²⁴ “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.”

The Judge has spoken. The charge is hate. If Jesus had not come as Messiah, they would not have been guilty of rejecting Messiah. Jesus advisedly uses a strong word. Earlier in His speech on the hillside, He intoned, “Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell” (Mt 5:22). John, probably remembering all this, later wrote, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

Jesus is the only one who can pronounce judgment like this. His purpose was not to come into the world and to the Jewish nation to bring judgment, but that through Him they might be saved from their sin (John 3:17). They brought the judgment on themselves, and Jesus is simply acknowledging that they have failed to respond to the Messianic signs of His coming (Luke 4:18-21). The evidence is in, the verdict has been rendered. Guilty as charged. Once again, Paul would later elucidate that all are sinners. “All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” (Rom 3:12, cp. Ps 53:3). “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

Some might give some leeway to the rejecting Jews for missing the signs. For if they really understood, after all, they would not have rejected Jesus. Why would anyone, thinking clearly, reject the one they had been waiting for? But Jesus gives them no quarter, for they knowingly rejected Him. Just as Adam knowingly rejected God’s clearly revealed command to not eat from the forbidden tree, it is of the same piece for the Jews to reject the Word of God in the flesh (see John 1:14).

But, some might say, there were many claiming to be Messiah in those times. We respond, none of them did all the things Jesus did. Like the “magicians” in Moses’ day, there will always be imitators. But Jesus raised the dead, healed those who had been blind since birth—miracles even the Jews recognized had never been done before (John 9:32, Matt 15:31). Sufficient evidence was available; all that remained was for them to act out their hatred.

Lord, I shudder to think of the times I have rejected Your command to me. Thank You that Your love forgives me for all my sin, and has given me new life.