O God…I have seen you in your sanctuary
….and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
….how I praise you! Psalm 63:1-3 NLT
John 8:28 (<<click here to read the passage)
When I was in college there was a common gesture amongst my friends. We’d hold our hand with all of our fingers extended straight out. We would then pass our hands over our heads. It meant that something said went over the head of someone listening. It insinuated that someone didn’t have their head in the game and were off in la-la land somewhere.
Here’s today’s verse,
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I AM he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. John 8:28 NLT
Jesus’ statement of being “lifted up” was a nice way of referring to death on the cross. It was not something of which people spoke lightly. Crucifixion was one of the vilest, most brutal, and shameful ways to die.
Now maybe the religious leadership were distracted, but to me at least I think they deserved a hand over the head, for it definitely went over theirs!
In some ways being blind to the obvious doesn’t make sense but we see it in our world, too. We spoke recently with a friend whose grandmother had passed away (another one of those “nice” phrases referring to death). Only after her death did they realize how bad off her grandfather was. She had diligently covered his physical and mental health issues for years. The stress and pressure of it all were probably contributing factors to her untimely death.
But in this case, the spiritual leaders of Israel were so intent on preserving their image and the power they held that they refused to see what was right in front of them. They chose themselves over the long-awaited fulfillment of prophecy that was fleshed out in Jesus of Nazareth. He was the Messiah, the Chosen One. But they flat out rejected Him.
And that is the greatest tragedy of all. They weren’t in la-la land. Their response to Jesus had nothing to do with not having their heads in the game. They deliberately, defiantly denied the reality of who Jesus was. He didn’t fit their preset mindsets and they were not about to change their minds. In their heads, they held the power…not Him. And they were bound and determined to keep it that way.
Are the people of our world today any different? Nope. Too many things have polluted our minds about who Jesus is. Too often we see Him through the eyes of others who have distorted the reality of who He truly is. Ashamedly, the church has contributed to this distorted image, too.
Here is an “in our face” statement of Jesus from John 13:34-35. The Amplified Bible spells it out very clearly.
“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” John 13:34-35
The note on verse 34 from the Amplified Bible should be taken to heart, as well.
The key to understanding this…statement about love is to know that this…is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern… and a willingness to seek the best for another.
Lord Jesus, help us to seek Your heart. May we be all about showing You for who You truly are, not for the contrived notions that we hold. Amen.
June 29th, 2021, Tues, 7:07 pm
