Cheryl Schatz

Elaine, You wrote: We know that Jesus is particularly talking to THOSE under law as He says in v 23 “That all men should be valueing the son.. AS THEY ARE (or should be) valueing the Father…and why Jesus says TO THE JEWS that “no-one can come to the Son UNLESS the Father draws him” meaning that IF they knew the God of Israel they will now have to know and accept the son I would say that Jesus is talking to those who honor the Father. Those who do not honor the Father will not honor the Son, and those who THINK they honor the Father, are dishonoring Him if they dishonor Jesus. Those ones prove that they never knew the Father. if they do not accept the Son then they never really knew/had the Father in the first place as the Father would give them to Jesus. I fully agree with this, however, the emphasis is not on the LAW, but on honor. This is an extremely important point, that the jews hear AND accept. Do they really? Do the Jews who are not honoring Jesus believe and accept that they are not honoring the Father? I don’t think so. Again you wrote: Jesus tells of the time of the gentile calling when He says that “When the son of man is lifted up HE will draw all sorts of men (gentiles) TO HIMSELF (Jesus) Jesus did not say “all sorts of men”. He clearly said ALL men. You wrote: Jesus himself says v 39 “Ye search the scriptures (what we know as the O/T) for in them ye think (jews not gentiles) ye have eternal life and they are they which testify about ME. Jesus was indeed talking to the religious Jews who stood before Him. So yes ALL would one day come out of the memorial tombs… but at THAT TIME the jews did not understand. Yes they did understand that there would be a resurrection of the good and a resurrection of the bad. Their own Talmudic writings shows that there would be a general resurrection. I, me, other christians NOW understand but THEN the jews did not which is the point I was trying to make and obviously failing to do so. The Jews may not have understood about spiritually dead men coming to life by hearing the words of Jesus, but they would have definitely understood about a general resurrection. If I am missing what you are saying, then perhaps the problem is with me and not you. As regards the “there are not 2 ways to salvation only one way to life” that you said…once again I agree.. it is in Christ… but again you must agree that before Christ came, how could I believe in Him if He was not yet born and I was a little gentile living 500bc One can still respond to God in faith by whatever light He gives them. He has promised that those who fear Him, He will reveal His covenant to them. I happen to believe that as I believe He is faithful to those who will submit to Him. There is a “before” Christ and there is an “after” Christ surley… Yes, the true light came directly into the world, the light that God has witnessed to since the beginning, but as far as the time change from the old to the new covenant, it was the time of John the Baptist. Jeus said so. Christ has already given the criteria for “after” His coming on the scene, hearing Him and believing… Jesus said that John bore witness of Him. People will be judged on the gospel that was preached to them by John. That is the turning point. Hopefully what I said makes sense. I have had to reformat my computer a couple of times in the last week and I put in long hours of work. I can’t promise that I am coherent now, but I am trying. 🙂