“Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord” (taken from C.S. Lewis). There’s no way around it; we must choose.

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!” John 8:52
²¹ When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him [Jesus], for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:21

As we finish in John 12 about what Jesus had to reveal about Himself, the last four verses seem to be a summary of all He has said to date,

⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

• Jesus did not come to judge us. He came to save us (John 3:17).
• Jesus said that Moses would be the judge of the Jews who insisted in following the Law instead of Him, “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set” John 5:45).
• “The last day” seems to be a reference to John 5:28 when “all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out–those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” The highest form of love is for God to honor a person’s ability to choose.
• Jesus spoke the Father’s heart. Why? Because He is God in the flesh. They cannot be separated. Jesus was in complete and full agreement with all the Father had Him say and do. Verse 49 is very similar to 5:30, “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” But, we just read that Jesus wouldn’t judge. How can we reconcile this contradiction? Jesus wasn’t judging, but was relaying what the Father told Him. Even then, the Father still leaves the doors of heaven open for all who would repent and come in (Jesus is that Door, John 10:9).
• Jesus had full confidence in all the Father told Him. Just as Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, eternal life comes to us from the Father through the Son by way of the Holy Spirit.

The next big event is the Lord’s Supper. Much of what Jesus was telling them was fulfilled in the next three days. We tend to read the Scriptures with ourselves in mind, but we must always ask ourselves, “What is the next big thing to happen?” The CROSS, GRAVE and RESURRECTION was the greatest series of events to ever happen! May we praise the Lord Jesus for fulfilling His task. He is neither a liar nor a lunatic; He is LORD!

Abba, as I read about Jesus and His revelations about who He is, I realize that Jesus was decidedly clear about who He is, what His mission was, and even how He was going to accomplish it. Thank You for being so clear about Your love and the depths You endured to get us back. Amen.