John 8:39-47 (ESV)

³⁹ They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, ⁴⁰ but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Jesus just explained to those who rejected him that they were slaves to sin. But they didn’t see themselves as slaves. In fact, they boasted that they were descendants of Abraham. Jesus declared that if they were true descendants of Abraham, they would have received him. Abraham believed God and desired to do things the Lord’s way. If they were like Abraham, they would have embraced Jesus. Jesus explained that they were children of the one they obeyed. Then they threw in a dig at Jesus by saying, “We were not born of sexual immorality,” hinting that Jesus’ birth was questionable. They were thinking, Who was Jesus’ father anyway? Was Joseph his father, or someone else? At least we know the identity of our fathers! Jesus made it plain that they would have known him too if they knew the Father, as the Father and the Son are inseparable. He spelled out to them that their father was in fact the devil, which is why they wanted to follow the devil’s desires. If they were children of Abraham, they would have done what Abraham did. But since they were children of the devil, they did what the devil does. What a person believes is displayed in what she does.

The Jews just couldn’t understand what Jesus was talking about. Verse 43 tells us that Jesus beseeched them, “Why do you not understand what I say?” Did he mumble when he spoke? Did he have a hard time finding the right words to express what he wanted to say? No! In fact, he went on to answer his own question: “It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.” Jesus’ words couldn’t permeate their flinty hearts. The same thing happens today. Many people hear the truth of Jesus explained in a way that is clear, articulate, and logical, and they often agree to more than a few facts about Jesus. But in the end, they just aren’t willing to do God’s will. But those of us who are followers of Jesus can rejoice, knowing that God himself removed our hearts of stone and replaced them with hearts of flesh. Because God has done this for us, we can be confident that we have been chosen to take part in his plan for eternal life. If you are feeling anxious and fearful about the future, remember that God will faithfully finish the work he began in you. The Christian is in good hands with Jesus!