I Know Where I Come from and Where I am Going

John 8

As I read through this chapter, looking into the dialogue Jesus had with the argumentative crowd, His words popped at me with curiosity and intrigue.  We find Jesus validating and testifying who He is. And He brings it down to a simple point-

My testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.    John 8:14

It all starts as Jesus carries a divine message to prepare hearts, that they may receive and understand who He is and what He’s all about.

I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.  The Pharisees challenged Him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” John 8: 12-13

And so now we see a group of people singularly focused on disqualifying Christ’s words and position. Most of this chapter continues as a back and forth between Jesus and the crowd.  Each time the combatants are locked and loaded with a retort to aim at Jesus. Sadly, they are so intent in formulating their countering responses, they are unable to truly hear the powerful words of Christ.

As Jesus responds to these men He narrows down His credibility to one thing- He has been sent by His Father.  He doesn’t branch off towards another angle.  He persistently speaks of this submissive position only focused on doing His Father’s will.  He doesn’t make claims about Himself for His own autonomy but is entrenched in the fact that His identity and purpose is through His Father.  Jesus Himself is God Himself- the triune mystery beyond earthly understanding.  In that He could have spoken with a more direct position of divine authority. But His response to every attack from the Pharisees is layered with phrases based on His relationship with His Father:

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

I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father who sent me.  John 8:18

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:19

I have much to say in judgement of you.  But He who sent me is trustworthy and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.  John 8:26

When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.  The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.  John 8:28-29

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence….  John 8:38

If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.  I have not come on my own; but He sent me. John 8:42

What an example this is for us.  It struck me how Jesus shared about Himself with great confidence and poise.  He didn’t engage in the petty arguing. He maintained his focus and message in the fact that “He knew where He came from and He knows where He is going.” He stood firmly on that and that is the very basis He used to authenticate Himself.  I know in the past, when it comes to sharing about Jesus, I have been intimidated as I try to be the one carrying the logic and disposition of the message.  I put it on myself to try to convince others who Jesus is.  Here we have Jesus sharing about Himself and His gospel message with just one main emphasis- His Father sent Him to share and fulfill this reality.  He didn’t speak in ways to try to sell it, He spoke candidly and with focus.  His focus was simply to do God’s will.

For me this Chapter portrays a simple message that I find myself so easily deterred from.  Weather I am sharing about Jesus to others or just trying to live life, I find that often I end up getting lost within myself.  Jesus spoke, lived and fulfilled God’s will based on the connection He had with His Father.  Even though He Himself is God, He functioned in a capacity of submission and surrender.  Jesus obeyed His Father perfectly as He sought time with Him in prayer.  He spent time with His Father, listening and filling Himself up with His presence.  From that Jesus was able to speak words of impact, perform the necessary miracles and ultimately carry the sins of the world as He bled every drop of His life for each of us.

I realize that this is Jesus who I’m talking about.  How can we compare ourselves to Him?  How can I expect myself to do the things He has done?  He is God. He’s our Savior. He’s the hero. But in the beauty of God’s own word, it speaks about Jesus doing these very things in order to bring us into all of this.  When we accept Christ as our Savior we attain His very own Spirit. His own mind.  We too become children of God with the same intimate connection and access that Christ Himself has with Him.  If we have all this, then Christ becomes the example that we can strive for.  We too need to speak, live and function on the basis of knowing “where we come from and where we are going”.  How vital it is that I keep myself reigned in on my identity and purpose in Christ.  I have been born from Him and I have a secure home ahead with Him.  So how am I living my life here on earth, surrendered and focused on that calling.  If I am centered on who I am in Christ and where my true home is, I imagine worries and fears will fade.  I imagine that my outlook in the day to day would change.  My desires, my agendas and my courage would be recalibrated towards God’s will.

So, Lord while I live here on earth, I know that the pulls of my selfishness, my pride and my sin will war with your calling on me.  I pray that you keep me.  You are stronger than all that.  I pray that you would keep me in check and help me to stay between the pillars of knowing “where I have come from and where I am going”.  I know that if I can stay within those two parameters, I will be grounded in your will as Jesus was and that will authenticate your own work in and through me.