Eternal Love - John 8:48-59 - The Holy Trinity

 

John 8:48-59 NIV

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”

⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Eternal Love

Bluntly, Jesus IS God, the Father IS God, and the Holy Spirit IS God.

As I studied, pondered, and reflected on the Gospel passage for this week, I was led into eternity. Yes, I was led into eternity. All something beyond my comprehension. Eternity is something I can’t grasp as a sinful man. I can’t understand something so impossibly larger than myself. I can’t grasp space and time beyond what I can see and feel. No, it’s all beyond me. I can’t even grasp God. God is beyond my understanding. The only thing that this leaves me with is to accept. But accept what?

So, I can see and understand why people question Jesus. Who are you Jesus? What do you mean that You and yours’ will NOT die. You know God? Well, just how is that?

I along with so many people, past and present, have always attempted to pull down God to my level. Why? We try to make sense of God, to satisfy the desire to know God from our level of logic, perception, science, and proof positive that God really exists. BUT, if this is so, THEN, we have made US God and we are rulers of ourself.

To make sense of God, many people throughout the ages have drawn God close to themselves. To make sense of the Bible, people tend to throw away eternity and the impossible for a blind faith of trust. But that even falls short. It may make us feel better and give us reason to NOT believe in any of this “God” stuff, but it leaves me empty, speaking for myself.

I’m not alone in my feelings on this. As I pondered this passage, I couldn’t help but to recall Luther’s Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed…

Let me remind you…

The Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed is…

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Look at that! Stuff beyond my understanding and maybe yours’ as well. Stuff that I can’t bring into my thinking on my own. First off, the Holy Spirit, how can I believe in that?

Then the catholic Church. That’s not the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, or Baptist, Methodist, Orthodox, or anything we have today by itself. It’s God’s Church throughout and beyond all time, perfect and without flaw or error. Well, when I look around at all of these Churches I see today, I sure see many flaws and errors! Yet, God has chosen all of these to make the holy catholic Church come forth from them.

And then go on to the forgiveness of sins. Come on! I can’t, on my own, excuse or even forgive everything I see and have had done to me, let alone all the things that I have done to God and to other people that I live with and around!

Now, the resurrection of the body? I’ve, not once witnessed this in my own life. How can I believe that!

And finally, everlasting life, COME ON!

Here’s Luther’s Explanation:

“What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.

In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

In this Christian church day after day he fully forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. On the last day he will raise me and all the dead and give me and all believers in Christ eternal life.

This is most certainly true.”

You see, it’s not about my own ability to comprehend, or even my own ability to believe, because all of this “God” stuff is too far beyond me. This IS about an eternal LOVE that God freely gives to His creation, even before the creation. Well, I can’t grasp that!

So, when Jesus said in verse 56…

⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

Abraham was able to look beyond himself in time TO SEE God in Jesus. Impossible! Yet, these are the words of Jesus.

It throws out time as we know it.

So, when we ponder this idea of the “Last Days” --- well they came with Jesus. The Word, the Logos, and Jesus HAS now spoken. Yes, the “Last Days” are NOW!

Look back in the Gospel of John to the beginning of the book…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Think about that. Jesus, incarnation, as God, coming in flesh AS God did not change God. God was always Jesus. Jesus DID NOT make God loving and forgiving. God IS ALWAYS loving and forgiving. AND, God comes to us always and forever. Even before Abraham. So, Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit always exists as the I AM.

God didn’t change; we changed. And we ARE changed by God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God was, and is, always the same. We are not.

The absolute existence of Jesus IS eternal.

But, through God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, God has come to us, to you and to me, to make US better. As we have turned away from God in our sinfulness and rejection of God and believing in God, God spins us around to face Him and in repentance for our turning away, God forgives us.

These are all actions of God, not our own efforts. God didn’t become better. God never needs to become better, because God is always God and God displays for ALL people and Eternal Love.

It’s NOT up to me or you to understand Eternal Love. It’s a gift of grace, free love, of, and from, God for all His creation. It’s NOT our effort or understanding that brings us into God’s grace!

So, why fight it? Why try to make sense of it? Why try to draw God down to our level?

God, comes to us, you and me and all, with an everlasting, eternal Love… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

I enjoyed this hymn as I reflected this week… Enjoy!

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlbnP4_yj18&list=RDMlbnP4_yj18&start_radio=1

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise