“I am going away, and you will seek me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come” (John 8:21).
This passage contains one of the most sobering verses in Scripture. Along with verses such as “Away from Me, I never knew you” and “Repent or perish,” Jesus’ statement that “you will die in your sins” should prick any conscience with a spark of life in it. The warning was given to the Pharisees in particular, but it applies to everyone: unless you have faith in Christ, who alone can bring redemption, then you will suffer everlasting damnation. You will die in your sins.
The warning was lost on the Pharisees as they immediately launched into a debate about where Jesus was really “going.” Was He going to kill Himself? Just as they did on previous occasions, the Pharisees refused to deal with the real issue: their need of a Savior and the truth of Jesus’ claims. Instead, they got sidetracked. When Jesus first told them that they would not be able to follow Him, they thought He was going to teach the Greeks (7:34). How ironic that in their folly they touched on a truth, that Christ would indeed include Gentiles in the kingdom. Here again, in their refusal to deal with their sin, they touch on another truth, however diluted their perception might have been. They chattered among themselves about whether Jesus was going to kill Himself. They thought He was going to commit suicide. While this was not entirely true, Jesus was planning to give up His life—a true act of love for those chosen by God.
Still, the Jews failed to realize the truth about Jesus, and they also failed to see the truth about themselves. They were sinners under condemnation. Without Christ, they would perish. This is the condition of all people who do not have faith in Christ. They are on the path to destruction. Unless they turn, unless they have faith in Him who is the only Way, Truth, and Life, they will die.
Jesus told the Pharisees that they could not follow Him to heaven because they did not have faith. But later, in a similar discourse, He tells His disciples that they too cannot follow Him, but He promises them that they will follow Him later (John 13:36). The promise was given to those who possessed a living faith in their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus told the Pharisees that one day they would seek Him. Obviously, this is not from their seeking in faith, but in desperation on the day of judgment. What is the difference between this kind of desperate “seeking” and true “seeking the Lord?” Why is it important to understand the difference?
