Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:1-10

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.’  Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ‘As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep’, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.’” (Ezekiel 34:1–10, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 10:1-21

“‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.’ There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, ‘He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?’ Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’” (John 10:1–21, ESV)

Introduction

This saying of Jesus has been a most wonderful comfort to the people of God throughout the ages. By it we are moved to think of our Savior as a shepherd – a shepherd who loves his sheep. He leads them to green pastures. He knows his sheep intimately; and his sheep know him. He calls them by name, and they know his voice and follow. He is the good shepherd. He defends his flock from predators, even to the point of laying down his own life for them. It is no wonder then that this image of Christ as the good shepherd has warmed the hearts of the people of God from generation to generation.

Christ as the good shepherd is certainly the predominant theme in this passage. All things eventually point this, that Christ Jesus our Lord is the good shepherd. But it is important to see that there is more to this figure of speech, or wise saying, than a simple presentation of Christ as the good shepherd. The gospel of John never ceases to amaze me in its ability to be at once utterly simple and at the same time deep and complex. We will eventually come to set our attention upon Christ as the good shepherd, it is true. But it would be unwise to go straight there and, in so doing, to pass over the nuances of this wonderful passage.

Notice that Jesus does not explicitly reveal himself as the good shepherd until verse 11. It is there that Jesus utters those most famous words, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Up to that point the emphases is upon something else. Notice verse 7: “Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’” And in verse 9 Jesus again says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” So notice that in this figure of speech Jesus makes not one, but two declarations concerning himself. He first says, “I am the door”, and then he says, “I am the good shepherd”. 

Today we will set our attention upon Jesus as “the door”. Next week we will consider his as the “good shepherd”. It is understandable that thinking of Jesus as the “good shepherd” warms the heart more than thinking of him as “the door”, but both of these sayings of Jesus are of great importance.

The Figure of Speech 

Both of these “I am” sayings of Jesus find their source in the figure of speech uttered by Jesus in verses 1-5.

Keep in mind (and this is very important) that Jesus uttered these words in the presence of the man who was born blind whom had healed, the Pharisees who had cast that man out of the synagogue because he would not renounce Jesus, and before whoever else happened to be gathered around. In other words the audience that surrounded Jesus at the end of chapter nine is the same audience in chapter 10:1-21.  It is to them – the healed man, the Pharisees, and others –  that Jesus says,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:1–5, ESV)

We need to be careful in our interpretation of this saying of Jesus. One mistake that students of the Bible have made in the history of interpretation is to treat this saying as if it were an allegory – as if it were a story where each and every figure represents someone or something in a very exact and specific way. For example, some have labored to figure out who exactly the gatekeeper of verse 3 represents, or who exactly the thief and robber represent, as if they were two separate and very particular people. This kind of interpretation goes to far. This is not an allegory, but a figure of speech, or wise saying whereby Jesus makes comparisons between himself and his opponents. Some of the figures in this saying are not meant to represent something in particular, but they add detail to the image that Jesus is proving so that we might have in our minds a vivid picture concerning the point that Jesus is making.

The Sheepfold

Notice that Jesus uses the image of a sheepfold in order to tell us something about himself and how we relate to him. This is similar to what we will see in John 15 where Jesus famously uses he the image of a vine, saying,  “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Here were are to picture, not a vine, but a sheepfold, which might be a bit more difficult for us, given the modern world in which we live.

When we think of a sheepfold we are to envision an area enclosed by a wall, open to the sky, with one door through which the shepherds would be able to lead their sheep out to pasture and back in again. Sometimes a sheepfold will be attached to a house as if a courtyard; sometimes they will be detached and freestanding. Some are large; some small. It would seem, from the details given in this passage, that we are to imagine a large sheepfold – one capable of holding multiple flocks for multiple shepherds. The usefulness of a sheepfold is obvious – the sheep are brought in from the pastures at night and kept in these so that they might more easily be protected from predators – thieves and wolves and such.

A Distinction Between Sheep and Sheep

It is clear that the sheep in this figure of speech represent people in general. At first all of the sheep in the sheepfold represent all of the people of Israel. As the figure of speech develops the sheep will also come to represent all of the people of the world.

The interesting thing is that a distinction is made between the sheep in general and those particular sheep that belong to the good shepherd who eventually takes center stage. The sheepfold is filled with many sheep belonging, apparently, to many shepherds, but there are some particular sheep who belong to the shepherd, who will eventually be called the good shepherd, who is Jesus. These sheep clearly represent, not all of the people of Israel, not all of the people of the earth, but the elect of God.

There are two characteristics that set these particular sheep off from the rest. One, notice that the shepherd calls these particular sheep by name. And two, notice that these particular sheep hear and recognize the voice of their shepherd, and therefore follow him.

In the West we think of shepherds driving their flock using sheep dogs, don’t we? But in the Near East the custom was, and still is, different. The shepherds lead their sheep. They call their sheep, and the sheep follow, because they recognize the voice of their shepherd. Evidently experiments have even been conducted where strangers will dress like the shepherd, even wearing the shepherds own clothing, and will try to lead the sheep, but they will not follow because they do not hear the voice of their shepherd.

Notice how the voice of the shepherd is emphasized in verses 3 and 4. We are told that, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

The meaning is this: that of all the people of Israel (and later in this passage it will become clear that this same principle is true of all the peoples of the earth (see v. 16)) there are some who belong to Christ, the good shepherd. A distinction is made here. Some belong to Christ, whereas others do not. Some belong to Christ’s flock, whereas others do not. These are the ones that scriptures in other places call the elect. And how do we know who the elect are? They are the ones who Christ calls by name. He personally, specifically, and effectively calls them; they in turn recognize his voice and follow him as their shepherd king.

So a distinction is made between the sheep of the fold and the sheep of the good shepherd.

A Distinction Between Robbers and the Shepherd of the Sheep 

But notice also that a distinction is made between the thieves and robbers (also called strangers)  and the legitimate shepherd of the sheep.

This distinction will be developed more fully in the following passage, which we will consider in detail next week. For now simply notice that there are thieves and robbers and strangers who threaten the sheep. They do not care for the wellbeing of the sheep. They are only concerned to devour the sheep. They are only concerned to make use of their wool and meat and fat.

And how do we distinguish between the true shepherd specifically – or true shepherds in general – and those who are strangers and thieves?

