A LONESOME ROAD

John 7:53; 8:1

Morning Meditation 7/4/2013

Chapter divisions are man made. Many times one needs to keep on reading at the end of one chapter and continue into the next because it takes that to complete the thought.. I believe it is such in this case.

John 7:53 and 8:1 say, “And every man went unto his own house. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.”

I think continually of the uniqueness of Christ. His uniqueness put him on a lonesome road. Our text brings this thought out. “Every man went to his own house.” Then it adds, “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.” This was the story of his life. During our Lord’s pilgrimage on earth he traveled over a lonesome road but he never walked in fear and dread. Lockyer said, “His was indeed a lonesome road, but not lonely. He was never alone. Others could go home to family circles—he found serenity in the solitude of a mount.”

Jesus knew what it was to be homeless although he was surrounded by a thousand homes. On this occasion he went to the Mount of Olives with darkness as the only blanket to cover him through the silent hours of the night.

Why didn’t Jesus go to Nazareth where he lived for the first thirty years of his life? The truth is that he was never home at home. He once said, “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matt. 10:36-37).

When we are saved, we partake of the Divine nature. Peter said in his second epistle and verse 4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” The divine nature implanted, or birthed in us at salvation, longs for the presence of God. It sets a Spirit filled Christian’s life on a lonely road.

What do I mean by this? Paul said in First Corinthians 2:15, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” The word “judgeth” (anakrino) means “to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, sift, question; specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation.” It is a present active indicative verb. This means that when one is saved and under the control of the Holy Spirit he has (present tense) the capacity to investigate, to enquire into situations and come up with a true understanding. God has given the Christian the capacity to discern. The words “all things” give the scope of his discernment. The words “yet he himself is judged of no man” mean that he has taken on the nature of Christ with regard to his observers. The verb here is present passive indicative. The passive voice means that his observers do not understand him. Their understanding of him is always a guess. They cannot examine, scrutinize and come up with a right answer about what makes him tick.

Have you ever thought about how difficult this was for Jesus? And remember, you have taken on the very nature of Christ in salvation and you have Christ’s characteristics which puts you on the lonesome road.

Lets take some examples. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:13: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” Jesus is the “Son of man” as he speaks to Nicodemus.. He is standing right in front of Nicodemus as he speaks. He says to Nicodemus, “and no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” The “is” is the Greek “on” (not our English preposition on). It means “being.” It is a present participle. Jesus is emphasizing his timeless existence and claiming to be in heaven even while on earth.” Do you think Nicodemus understood this? I think he was scratching a hole in his head while listening to Jesus. He did not have the discernment because he needed to be born again which Jesus had just told him.

Jesus said to his own disciples in John 16:12 “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” The born again believer has been given the capacity of discernment but must be “Spiritual” (pneumatikos) in order to discern. Is it possible to be saved and not be Spiritual (pneumatikos)? Absolutely. The Christians in Corinth were carnal and you can’t be carnal and Spiritual at the same time.

Jesus traveled a lonely road and so will every Christian who follows him in being under the control of the Holy Spirit. People just won’t be able to explain you.. Have you every noticed how uncomfortable people get around a “special child.” When you are saved you are a “special child” in that you are definitely different and the difference makes people uncomfortable. This will put you on a lonely road.

Is it possible for one who was once on the lonely road to find themselves back in the old way? I do not speak of losing one’s salvation. I speak of losing ones pneumatikos. The answer is yes. Paul explains this in Heb. 5:11: “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.” Why would it be so hard for seasoned Christians to understand what Paul was saying? Paul said in this verse “ye are” (ginomai) which means “to become.” It is a perfect tense which means that you became dull of hearing in the past with the result that you remain in that condition now. The word “dull” (nothros) means “slow, sluggish, indolent, dull, languid.” This describes a very serious condition for a believer. They had not always been dull of hearing. This truth is revealed in the words “ye are” which is the translation of the word that means “to become.” Well, “to become” something, you have to be something else previously. Lost people are born that way. So, we are talking about people had evidently had gotten tired traveling the lonely road and began to travel the road of their peers. Have you ever heard of peer pressure. It is not new.

Jesus traveled the lonely road. Those who follow him must travel the same road. People won’t understand you. They will try to change you. You will make them uncomfortable without trying. There are two ways they can become comfortable around you. First, they can become a Christians and allow the Holy Spirit to control their lives. Second, you can change to think like them and do the things they do. They will now be able to explain you. We need to choose to travel the lonely road. It is a choice and one that the Lord wants us to make.

May the Lord bless you.

In Christ

Bro. White