Roberto
Intentional FaithWhen the World Turns Against the Word
Thru the Bible in a Year
Scripture Reading: John 6–7
Key Verse: “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why are you trying to kill me?” — John 7:19 (NIV)
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Seeing Through the Opposition
By the time we arrive at John chapters 6 and 7, the atmosphere surrounding Jesus has changed dramatically. The crowds that once followed Him for miracles and bread are thinning. His words have grown sharper, His claims clearer, and His call to faith more demanding. What once attracted admiration now provokes animosity. When Jesus confronts the religious leaders with the words, “Why are you trying to kill me?” He isn’t speculating. He’s exposing their hearts.
Christ’s confrontation in the temple reveals an uncomfortable truth—humanity’s natural reaction to holiness is resistance. Light unmasks darkness. The same Jesus who came to save the world also exposes what lies within it. His question still echoes through time: Why? Why does the world that claims to love justice and truth turn against the One who embodies both? Why do hearts that crave redemption bristle when grace demands surrender?
The hostility Jesus faced was not an ancient anomaly. It is the timeless response of sin confronted by purity. Yet even as opposition builds, His love remains steady. The cross is not an accident born of human hatred—it is the outworking of divine mercy. What His enemies meant for evil, God turned for eternal good.
The Perception of Cruelty
“Why are you trying to kill me?” (John 7:19). Those words unveil the self-deception of Jesus’ opponents. They thought their schemes were secret, their motives hidden. But Jesus saw through them as easily as light pierces glass. He exposed not only their intent but their hypocrisy: they claimed to uphold God’s law while plotting murder in their hearts.
Christ’s insight reminds us that sin is never private. We may bury it under pious words or justify it with clever excuses, but God sees every intention long before it becomes action. The psalmist wrote, “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely” (Psalm 139:4). This knowledge of God should not drive us to fear but to holiness.
There is comfort in knowing that Jesus understands what lies beneath the surface. He is not deceived by appearances or swayed by outward righteousness. He sees us truthfully, loves us completely, and calls us to walk in the light. When we remember that all things are laid bare before Him, we are less tempted to live in the shadows.
The Painfulness of Cruelty
The opposition Jesus faced went far beyond criticism—it escalated to a thirst for blood. “They wanted to kill Him,” John records. The hatred that began as murmuring now hardens into murder. Yet Christ never retaliates. His meekness under hostility reveals the pure strength of divine love.
From the world’s perspective, the crucifixion seemed like a triumph of evil. But at Calvary, cruelty met its undoing. The blood spilled in hatred became the very means of redemption. Satan’s apparent victory was heaven’s greatest reversal. As Tertullian once observed, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The more the world pressed against the message of Christ, the more that message spread.
Even now, believers in many parts of the world face persecution. Yet history testifies that the Church grows stronger under pressure, not weaker. Faith forged in the furnace of affliction shines brightest in the dark. When you encounter opposition for your faith—whether subtle ridicule or outright hostility—remember that Christ faced the same and overcame it not by force, but by endurance.
The Progress of Cruelty
Jesus links the desire to kill Him with the failure to keep God’s law. “None of you keeps the law,” He declares, connecting disobedience to moral decay. Rebellion against God rarely begins with open defiance; it starts in small neglects—tiny compromises that erode conviction.
Sin’s progression is subtle but sure. A heart that grows indifferent to God’s Word will eventually grow hostile to God’s will. The Pharisees prided themselves on religious observance but ignored justice, mercy, and humility. What began as hypocrisy matured into hatred. Sin, left unchecked, always escalates.
David’s story offers a sobering example. His fall into adultery and murder began with a lingering look from a rooftop (2 Samuel 11). One unchecked moment blossomed into disaster. Likewise, animosity toward Christ grows whenever we excuse what God condemns. As the Puritan John Owen warned, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”
Spiritual vigilance begins in the small things—guarding our thoughts, confessing early, and staying near the Word. The sooner sin is confronted, the less power it wields. A spark ignored can burn down a house; a thought unchecked can destroy a life.
Walking in the Light
John’s Gospel invites us to examine not only the enemies of Jesus but ourselves. Are there areas in our hearts where disobedience has begun to root? Are we harboring small resentments or secret compromises that could grow into larger rebellion?
The confrontation in John 7 isn’t just about the Pharisees; it’s about every person tempted to hide sin rather than confront it. Jesus’ question—“Why are you trying to kill me?”—echoes within each heart that resists His authority. Yet the invitation of grace remains: confess, repent, and live.
The God who knows our failures also offers forgiveness. Christ exposes sin not to condemn us, but to cleanse us. He calls us into light because life cannot grow in the dark. The same Jesus who faced hostility now reigns in victory, offering peace to all who come in faith.
A Word for the Journey
As we continue through the Gospel of John, we see that opposition is inevitable when light meets darkness. Yet the darkness cannot overcome it. The hostility Jesus faced ultimately secured our salvation. His death birthed the Church. His suffering opened the way to life.
So when you encounter resistance for living faithfully, take heart. God’s truth is not fragile, nor is His kingdom shaken by hostility. The Word still stands. And every act of faithfulness—every moment you choose truth over convenience—shines as a small but steady light in a dark world.
May the Lord strengthen you as you walk through His Word day by day.
May the truth of Scripture guard your heart from deception, your faith from fear, and your witness from weariness.
And may you find courage in knowing that every step taken in obedience to Christ brings light into a world still learning to see.
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Timothy R. Butler
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