John 8:28 –
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.”
Jesus is making sure people understand who he is and the people could not understand. Twice in this chapter He states the He is the great “I AM”. Yet the people do not see this and get enraged. Again you have to think about what Jesus represents at this time in Jewish history. He is the Messiah they have been waiting for and yet He is being rejected. Unfortunately the common belief of the day was that the Messiah would be a warrior that would lead them into victory against Rome. They had no idea that the battle was bigger than an earthy empire.
Also, many of these miracles, although grand, were not unusual. It had only been 1400 to 1500 years since Moses parted the Red Sea and Joshua parted the Jordan. Enoch and Elijah both went to heaven without dying so the stories of great miracles were common. Turning a few jars of water into wine and healing some people were not surprising to these people. Many great prophets had walked with the Israelites before Jesus, so many looked at Him as just one more. So sure they had their doubts and freely expressed them.
It was Jesus turning the norm on its head that caused Israel and their leader’s distress. This chapter explores much of that conflict and Jesus defending Himself. You can gain insight of the mood back then and honestly see the same doubt today, even in the church this exists. It’s hard to believe in a God that is unseen, unless He is experienced. Even then He is quickly explained and dismissed by science.
So I pose the question today, I Jesus returned and it was not like the depiction we commonly get from preaching on Revelations would we believe if He was before us saying I have returned? Would our leaders want to give up their position to someone that is not what they expected? See some tough questions need to be pondered while reading these stories.
Now before we leave this chapter I want to comment on the story of the adulterous woman. Two quick comments, first what did Jesus write in the dust? Was he asking where the man was? We are quick to condemn the women, but release the man … shouldn’t both be held accountable? Second, this story was an “add on” and not in the older contexts. It appears in later copies but for whatever reason it did not appear in the older ones. Many try to explain this as proof the Bible is a fabricated documents where I just figure John forgot it and added it in later. It’s a great story and shows the hypocrisy of many people, so enjoy but don’t get blindsided by that “detail”.