After the Jewish authorities had shown that they simply didn’t want to listen, and no proof would be sufficient for them to accept him as their Messiah, Jesus told them he would go his way, and they would die in their sins (John 8:21). In other words, although he came to save mankind (John 3:16), and that salvation is obtainable at any time upon one’s repentance, the salvation of the nation was available only as long as Jesus was with them, offering himself as their Messiah. After they crucified him, vis-à-vis after he went his way, they would seek him, or put another way, they would seek the promised Messiah to save them, when their nation was threatened, vis-à-vis the Jews’ war with Rome, cir. 66 AD to 70 AD, but they would die in their sins. In other words, the nation and its Temple would be destroyed.
Still displaying their impertinence, the authorities asked would he commit suicide (John 8:22). It seems they understood Jesus to refer to his death in saying he would go his way, and that would end the availability of salvation for the nation. Earlier, they wondered, if he would go to the Diaspora and the gentiles (John 7:35). Folks often do such things in a debate, when they have nothing to say. They begin to focus on belittling their opponent by making his words sound ridiculous, but here they focused on Jesus’ death. While not wanting to admit that they sought his life, they pretended he might kill himself, which was something abhorrent to the Law. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century AD: “the souls of those whose hands have acted madly against themselves, are received by the darkest place in Hades”[1]
Jesus responded in his defense by saying his opponents, the Jewish authorities, were from beneath, vis-à-vis this world, and their argument fits that context, fleshy (cp. John 3:6a), corrupt and of low morals. On the other hand, Jesus claimed to be from above, not of this world, spiritual (cp. John 3:6b), and his words should have been taken as such (John 8:23). Therefore, you, meaning you and the nation you lead, and you and the Temple you serve will be destroyed (John 8:24). In your stubbornness to cling to the doctrine that you are able to see (John 9:40-41) and understand who is and who is not good for the nation, and reject the only Messiah you’d ever have, you destroy your only opportunity to save that nation and its Temple.
The Jewish authorities responded in contempt: “Who are you?” (John 8:25), as if to say: who are you to seek to intimidate us? They knew who Jesus claimed to be, for they had been arguing against his position this whole while, but Jesus responded in earnest, saying he was the same person he had always claimed to be, meaning he was the Messiah (John 8:26). Then he said (as Messiah) he had many things he could judge concerning them, but he would be true to the One who sent him, and he (Jesus) always speaks as he is prompted by him, vis-à-vis the Father.
Nevertheless, they didn’t understand that he spoke of the Father (John 8:27), so Jesus concluded by saying, when they had lifted him up (crucified him), they would know then that he was the Messiah, and they would also realize the Father was ever with him, working through all he said and did (John 8:28-29); cp. Matthew 27:62-64; 28:11-13), and the text concludes this part of the debate with: “As he spoke these words, many believed him” (John 8:30).
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[1] See: Josephus; Wars of the Jews 2.8.5 [366-392]
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5 responses to “You Will Die in Your Sins!”
The Authorities want this Jesus Person who says I AM the Light of the World to die as a single person. They understand how Light came into the world. The Spirit hovered over the dark watery abyss and was almost pulled in. With her constant energy, sound and light emerged. People through the ages have noted, lightning is seen before thunder is heard, because the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. The Greeks believed the God of Thunder was the Father of the gods and the Hebrews believed God spoke to Moses as thunder and lightning.
Greetings Linda, and thank you for your comment. I know I said we would ‘talk’, but you’ve said nothing here for me to reply to. I hate being nasty, and I know I have been nasty to you. The problem is you hold as ‘true’ many things that I find ‘offensive’ in my faith. Sometimes, I’d rather reply to folks who hate God, than to try to speak with you, because from where I sit, you change him and what he says in his word into something that comes out from your own imagination. That God–from where I sit–doesn’t exist. Folks who hate him, misunderstand his word, but they don’t try to change his word. I can speak better with them. With you, I’m nasty. I apologize for that, but I don’t know how to fix it.
Eddie, I appreciate your honesty and your commitment to the Word of God from your lived experience. When Jesus was crucified, the Jews saw the Cross as offensive and the Greeks saw her as foolish. Yet Paul persisted and kept writing epistles to the contrary, saying. We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24) Have you read my Master’s thesis? or my book The Ecumenical Affair? Patriarchal language veils the Word!
No, I haven’t read your book. It has been my experience that reading what you have to say has very little in common with what I believe is true. I don’t mean that as an offense, but to express how far apart we are in what either of us accepts as truth.
Crucifixion would be an “offense” in any culture. What Paul has in mind is, the Jews expected a messiah who would be a great general that would break the yoke of their enemies, especially Rome. Therefore, to preach Christ crucified would be an ‘offense’ or a stumbling block against the Jews’ understanding of what a messiah was expected to be. On the other hand, preaching Christ to the Greeks would be considered a joke or foolishness. How could a dead leader help anyone? It was two different points of view concerning two different contexts of leadership.
You seem to have a poor view of Paul, which also keeps us from agreeing on matters concerning God’s word.
I can see your point. I’m sure many Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s day felt about Paul’s epistles as you do about mine. I wrote an essay on Paul in my final semester of my undergraduate studies. This essay addressed the gender and circumcision of Paul. This essay was well defended and so I submitted it with my application for Graduate Studies. My late husband, the Reverend Dr. Gordon Turner thought my idea of Paul in a skirt was crazy. However, he had a book in his library maintaining every pastor, teacher and theologian interprets Paul in their own image.