“Do you know that Noah has the entire class convinced he was born on the planet Pluto?” An aspiring 2nd grader and accomplished liar, my youngest son told this whopper regarding his birth to his classmates. His teacher told me Noah’s “origin story.” I despaired about Noah, wondering if his future would be as a conman. Was Noah so self-deceived that he would swear on a stack of Bibles he was born on Pluto?
SELF DECEPTION IS A CANCER
The power of self-deception is horrible. For example, the individual who swears to you they don’t have a drug problem, but you can see the needle tracks all over their arms. Self-deception reigns throughout society. I remember standing in a church parking lot listening to a family screaming at each other (with the car windows up) and then they exited their car. They proceeded to walk toward the church, wishing me a lovely day with smiles pasted on their faces. Minutes before, I heard the horrible names they called each other. Self-deception is a cancer and the Temple leaders in this Gospel account are full of it in John 8:33-58.
SLAVES TO SIN
Earlier in this confrontation, the Temple leaders declared their holy parentage, descendants of Abraham. Yet Jesus says they are slaves to sin. Doesn’t a slave desire more than anything to be made free? However, they do not want freedom offered by Christ, they just want life to continue with the prestige of being in charge of their religious community. They think they have the inside track with God. They are so self-deceived they cannot see the truth standing before them.
LIES FROM HELL
“Who do you make yourself out to be?” the men scream at Jesus. Picture a brilliant sunset in the background while the Jews angrily surround Jesus. They accuse the Creator of Heaven and earth, the Creator of the sunset, of being demon possessed. Out of their mouths fly lies from the pit of hell.
HE CALLS A SPADE A SPADE
No one likes to be stripped and exposed. We would rather tell lies about ourselves than admit how sinful, broken, and needy we are. Yet, Jesus calls a spade a spade. He doesn’t mince words. To His accusers He says, “Yet you do not know Him [God] but I know Him fully.”
THE “I AM”
The Teacher ties up this confrontation by offering a beautiful present. He is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Jesus tells the mob He is the “I Am.” These are the same words that God used to describe Himself when He met Moses at the burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-15). Jesus is God.
RIPPING OFF THE BAND-AID OF RELIGION
This so infuriates His accusers, that they pick up stones to murder the Christ. They think that by silencing the “problem,” there would be no problem. But we know the rest of the story. The One who they murdered rose from the dead and millions and millions have come to know Him. Jesus has ripped off the band-aid of religion and uncovered the layers of self-deceit.
DO YOU WANT TO BE FREE?
By letting His truth change you, then you can be made truly free. Do you want to be free? Then begin living letting The Word radically change your life. Hebrews 4:12-14 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”
Let Jesus expose the Truth. Don’t be self-deceived.
Click to listen to Megan Donahue’s story of being set free to the Truth
