Scripture to Read: John 8:21–24
Jesus never backed away from His Truth but always confronted sin head-on, lovingly challenging those lost in their sins. In John 8:21, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” There is no doubt that Jesus was letting them know He would be going back to heaven but that they would never make it there in their current sinful state. Jesus even told them that they’d die in their sin. It is still true today that those who choose not to walk with Jesus here on earth will never walk with Him in heaven. But those who surrender to Christ as Lord here on earth will one day live with Him in heaven. Of course, the Jews who heard what Jesus said missed that He said they would die in their sin because their response says it all. The Jews’ response in John 8:22 was this, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” All they heard was that they couldn’t go where He was going. They thought Jesus was talking about going to Hades because the Jews believed that the lowest point of Hades was reserved for those who committed suicide. Their spiritual blindness is so evident here in God’s Word. But Jesus sought to open their eyes in John 8:23–24 by clarifying that He was from above and they were not and unless they placed their faith in Him, they would die in their sins.
Challenge & Application
• What does Jesus never do, and why is it so important for us to imitate Him as we walk with Him?
• Why did the people miss what Jesus said, and why do people still miss it today?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!