84 friends have opened a study shared with them.
My friend looked me in the eye and asked, "So, do you think I'm going to hell?" My stomach tightened. I didn't want to threaten him or sound like a judgmental street preacher. I wanted to be liked. But I also wanted him to know the Jesus who saved my life. I felt stuck between being polite and being honest. In a world that highly values tolerance, the Bible's straightforwardness is uncomfortable.
John 3:31-36
The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true. For the one whom God sent speaks God's words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
This passage fails to be polite. It isn't inclusive or safe for a dinner party. There are days I wish it wasn't in the Bible. It's increasingly easy to only get information that affirms our existing beliefs. So to claim that Jesus is the only Savior sounds jarring, and if the point gets pressed in conversation, it would quickly become offensive. But John the Baptist pushes back with a rigorous logic. He argues that every other philosopher and prophet is "from the earth." They are like us. At best, we can guess about God from the ground up. If I told you that I came from heaven, spoke God's words, was filled with the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit, and had responsibility for God's business, what would you think of me? But this is how John describes Jesus. And if he's right, then Jesus is the only way to know God. Still, the ending is particularly hard: for anyone who rejects Jesus, "the wrath of God remains on him." Notice the word remains. Too often, the gospel sounds like a threat. "Believe in Jesus or else!" But John tells us that judgment is the default state of a rebellious world. The "wrath" isn't a lightning bolt God throws. We can see for ourselves that we are disconnected from the Source of life. We know that if a doctor tells you that you have a fatal heart condition, she isn't judging us. Today, we can all get away with the posture that we're basically good people. But this passage refuses to let us pretend to be better than we are. Who can say, "Yes, broadcast my sins to the world. I'll be vindicated." I had to reject the fear-based approach I'd heard to see God's care for the vulnerable. Jesus is not a life coach but a lifeguard. If you're drowning, you don't need encouragement but someone who is already swimming toward you. Faith isn't about becoming a judgmental critic. It's about reaching out for rescue, and receiving eternal life.
When you read about "God's wrath," what image comes to mind? Is it a scary tyrant, or something else?
Where do you feel the pull toward ignoring or softening this passage?
What would it cost you to take Jesus's exclusive claims seriously?
What's one area where you sense Jesus offering something better than what you're currently choosing? Text a friend and tell them what it is.
84 friends have opened a study shared with them.