QT 29 Jun 12, It's not politics that has to change but our spirit

John 6:14-15,25-29 (NIV) After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

. . .

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

NOTE: I know that it is natural to look for political solutions to the pain in our lives. The people of Jesus' time were no different than us. Jesus could provide food and therefore they wanted to make him king by force. What is missed in this passage is, that was the reason Jesus withdrew to the mountain. He did not want to be king. He was not interested in a political solution. He had his sights set upon something far greater, our eternal destiny. A political leader is a short term solution for a problem that can't be solved by short term solutions. Jesus knew that our problem was not the need for better political leaders, but rather an eternal solution. Someday Jesus will take a role in politics. In the millennial kingdom, Jesus will rule as no person has ever ruled before. There will be justice and peace. But today, our problem is not political, it is spiritual. The people asked what it would take to do the will of God, i.e., to perform spiritually. Jesus made it very simple, believe in the one he has sent, which was Jesus. In the church community, we spend far too much time telling people what political solution to believe, when the real solution is to believe in Jesus. How often have we told a friend about Jesus versus how often have we told a friend about our political ideas? What really is more important to us? For Jesus, it was clear--eternity was far more important than this temporal life.

QT 28 Jun 12, When God asks a question, it is not because he is seeking information

John 6:1-9,12-14 (NIV) Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"  6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

. . .

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."  13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."

NOTE: There is a long jump in time from chapter five to six. The author alludes to that fact, "some time after this, …." We are probably close to a year after the baptism and are approaching the second Passover. A number of things stand out in this passage, the first is a reiteration of the thought that when God asks a question, it is not because he is seeking information. Jesus asks Philip where to buy bread for the people. Jesus already knew what he was going to do, but he wanted the disciples to realize the incredible task at hand. Andrew joins the conversation by initially mentioning a boy with some bread and fish, and then quickly realizes that amount of food could never feed so many. Now that the disciples recognize the problem, Jesus begins a miracle. We don't have any discussion until the end, and maybe the disciples would have never recognized what was happening if Jesus had not questioned them and posed the problem. The people are quick to realize the miracle. From one small basket of bread and fish, twelve baskets of leftovers are gathered, which doesn't even include what the crowd ate. But the point, when God asks questions, it is not to gain information, but often is intended to get our attention and to get us thinking.

QT 27 Jun 12, Beware the outwardly religious

John 5:41-47 (NIV) "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

NOTE: This passage ought to put a chill in the heart of an outwardly religious person. Jesus' audience was very religious and, as he says, had set their hopes on Moses. But Jesus tells them that 1) they do not have the love of God in their hearts; 2) they readily accept people who believe like them; 3) they long ago lost the desire to please God; and 4) they have ceased to really dig into the truth that could save their lives, i.e., the scriptures which foretold about Jesus. How do we avoid becoming outwardly religious? I think it starts inwardly. It requires a steady dose of truth, which is the word of God. We need to read his Word daily and saturate our mind with truth. Secondly, we need to evaluate our actions in light of truth. We need to ask the hard questions of our motives and don't let ourselves be fooled by others' praise. We need to learn to repent of sin immediately, so that nothing can hinder the Lord's work in our lives. Finally, we must never put our hope in rules or outward expressions of faith, because God looks at the heart, and works can never save us.

QT 26 Jun 12, The claims of Christ are undeniable; men refuse only because they do not want to submit to God

John 5:31-40 (NIV) "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.

33 "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

NOTE: As I understand it, a person cannot testify to himself, which is why Jesus says his testimony is not valid. He offers up John as a human testimony, but argues there is better testimony still. He then argues that his work, the miracles are a very strong testimony to his claims. God the Father, who spoke out of the clouds during his baptism, is one who does not require another testimony (the Holy Spirit descends as a second God-witness during the same event). It is the Father himself whose works he does and would not be able to do if his testimony was not valid. This is the heart of the Jewish leader's problem. How can a man do what Jesus did and appear to blasphemy as well? In the end (Matt 12), they will give credit to Satan and his power, which violates the purpose of nearly all the works Jesus did, since they were done for good and not evil. Jesus also points to the scripture as another argument for the truth of his claims. He fulfilled multiple prophecies in a manner that is far beyond chance. In the end, all of these testimonies make Jesus' claim valid, but still, men refuse to come to Jesus for life. The issue is not the evidence but their unwillingness to repent of their sin and rebellion. Atheism has always been about a hatred of moral rules and less about a philosophical position that makes sense. People want to sin, and so they believe what allows them to sin.

