May 16, 2023
Playing a Child’s Game
“So they were saying to Him, ‘Who are You?’ Jesus said to them, ‘What have I been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.’ They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father.” John 8:25-27 (NASB)
Children often ask one parent when they want something. They instinctively learn very quickly which parent will say yes. Mine was my daughter. Surely, daddy couldn’t break her heart, so I often gave in. I even disciplined her differently. My son, I thought, was tougher, more manly, so he could take punishment. At least this is the way I used to think... I was wrong. In either case, we as parents, learned quickly to combat the manipulation. We used the age-old phrase, “Go ask your… and then let me know what he/she said.” They learn from this and adjust. They change tactics. They ask the same question repeatedly, expecting a different response. Later, as they grow wiser (in their minds), they learn to phrase questions differently. They still have the same desire but approach it differently. They rephrase words to make them more appealing. Here, we find the Jews doing the same thing, asking the same questions but phrasing them differently. Their intent though is far more sinister than any parent. They want His life.
“So they were saying to Him, ‘Who are You?’” Surely by now Jesus is more than just a little exasperated. These same questions they asked were now phrased differently. Jesus didn’t respond differently, even though they tried to mask the question’s provoked response. How does one outsmart God? Their ploy was rooted in the same deception with the intent to find Him guilty. Then they could arrest Him. Jesus answered their question just like a frustrated parent, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?” I sense some Deja Vu. It reminds me of a time with my children. Think about it this way: the most learned men in Israel now posing the same methods as a child. They attempted to lead Him so they could formerly accuse Him, but Jesus was aware of their childhood schemes. He responds again for all, but packaging it differently, “I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.’ They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father.” Marvin says Jesus responds, “I being such as my words show me to be, I must declare the whole message of Him by virtue of my essential union with whom I speak. Many things I have to declare and judge, and you may turn a deaf ear to them; nevertheless, I must speak the whole truth, the things which I have heard from Him who sent me and who is true.”[1]
Daily, Satan is at work. His plans are the same. He wraps his ploys daily in packages. I liken this to two Christmas presents in two boxes. Both contain the same gift. One in a small box and the other in a large box. Both presents inside are the same. The bigger one looks more appealing. When we open both boxes, we find the same present. The lies of Satan are all the same. The Jews were doing the same thing, being used by Satan to package lies by using different boxes (or ploys). They all had the same intent, to kill Him. Recognize your enemy today. He is packing a box for you today. It is filled with lies, so don’t fall for it.
[1] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 171–172.