Two things are mentioned in verses 1-5. The first thing mentioned is rather objective and verifiable, the second thing more subjective, having to do with spiritual discernment.

Let’s look at the second thing first. It actually has already been mentioned. We are told time and again in verses 3 and 4 that the sheep who belong to the good shepherd hear his voice. They recognize his voice. Verse 5: “A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This is subjective and spiritual, it’s true. It has to do with the ability that those within God’s flock have to distinguish between the voice of the good shepherd and the voice of counterfeit thieves and robbers. This principle can, of course, be pressed to far. Those who are young and immature in Christ will obviously have less of a refined ability to discern between the voice of the good shepherd and the voice of thieves. As it is with sheep, so it is with the people of God – their are some who are more wise and discerning than others. But the general principle is certainly true. Those who belong to Christ – the elect – are abel to recognize the voice of the good shepherd. They hear his voice – they hear the truth of his word – and they say, yes! That is my shepherd king. That is my Lord! And they follow. 

Let us now consider the first thing mentioned. How do distinguish between true shepherds and those who are strangers and thieves? The objective and verifiable test is this: are they found entering through the door of the sheepfold, or do they climb in another way?

If you are driving down the street and you see someone break the window of a house and begin to climb through, there is good reason for concern. Owners tend to use the door. If you are walking through the parking lot and you see someone break the window of a car and begin to climb in there is reason for concern. The owner would most likely be using the door. And so it is with true shepherds and the sheep of God.  If they are true, they themselves will enter and exit the sheepfold by way of the door, and they will lead the sheep in and out of the door as well.

Christ, The Door Of the Sheep

And so the all important questions becomes, what does the door represent in this illustration?

Just as we are not left wonder about who the shepherd represents, for Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd”, so too we are not left to wonder about who the door represents, for in verse 7 Jesus says,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:7–10, ESV)

Some have puzzled over how Jesus can be both the good shepherd who enters through the door and the door itself all at the same time. Again, we should remember that this is not an allegory or a parable, strictly speaking, but figure of speech or wise saying. Jesus is painting a picture for us and illustrating certain truths concerning himself using that picture. He points to the shepherd and says, that is me. And he also point to the door of the sheepfold and says, that is me.

When Jesus says that he is the door of the sheep he is saying something very similar to what is said in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus says in verse 9, that “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, life eternal is found in and through Christ. We must partake of these things through him – that is, through faith in him.

He also says, “If anyone enters by me, he… will go in and out and find pasture.” Here Jesus promises not only save his people, but to provide for them. He promises to feed our souls.

In verse 10 he contrasts his purpose to save and feed the sheep with the intent of the thief: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The heart of our Lord is to save his sheep, to feed them, and to give them, not merely life, but life abundant – a life that is full and overflowing.

And so how do we distinguish between the good shepherd (and his good and true under-shepherds) and those who are thieves and robbers? True shepherds lead the sheep through the door of the sheepfold, who is Christ. Thieves and robbers prefer to some other way.

Christ, the good shepherd, leads his sheep through himself – Christ who is the door.

Those who are good and true under-shepherds of Christ – that is the good and true priests and prophets before Christ, and good and true pastors and elders after Christ – are only good and true so long as they lead the sheep through Christ, who is the door of the sheep.

Thieves and robbers – though they may claim to be shepherds – are recognizable by the fact that they come and go, not through Christ, and not according to the word of Christ, but by some other way.

These are are the ones that Christ refers to in verse 8 saying: “All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” It is not that all who came prior to the time of Christ were thieves and robbers. If that were the case then what are we to say of Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and John the Baptist? No, this is a reference to those false shepherds, false prophets, and false messiahs who – just like the false shepherds in Jesus days and in ours – refused to lead the sheep humbly and through Christ.

A Most Direct Condemnation of the Unbelieving Pharisees 

As we move towards a conclusion I would ask you to think with me for a moment about how this saying of Jesus would have applied to his original audience. This figure of speech was first and foremost a condemnation of the so-called shepherds of Israel – the Pharisees.

Jesus had just healed a man blind from birth. He looked upon him with tender compassion. He anointed his eyes and sent him away and he was healed. And what did the Pharisees do with all of this? They disregarded the miracle, they rejected Jesus as the Christ, and they cast the man out when he refused to renounce Jesus. In other words, they were behaving more like thieves and robbers than true shepherds of Israel. They were treating the sheep brutally and they refused to lead them through the door, who is Christ our Lord.

In other words, they were worthy of the condemnation of Ezekiel 34:1-10 which I read at the beginning of this sermon.

In contrast to this, Christ is the good shepherd. He is tender with his sheep. He called the blind man, he touched the blind man, he healed the bland man, and he pursued him after he had been cast out of the synagogue by the Pharisees. He called the man and the man recognized the voice of the true shepherd king.

Application

So what does this figure of speech mean to us?

To Shepherds Of Christ’s Flock 

It ought to speak powerfully to those who are under-shepherds within Christ’s church. The ears of pastors and elders ought to perk up when they hear this saying of Jesus. We pastors and elders should ask our selves, do we resemble the chief shepherd – the good shepherd himself – or do we resemble the thieves and robbers? Are we tender and compassionate with Christ’s flock? Are we diligent in the defense of Christ’s flock? And do we speak Christ’s words, so that when the sheep hear our voice they in fact hear the voice of Christ himself? The question is this: Are we faithful under-shepherds who come and go ourselves through the door, and who lead the sheep in our of the door, who is Christ our Lord?

To All Christians 

As Christians we must ask ourselves if we are indeed following the good shepherd out to green pastures and back into the fold again. He came that we might have life and have it abundantly.

To Those Not Yet Trusting In Christ

If you are not yet trusting in Christ I would only say to you that there is but one door through which we are able to lay ahold of life eternal.

New Testament Reading: John 9:1–41

As [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” (John 9:1–41, ESV)

Introduction

I know that it is unusual for me to take a whole chapter in a single sermon. This chapter certainly could be broken up into small parts. It’s rich. There is much that could be said about each little part. But you probably noticed as we read the text that chapter 9 tells one story – the story of the healing of the man born blind.

I consider this story to be a refreshing interlude. Chapters 7 and 8 contain long, and rather intense, accounts of Jesus’ dialogue with those who opposed him. The Jews and Jesus go back and forth, back and forth. Jesus reveals himself ever more clearly. And as he does the Jews grow more and more hostile until they are ready to put him to death. In chapter 9 the back and forth between Jesus and the Jews gives way to this beautiful story.

