The dispute becomes more intense. The Jews had a very low view of the Samaritans. In accusing Jesus of being a Samaritan they may have just been saying He was very lax in regard to the Law. This is not the only time Jesus was accused of being in league with the devil (Matt 12:23, Mark 3:22).
Jesus' response is to be ever more emphatic about His divinity. This is a lesson to us that we must never backtrack on claims about Jesus. He is the Son of God, He is the Lord of Lords, He is both fully human and fully God. Jesus honoured His Father, the fault of the Jews was to dishonour Jesus. The Father seeks the glory of the Son. God's will is that Jesus is honoured and worshipped.
Jesus then says that whoever obeys His word (note He does not say the Father's word, Jesus is amking no bones about the matter that they need to obey Him) will have eternal life.
The Jews cannot grasp this at all. Note that the disciples were no better either at understanding Jesus' later statements about His need to die, and then rise again. Notions that the 1sr century people were credulous and readily accepted talk about rising again are without foundation. Resurrection was as radical a concept to them as it is to us. Abraham and all the prophets had died, yet they had obeyed God. So Jesus could only be speaking nonsense, or so the Jews thought. "are you greater ...", of course Jesus was greater than all who had gone before Him.
It was the very One the Jews claimed to worship who glorified Jesus, yet the Jews refused to believe in Him. Jesus was the one who spoke the truth. Abraham, and all the prophets, were looking forward to the coming of the true messiah.
The Jews think Jesus has finally gone too far, but then Jesus goes even further, using a term (I am) that could only be applied to God.
Jesus' response is to be ever more emphatic about His divinity. This is a lesson to us that we must never backtrack on claims about Jesus. He is the Son of God, He is the Lord of Lords, He is both fully human and fully God. Jesus honoured His Father, the fault of the Jews was to dishonour Jesus. The Father seeks the glory of the Son. God's will is that Jesus is honoured and worshipped.
Jesus then says that whoever obeys His word (note He does not say the Father's word, Jesus is amking no bones about the matter that they need to obey Him) will have eternal life.
The Jews cannot grasp this at all. Note that the disciples were no better either at understanding Jesus' later statements about His need to die, and then rise again. Notions that the 1sr century people were credulous and readily accepted talk about rising again are without foundation. Resurrection was as radical a concept to them as it is to us. Abraham and all the prophets had died, yet they had obeyed God. So Jesus could only be speaking nonsense, or so the Jews thought. "are you greater ...", of course Jesus was greater than all who had gone before Him.
It was the very One the Jews claimed to worship who glorified Jesus, yet the Jews refused to believe in Him. Jesus was the one who spoke the truth. Abraham, and all the prophets, were looking forward to the coming of the true messiah.
The Jews think Jesus has finally gone too far, but then Jesus goes even further, using a term (I am) that could only be applied to God.
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