I received a letter from a listener to our radio program. She told me of her deep struggle of soul, until she came to call out to the Lord for rest and peace! God heard her. When she needed help she could call on the Lord and the Lord heard her.
What she needed was an understanding of herself. In fact, she needed to understand her need. That is what all of us need. Yet sometimes it seems we cannot reach it.
It was so in Jesus’ day. As He met with the crowds, they struggled to understand Him. Their problem really was to understand themselves. Jesus was able to touch those areas of life which are essential even for us today. We come to better understanding from the Scripture text, John 8:21-30, and the words of Jesus.
21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself: but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Here are several INSIGHTS into human behavior which should help us see ourselves as we are.
The first Insight:
Unbelief Is the Roadblock.
Jesus issued a warning. He said, “You shall seek me, but you shall not find me, and you shall die in your sins.” He said, “Where I go, you cannot come.” Now that was a very solemn warning Jesus issued to these people.
He then went on to say, “If you do not believe that I am he you shall die in your sins.” So Jesus stated a condition; a condition, my friend, beyond which there is no help. He said, “I am the Messiah and if you do not believe that I am He you shall die in your sins.”
The conclusion is that unbelief is the roadblock.
There is no escape because Jesus made it very clear. There is only one way, believe that Jesus is He.
The second Insight:
Understanding Is the Doorway.
Then Jesus answered a question for them. They said, “Who are you?” He said, “I am the same one that I told you before.” I go back to verse twelve of this chapter and I find that Jesus there said, “I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” I believe that Jesus answered their question with reference to that particular statement when they said, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am the same one I told you before. I am the light of the world.” And then Jesus made this statement: “I have much to say to you and I get my message from the true One, the One who sent me. I speak what He tells me to say but you do not understand. You do not understand.”
You see, I am pointing out to you that one of the insights into human behavior is that understanding is the doorway. On the one hand, unbelief is the road block. But on the other hand, understanding is the doorway to let you through. There is no other route.
Jesus was helping these people and you and me to realize that understanding is the doorway.
The third Insight that Jesus gives to human behavior:
Unequal Is the Decisive Point.
Jesus made a prediction. He said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know what I have said. When you have lifted up the Son of man then you shall know that I am He.” There was a time to come, Jesus predicted, when they would lift Him up.
Lifting Him up certainly must have brought to their minds the experience of their forefathers in the wilderness while coming from Egypt to the Holy Land. When the serpents got among them, Moses cried out unto the Lord. The Lord instructed Moses to make a brazen serpent and put it upon a pole. Everyone who looked at that serpent was healed. Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man then you shall know that I am He.” It was a very important prediction.
Then Jesus stated a very vital principal. He said, “The Father is with me and I do always those things that please the Father.” Not another human being has ever been able to make such a statement. Nobody but Jesus has been able to say “I do always those things that please the Father.”
That’s why I say unequal is a decisive point because He is not like you and me. No one is equal to Him. He stands above all others.
These insights should lead you to faith in Him. Are they not significant insights to the needs of human behavior, just like you and just like me? You can overcome the roadblock of unbelief by faith. You can enter the doorway of understanding by faith. You can resolve the decisive point by faith. He is the Messiah. Do you know Him? Do you believe in Him?