The reason I have decided to deal with this story as a unit instead of breaking it up in to pieces, is because the story makes an important point. I believe that there is one main point to the story. It was a point that the original recipients of the gospel needed to hear in their day, and it is point that we desperately need to hear today.

The point is this: We ought to be willing to suffer exile for the sake of Christ. Put another way, we ought to be willing to be cast out if that is what it requires in order to follow Christ. For the original recipients of this gospel that meant being willing to be cast out of the synagogue. That involved suffering persecution of various kinds. For you and I that means being willing suffer as exiles when it comes to the opinions of friends and family, coworkers, or the broader society in which we live.

The Miracle

Let’s consider the miracle of verses 1-7 which sparks the controversy of verses 8-41.

Jesus and his disciples were leaving the temple area and they walked by a man who was blind from birth. Jesus noticed the man, and so did his disciples. His disciples then asked in verse 2, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

It was a common view in the days of Jesus that physical ailments were the direct result of some particular sin. The ailment of this man provoked an interesting question given that he was born blind. The question was, who’s sin led to this man’s blindness – his parents sin, or his own?

Notice that the disciples do not ask, are ailments like these the direct result of sin? Instead take the predominate view of the day and assume that they are and ask Jesus who’s sin caused this blindness?

This idea might sound absurd to you and I, but it was a common view in Jesus’ day. And actually there are many who still think in this way. They assume that physical suffering of any kind is the direct result of some sin, or some lack of faith, or the curse of God. Perhaps you’ve run into people who hold to a view like this.

But notice what Jesus says. He does not answer the disciples question, but addresses the false assumption behind the question.  Verse 3: “Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” In other words, this ailment is not the direct result of sin as you assume. It is not the direct result of a particular sin – neither his nor his parents – but is here so that God might be glorified through it.

While it is true that Jesus was speaking of this man’s situation in particular, some general observations should be made. One, it is clear that not all suffering can be viewed as the direct result of some particular sin. And two, it is clear that God is able and willing to use our suffering for his glory and our good.

We should take great in formulating our doctrine of suffering according to the truth of scripture. To lack a biblical understanding of suffering will make dealing with the trails of life very difficult indeed. It may be that you are suffering now. It may be that someone you love is suffering. I suppose it is good to ask the question, is their some sin that needs to be repented of. Perhaps the Lord is trying to get your attention with the suffering so that you might repent. But it is wrong to see yourself as cursed of God, if you are in Christ Jesus. Your suffering should refine you as you cling to Jesus. Your suffering should bring glory to God as you go on trusting him. But not all suffering is the direct result of some particular sin, as the disciples of Jesus assumed.

Jesus would bring glory to God through this man’s ailment in a most amazing way.

In verse 4 Jesus says, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” I find that I am always tiered during the summer months. I think the reason is that the days are longer. There is more daylight. And more daylight means there is more time to get stuff done, and so I’m on the go for a longer period than in the winter months. Jesus’ word’s here in verse 4 indicate that he knew his days were numbered. He knew he would not live long. There was a sense of urgency that the work needed to be done before night set in.

We should live with this same sense of urgency concerning our work for Christ.

In verse 6 we are told of the miracle: “Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.”

Why did Jesus preform this miracle as he did? He could just healed the man with a word. Why did he spit on the ground and make mud? Why did he put the mud in man’s eyes? And why did he make the man go and wash in the pool of Siloam?

We really can’t know for sure. But notice some connections with the themes that have been introduced in John’s gospel up to this point. One, Jesus has been introduced as the light of the world. Here is a man living in darkness in physical sense, and Jesus gives him light as sign that he is able to do the same thing of the human soul. Two, we have been told that Jesus is the source of streams of living water. Here, Jesus uses his saliva to heal the man. He did not need to do this. I think this symbolizes what has been said earlier about him. And three, notice that Jesus tells the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. This is the pool out of which the Jews would have drawn water during the feast of pools to poor out on the alter. Jesus makes a connection with that symbolism once again. And notice that Jesus tells the man to go and wash. This is how it works with Jesus. He is our savior. He has attuned for our sin and calls us to himself. But we must respond in faith and repentance.

The miracle itself is significant. It symbolizes things that are true of Christ – light of the world, streams of living water. But it is the response to the miracle that becomes the focus of the text. 

The Neighbors 

Let us first consider the response of the neighbors and acquaintances of the man healed. Verses 8-13: “The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘It is he.’ Others said, ‘No, but he is like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ So they said to him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.’ They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.” (John 9:8–13, ESV)

I will not say much about this section except for that the miracle is here confirmed as valid and true. This man was well known. That he was born blind was well known. People were understandably skeptical at first, for who has ever heard of a man born blind being made to see? But in this course of time many people came to believe that a miracle had indeed taken place – that this was the blind man and now sees. The man himself testified agains and again saying, “I am the man.” They were so convinced that a miracle had taken place that they brought the man to the religious authorities.

The Pharisees

Verses 14 – 34 provide us with many details concerning the Pharisees investigation of theses thinking. Notice that they do not interact directly with Jesus, but with the healed man and those who might be able to shed light (pun intended) on the situation. I will not deal with verses 14-34 in detail, but notice a few things about the Pharisees:

One, it seems that they were hellbent on dismissing the validity of this miracle. They heard from the neighbors, they called the man, and then the mans parents, and then the man again, to testify concerning these things. Everyone’s testimony confirmed that an incredible had been preformed. The man stood before them seeing. That he was born blind was clear as day, and yet they would not believe it.

This is how it is with unregenerate man. It does not matter how much evidence you give them. Unless the Holy Spirit enlivens the soul, they will not believe.

Two, notice how the Pharisees find comfort in their legalism. As the evidence is presented concerning the working of a true miracle they feel threatened and retreat to the confines of their man made religion, and to the comfort of their self-righteousness.

Jesus was a sinner, they say. And no sinner can possibly do works like these. And why did they say that Jesus was a sinner? They claimed that he broke the Sabbath when he made the mud with his saliva. According to their man made rules (and notice that these are man made rules, and not the laws of the Bible) a person was not not allowed to knead bread of Sabbath. And this was essentialy what Jesus did. He made the mud in a way similar to the way that people knead bread when he mixed the earth with the liquid and worked them together. Jesus was a Sabbath breaker, according to their reasoning.