QT 21 Jun 12, Faith is the "good works" which save

John 5:24-29 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

NOTE: On the surface, verses 28 and 29 seem to be out of sync with the rest of the teaching of scripture, but they must be understood in their context. Jesus has just made it clear that belief in him is required for eternal life. Now, the dead would not have had an opportunity to believe in Christ, therefore there belief must be like Abraham's, who "believed God and it was accredited to him righteousness." Therefore, the only way to be righteous ("done good") in God's eyes would be faith in God prior to Jesus, and belief in Jesus after his revealing. Both actions provide righteousness to those who believe. Good works are not sufficient since the bible clearly states that no man is righteous before God on his own account. We can not do enough good works to justify our sinful nature. So, the only good works we can then offer to God is faith, our belief that He has saved us and we can't do anything good to save ourselves.

QT 18 Jun 12, Believers have a great gift and a great responsibility

John 5:19-27 (NIV) Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

NOTE: A few things stand out in this passage. One is that the Father and Son are intrinsically linked. Secondly, the Son has the Father's ability to give life to whom he is pleased. Third, the Son is honored just as the Father (this latter statement clearly establishes Jesus as equal to God the Father and not just a son of God as some try to dismiss). Fourth, the Father has entrusted the judgment of mankind to the Son.

Jesus gives the only recipe for eternal life, to hear his word and to believe him (Jesus). There is no condemnation for those who believe. At that moment, they cross from spiritually dead to spiritually alive. We who have believed have an awesome gift, no condemnation and eternal life. Why are we so slow and timid to share that truth with those around us? Father, forgive me for my timidity. Open my eyes to opportunities to share my faith.

QT 14 Jun 12, Jesus claimed to be God and we must decide how to respond to that claim

John 5:16-18 (NIV) So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."  18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

NOTE: The skeptic will often try to use the argument that Jesus never claimed to be God, but over and over again, the Jews clearly understood what he was saying and what he claimed. Later, the High Priest will tear his clothes because of something Jesus says during his trial, and exclaim, "we have heard his blasphemy." No person has ever claimed to be God and lived the life that validated that claim, except for Jesus. He is unique in human history. His power validates his verbal statements. That was the conundrum that the Jewish leaders faced. His teaching was in conflict with their view of God but he was doing good, doing impossible miracles, and making impossible claims. What should they do with this person? Should they admit they were wrong and repent --but that might reduce their status in the view of others--what should they do? They decide to oppose Jesus. And so, we similarly, when faced with the claims of Jesus have the same choice, to repent and believe, or to reject Christ. There is no middle ground when it comes to responding to the claims of Christ.

QT 13 Jun 12, Listen to the gentle whisper so that God does not need to use the brick wall to get our attention

John 5:14-15 (NIV) Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."  15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

NOTE: It is clear from other statements of Jesus that not all suffering is the result of sin. But in this case, Jesus explicitly references some past activity as the cause or reason for the previous suffering. The man does not argue against Jesus in regards to the matter. Also, Jesus warns the man that he must make a change in his life (repentance from the sin), or something worse will happen to him. There are some sins that have direct consequences to our body, like excessive alcohol and other stronger drugs. There are activities, such as wild parties, that could result in a person's loss of livelihood. And then there are things, somewhat unrelated to the sinful activity, which God uses to get our attention. Sometimes, God frees us from our mistakes and gives us a new start. But if we fall back into the sin, there is always the danger of even greater suffering. For the believer this would be called discipline. God tries to get our attention. He starts with the gentle whisper, then he uses a friend or person to call us to account, and then finally uses the two-by-four or brick wall to get our attention. If we would listen when the gentle whisper speaks, we could avoid a lot of pain in life.

