Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” [John 8.42-47]
When Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden they stopped "hearing God" and started "listening to the devil." Jesus' mention of the devil here is paramount to the context of what He is saying.
What did Satan do that earned his reputation? Did he tempt Adam and Eve to murder, lie, cheat, or steal? No, he simply encouraged them to look out for themselves regardless what God had said. Satan enticed Adam and Eve into idolatry -the original sin - trusting something other than, or in addition to, God (in their case, is was themselves). And so began man's fallen nature to sin - to trust things other than, or in addition to, God. Every sin known to man is ultimately the result of misplaced trust - idolatry. Satan did not ask Adam and Eve to trust him - he deceptively encouraged them to trust themselves ...thus doubting God.
Sin in mankind follows the same pattern over and over. First, man is enticed to "ignore" (not listen to) God Who says "obey me." When man ignores God, he listens to something else - something else that always tells man he must look out for himself making his own solutions. Then, in a real twist of the truth, man attempts to justify his disobedience by lying to himself that God would have him take care of himself (because, after all, God gave him the ability to do so). Thus, the damnably erroneous phrase, "God helps those who help themselves," is born.
What resulted from Adam's and Eve's disobedience (idolatry) was their eviction from the Garden of Eden into a life of hard work. They would quickly learn of their need to "rest." They also learned what nasty deeds were unleashed by their self-centered decision in the Garden: the first murder occurred. Because they had been deceived to mistrust God, all manner of manward sin was unleashed.
Now, to understand the significance of the digression of man, we need only look to God's rules (the Ten Commandments) that timelessly address man's abovementioned pattern to sin. The 1st Commandment prohibits "listening to anyone else but God." The 2nd Commandment prohibits trusting anyone or anything else but God. The 3rd Commandment prohibits justifying idolatry by associating it with God.
Then, the 4th Commandment has to do with "rest." This is all-important because all manner of restlessness is the result of idolatry.
Following the 4th Commandment are the last six Commandments prohibiting sins against man.
So... what does all this have to do with Jesus in the context of John chapter 8? Back up a few verses:
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [John 8.31-32]
Religion today tries to separate Jesus from the Ten Commandments. This however is a fool's errand because Jesus specifically addressed this topic:
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. [Matthew 5.17]
Jesus came to accomplish the purpose of the Ten Commandments (and all the Law) so that all who simply follow Him might be saved. In this way, Jesus is the 4th Commandment - the Sabbath Rest - the observance of which manifests in the proper treatment of others (last six Commandments).
All of this then, matches perfectly with what Jesus demanded of His followers:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
God simplified the first three Commandments in the Advent of Jesus. Following Him, on His terms above, fulfills all of the first three Commandments. That's a "rest" (as in, "Sabbath") worth looking forward to! And, what's more, in following Christ, the Sabbath Rest, we find all we need to treat mankind as the last six Commandments direct!
However! If our ears only hear the continual and tireless lies of Satan to "look out for ourselves," nothing Jesus said or did means a thing to us. Unless we give up our own way - the way of idolatry - the way of looking out for ourselves, take up our cross to do so - intentionally ignoring our "right to live," and follow Jesus (looking and acting ONLY like Him), we have no part of Jesus - we have no part of salvation - we have no hope in God at all.
Satan's modus operandi is always the same. In a blinding and deafening whisper he subtly suggests, "God knows you have to look out for yourself..." in direct contradiction of the 1st Commandment. The digression that follows is predictable by every page and every story in the Bible.
Now, try to justify the man-made industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology... They are all man's way to look out for himself! They are all man's way of helping himself. They are all idols. Idols blind and deafen man to God preventing them from experiencing miracles from God:
For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]
So, why are God's people powerless today? Do we really need to ask that question?
Father in heaven, may Your Word penetrate our hard hearts and cause us to see and hear the Truth. May we truly give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.
