Do You Really Want to Know?

Good morning!

It is Veteran's Day, and I am so grateful for those men and women who have bravely fought for our country as well as for the freedoms I enjoy, which were bought with so great a price.

In John 10:22-39, we see yet another attempt by the Jewish religious leaders to entrap Jesus.  Here, they ask Him to tell them plainly if He is the Messiah, not to address the question by parables or analogies, but to state it plainly.

Now, on prior occasions Jesus has been so clear about who He is that the listeners tried to apprehend and kill Him.  So, the Jews asking here do not seem to be asking for the sake of understanding, but rather for the purpose of building a stronger case against Him.  They were not interested in changing their minds.

Jesus replies that his doctrine is the first proof that He is Messiah, but that His miracles attest to the truth of His doctrine.  Then, in verse 30, He states clearly, "I and my Father are one."  This was the "blasphemy" that the Jewish leaders were seeking (vs. 33).

It is curious to me that these types of scenes are repeated in the gospel accounts.  In every case, Jesus manages to elude those who try to do Him harm, with seemingly little effort.  The time was not yet right for Him to put Himself into their hands.  But, of more interest is the fact that these presented scenarios give ample opportunity for us to read Jesus' testimony about Himself, about His Person.  I am so glad that He leaves no question about His identity.

One of my cousins said this past weekend that no one refers to "the late Jesus Christ", not even unbelievers.

It is my observation that most people who reject Jesus as Savior do so even understanding Who He is, as did these Jews of the Sanhedrin.  Unbelievers reject Jesus simply because they want none of Him. And, like these Jews, no matter how many times they are argued with or presented with the truth of the gospel, they are blind and deaf to it.

This is what led Jesus to again mention the analogy of His sheep in verses 26-28.  He condemns their obstinate unbelief, their steadfast refusal to give up their sin.

Pride is a highly effective blinder.  These Jewish religious leaders did not want any part of being sheep.  Their political and religious power among the people was too dear to them.  They truly did not want Messiah to come, because if/when He did, such coming would upset their balance of power, their influence with the Roman government and the Jewish people.  This is why they were determined to quench and squelch Jesus.

For many unbelievers, their pride and "self-determination" or "self-sufficiency" are more precious to them than embracing the finished work of Christ.  As with the Jewish leaders, to today's unbelievers, the truth is irrelevant.

In verse 28 Jesus makes a statement that many Christians use to validate their belief that once a person chooses Christ and experiences heart transformation, that relationship is permanent, regardless of life's troubles, temptations and failures.  He holds His own in His hand.  And, to say that we must keep ourselves in His hand is another extension of that same, sinful pride.  It is first cousin to the sin of pride that says Jesus' finished work is insufficient, that we must contribute to our own salvation by "keeping ourselves saved".

Meditating on the passage this morning, I was reminded of a little chorus learned at my mother's knee:

"Do you really want to know?
Do you really want to know?
Do you really want to know....
Who Jesus is?
He's the Lily of the Valley.
He's the Bright and Morning Star.
He's the fairest of ten thousand.
Do you really want to know?"

I tried to find a citation of the lyricist or songwriter, but came up empty.  Maybe some of you readers will remember this little ditty and let me know.

Dear Lord, thank you for being so clear in Your Word about who You are.  You left no doubt.  Thank you for revealing Yourself to me.  I pray that the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the dear unplugged to see You, to really see You, to hear Your voice and say, "YES!"  In Jesus' name, amen.