Obedience to Him

John 8:48-55 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and has a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and you do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seek and judge. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou say, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom make thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honour me; of whom you say, that he is your God: Yet you have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 

The Jews accused Jesus of being a Samaritan, meaning that He was a heretic, a schismatic, an idolater, a man self-excommunicated with whom no man should fellowship.

Jesus answered them and said that He had no devil; but that He honoured His Father, and they dishonoured Him; that He didn’t seek His own glory, but that of His Father.

The Jews, however, was convinced by this answer that Jesus did have a devil, for all people have died and Jesus said that those who believed in Him will never ‘taste death.’ This is a perversion of Christ’s words. Christ meant the second or eternal death and they took Him to mean physical death which all men must meet who live before the rapture (Heb. 9:27; 1Cor. 15:51-58).

‘If I honour myself, my honour is nothing’ this is not the answer of an insane man or a self-seeker who would always be boastful of himself and his own abilities and wonderful self (2Ch. 25:19; Psa. 49:6; 94:4; 97:7; Rom. 1:30). ‘It is my Father that honours me’ God honoured Jesus by working miracles through Him and by supporting His every claim. He asked the Jews that if the Father were their God, why they didn’t support Him also. He accused them of lying when they said that they know the Father and that He would lie if He said that He did not know Him. Jesus proved that He knew the Father by His obedience to Him. The Jews proved that they didn’t know Him by rejecting Jesus whom the Father has sent.