The Children of the Devil

The evening air carried the scent of burning olive oil as Jesus and his disciples gathered in the courtyard of a modest home in Bethany. The events at the temple earlier that day had left them all shaken - the confrontation with the Pharisees had grown increasingly hostile, culminating in Jesus’s stark declaration about their true spiritual parentage. Now, as the purple dusk settled over them like a worn cloak, the twelve sought understanding of their Master’s words.

Peter sat closest to Jesus, his weathered fisherman’s hands clasped tightly together, his brow furrowed in contemplation. The stones of the courtyard still held the day’s warmth, but a chill ran through the group as they recalled the intensity of Jesus’s words to the religious leaders: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

John, the youngest among them, broke the contemplative silence first. “Master,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper, “never have we heard you speak with such… severity to anyone, even the Pharisees. Why did you call them children of the devil?”

Jesus’s eyes, filled with both sorrow and unwavering purpose, swept across the faces of his beloved disciples. He reached down and picked up a handful of dirt, letting it slip slowly through his fingers as he began to speak.

“My dear ones, understand this - there are two kingdoms at war in this world, two fathers who claim children for their own. One is your Father in heaven, who is truth itself, whose every word brings life. The other…” He paused, letting the last grains of earth fall. “The other is the deceiver, who has held humanity in bondage since the garden.”

Thomas, ever the skeptic, leaned forward. “But Rabbi, these are learned men who study the scriptures day and night. They fast, they pray, they keep the law meticulously. How can you say they belong to the evil one?”

A small, sad smile played across Jesus’s lips. “Tell me, Thomas, if you found a tree that bore beautiful leaves but rotten fruit, would you still call it good?”

“No, Master.”

“These men claim Abraham as their father, yet their actions reveal their true parentage. They plot my death even as they recite prayers. They burden the poor with impossible demands while living in luxury. They speak of God’s love while harboring hatred in their hearts.”

Matthew, the former tax collector, shifted uncomfortably. “I understand corruption, Lord. I lived in it for years. But calling them children of the devil… isn’t that too harsh?”

Jesus stood and began to pace the courtyard, his sandals scraping softly against the stone. The disciples watched as shadows from the flickering oil lamps danced across his face, highlighting the intensity of his expression.

“Listen carefully, for this truth is crucial to your mission. The devil was indeed a murderer from the beginning. When he deceived Eve, he murdered humanity’s innocence, their perfect communion with the Father. Every lie since then has been an echo of that first great deception. And these religious leaders? They have become master practitioners of their father’s art.”

Andrew raised his hand hesitantly. “Master, help us understand - how does one become a child of the devil? Surely they weren’t born this way?”

Jesus stopped pacing and sat back down, his voice growing gentle but urgent. “No, Andrew, they chose their father through their choices, their loves, their actions. Every time they chose pride over humility, power over service, lies over truth, they drew closer to their true spiritual father. Every time they rejected me, they rejected the Father who sent me.”

James, his face troubled, spoke up. “Lord, when you spoke those words in the temple, I saw hatred in their eyes. They wanted to stone you then and there. Why provoke them so directly? Wouldn’t it be wiser to be more… diplomatic?”

A flash of divine fire seemed to pass through Jesus’s eyes. “There are times for gentle words, James, and times when truth must be spoken with crystal clarity. These men hold the keys to spiritual understanding, yet they lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. They claim to speak for God while leading people away from Him. Their deception must be exposed.”

Peter, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly slammed his fist into his palm. “But Master, if what you say is true - if they are truly children of the devil - then aren’t they beyond hope? Why waste words on them at all?”

Jesus reached out and placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “My brave, impetuous Peter. Remember - I came to seek and save the lost. Even now, some among them, like Nicodemus, are beginning to see the truth. The light shines in the darkness, and while many reject it, some will be drawn to it.”

Bartholomew, who had been listening intently, raised a practical concern. “Teacher, when we go out to preach the gospel, how will we know who is of the truth and who is of the father of lies?”

“By their fruits you will know them,” Jesus replied. “Those who are of the truth hear my voice. They hunger for righteousness, they thirst for the living God. But those who belong to the lie hate the light and will not come to it, lest their deeds be exposed.”