Wow. They ignored the miracle. They ignored the act of mercy. And the chose to dismiss Jesus in favor of their man made rules and regulations.

In truth, Jesus never broke the Sabbath – he kept it purely. For him it was a day of rest and worship, a day to gather with the saints, and a day to show compassion to those in need. He kept the Sabbath, but intentionally thrashed the man made customs that had been heaped upon the fourth commandment.

Three, notice how the Pharisees in their self righteousness considered others to be lower than themselves. Jesus was a sinner, in their opinion, but they were not because they “kept” the law (verse 16). In verse 34 they said to the man born blind and now healed they said: “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” This they said to him after he answered them well and refused to be moved concerning his opinion of Jesus. They looked down upon him. They believed that they were better than him. He was born in “utter sin” whereas they we free and pure.

Those who view themselves in this way will never see their need for Jesus. They are better than others – more spiritual, more wise, more pure. This self-righteous disposition will forever hinder someone from seeing their need for the Savior.

Four, notice how the Pharisees use their power to threaten those who disagree with them. The Pharisees spoke to the parents of the man healed and they were very careful with their words. And why were they careful? John tells us in verse 22: “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.” And after the healed man stood for Christ notice what happened to him. The end of verse 34 reveals that “they cast him out.” This means that they cast him out of the synagogue. He was ostracized from the Jewish community – excommunicated, to speak in Christian terms.

I’d like you to recognize that at the theme running through this passage is the pressure that Jews were putting on those who considered following Jesus. The threatened to put people out if the followed Jesus.

This was no little thing. The Jewish community was a tight knit community in Jesus’ day. Being put out of the synagogue (or congregation) was a serious thing. It meant loosing important relationships. It meant suffering economic hardship. It meant losing your good reputation.

The Jews who lived in Jesus’ day were already threatening in this way – but the people to whom John was writing in, let’s say, 85 A.D. were struggling even more so with these threats as the divide between the Jews and the, so called, Christians had widened significantly. One of the things that hindered Jews from confessing Jesus as the Christ was the fear of being put out.

Why did John write his gospel? So that his readers might believe in Jesus as the Christ. And what is one of the main things that hold’s people back from confessing Jesus as Lord? Is it not the fear of being put out. The Jews who witnessed the healing of the blind man were afraid of being put out. The parents of the man who was healed were afraid of being put out. The man who was healed was undoubtably struggling with the fear of being put out. The people to who John was writing in 85 A.D. were afraid of being put out. And do you want to know something? We find ourselves holding back in our confessing of Christ because we are afraid of being… put out.

You say, how are we afraid of being put out? There is no synagogue for us to be cast out of. No, but perhaps you have been reading the news over that past week and have noticed that our society is moving at a rapid pace away from Christian values. Or perhaps you have noticed how being Christian has become much less popular in our society over the past 15 to 20 years. Or perhaps you have noticed how, even within the Christian community, believing the Bible and confessing it’s truths has become an unpopular thing.

I see it. I feel it. If the church is to survive – if Christianity is to survive – in this new, anti-Christian culture, she had better learn to live in a countercultural way. She had better be willing to be cast out for the sake of Christ.

The Man’s Parents

Notice the way that the man’s parents interact with the authorities. They are unwilling to stand for Jesus. They answer the questions of the Pharisees concerning their son – Yes, he is our son, they say, and, yes he was born blind and now he sees – but they were unwilling to give an opinion concerning Jesus. Why? John tells us that “his parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”

They would not stand for Jesus because they feared the Jews. And so it is with many today. They will not stand with Jesus because they fear the opinions of man.

 The Man Who Was Healed 

But notice the way that the man who was healed responds to the questions of the Pharisees.

He first of all stated the facts. Verse 15: “So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.’”

He then confessed to believe that Jesus was a Prophet. Verse 17: “So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’”

And after being ridiculed and threatened by the Pharisees, what does the man say? He does not back down, but Identifies with Jesus in a most bold way, saying in verse 30, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” He confesses that Jesus is from God. And for that he is cast out.

Jesus

Thankfully the story does not end there. Look at verse 35: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’”

Notice that Jesus took the initiative to seek the rejected man out. Jesus drew near to him in his suffering. What message do you think that John is trying to communicate to his audience as he tells of these things? Is he not reminding us in most beautiful way that we are not alone when we are despised and rejected by men, but that he walks with us?

And having found the man, what does he say? He says, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Remember that Jesus’ interaction with the man has been limited up to this point. The man does not now much about Jesus. He knows enough to confidently assert, “he is a prophet”, and “he is from God”, but he does not possess a full understanding of the Christ. This should remind us that coming to true faith in Christ is often a progressive thing. We come to him as we learn more and more about him.

Jesus said to the man, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” And the man replied to Jesus in verse 36 saying, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” (John 9:36, ESV) He responded to Jesus with respect. He acknowledged that he did not understand what Jesus was talking about. And he was willing to listen. Jesus replied, in verse 37 “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”

Notice the play on  words, “you have seen him”, Jesus says. Remember that the man was blind, and now he sees. And the man’s response reveals that, not only did he see Jesus with his physical eyes which were once blind, but with the eyes of his heart which were once blind as well. He responds, saying, “‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.” (John 9:38, ESV)

Perhaps Psalm 27:10-11, was written for this man: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.”

Jesus concludes with this saying in verse 39: “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, ‘Are we also blind?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.’”

The meaning is this. Those who admit their need – those who admit that they are blind and in need of light from above – will receive it. Those who in their pride insist that they have no need – that they can see in and of themselves – will remain in their blindness. They guild will remain.

Application 

Will you acknowledge your blindness apart from Christ? Will you acknowledge your need?

Will you identify with Christ in this world, even is you are pushed to the margins and considered a fool?

Do you know that Christ walks with those who are his and that you are never alone?

Revelation 1:12-16: “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

What is communicated in this vision? Christ walks in the midst of his church even to this day!

 

Old Testament Reading

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:1–14, ESV)

New Testament Reading

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:48–59, ESV)

Introduction

Jesus has a way of bringing division, doesn’t he? People seem to either love him or hate him. Those who land somewhere in the middle concerning their opinion of Jesus probably haven’t considered his claims. His claims concerning himself were so big, so grand, so incredible, that a person, after hearing those claims, is forced to come to definite conclusions concerning him. People must eventually take sides. And there really are only two options with Jesus. After encountering the claims of Christ a person will either believe in his word and follow him as Lord from the heart, or reject his word, considering him to be a deranged soul – a lier, a lunatic, or an egomaniac, but certainly not Lord.

