Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 8-10; John 8:37-59
Memory verse: “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” John 8:39 (KJV)
Abraham is well known as the father of faith. The scribes and Pharisees highly esteem Abraham as their father but never replicated any of his works in their behavior, character and works. For instance, Abraham was nice to people and even strangers. Yet, the Pharisees and scribes, who are supposed to be teachers of the law are very discriminatory in their utterances. How?
When they could not understand Jesus’ words they called him a Samaritan. John 8:48 (KJV) tells us, “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” The Jewish people saw Samaritans as despised half-breeds. This cultural hatred was so strong among the Jews. Abraham, in contrast, was nice to strangers and even entertained angels unknowingly (Genesis 18:1-15).
Abraham could recognize the voice of God. He followed the voice from when he was told to leave his father’s house (Genesis 12) till he died. The Jews, in contrast, could not even recognize God in the person of Jesus standing in front of them let alone his voice! Moreso, God Himself said of Abraham in Genesis 18:19 (KJV), “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Jesus called these Jews the children of the devil becaue of their unbelief.
The Jews thought they were special because they were Abraham’s descendents. But Jesus said if they really were children of Abraham, then they would act like him and do his works. Abraham believed God. The Jews, in contrast, rejected the Living Word of God even as He stood right there in front of them. Truth had come to set them free but they refused to listen. Their actions testified that they did not belong to God but to their father the devil, “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44). Do you do the works of Abraham?
Bro. Worthmore Aghanenu