QT 12 Jun 12, Jesus will always be a problem to other religions

John 5:8-13 (NIV) Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."  9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."

11 But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'"

12 So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"

NOTE: This verse represents the heart of the struggle that the religious leaders have toward Jesus. The healed man said, "the man who made me well said … 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" The problem, later verbalized by the religious leaders, is that 'how could Jesus do these miracles if God was not working within him?' And how could Jesus do these miracles if he was at odds with God by disobeying the Jewish law (as interpreted by the religious leaders)? And even more concerning, was Jesus' redefinition of the law, thereby placing himself above the religious leaders and on par with God. There has never been another man in history who did the works that Jesus did, who lived an exemplary life, and who made the claims Jesus did. He is unique in history. And, he was, and is God himself. The signs, miracles, and perfect lifestyle testify to the truth of his statements. The story of Jesus ought to encourage us about our faith. There is no other name under the sun by which men may be saved, and if we have believed in Jesus, we have that tremendous privilege of salvation.

QT 11 Jun 12, The focus needs to be on Jesus, nothing else compares

John 5:1-6 (NIV) Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie — the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.  5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

NOTE: I believe that one of the principles of scriptural interpretation is that when God asks a question, it is not because he is lacking information. That point is even more clear in this situation where Jesus asks an obviously crippled man sitting near a legendary place of healing (whether the legend was true or not is besides the point) if he wants to be healed. Of course, he wants to be healed. But Jesus' question is much more loaded, because even if the man could be moved quick enough to the pool when it stirred there is no guarantee of healing. The man's focus is on the obstacles to getting to the pool, which is also most likely a false hope. Jesus' question is not so obvious as it seems. Jesus says, "do you want to get well," meaning, forget the hope of the waters stirring, and moving into the pool quickly -- DO YOU WANT TO GET HEALED … right now, right here, without any pool -- do you want to get healed -- I can heal you. I don't think the man ever realized what Jesus meant, until Jesus said, "Get up! Pick up you mat and walk." I think later the man probably realized that Jesus' initial question had nothing to do with the pool, but everything to do with what was really important. The man's hope was in the pool when it should have been on the person asking the question. Later, the man will find Jesus (or possibly Jesus found him), because it is far better to find Jesus than it is to be healed of some earthly disability. Healing does not save a person eternally, but knowing Jesus does. Jesus is where our focus should be in life because all the trappings cannot provide what only Jesus can truly provide--eternal and abundant life with God.

QT 8 Jun 12, Sometimes our sophistication is our greatest enemy to faith

John 4:43-54 (NIV) After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

NOTE: I doubt the "certain royal official" really cared about the theological implications of belief, miracles, and signs. At that point, the man was not a "certain royal official" but just a Dad with a sick and dying son. He did not play up on his status, at least from the text, and is said to have "begged" Jesus to come and heal his son. Suffering comes to all classes of people in a variety of ways and forms. One's person suffering is usually different from another, but in one thing they all agree--they all hurt and it seems overwhelming at the time. Jesus decides not to visit the man's home, but rather just to pronounce a verdict (a promise) -- "your son will live." The man accepts his word, of course at that point, any hope is worth trusting. His later "calculations" showed that his son started to improve at the very moment Jesus said "your son will live." His testimony of this fact was sufficient for his entire household to believe. Nowadays, miracles of healing, which God still does perform in his mercy, although not always, are rarely the thing that brings another to faith. We are too sophisticated and argue away these supposed miracles with words like: coincidence, good luck, karma, and medical explanations. But God does still intervene at times in human history in his compassion for his children, and we would do well to give him thanks for everything we have.

