John 5:39-47

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you--Moses, in whom you trust.

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?


So few verses but so many thoughts. Each sentence a gold mine.

I repeatedly say that the Bible is the Word of God. That it is truth and wisdom. That it has been written that we might know Him. That through these words we might have life. That only through the Word, Who is Jesus, power will come to understand these words and bring that life.

Jesus continues to preach to the Pharisees, those religious men. They proclaim they know scripture, yet deny Jesus is the Christ though they have read about Him...in the Old Testament. The New Testament had yet to be written...

He tells them that if they searched scriptures and knew them they would have eternal life because they spoke of Him who was to come, but because they reject Him they reject life. Ouch.

He goes on to allude that they will receive honor from men, their contemporaries, but do not receive Him. This rebuke must have angered them. Who was He to tell them they were wrong? Then He states in other words that He is God...and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? The only God...

The Pharisees knew of Moses, knew his words. They put their faith in Moses, a mere man but would not put their faith in the One of whom Moses preached. He may not have used Jesus' name but through prophetic words. Jesus came and fulfilled his prophecy. However, they rejected His words...the words of life. No other man, whether pastor, priest or rabbi, can do the work of Jesus. Moses put his faith in God. He spoke words for future generations that they might also believe:

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22)

God would raise up a Prophet...capital P. The LORD said He would put His words in His mouth and He would speak all that He was commanded by Him. Hearing His words would be required. Not hearing would bring death, not life. Jesus told us previously that He only came to do the will of the Father. He spoke and healed. Jesus spoke the truth and it was not received by all.

Not much has changed. Jesus is still rejected as the only Way to life. Many, even like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, still put their trust in men. But one day every knee will bow and tongue confess Jesus is Lord...it will be required.

I may not have always known Jesus. I may have rejected Him, though I knew of Him, but I do today. And when we get our minds wrapped around His words, He wraps His love around our hearts and grants us eternal life. We have the scriptures that speak of Him and His miracles. Will we be like Pharisees and not believe what has been written for our understanding?

Matthew 11:4-6 - Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”