He Said What?!

Jan. 24

Read: John 12:44-50

He Said What?!

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” (v.49,50)

Jesus only said what the Father told him to say. To think of something so intimate as our words, and then imagine giving those over to the Lord to be shaped… directed… refined… by submitting to the Father and letting him direct our every word. What would it look like to only say what the heavenly Father is telling you to say? Well… it would look like Christ’s life!

Jesus did not “speak on his own authority”. (v.49) “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:6) You see, it was not that Jesus had no authority of his ow as the Son, it is simply that he did not lay hold of that authority while here on earth. Why? Because he was genuinely incarnate and living the perfect human life on our behalf. When he spoke, he spoke as one who did not “grasp or lay hold of” his divinity. Jesus chose instead to be radically dependent on the Father to guide him in what he would say, knowing that his brothers and sisters would be called to live that same way. Jesus was modeling for us how to live. He was not depending on his own authority, but rather leaning into the authority of God the Father.

Jesus trusted that we would experience the same intimacy with the Father as he enjoyed. Jesus instructed his followers that they would indeed receive the words to say in the same way that he did:

“And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11,12)

No matter how intense the moments in our life may be, God will give us the words to say. Whenever we are at a loss for words, we need only ask the Spirit to lead us into the truth of what we should say…or if we ought to say anything at all. The Holy Spirit tells the children of God the words that the Father and the Son are saying. Jesus says in John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Holy Spirit speaks to the people of God saying to them what he hears… what he hears the Father and Son saying.

How does this work out in “normal life”? It is not mechanistic… or formulaic. It happens naturally. The Spirit speaks with a biblical accent…so time in the scriptures is crucial to be able to discern he voice of the Lord. The direction of the Spirit comes from the deepest parts of who we are. We are not infallible “hearers” of the Lord’s voice and direction, but when we faithfully move forward he will guide us and lead us. When we speak the words that the LORD gives us, they land with power and authority. We begin to recognize the Lord’s voice and direction …we become better “hearers” of the Lord. This is why Jesus’ teaching had such authority throughout his ministry. The crowds always responded in awe to the teaching of Jesus - because he spoke ONLY the words given to him by the Father. Begin to surrender your words to the Lord. Make it your goal to only say what God is telling you to say. This will happen organically. As you speak, pay attention to the Spirit within you and HE will guide you. What a blessing it is to speaks the words of the Lord. This is what it means to be “Christ like”. Love you guys. - JDP