Two Kinds of Seekers

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him (John 8:21-30).

Jesus continued to provoke His followers to step away from the crowd and come closer to Him, to become a disciple. He confronted the crowd of seekers with a truth that demanded change, increased commitment, and above all else, more faith. He told those who were following Him that indeed, He was going somewhere… “I am going away”. But not everyone who was seeking Him that day could accompany Him on the journey to that destination… “Where I am going, you cannot come”. He directed this truth to a particular group of seekers and their response once again laid their hearts bare before the Living Word. In their self-righteousness the chief priests and Pharisees understood that Christ was speaking about the afterlife, heaven, and hell. They believed they were destined for heaven. Because Jesus told them they could not come with Him they assumed He must be headed for hell and that suicide would send Him to the deepest recesses of hell where they would not be able to follow... “Will he kill himself?" But Jesus set them straight and declared clearly and pointedly that the difference between heaven and hell was not the manner of our death or the manner of our living. The difference between the destinations of heaven and hell was not determined by any particular sin, but it was dependent on the faith of the sinner. The difference between heaven and hell was the same as the difference between the two kinds of seekers, follower and disciple. Followers believed many different things about Jesus, but disciples believed and embraced Him as the Messiah and Savior who was to be known as the Son of Man… “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he”. This truth judged the hearts of seekers and separated disciples from followers… “As he was saying these things, many believed in him”. Today, believing the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of Man still makes all the difference between two kinds of seekers.

Suicide is not the main topic of this portion of Holy Spirit inspired scripture. The Teacher inspired the apostle to focus our attention on faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of God as the deciding factor that makes all the difference between Christ followers and disciples. But the theme is inescapable. If our ultimate destiny was decided by the way we die, the way we are born, or the way we live every day in between, then we would never need the atoning work of the Savior. Like the self-righteous Jewish elders, we could never hope to go where Jesus is going. Jesus made it clear to a condemned thief upon his acknowledgement that Christ was King of an eternal kingdom that He could come with Him to Paradise… “And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus prepared those who believed in Him for His departure with a promise that he would return for them, take them with Him, and they would live with Him forever… “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). Jesus taught very clearly that it is not how we live or die that enables us to be with Him in eternity. Believing that He is God's Son and our Savior makes all the difference… “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). He makes it clear that heaven is not for self-righteous followers. Heaven is for believing disciples.

As we grow up into Christ we are thankful for the gift of faith that makes all the difference between…

Two Kinds of Seekers.