In John 8, the Pharisees once again challenged Jesus. Effectively, these were church leaders of the current day. They were known by their outward ceremonial acts and customs. They were strict in their beliefs and outward observances of ceremony. They were bitter enemies of Jesus and His cause. He would rebuke them for their greed, ambition, hollow reliance on outward works, and affection for religious devotion to outward spirituality in order to gain popularity… and money.
In verse 13, they challenged Jesus:
13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” NKJV
The response:
14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.
17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
The Law was necessary to reveal the sinful nature of man but we were not intended to remain under the Law. Instead we were to move on to a higher relationship with Our Heavenly Father whose primary characteristic is Love. If you don’t know Love, you really don’t know Our Heavenly Father. You may know HIM as GOD, but not as FATHER.
Many who call themselves church leaders today must ask themselves the same question. Though claiming to have much revelation, if they have little or no revelation of Love, they are walking the path of The Law. How can you say you understand grace and mercy and spend no time pursuing a greater revelation of Love? How can you subject the “flock” to the threat and punishment of an eternal hell and say you know Our Heavenly Father of Love? Why spend hours upon hours studying all the nooks and crevices of Scripture as the Pharisees did, and not know Our Heavenly Father’s Son Who came as the full expression of Love, enough to die on the Cross?
What do you devote your time to? Love and its expressed character or everything else under the sun?
Jesus was further challenged by their arrogance:
19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
Jesus has clearly identified two paths here: The outward focus of justification by acts of the flesh versus the inward revelation of a higher spiritual understanding. The Pharisees had no idea of who His FATHER was. They had no relationship with Our Heavenly Father. They were no different than those who died in the wilderness. They spent all of their time trying to impress everyone with their spiritual understanding rather than pursuing the heart of Our Heavenly Father where the Divine Intent of Love resides.
Where specifically in the Temple was Jesus when He spoke of this division? The treasury:
20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.
Where is your treasury? As we pursue the fullness of Love, we lay up treasures in Heaven. The Pharisees sought man’s treasures and took the path of the Law, ultimately resulting in death. Jesus makes this clear:
21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”
Which path are you on? Look at the fruit of your life and the fruit will bear witness of your path. If you are on the wrong path, it is never to late to repent (turn away) and take the other path. HIS great grace and mercy allowed for this change in direction… because HE Loves us.