50 "I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
Jesus’ purpose in His first Advent was to save and to reveal God to mankind. It was positive – He came neither judging nor condemning. Yet to reject His revelation by hardening our hearts ultimately results in God’s righteous judgment. Jesus did pronounce the decision on the ungodly by His Words – those who were “blind “- those who admitting their helplessness and inability - would come to sight while those “seeing” – those who were filled with self-righteousness, self-trust and pride – would become blind. Those with blindness see no beauty or excellence in our Lord’s message. We are told by our Lord:
39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." John 9:39 (NIV)
Jesus does not condemn by making unbelievers blind, rather they blind themselves by rejecting His Truth - Satan also contributing to that blinding. The gospel was and continues to be rejected by those who willingly refuse to embrace it and continually harden their hearts:
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor 4:4 (NIV)
I am writing this from the Holy Land and the above verse has come to mind over and over again. Truth clearly presented in constant flow through fulfilled prophecies, landmarked miracles, even knowledge of God’s Word yet the blindness remains. We open the door for the enemy to blind when we allow darkness to abound by our constantly clinging to the worthless over the precious. In our verse for today our Lord states emphatically that He knows His command leads to eternal life. There certainly appears to be no vacillation on Jesus’ part to me – He is totally assured of the Truth He speaks. As a faithful Witness, He spoke the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. We can be rest assured of this fact. He is fully aware that by our rejecting His Word, we are rejecting life everlasting. Peter was thoroughly convinced that Jesus’ Words would lead to life and rightly confessed:
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:68-69 (NIV)
“By an unfeigned belief in every Word of Christ, and an entire subjection of soul to it, we must give Him the glory due to His name.” Matthew Henry
The Truth that our Lord’s command leads to eternal life certainly should have a practical effect upon our faith. We should live as those who believe in the truth of the judgment, and of heaven and of hell. While believers will not be judged for condemnation, our works will certainly be judged and tested by fire. Paul tells us:
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Cor 3:10-15 (NIV)
“Christ has told us He will come, but not when, that we might never put off our clothes, or put out the candle.” William Gurnall
Who wants to enter heaven with a charred back-side and no crown to lay at our Lord’s feet? Jesus deserves our all and we are the ultimate losers if we choose not to live that way, refusing His best for our lives and opting rather for the poor substitute of our wills. We can never serve God too much – Christ died for us – nothing is too great for us to do for Him. Paul writes to his beloved Timothy the following which also sets forth for us a wonderful example:
11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Tim 1:11-12 (NIV)
“Don’t slack off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted people to strive for, and a degree of which you have had in conversion. Thus pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know your self and be brought to God’s feet, and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those that have most of these things still need to pray for them; for there so much blindness and hardness and pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them. This will be a further bringing out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, and a kind of new conversion...” Jonathan Edwards, Advice to Young Converts.