(REFLECTIONS ON John 8:48-59)

Previously, the Jewish leaders claimed that Abraham was their father, and that they only have one Father, God. However, in not believing Jesus’ words and accepting Jesus as coming from the Father, it showed that although they claimed God as their Father, that in fact they did not know God. If they knew God, they would know Jesus, and so in today’s Scripture, we see Jesus exposing their lies.

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.

Although they say, “He is our God,” Jesus said that they have not come to know Him as Jesus knows Him. On the contrary, Jesus said, “if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.”

Knowing God is knowing Jesus, and keeping His word. It is not enough to say, “He is our God,” but we must also know Jesus. And we cannot say we know Jesus, if we do not keep His word. The question for us today then, is what “He is our God” means in our life and faith. Do we say “He is our God,” but not know Jesus? Do we say we know Jesus, but not keep His words?

It is interesting that the Jewish leaders believed they knew God, but they were liars. On the other hand, Jesus said He would be a liar if He said He did not know God and keep His word. Jesus would be a liar if He denied God, and the Jewish leaders were liars for saying they knew God.

What is more important than saying, “He is our God” then is knowing Jesus, and through keeping His word, knowing God.

He is our God: Question Mark?

Do we know God? Do we know Jesus? Do we keep His word? Let us meditate on His word today and ask ourselves these questions. Let our faith, saying “He is our God,” be followed by a Question Mark? so that we can examine ourselves, rather than live in the lie that the Jewish leaders did.

They said, “He is our God,” may we focus rather on keeping His word.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: John 8