Philip, always practical, pressed further. “But Master, what of those who seem to be between? Those who are neither openly hostile nor fully committed to the truth?”

Jesus stood and walked to the edge of the courtyard, gazing up at the stars now visible in the darkening sky. “The time is coming when all must choose. No one can serve two masters. Either they will hate the one and love the other, or they will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

A deep silence fell over the group as they absorbed these words. The weight of their implications settled heavily on their shoulders. Finally, John spoke again, his voice trembling slightly.

“Lord, before today, I never truly understood the depth of the spiritual battle we’re in. I thought it was just about different interpretations of scripture, different ways of following God. But you’re showing us it’s far more fundamental than that.”

Jesus turned back to face them, his expression both fierce and tender. “Yes, my beloved ones. This is why I must prepare you thoroughly. The time will come when I am no longer physically present with you. You will face these same forces of deception, and they will be subtle. They will come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly be ravenous wolves.”

Simon the Zealot, who had once believed in violent revolution, spoke up. “How do we fight such an enemy, Master? What weapons do we have against the father of lies?”

“Truth is your sword,” Jesus replied, his voice ringing with authority. “The truth will set people free. But remember - truth without love becomes a weapon of destruction. You must speak truth and live truth while your hearts overflow with my Father’s love.”

Judas Iscariot, sitting slightly apart from the others, finally broke his silence. “But surely, Teacher, there must be some compromise possible? Some way to work within the existing religious system to bring about change gradually?”

The other disciples turned to look at him, but Jesus’s gaze was particularly penetrating. “Judas, Judas, you still think in terms of worldly wisdom. Can light compromise with darkness? Can truth find middle ground with lies? I tell you, no one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Several hours had passed, and the night had grown cool. The oil in the lamps was running low, casting longer shadows across the courtyard. Yet none of the disciples made any move to leave. They sensed they were receiving crucial teaching, fundamental to their future mission.

“Master,” Peter said, his voice heavy with concern, “if the religious leaders - who have studied scripture their whole lives - can become children of the devil, how can we be sure we won’t be deceived ourselves?”

Jesus’s face softened with compassion. “Remember what I told you: my sheep hear my voice. Abide in me, remain in my love, keep my commands - not as burdensome religious obligations, but as a natural expression of your love for me. This is your protection against deception.”

“But how exactly does one become and remain a child of God rather than a child of the devil?” Thomas asked, still wrestling with the practical implications.

“It begins with new birth,” Jesus explained, his voice taking on the patience of a loving teacher. “Unless one is born again, born of water and the Spirit, they cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. This new birth brings a new nature, new desires, new loves. A child of God loves what the Father loves and hates what He hates.”

Matthew, still processing everything, posed another question. “Lord, when you called out the Pharisees today, you mentioned that the devil was a murderer from the beginning. Why emphasize that particular aspect?”

Jesus leaned forward, his expression grave. “Because murder begins in the heart, with hatred. These men claim to love God while hating their brother - this makes them liars and murderers in their hearts. John, you will write about this someday. Remember my words: whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

The disciples exchanged glances, remembering their own struggles with anger and hatred. Jesus, reading their thoughts, continued, “This is why I tell you to love your enemies, to bless those who curse you. This is how you prove yourselves to be children of your Father in heaven.”

James the Lesser, who had been quietly contemplating, spoke up. “Teacher, it seems that every choice we make either draws us closer to the Father of truth or the father of lies. Is that why you speak so often about the importance of our daily decisions?”

“Yes,” Jesus nodded approvingly. “Every choice to believe a lie, to act on it, to spread it, strengthens the bonds with the deceiver. Every choice to embrace truth, to act on it, to share it, strengthens your connection with your heavenly Father. This is why I told them: ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

A cool breeze swept through the courtyard, causing the lamp flames to flicker. The disciples pulled their cloaks tighter around themselves, but none made any move to leave. They sensed there was more to learn.

“Lord,” John ventured, “when you spoke of the devil not standing in the truth because there is no truth in him - what did you mean exactly?”

Jesus’s eyes seemed to look into distant realms as he answered. “Before time began, Lucifer chose to believe his own lie - that he could be like the Most High. Having rejected truth itself, he became incapable of generating truth. He can only distort, twist, and corrupt what is true. This is why his children, like the Pharisees, can quote scripture perfectly while completely missing its meaning.”

