March 8, 2021
John 15:21-25, “But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
Jesus quotes Psalm 69:4 here in v. 25; Psalm 69 is a royal psalm about a king (David) who was attacked without cause; Jesus applies this to himself as he does many of the royal psalms. He is the king who will sit on the throne of David forever (2 Sam. 7). Jesus did nothing wrong in his life, there was no sin in him, and even at his trial, Pilate states “I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4; John 19:4). Their hatred of Jesus would be because of his threat to their religious life and Christ’s refusal to lead the Israelites as a political conqueror. They were angry because he called himself God. But he is God, so this not in error.
We must be clear here that Jesus is referring to their guiltiness regarding these specific sins of rejecting Jesus and driving him to his crucifixion through rigged political moves and public outcry. Jesus is not saying that those who have not encountered Jesus in person are somehow not guilty of sin. Romans 3:23 makes sure we know that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is instructive, however, that upon their hearing the teaching of Jesus, they now “have no excuse for their sin.” We live in a world today where lots of lots of people have encountered the message of Christ - Jesus is indicating that there is a responsibility to that information; we can’t claim ignorance if we have heard the gospel. Sheldon Van Auken, when he became a Christian said, “I saw a gap between me and Christ. I wanted proof - I wanted letters of fire across the sky, but I got nothing. I wouldn’t make that leap; but then, by God, I saw there was a gap behind me as well. I could not reject Christ without taking a leap of faith. So what did I do? I flung myself towards Jesus.”
Prayer: Father in Heaven, hold me accountable to what you have taught me. Show me truth, show me my error, all while you remind me that I am yours forever, and you will never let me go. Thank you for your patience with me, in my sin, in my doubts, and in my fears. God, we praise you for being long-suffering and slow to anger. And thank you for sending Jesus to be that ultimate substitute for me. Amen.
40 Days of Joy: This is a toughie, but a goodie: the movie The Tree of Life by Terence Malick. This movie is the slow burn of slow burns - it’s so long and hard to watch - it can feel a lot like life. But it’s also incredibly powerful and true. Great acting - great portrait of real life - enjoy!
