21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. You can’t come where I am going.”
22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘You can’t come where I am going’?”
23 But Jesus said, “You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins. This will happen if you don’t believe that I am he. If you don’t believe, you will certainly die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have a lot to say that will judge you. But the one who sent me can be trusted. And I tell the world what I have heard from him.”
27 They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “You will lift up the Son of Man. Then you will know that I am he. You will also know that I do nothing on my own. I speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even while Jesus was speaking, many people believed in him.
Read John 8:21-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
During one of Jesus’ conversations with the crowds that followed Him, John tells us that Jesus said some perplexing things. In this conversation, I believe Jesus hints at something important, and something that is very challenging.
Jesus opens up this passage restating an idea He has previously shares. John tells us that “Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. You can’t come where I am going.’” (v. 21)
The phrase that really stands out in my mind in this larger statement is when Jesus tells them, “You will look for me, and you will die in your sin.” (v. 21)
On the surface, this sounds backward. After all, shouldn’t we be looking for Jesus?
Perhaps Jesus knew He might be misunderstood, so a few verses later, He restates this idea using a slight shift in wording. John records Jesus’ restating this as “I told you that you would die in your sins. This will happen if you don’t believe that I am he. If you don’t believe, you will certainly die in your sins.” (v. 24)
When comparing these two statements, we begin to see that seeking Jesus does not always mean we will end up placing our faith in Him. Not everyone who seeks Jesus will believe He is the Messiah. There will be those who seek and find Jesus, but who ultimately choose to reject Him. These people will die in their sins.
However, there will be those who put their faith in Jesus and believe He is the one who God sent for us. Those of us who believe in Jesus and believe Him to be our Messiah do not die in our sins. Instead, we have Jesus’ promise of heaven and eternal life.
I believe that Jesus should be where our belief is focused, and that belief in Jesus is the only way to have eternal life. But I also believe that not everyone will be saved, and that not everyone will choose Jesus when they have found Him. Looking for Jesus is important, but believing in Him is the only way to find salvation for eternity!
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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