Peter shook his head in wonder. “It’s frightening, Master, to think that one could know scripture so well and yet be so far from God.”

“This is why I tell you to watch and pray,” Jesus responded. “Knowledge without relationship leads to pride, and pride is the fertile soil in which all deception grows. The Pharisees’ greatest deception is self-deception - they have convinced themselves they are serving God while actually serving their own interests and, ultimately, the deceiver himself.”

The night had grown quite late, and Jerusalem lay quiet beyond the walls of the courtyard. Yet the disciples remained alert, hanging on every word. They sensed that this teaching would be crucial for their future ministry.

“There’s something else you must understand,” Jesus continued, his voice taking on an urgent tone. “The father of lies works through half-truths, through mixing truth with deception. This is why discernment is crucial. The Pharisees teach many true things, but they mix in their own traditions and interpretations until the truth is obscured.”

Judas shifted uncomfortably at these words, but Jesus pressed on. “This is why I tell you to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The deceiver is subtle, and his children learn his ways well. They will quote scripture to you, as Satan did to me in the wilderness. They will appear as angels of light. They will speak much of God while leading people away from Him.”

Andrew, practical as always, asked, “How then shall we minister to those who are under such deception, Lord? How can we help them become children of God rather than children of the devil?”

Jesus smiled warmly at his disciple’s concern for others. “First, you must be firmly grounded in truth yourselves. You cannot give what you do not have. Then, speak the truth in love, never compromising but always compassionate. Remember - you too were once walking in darkness.”

“But Master,” Thomas interjected, “won’t speaking such strong truth, as you did today, drive people away?”

“Some will be driven away,” Jesus acknowledged, “but others will be drawn to the light. Remember, I did not come to bring peace but a sword - not physical violence, but the sword of truth that divides between truth and lies, between light and darkness, between those who would be children of God and those who choose to remain children of the devil.”

The oil lamps were burning very low now, their flames barely illuminating the serious faces of the disciples. Jesus looked at each of them in turn, his gaze full of love and concern for the challenges they would face.

“My beloved ones,” he said softly, “the time is coming when you will face this same opposition. You will be brought before religious leaders who, like their father the devil, will seek to destroy you. But do not fear. The Spirit of truth will be with you, and He will guide you into all truth.”

“When that happens,” Peter asked, “should we speak as boldly as you did today?”

Jesus nodded slowly. “When the Spirit prompts, yes. But remember - your bold speech must be matched by bold love. I confronted the Pharisees not out of hatred but out of love for those they were deceiving. Your words must always flow from love, even when they must be severe.”

John, ever the contemplative one, mused aloud, “It seems, Lord, that this battle between truth and lies, between the children of God and the children of the devil, underlies all other conflicts.”

“Yes, John, you see clearly,” Jesus affirmed. “This is why I came - to destroy the works of the devil, to expose the lies that hold humanity in bondage, to make it possible for the children of the devil to become children of God through faith in me.”

As the night grew deeper, Jesus stood, signaling that their time of teaching was drawing to a close. The disciples rose with him, their minds full of all they had learned, their hearts both sobered and strengthened by the reality of the spiritual battle they were part of.

“Remember this night,” Jesus told them, his voice full of authority and love. “Remember that every person you meet is a child of either the Father of truth or the father of lies. Your mission is to speak truth so that many may be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.”

As they prepared to seek their rest, Jesus added one final word: “But above all, remember this - you are children of God. You have been born again of incorruptible seed. The father of lies has no claim on you. Stand firm in this truth, and you will be able to help others find freedom from deception.”

The disciples filed out of the courtyard, their hearts burning within them from their Master’s teaching. They understood now, more than ever, the cosmic significance of their calling and the fundamental nature of the spiritual battle they were engaged in.

As they disappeared into the narrow streets of Bethany, Jesus remained in the courtyard for a moment, his eyes filled with both sorrow and determination. He knew that the confrontation with the children of the devil would soon reach its climax at Calvary. But beyond that darkness, he saw the light of resurrection morning, when truth would triumph over lies, and many children of the devil would have the opportunity to become children of God.