Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 426
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IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
8:16-39
judge anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect
because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. Your own law
says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as
fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”
“Where is your father?” they asked.
Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who
my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” Jesus made
these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known
as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.
Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but
will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”
The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he
mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”
Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to
this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for
unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”
“Who are you?” they demanded.
Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. I have much to say
about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have
heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” But they
still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father.
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross,
then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say
only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he
has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” Then many who
heard him say these things believed in him.
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples
if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free.”
“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been
slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the
family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Yes, I realize
that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to
kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the
advice of your father.”
“Our father is Abraham!” they declared.