I suppose it is possible to remain neutral in regard to your opinion of Jesus, but only if you decide to ignore his claims.  You can (and people do this often) ignore what is revealed in Holy Scripture. You can take the name of Jesus and fashion for yourself a conception of  Jesus that is less extreme, less threatening, less demanding. I suppose you could do this and maintain a neutral and uncommitted disposition towards him. But how would that be any better than rejecting him all together? In the end, you still would not know the Christ of history – the Jesus of the scriptures.

Notice that in John’s Gospel Jesus is unwilling to be pressed into a mold. He’s unwilling to allow the Pharisees (or anyone else, for that matter) to form and fashion him into the “Messiah” of their choosing. If anything is clear in John’s Gospel it is that Jesus insisted that people come to him as he was in reality. In other words, Jesus was not willing to be moved by man, but demanded that man be moved concerning their opinion of him.

This is the case with the group that Jesus was talking to in the temple. They professed faith in him, but their faith was false. It was built upon false ideas concerning who Jesus was and what he came to do. Notice that Jesus did not leave them in their false faith. He would not be pressed into their mold, but pressed in upon them that they might conform to the truth from above. He revealed himself ever more clearly. And notice that as he revealed himself ever more clearly, and ever more precisely, people were moved from their the place of misunderstanding. They were moved from their position of neutrality to one side or the other. Some believed, I’m sure. But many grew hostile towards him.

Notice how the opinion of the Jews changed. These were the people who said they believed in him, as noted in 8:30. But in verse 48 they speak to Jesus in this way: “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan…?” This was their way of saying that Jesus was a traitor – they did not consider him a true Jew – his devotion to the Fathers was questionable – his doctrine untrue, in their opinion. More than that, they also say in verse 48 that he has “a demon”. This was their way of saying that Jesus was insane – out of his mind. Also, there seems to be an opinion of Jesus that he was seeking his own glory. Though the Jews do not explicitly accuse him of this, they do imply it. In verse 53 they ask him, “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” They viewed him as a man bent on making himself into something great – as one obsessed with glorifying himself. Notice that Jesus does defend himself against this accusation saying, for example, in verse 50, “Yet I do not seek my own glory…”

And so three accusations are made against Jesus by the Jews. One, you are a Samaritan – a traitor. Two, you are out of your mind – demon possessed. And three, you are an egomaniac – seeking to bring glory, honor, and praise to yourself.

What I am about to say might sound strange, but in a way (and please here me  – I’m saying in a way) these men are closer to the kingdom in 8:48 than they were in 8:30.

It’s true, in 8:30 we are told that they professed to believe in Christ, whereas in 8:48 they say that Jesus has a demon. But notice that in 8:30 their hearts and minds were filled with misunderstandings concerning Jesus’ true identity and the work he came to accomplish. How do we know this? Look at how they turn on him as he reveals himself ever more clearly! And why would I say that they are closer now than before? Think of this: at least now they are understanding Jesus’ claims! At least now that have a proper view of Jesus! They are responding in hostility, it’s true. But they are hostile because they get what he is saying. They understand his claims, and their wicked hearts are offended by those claims. At least they are understanding Jesus’ claims. The only thing needed now is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

The claims of Jesus really are offensive if they are not true.

It really is most reasonable to either love him or hate him.

I think the saying holds true that we must consider Jesus to be either a lier, a lunatic, or Lord.

John’s Gospel was written to move move us from a place of unbelief or indifference concerning Jesus Christ, to full fledged faith in him.

Notice in this passage that Jesus does not bend to the pressure of those around him – he will not be pressed into their mold. Instead, he goes all in. It is here in this passage that we encounter Jesus’ most extraordinary claims. This passage is the pinnacle of chapters 7 and 8. Notice that at the end of chapter 8 we are told that Jesus goes out of the temple, which marks the beginning of a new section of John’s Gospel.

So what does Jesus reveal concerning himself? What does he say concerning his person and work?

 

God The Father Seeks To Glorify The Son (vs. 48-50)

He reveals, first of all, that he does does not seek his own glory, but that God the Father seeks his glory.

This really is quite an astonishing thing for someone to say. We are told elsewhere in scripture that God does not share his glory with anyone (Is. 48.11). How could he? If he were to give glory to another he himself would be guilty of the sin of idolatry. God alone deserves the glory. God does all things for the glory of his name, and righty so. The reason it wrong for us to live for our own glory is because we are not God. The reason it would be wrong for God to give glory to another is because he is God. But here Jesus claims that God the Father desires to glorify him.

Look at verse 48: “The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” Why would they say such harsh things? It is because of what Jesus said of them in verse 47:  “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” For Jesus to suggest that they, the offspring of Abraham, were not of God was to much for them. This is what brought about the charge of being a Samaritan and having a demon.

 Verse 49: “Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.’” That Jesus was a Samaritan-traitor and demon possessed was certainly a possibility, humanly speaking. But only if his claims were untrue. Here Jesus reiterates that his claim were true. He lived for the honor of the Father. He lived, not for his own glory, but to glorify the Father. The Jews were on the wrong side of the issue – they were on the loosing end. They dishonored Jesus, and therefore, dishonored the one for who’s honor Jesus lived, namely the Father. By dishonoring Jesus, they dishonored the Father. If they were to give glory to the Son, they would glorify the Father also.

It is here in verse 50 that Jesus claims that the Father is seeking his glory: “I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.”

Why is it right for the Father to seek the glory of Jesus, whereas it would be wrong for him to seek the glory of anyone else? Two things immediately come to mind. One, Jesus alone lived (and lives) for the glory of the Father. To glorify the Son is to glorify the Father. Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, is the only mediator between God and man. Christ is the only way to the Father. When the Father glorifies the Son he, in effect, glorifies himself. Two, it is right for the Father to glorify the Son because Jesus Christ was and is God come in the flesh. He was God incarnate. And so when the Father sought the glory of the Christ he was in fact not seeking the glory of another, but his own glory, the glory of the only begotten So of God. As hard as it is for us to comprehend, this is indeed true.

