John 8:48-59

 John 8:48-59

In many ways John 8 is a pivotal chapter in the gospel.  On Jesus’ next  trip to Jerusalem He will die.  Between now and then He will have only a short retreat beyond the Jordan.  The final section of John 8 is, if you will, the final break between Jesus and the Jews. In verse 58 Jesus claims for Himself the personal name of God:  “…before Abraham was born I Am”.  That statement if not true would be blasphemous, and deserving of death.  It is this statement that makes Jesus dangerous to the powers that be.

But there is a less obvious lesson in this passage that deserves our attention.  In verse 55 Jesus uses two different words that are both translated “know”.  The first word is the word that describes knowledge derived from experiment, study or learning.  Jesus tells the Jews that despite all of their efforts they have failed to gain even this academic kind knowledge.  The second word is knowledge that comes from an intimate relationship.  The first word is ‘to know about’ the second word is to ‘know’.  Both of these words were true of Jesus the man, God made flesh.  Neither were true of the Jews.

The first is essential for us to move toward the second.  But if the first, an academic knowledge, is all we possess, we will never have the second.  At the same time as we grow in our intimate knowledge of God that knowledge will enhance and shape our academic knowledge.  It is a sort of symbiotic relationship.  Each enhances and feeds the other.   If we seek intimacy with God we will begin with academic knowledge of God not as an end in itself but as a means.  To know scripture for the purpose of knowing scripture is no great thing.  To know scripture in order to know God is the only real purpose to know scripture.

“Lord, help me be ever growing in both kinds of knowledge of You. AMEN”