John 5:45-47 -- Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
As we close out John chapter five, we hear Jesus bring one final confrontation against the religious authorities. He'd already mentioned the scriptures but now He brings up Moses.
The religious authorities and pretty much everyone at this time were very big on ancestry and family lineages. As we saw when Jesus talked to Nicodemus, the belief was if they were born Jewish then their ancestry back to Abraham saved them. Jesus of course turned things upside down by saying you must be born again. We even saw the woman at the well throw out her ancestor Jacob.
Since they'd chosen to willfully ignore the witnesses Jesus provided and they couldn't see where the scriptures pointed to Him, because didn't have the love of God in them, He now directs them to Moses. The very one who penned the books of the law they held so dear.
These religious authorities looked for their salvation in other men, such as Abraham and Moses. They had God in a box of religious interpretations, laws, and traditions. Jesus shows up and He doesn't fit in any of their equations. So, He leaves them with one final question. "But if you don't believe his (Moses) writings, how will you believe My words?".
Christian, we've seen very clearly in chapter five someone can be so zealously religious they can completely miss Jesus. Be careful you don't focus so zealously on your Jesus/church checklist and end up missing Jesus Himself.
Well, that's where things led today. It's been a long journey through chapter five of John. Jesus had a lot to say for sure! It's been awesome walking through it. Don't take my word on it, be the Berean and read for yourself!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
Comments