Emo Tenorio Supporter Shomer

I humbly submit that in the course of human events there is a time for every purpose under heaven. As hard as it maybe for some; people actually meant what they said in WORDS that had TRUTH and purpose. Often spoken regardless of any possible damage to the hearers fragile egg shell mind or years of serious couch time for repairs.

Yesterday’s harsh words could correct a societal misstep. Possibility saving a person’s soul from any further buffoonery, proclivities down the road. Today only approved soft words that mean nothing are permitted. Bubble wrapped folks within safe places are protected from the harsh realities of real life. So long as an odd life is lived within safe place cages.

Any truth delivered in meaningful words, regardless of a hearers emotionalism. Is simply receiving information with the BARK ON. (Galatians 4:16)

“He who marries the spirit of the age will soon be a widower.” 
~Dean W. R. Inge

In the Lords freedom..warrior on

March 11 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

Jesus and the Pharisees dialogue back and forth in four rounds of debate (See "The Chapters of John" by Harold Willmington) online. It's free.)

In round three (John 8:31-47) we see:
1. The confusion (John 8:33): The Jews feel they are free men because Abraham was their father.
2. The clarification (John 8:32, 34-44)
a. Jesus says all unsaved men are not free but are enslaved by sin (John 8:31-32, 34-36).
b. Jesus says that Satan is their true father, not Abraham (John 8:37-44).
(1) The Devil is a liar, and they are liars (John 8:44b). Jesus is implying that they are related!
(2) Abraham is not their real father, so they don't follow Jesus (John 8:37-41).
(3) The Devil is a murderer, and they are attempting to kill him (John 8:42-44a).
3. The claim (John 8:45-47): Jesus claims to be sinless!

Mark Twain said, "The truth hurts, but silence kills." If Jesus had not told them the truth, neither they nor their audience (including us) would have been helped.

"The religious leaders spread lies covered in a veneer of godliness (John 8:44); Jesus spoke harshly against them because He came to bring life (John 10:10)." S. Michael Houdmann -- https://www.gotquestions.org/scribes-and-Pharisees.html

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil Their sinful behavior, exemplified by unbelief, puts them in opposition to God and Jesus. The accusation is an intentionally offensive counterclaim to their assertion that God was their father. FSB

March 12 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Why did Jesus speak so harshly? (John 8:44)

On one occasion, Jesus was speaking with some self-righteous Jewish religious leaders who boasted that they were sons of Abraham. Yet they had adamantly opposed the truth Jesus preached. 

Jesus spoke harshly to the group of Pharisees in John 8:44 because they were hypocritical religious leaders who stubbornly rejected the truth of His divine origin and were actively plotting to murder Him. His stern language was intended to expose their profound spiritual sickness and shock them out of their self-righteous delusion, not to be merely mean or insulting.

John 8:44 ASV Bible:

"Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof."

These Jewish religious leaders should have been the first to welcome Jesus, listen to him, and joyfully accept his direction. But, they did not. Instead, they hated him, persecuted him, and conspired to kill him!​—Mark 14:1; 15:1-3, 10-15.

So Jesus rightly condemned those reprehensible men. (Matthew 23:33-35) However, he recognised that someone else must share the blame for the evil in their hearts, and that is why he said those words in John 8:44.

Conclusion:

1: Condemnation of hypocrisy: Jesus's harsh language was a response to the religious leaders who claimed to be children of God but instead chose to follow the Devil. They were hypocrites who shut the door of God's kingdom from those who sought it.

2: Opposition to truth: Jesus accused them of being liars, just as the Devil is a liar, because they were rejecting his message of truth and life. His words were a stark contrast to the "lies" he said they were spreading.

3: Consequence of their actions: By rejecting Jesus, they were not acting as righteous Jews but as children of the Devil, who was a murderer from the beginning. Jesus's strong rebuke was a solemn declaration of the judgment they were bringing upon themselves.

4: Context of compassion: Despite his harsh words for these leaders, Jesus's ministry was also characterised by gentleness and compassion towards other sinners and those who genuinely sought God. The harshness was a specific, righteous response to a specific group's spiritual deception and opposition, not a reflection of a generally unkind disposition. 

5: To warn others: By publicly condemning the religious leaders' behaviour, Jesus was also warning the people that they were leading them astray. He showed that a veneer of godliness did not equate to true faith, and that these leaders were acting as "wolves" who shut the door to God's kingdom.

6: As an "intervention", Biblical scholars suggest Jesus' harsh language acted like a spiritual intervention designed to shock the unrepentant out of their self-delusion and toward a realisation of their dire spiritual condition. For those unwilling to listen to gentler words, a more direct and confrontational approach was necessary to highlight the severity of their sickness (sin).

7: To expose hypocrisy and sin: Jesus used strong words to cut through the self-righteous pride of the Pharisees, who outwardly appeared pious but inwardly were full of malice and lies. They claimed God as their father and Abraham as their ancestor. Still, their murderous intentions proved otherwise, demonstrating they were following the ways of Satan, the "murderer from the beginning" and the "father of lies".

The harshness of Jesus' language was proportionate to the stubbornness and dangerous actions of his audience, serving as a powerful tool to expose evil and call for repentance. 

This was not a sign of general anger, but a righteous, compassionate, and sorrowful denouncement of their harmful actions and stubborn rejection of God's salvation.

11 hours ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report