The point is this: Jesus’ claims concerning himself would indeed lead us to believe that he was a traitorous, demon possessed, egomaniac, but only if his claims concerning himself were untrue. If it is true that God the Father sought to the glory Jesus, then we must live for his glory as well.

Jesus Has Power Over Death (vs. 51-53)

Secondly, Jesus reveals that he has power over death.

This too is an astonishing claim. For what man can possibly claim to have power over death?

Look at verse 51: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

The words, “Truly, truly, I say to you”, are meant to grab the attention.

Notice that Jesus again emphasizes the need to keep his word, saying, “if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” True belief in Jesus involves more than a temporary trust, or momentary belief. True faith is a faith that abides – a faith that remains. Death is overcome only as we receive the word of Christ (his whole message), and continue in it (for the whole of life). It is not that we are saved by the keeping of his word, but that the keeping of his word is evidence of a faith that is true. We are told that it is those who keep his word who will never see death.

These words can easily be misunderstood. In fact the Jews did misunderstand! Listen to their response in verse 52: “The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?’”

Their reasoning is sound. The great figures of the faith all died. Abraham died. The prophets died. Who does Jesus think he is to claim to have the power over death?

But it is clear what Jesus meant by this. He was not speaking of physical death, but spiritual death. Jesus in other places predicted his own death (John 8:28). He also made it clear that his followers would die, even predicting the manner in which they would die (John 21:18-19). Never did Jesus claim to deliver us from physical death. No, he came to deliver us from a much more serious death. He came to deliver us, not from the relatively inconsequential and insignificant death of the physical body, but the death of the soul – the death of the human Spirit – which involves eternal separation from the God who made us – eternal punishment. This is death that he came to save us from.

And we are promised by Jesus that those who keep his word will never see, or never taste, death. How can this be? All will taste physical death with exception of those who are alive when the Lord returns. But those who are in Christ will never see or taste spiritual death. Those who are in Christ will pass from life to life, whereas those not in Christ will pass form a state of death to death. If we are in Christ we have been made alive in him. When we experience physical death we will go on living in him. We will pass from life to life. In this way those who keep Christ’s word will never taste death.

Brothers and sisters, don’t you know that there is a death far more significant and far more threatening than physical death? It is the death Adam experienced in the day that he sinned against God. He went on living and breathing for some time, but he died when he ate of that forbidden fruit. This is by far the worst kind of death. This is by far our greatest enemy, our most formidable foe.

When Christ says, “if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death”, he is claiming to be the answer to Adam’s sin. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22, ESV)

Jesus’ claim to have power over death would indeed lead us to believe that he was a traitorous, demon possessed, egomaniac, but only if his claim were untrue. If it is true that those who keep his word will not see death, then his word we must keep all the days of our life.

Abraham Longed To See Jesus’ Day (vs. 54-56)

Thirdly, Jesus reveals that Abraham himself longed to see his day.

It is not hard to understand why Jesus would talk about Abraham. The Jews had recently insisted that they were spiritually free because they were children of Abraham. They also had just pointed out that even Abraham died. Jesus now says that even Abraham looked forward to and rejoiced in the day when the Christ would come.

Verse 54: “Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

This is a very powerful argument, given the circumstance. The Jews revered Abraham greatly. More than that, the Jews thought very highly of themselves because they were offspring of Abraham. Here Jesus points out that even Abraham did not trust in himself, but in the Christ who was to come. Abraham himself looked forward to the day when the promised Christ would appear. Abraham rejoiced in and was glad over the promises of God which pointed forward to Christ. The promises of God were his hope and joy.

Commentators have wondered what exactly Jesus was referring to when he said, “Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” When did Abraham “see Jesus’ day”? That is the question.

Some suppose that Jesus was saying that Abraham saw his day in that he was seated in heaven at the time when Jesus was speaking these words to the Jews. The thought is that Abraham was looking down upon Jesus from heaven, rejoicing in his life and ministry. This doesn’t seem to fit. Jesus used the past tense: “Abraham saw it and was glad”; he did not say, “Abraham sees it and is glad.”

Other believe that Abraham was given a vision during his lifetime of the coming Christ. Some claim that this happened during the events of Genesis 15. I suppose it is possible to think that God gave Abraham a vision of the coming Christ which caused Abraham to be glad and to rejoice, but the scriptures do not reveal this to us. This view is speculative.

It seems far better to understand Jesus as saying that Abraham lived the whole of his life by faith. He lived, as the writer to the Hebrews notes, “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10, ESV). Abraham understood that the promises of God were not just for him, nor for his descendants, but for all the earth. He saw Christ, not with his physical eyes, nor by way of vision, but with eyes of faith, knowing that God would send a Redeemer, that God would provide a substitute.

If we must chose one event in Abraham’s life where we see him rejoicing in the promises of God most fully, I would point to the events of Genesis 22, which I read in the introduction to this sermon. It was in this event, involving the sacrifice of Isaac, where Abrahams faith was tested most fully. More than that, it was in this event of the mock-sacrifice of Isaac where Abraham faith was displayed most profoundly – he displayed, through his obedience, that he really understood and believed in the promises of God.  And even more than that, it was in the event of the mock-sacrifice of Isaac that the plan of God for the redemption of mankind was illustrated most clearly. The beloved son – the son of promise – was offered up, but a substitute was provided. Jesus Christ was the fulfillment to these things. Abraham, though he did not see Jesus Christ with his physical eyes, nor did he know him by name, saw him. He “saw his day” with eyes of faith, and rejoiced.

Think of what Jesus is claiming here in John 8! He is saying, I am the one! Here I am standing right before you! You are so proud of your heritage! You are so fond of the Fathers who have gone before you! But they all hoped in me. They looked forward to my day. They rejoiced and placed their hope in what I would accomplish for them. Oh, the irony of it all! They loved Abraham, but they hated the one who Abraham loved the most. They claimed to love God, but they hated the one beloved of God.

Jesus’ claim to be the one that Abraham rejoiced in would indeed lead us to believe that he was a traitorous, demon possessed, egomaniac – but only if his claim were untrue. If it is true that Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus’ day, then we too should rejoice in him.

Jesus Existed, As The Eternal Son of God, Before Abraham Was Born (vs. 57-59)

Fourthly, and finally, Jesus revealed that he existed as the eternal Son of God before Abraham was born. This is truly the pinnacle statement in John 8. In fact, this might be the most significant claim in the whole of John’s Gospel.

