Jesus had come to the close of His public
ministry, so He gave a final challenge. He likened those who chose to live in
unbelief to be living in darkness and sin. This way of living was exactly the opposite
to His life and teaching. No one who believes in Jesus should stay in darkness.
Jesus solemnly warned those who chose to remain in unbelief that they would
have to face the judgement by the word He had spoken.
Having a relationship with Christ is having a
relationship with God. He and the Father has a perfect union. He came to make
the Father known. The word “seeing” here refers to knowing. It is an experiential
thing. So when we know Christ, we know God. We know that He is the One who had
sent Jesus on this mission. He came here as light to reveal God and to expose the
need of man, so as to deliver them from the domain of darkness and ruin.
This first coming of Jesus was not to judge man
but to redeem them. He came as a man to do that. The purpose of His first mission
is to woo man and win them for His eternal Kingdom. But when He comes again, He
will come as the Sovereign Judge. In verse 48 Jesus indicated that we, man, must
take the responsibility required of us. We have the right of choice. We can
choose to believe God or to reject Him. God had created us with a will and we
must exercise our will to respond positively to the message Christ came to
deliver. Our volition enables us to acknowledge the truth of God or reject
them. When a person choses to reject Christ and His word, he has in essence chosen
to reject God, and will have to face His judgement ultimately.
Let’s keep verse 48 close to our
hearts. Whatever had taken place in time will not last forever. There is going
to be a last day. God will determine the length of history. That day will come
when this world will be folded and everything burnt up. Jesus indicated here
that there will be a judgement. That last day is a day of judgement. God will
then show that He indeed is God. Every enemy will be subjugated and every knee
shall bow, and confess the Lordship of Christ. Every person will have to face
the judgement and be evaluated by the Word of Christ.
John re-enforced the fact that Jesus
and the Father are one. Every word He had spoken is God’s word. Christ had only
spoken as directed by the Father. Again we see the intimate union between
Christ and the Father in heaven. Hence it is a terrible thing not to believe in
the testimony of Jesus. In verse 50 we have Christ’s own declaration, and
in a sense His invitation to life.
Everything about Christ Jesus serves
only one purpose: that is to save us lost sinners. His life, His ministry, His
miracles, His message, and His desire all culminate in that one purpose. There
are two sides to life. We can choose to live in darkness or in the light. Jesus
had made a compelling case for why we should choose light over darkness. But
the choice remains ours to make! Now Jesus, the eternal Joshua, challenges us saying,
choose this day whom you shall serve!
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