The Search for the Truth

John 10:22-42 (May 19)

Well...here we are...another day and the same situation is confronting Jesus.

Jesus is in Jerusalem. It is winter and he is walking through the Temple during the Festival of Dedication. Once again, he is being surrounded by people who are questioning him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

WHAT??? Isn't that EXACTLY what he has been trying to do this whole time?

Right now, I am in the throes of caring for my 3-year-old grandson a few days a week. He is such a sweetie, but he has his moments. I am doing my best to teach him discipline, patience, obedience, and all that "Grammy" stuff. As I work at teaching him, I find myself having to repeat the same thing to him, over and over again.

It isn't that he has a learning problem. He just doesn't really want to hear or accept what I am saying. He doesn't want to change some behaviors. So, I find myself on repeat, and getting frustrated that I have to keep reminding him of the same thing time and time again.

I imagine that is how Jesus is feeling. How many times, and in how many ways does he have to explain to these people that he is the Son of God, and that the only way to eternal life is by following him?

He could've written a book on the subject by now. (Wait...he had some others do that for him a little later

But with patience that goes beyond anything I can imagine, Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."

Did this lengthy statement give them clarity? NO WAY! Instead of realizing what he was trying to tell them, they used this as another opportunity to grab some stones and kill him.

When he asks them which of the good works he was getting stoned for, they replied, "We are stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

You see, they still couldn't grasp the concept that Jesus was who he said he was. It was too unbelievable. It was too out of the ordinary. Maybe even a little frightening. Even when they had seen and heard all that he had done, they were looking for a more logical exclamation, because they couldn't imagine that they were standing in front of the Son of God.

I wonder about when we get to heaven. When we stand before Jesus, what will it be like? Will it seem unbelievable, unreal, and way out of the ordinary? I think...maybe.

Will we doubt where we are? I think not. I imagine that they joy will be flowing from us and we will instinctively know that we are "home".

But for Jesus, in the time and place he was in today'

scriptures, he finds the people in a constant state of disbelief. And he is continuously trying to make them understand not only who he is, but why it is imperative that they follow him.

On this day, the crowd didn't want to hear his explanation. They wanted something that made more sense to them. So, they tried to arrest him again, but he got away. He went out beyond the Jordan River to the place where John was first baptizing, and he stayed there for a while.

But in typical fashion, there was no rest for him, because another crowd followed him. As they gathered around him, they recalled that John had done no miracles himself, but had told them a lot about the Messiah, and everything he had said was coming true.

Many who were there began to believe in Jesus.

SO, let's get this straight... they won't believe Jesus when HE tells them who he is, but they believe because what JOHN said has come true.

Have you ever been in that situation, when you tried to tell someone something, but they just couldn't believe what you said, then along comes someone else who says basically the same thing, and they believe that person? I have, and let me tell you...it is frustrating!!

My teenagers do that to me sometimes. If Mom says it, she must be crazy; but if big brother or big sister says it...it is truth in its most absolute form!

The key word in all of this is...TRUTH! How grateful my heart feels as I read this that I have no doubts about Jesus. How grateful I feel that I know his word to be truth, and I don't feel the need to question or doubt. How blessed it is to live life each day in that knowledge and assurance.

And how filled with gratitude I am that he never gave up, no matter how many stones were thrown out him, or how many people came against his words.