5th week in Lent, Thursday – 2nd April 2020 – John 8,51-59
His Word that destroys death
In the previous section, Jesus proclaimed that abiding in his word brings knowledge of the truth and genuine freedom (8,31-32). Now he proclaims another astonishing promise, “whoever keeps my word will never see death” (8,51). This promise of Jesus is misunderstood by the listeners. They attack Jesus’ identity by appealing to Abraham and the fact that he died. Thus they accuse Jesus of being possessed by a demon. From the beginning of the Gospel, it is known fact that Jesus is indeed the eternal Word, existing with God from eternity. His word is a life giving word and can result only in life. Therefore, remaining in the words of Jesus, living out its demands, taking it to heart, leads to the quality of life that lasts forever.
