“39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me”
“45But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your
accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.”
Jesus is telling
the religious leaders of the day that they can’t see the forest for the trees… They’re
searching scripture that has been written about Him, yet they don’t listen to Him.
What has deceived
them? It’s simply old-fashioned Pride. Pride
is the original sin. And no matter how
often we indisputably prove it… we just can’t accept the fact that we are not
innately good. We are willing to jump
through hoops, sacrifice, work… do almost anything to be counted as righteous….
Except admitting that we are not.
We judge the
Pharisees for this then do the same thing. We ignore scripture because our
itching ears want to hear how we can earn salvation…how we can be elevated… how
that original sin of pride can be satisfied. If I can follow the law better
than you, then I can reprimand you, sit at the head of the table, and have
others admire my holiness… The problem is – I don’t have any holiness.
But the wakeup
call in this passage is in the next comment Jesus makes … He says don’t think it will be me that accuses
you… What you have pinned your hopes on will be your judge … You have chosen
self-righteousness as your hope for salvation, but since you’re not
righteous…the very law you preach - will convict you.
Jesus is
dismantling “works salvation”. The Pharisees
are stumbling over the stone that was rejected… insisting they are doing enough
good to be saved… when the only reason any of us can do good, is because we
have been saved. Small detail – but it changes
everything.
Jesus is in
essence saying the plane is going down, and you need to make a choice. Either
grab a parachute called “grace”, or pridefully
grab “papier-mâché” wings called “works”…
The wings look good,
but they don’t fly…
The parachute, is awkward, you just hang on to it, but it will save you…
The dilemma is
that you can’t grab both… It’s your
call.
“The
greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look
to themselves for salvation.” - Charles Spurgeon
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