Devotion: John 8:16

John 8:16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 

Just prior to this verse, Jesus had declared His divinity and was immediately rejected for it. The Pharisee’s still pestered Him, asking by whose authority was He doing these things.  He continued to defend His position and stated that He stood with the Father who sent Him to save us.

Jesus defends His position as a judge by stating that He was not alone. He explained that His immediate earthly mission was not to condemn. Any judgment He made or would make was to be considered valid and true because He acted in perfect unity with God the Father. When a person claimed to do what only God could do or to know what only God could know, in Jewish law that was the same as claiming to be God. Jesus’ enemies knew this and it’s the primary reason He was accused of blasphemy by those who sought to have Him killed.

In verse 8:15, Jesus rebukes the Pharisee’s for judging Him by the outward appearance only. They saw only a shabby carpenter from Nazareth and not a King come to take His throne. It was probably laughable to think this man before them was comparing Himself to God, equating His position to that of God, and judging in His name.

Jesus clarified that His judgments were flawless and true because they were rooted entirely in the will and omniscience of the Father who sent Him. When put that way, how could you deny His divinity, especially in the face of so many miracles and prophecies? He fulfilled more than we can count (though I am sure someone has taken the time to count them and written about it at some point).

What this means to us? We need to get right with God. We need to live for Him. We need to do whatever it takes to change our lives for the better and turn away from those sins that were holding us back.Talk to Him today. Tell Him you need to make some changes in your life. Confess your sins and give them to Him. He will give you peace and forgiveness back in return.

Prayer: Lord, Thank You for giving me peace and forgiveness when I turn to You in sin. Help me to serve You better by serving others and let them see You in me. Amen

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