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THE KING’S BUSINESS
is.” In this way they were greatly mis taken (ch. 8:14). They knew indeed His human parentage on the mother’s, side, and the place o f His earthly birth, but o f His Divine parentage and heavenly origin they knew not. So Jesus starts out with what they knew and goes on to tell them what they did not -know. He tells them first o f all, “ I am not come o f myself,” i. e., His coming was not o f His own choice, but the Father’s choice, He had been sent o f God, Agairf and again during His earthly ministry He emphasizes this fact (cf. ch. 8:16, 42; 10:36; 12:49; 14:24). Jesus was simply the willing instrument of the , Father’s will,. His mission, His words, His deeds, were never self-chosen (ch. 12:49; 14:10, 31). How many a man who has undertaken some great mission cannot say o f himself, “ I am not come o f myself,” and so the mission, great and good as it appears, comes to nothing. Happy is the man who can say, “ I am not come of myself,” and who can add, “ but He that sent me is true.” Only the one who is God-sent can say that: God is true, and He alone is (ch.^8:26; Rom. 3 :4 ), God can not lie (Titus 1 :2). Jesus next adds four words which are a terrible indictment against the Jews, “ Whom, ye know not." The Jews did not know God. They thought they did. It was their boast that they alone o f all peoples knew the true God, but Jesus flatly tells them that they gdid not know Him. So today there are many who imag ine they know God who have absolutely no true knowledge o f Him (Titus 1:16). Let one take the rolls o f our churches today; are there not many names on them o f these who have no true experimental knowledge o f God? It is o f the highest importance that we know God, everything o f real and lasting value depends upon-it (ch. 17:3; 2 Thess. 1:8, 9). The proof that we do know Him is that we keep His command ments (1 John 2:3, ‘4). The proof that the Jews did not know Him was their treat ment o f His Son (John 8:19, 42. 54, 55;- 15:21). The only way to know Him is to have the Son reveal Him to us (Matt. 11:27; 1 John 5:20). ,
ogy. Who then had taught Him the won drous wisdom that constantly poured forth from His lips? He Himself has given us the answer to the question in verse 16, and His answer is the 'only rational answer. “ God taught me, my teaching is not mine but His that sent me,” is His reply to the question: and there is no other reasonable reply to be found. Then our Lord went on to tell us how each o f us may prove for himself that his teaching really is from God. “ I f any man willeth to do His (i, e., God’s) will, he shall know ofThe teaching, whether it be o f God.” Any one can test the truth o f this statement o f |our Lord Jesus for himself. Just surrender your will absolutely to God and ask God to show you whether these teachings o f Jesus are from Him or not, and then read, the words of Christ, and you will soon recognize for yourself that Christ’s words are beyond a doubt the words' o f that same God to whom you have surrendered your will. Here we find the great cure, and the sure cure for all skepticism—a surrendered will. Our Lord Jesus does not ask any man to believe in His claims without evidence, l}ut He does demand and rightly demand that every man shall put himself in a place where he is competent to weigh evidence and the only man who is competent to decide whether any teaching is from God or not is the man who himself has sur rendered his will to God. I have known many ^of those who regarded themselves as most hopeless skeptics, who by first surrendering their wills to God and then studying the words o f Jesus as found in this gospel, have come out o f the darkness o f utter skepticism into the clear, glad light o f faith'in Jesus as the Son o f God. Do you. doubt it? Try it for yourself and then you will know. It never fails. Monday, May 29 . John 7 : 25 - 28 . There is a time to lift up one’s voice and be heard. Such a time had now come for Jesus. The people were debating who He was and He will let them know: They had said, “W e know this man whence He
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