Passed By John
8:48–59
Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. John 8:59

This verse indicates the sad result of the action of those who try to get rid of Jesus. What does it mean when we are told that Jesus hid himself? First, it means that although these men could not harm Jesus, nevertheless, they could not benefit from him either. It will be the same for you if you try to keep him out of your life. If you do not allow Jesus to be God in your life, you will not harm him. You cannot harm the invincible and omnipotent God. But you will not benefit from him either. The Lord Jesus Christ came to bring those divine benefits to you. He is the life. He came to give you life, abundant life. He is the light. He wants to shine upon you, to illuminate your darkness and guide you. He is the bread upon whom you may feed and grow. He is the living water who can quench your spiritual thirst. You forfeit these benefits if you refuse him his rightful place in your life.

Second, the verse tells us that there are some from whom Jesus does slip away or “pass by” as the King James Version states it. Notice that Jesus has not been trying to convert these religious leaders. He has merely been exposing their sin. Moreover, Jesus eventually passed by and went his way. There are some people whom God gives up (see Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). God gives up nations, if they will not live by righteous standards. God gives up churches, when they depart from their first love. God gives up individuals. Woe to the person whom the Lord Jesus Christ passes by! Finally, the verse leads us to see that there are some whom God saves anyway. I say “anyway” because even those who become Christians deserve to be passed by.

Notice this. In the King James text of John 8, the last words are “passed by.” It is a tragic note, a tragic end to the contacts of Christ with these religious leaders. But in the opening verse of the very next chapter, the words occur again in a story that tells us that “as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth” and saved him. Here was a man who in his blindness could not even see the Lord Jesus. Yet Jesus saw him and gave him both physical and spiritual sight. He could not seek Christ, yet he was found by him. How wonderful! What a great hope for the sinner! “Jesus passed by.” Yes. But “as he passed by,” he saw this one and saved him. With people such as these, he began to build his church. Are you such a one? Why should you not be? Why should you not be one who finds Jesus?

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.