If God Were Your Father, You Would Love Me - John 8:42

The apostle John wrote how Jesus told the people who believed on Him, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. You do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God”, and in chapter eight and verse forty-two of his book John shared how Jesus told the religious leaders, “if God were your Father, you would love me” where we read:

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me:

for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

The verse reads, “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me:” John began with the words, “Jesus said unto them” which means “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation uttered, declared and proclaimed to the Jewish people and religious leaders”, “If God were your father” or “whether God Himself was the progenitor and ancestor of the Jewish people and religious leaders”, “you would love me” which means “you, Jewish people and religious leaders would welcome, entertain, be fond of and be well pleased and contented with me, Jesus”. John shared how Jesus presented the idea that “if” God Almighty was really their “progenitor and ancestor”, they would “welcome, be fond of and well pleased” with Him.

The verse goes on to say, “for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” John continued with the words, “for I proceeded forth” which means “because, since and on account that I, Jesus, emitted, came forth, issued and emanated from” “and came from God” or “and arose, arrived and was presented from the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”; “neither came I of myself” which means “no and not in any way did I, Jesus, arise, appear and come forth from my own self”, “but he sent me” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover God dispatched and assigned Jesus”. John shared how Jesus said He “came forth and emanated” from God the Father, and He did not arise and appear upon His own because His Father God “dispatched and assigned” Him.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn how people who truly have a personal relationship with God will “love” His Son Jesus. Many claim to have a relationship with God, but they deny Jesus and have therefore devised their own incomplete way to relate to Him. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me” (See John 14:6), and any other way does not work. Jesus came from God, and He did not come on His own. He was “assigned” by God to be the “Savior and Lord” of the world, and every person who humbles themselves before Jesus will be “saved” and inherit everlasting life with God in Heaven.

Next time John shares how Jesus asks the religious leaders, “why do you not understand my speech?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".