QT 7 Jun 12, There is a blessing to those who believe without miracles

John 4:43-54 (NIV) After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

NOTE: It seemed to bother Jesus that people would not believe unless they saw some miraculous sign. John seems to emphasize the point not only with Jesus' statement but with the earlier comment about a prophet having no honor in his own country. The entrance of the gospel is authenticated by miracles as also prophesied in scripture. But miracles are a sign, that for the most part, were not to continue. They identify that something new is happening and they authenticate the speaker. This theme occurs in other places in John's gospel where specific messianic miracles are performed, and where Jesus's miracles force others to deal with the question of where his power could come from, if not from God (which also argues against supposed blasphemy as well). After his death, Jesus visits the apostles, and rebukes Thomas for his lack of belief, and adds a blessing to those who later believe without seeing. We are those who don't get to see Jesus' miracles but we still believe. We are blessed for our belief. It is harder to believe when the signs do not always support our belief. God will reward us for our belief, both in this age and in the age to come.

QT 5 Jun 12, Ministry is far more satisfying than earthly pleasures

John 4:28-31. 34-42 (NIV) Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"  30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

...

34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

NOTE: Certainly, Jesus was not arguing that food was unnecessary, but rather that there was something more important happening (and more satisfying), and if anything, not to miss out on it because of a need to satisfy some earthly want. There will be times when ministry will crowd out a dinner or a golf game or a night of sleep or whatever it is where we might find enjoyment. But, there is an even greater joy involved in ministry and seeing lives changed by the gospel. Jesus knew that and he wanted his disciples to understand that aspect of ministry as well. Of course, ministry is also hard and the "sheep" are "dirty" and "smelly." But the aroma of lives changed is quite different and is worth all the hard work in the end. One last comment is that Jesus says that the sower and reaper are glad together. Sometimes we just sow and sow and never seem to reap. In that case, we believe, by faith, that our reward is in heaven, and our reward will also be in the words of Christ, "well done, good and faithful servant." We don't always see the reward of our efforts, but God knows and he will reward us in His time.

QT 4 Jun 12, Tolerance should not mean that all truths are equal--Jesus did not believe that

John 4:7-9, 13-14, 19-26 (NIV) When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"  8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

…

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

…

19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

NOTE: One of the saddest stories of scripture is when Jeroboam led a revolt of ten tribes of Israel and set up a separate nation. The sad part of the story is not the revolt, but rather Jeroboam's decision to set up two high places for worship so that the people would not return to Jerusalem. The decision was a replay of the golden calf incident in the desert and ultimately was a major reason for the destruction of the norther kingdom 200 years later by Assyria. Amazingly, the Samaritans, who are the distant relations to the northern kingdom still believe that one of the high places was the correct place to worship. Intermixed with falsehood was the truth of the Messiah. Jesus had just explained the falsity of the women's belief. Her answer was to defer to a coming Messiah to judge her truth. Jesus, boldly, reveals to her that he is that Messiah, therefore what he just said was truth. Jesus displays a right kind of tolerance. He was very accepting of the person and respectful, but he corrects her wrong theology. Tolerance does not mean that all beliefs are true or equal. One can hold a false view, but another does not have to accept that view as true. Jesus, very clearly, tells her that her view is false. When she tries to defer the conversation, he makes it even more clear by claiming to be the very person who would ultimately clear up the confusion. This is probably one of the best examples of correct tolerance in scripture: respectful attitude  (to a normally racially hated group) with respectful and gentle correction using truth. We ought to follow the very same model in our interactions with people of different views. We can't claim to be the Messiah, but we can clearly articulate the claims of the bible. Whether a person chooses to believe or not is their decision.

QT 1 Jun 12, Rejection of Christ is sufficient for Hell

John 3:31-36 (NIV) "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

NOTE: Verse 36 is the argument for why not every person is saved even though Jesus' death paid the price for the sins of the world. Rejection of the son places God's wrath upon the individual. I suppose, it is possible that your sins are paid, but your one sin, rejection of Christ is not paid. For those who never hear the gospel, … well, I could come up with a number of nifty explanations, but the only thing I do know: the just, holy, and loving God of the universe will do right (using Moses' own words at the end).

And in case someone is still hung up about the word (logos) being God and becoming flesh, John clarifies his previous argument. He is clearly talking about a person who is above all and who speaks the very words of God. Rejection of this person is rejection of the eternal life that he offers.