Verse 57: “So the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’”

The Jew’s were puzzled as to how Abraham could have seen Jesus and how Jesus could have seen Abraham. Again, they are taking his words too literally, and not thinking spiritually. And so they say, you are not yet 50 years old, how could you have seen Abraham. 50 was a nice round number, and they were certain that Jesus was not yet fifty. Actually, he was probably in his early 30’s.

Jesus’ response is incredible. “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

I will not rehash all that I said about the phrase “I am” during a sermon a few weeks back.

The words “I am” are to remind us of the language found in Isaiah concerning the coming redeemer.

Furthermore, the words “I am” are to remind us of the name given to Moses by God as he spoke with him in the burning bush:

“Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3:13–15, ESV)

Jesus’ claims are clear. He existed before his own birth. In fact, he existed before Abrahams birth.

This is nothing new. John 1 revealed that Jesus is “the Word” come in the flesh to tabernacle, or dwell, amongst us, and that the Word was with God in the beginning, indeed is God.

Listen carefully. The man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was born. He had a beginning. It was a supernatural beginning, but it was a beginning. The man Jesus Christ came into existence approximately 2,000 years ago, being born of a virgin. He was born – he took on flesh – he tabernacle among us 2,000 years ago, and 2,000 years after the time of Abraham. But he existed as the eternal Son of God – the eternal Word of God – the second person of the Trinity, before Abraham was born. indeed he has existed for all eternity.

It is no wonder that the Jews picked up stones to throw at him. His words were blasphemous to their ears, and they thought he deserved to die. They understood what he was claiming. He claimed to God come in the flesh.

Jesus’ claim to be the great I Am, and to have existed before Abraham was born, would indeed lead us to believe that he was a traitorous, demon possessed, egomaniac – but only if his claim was untrue. If it is true that Jesus is the great I Am. If it is true that he was God with us – God incarnate –  then how could we not abide in his word, believe upon his name, and serve him with all that we are, to the praise of his glorious grace?

Old Testament Reading

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.’” (Isaiah 42:1–9, ESV)

New Testament Reading

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31–32, ESV)

Introduction

You’ll notice that we have not moved forward in our study of the Gospel of John. Instead I’ve devoted this sermon to a portion of the text that we have already considered. Last week we looked at 8:31-47. Today we will back up and give special attention to verses 31 and 32, but from a different perspective.

The point of the sermon last week was that we – Jew and gentile alike – are in bondage to sin apart from the saving work of Christ. We, if left to our natural and fallen state, are not free. We are enslaved. We are in bondage. We are in bondage to sin in that we have committed sin and are therefore guilty of it and in need of forgiveness. More than that, we are in bondage in that we sin, and are doomed to keep on sinning, unless the Son sets us free. John 8:31-47 has much to say about the condition of man apart from the saving work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking had professed faith in him. They claimed to believe that he was the Messiah. But it became clear as we considered the text together that their faith was not true faith. Their works proved that their faith was not true. They claimed to be Abraham’s children. They even claimed to be God’s children. But they resembled neither Abraham nor God. Instead they, by their evil works, resembled their true father, the Devil – these are Jesus’ words, not mine.

So where did the Jews go wrong? Why was their faith false? Two things came to the surface. One, they did not understand who Jesus truly was. They were willing, on the basis of the signs that he preformed, to receive him as the Messiah, but their view of the Messiah was skewed. Two, they failed to grasp the severity of their fallen condition. They insisted that they were spiritually free – children of Abraham – children of God. Jesus insisted that they were still in bondage, and that they were in fact children of the evil one.

The sermon last week was decidedly negative. I’m not apologizing for that. The text itself is decidedly negative: you are not free, you are in bondage to sin. You are not children of Abraham, not children of God – instead, you are children of the devil. It has been rightly said that you cannot understand the good news of Jesus Christ without first hearing the bad news – the law of God must slay us before the gospel of God is able to heal us. And so we began with the bad news: we are in bondage to sin apart from the saving work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This morning I would like take a moment to focus on the positive implications of this text. Natural man is in bondage to sin, it’s true. But those who believe in Christ truly and from the heart are set free from that bondage. Those who hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and come to trust in him truly and from the heart, having been drawn to the Father through the Son and by the Holy Spirit, have been released from bondage. “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” – this freedom that Jesus spoke of was still in the future for the Jews to whom Jesus was originally speaking –  Why? Because their faith was not yet true – their understanding of themselves, skewed – their expectations concerning the Messiah, wrong. But for those who know Christ truly, this freedom is a present reality!

If you know Christ – if you believe in him from the heart – then you are free, free indeed.

Let’s talk about the freedom that we have in Christ.

It is a most wonderful thing to be free. Imagine being the slave of a cruel master. The master dies and his son inherits all that his father once owned, including you. But the son is gracious and kind, and he says to you, you are free! How sweet that freedom would be! You would go on rejoicing in that freedom – making the most of that freedom – for the remainder of your days.

You are free in Christ! Do you rejoice in that? Does the thought of that move you to praise? Does the thought of that fill your heart with overflowing joy? It ought to! If it does not, I wonder if you have forgotten the dread of your former bondage. Or I wonder if you have neglected making the most of the freedom that you have been granted in Christ Jesus.

My objective today is twofold. I would like to, first of all, remind you of all that you have been freed from in Christ. And secondly, I would like to remind you of all that you have been freed to in Christ. For our freedom in Christ consists of these two parts – we have been delivered from bondage – praise be to God. But we have also been free in order that that we might walk in that freedom!

Q1: What have we been freed from in Christ Jesus?

So what have we been freed from in Christ Jesus?

A1: We have been freed from the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, and the rigor and curse of the law.

One, know that in Christ Jesus we have been freed from the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, and the rigor and curse of the law.

How terrible it is to live in a state of guilt before God. How terrible it is to be under the wrath of God. But this is the state that we are born into. We are born in sin. More than that, we have all committed sin – very many sins, indeed.

It is true that we will one day stand before our Creator. If we die in our sins, then we will be judged for our sins. That truly is a most terrible thought. But the Bible also teaches that those not in Christ live, even now, under the wrath of God. It is true that the judgement is yet future, but sinners not in Christ exist, even now, as children of wrath.

This is the very thing that Paul reminded the Christians in Ephesus of, saying,

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1–3, ESV)

This is our condition apart from Christ. We are not by nature children of God, but children of wrath, because of our sin.

And it is the rigor and curse of the law that proves that we are indeed sinners before God. Even a casual reading of the ten commandments reveals that we are transgressors of God’s holy law. Who among us has never lied? Who among us has not disrespected parents? Who among us has not coveted something that our neighbor owns? Truly we are are guilty.

But Jesus applies the law of God to us in a more penetrating way. He insists that, even if we have never murdered, or have have never committed the act of adultery, the sin of murder is in our hearts when we hate – the sin of adultery is in our heart when we lust. The law of God is good, but it is rigorous. The love God is holy and pure, but does not save – it only condemns. If we are not in Christ we find ourselves under the curse of the law. It weighs heavy and looms large over us. We, because of our sins, find ourselves in bondage to it, being condemned by it.

But Christ has set us free from the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, and the rigor and curse of the law. And how did he do it? He did it by keeping the law for us! He fulfilled all of it’s requirements! He alone had shoulders broad enough to bear it’s weight!

More than that, Christ also boar the wrath of God and the curse of the law in our place. He himself was not deserving of the wrath of God. He was not under the curse of the law, for he never broke it. But he took the curse of the law and the wrath of God upon himself in our stead.

Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, ESV) And again, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18, ESV) And John says, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, ESV)

Christian, you have been set free in Christ. You have been set free from the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, and the rigor and curse of the law. That great burden has been lifted. Those shackles of guilt have been loosed. Praise be to God!

A2: We have been delivered from the world the flesh and the devil.  

Two, know that in Christ Jesus we have been delivered from the world the flesh and the devil.

We were once in bondage to the world in that were doomed to think and speak and do that which the sinful world does.  We were in bondage to the flesh in that we were doomed to live according to the flesh, to fulfill it’s appetites and desires. And though we did not know it. we were also in bondage to the Devil himself. We were, apart from Christ, accomplishing his will.

You say, Pastor, now you have gone to far! It is to much to suggest that a person is in bondage to the Devil apart from Christ! But is this not what Jesus has said? Has he not made it clear that the evil one himself is our Father? John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires…” (John 8:44, ESV) We should not forget that Jesus spoke these words to religious people. He spoke these words to moral people – law abiding people. Why would he say that the Devil was their father? It is because they were in bondage to him. Though they were religious and moral and good, humanly speaking, they were, in all of their external purity, inwardly enemies of God.

The world, the flesh, and the Devil are like a false trinity. Natural man worships these things apart from Christ. He serves theses things apart from Christ. He is in bondage to these things, apart from Christ. What else can he live for except the stuff of this world and the desires and appetites of his own flesh. He lives for these things and doesn’t even see it as strange because, to quote Paul, “the god of this world has blinded [his mind]…” (2 Corinthians 4:4, ESV)

But in Christ we have been freed from this bondage.

Christ has freed us from this world in that he has come from above revealing that there is more to life than the things of this world. While it is true that this world is not unimportant, neither is it final or ultimate. In Christ we live for the world to come – we store up treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. The world no longer rules over us.

Likewise, Christ has also freed us from our bondage to the appetites and desires of the flesh. Listen to Paul’s words:

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:12–14, ESV)

Christ, by freeing us from the curse of the law and bringing us into a state of grace through his finished work, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, has broken the power that sin once held power over us. “Sin will have no dominion over you”!

Christ has also freed us from the Devil himself.  “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” (Colossians 1:13, ESV)

So we have been delivered from the world the flesh and the devil. Praise be to God!

A3: We have been freed from the evil of afflictions. 

Three, know that in Christ Jesus we have been freed from the evil of afflictions.

Here is what is meant by this phrase: The afflictions of life are many. And they are rightly called evil when they are for no purpose and lead to no good. But what do the scriptures say to those who are in Christ concerning their afflictions?

James 1:2: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV)

Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV)

In Christ we have been freed from the evil of afflictions. Notice that we are not freed from afflictions. Never has God promised that! Even the Christian – even the child of God – will experience afflictions in this life. But we cannot call them evil in the Lord. No, the believer is to rejoice in the trials of life. We are not to rejoice in trials in a mindless way, ignoring the difficulty of the afflictions or pretending they are not there. And we are not to rejoice in a delusional way, suppressing the real and true emotional difficulty associated with the trials of life, which are sometimes very severe. Instead, the Christian is to rejoice in the trials of life knowing that the trials produce and exist for a purpose in Christ Jesus. We are to rejoice knowing that all all things work together for good, for those love God and are called according to his purpose.

In this way we are freed from the evil of afflictions. The Christian cannot rightly call the afflictions of life evil because he cannot say that they are purposeless and in vain. Praise be to God!

A4: We have been freed from the fear and sting of death. 

Four, know that in Christ Jesus we have been freed from the fear and sting of death.

A child of God should never live in fear.

Listen to the way that God has spoken to his people in every generation.

To Abraham, while he was still Abram,  he said,  “Fear not…I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Genesis 15:1, ESV)

Through Moses he spoke to the people of Israel, saying, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today…” (Exodus 14:13, ESV)

Through Isaiah he spoke to the people of Israel, saying, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you…Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”(Isaiah 41:10, 13-14 ESV)

The Psalmist reasoned with his own soul, saying,  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1, ESV)

And Jesus himself speaks to us saying, “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:26–31, ESV)

Those who know the love of God should never fear. We should not fear anything, for our heavenly Father is Lord of all and he loves us. This is what John is getting at in his epistle when he says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18, ESV)

When we are overcome with fear  as a child of God it reveals that we have not grasped the love of God for us in Christ Jesus. Christ has freed us from fear, even the fear of death itself. Praise be to God.

A5: We have been freed from the victory of the grave and everlasting damnation.

Five, know that in Christ Jesus we have been freed from the victory of the grave and everlasting damnation.

The grave eventually has victory over all men. All die. Death is our most formidable foe. But Christ has freed us from the victory of death. Notice again that the Christian is not promised freedom from death, but freedom from the victory of death. Christians die just and those not in Christ die. Death is the doorway through which all pass from this life to the next. But for those in Christ, death will not have victory. Death is not the final word for the believer.

Listen to Paul:  “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:54–58, ESV)

Death does not have victory over the Christian because Christ has defeated death by raising from the grave. Christ has won the victory over death so that death will not have victory over us. Death is door through which Christians pass from life to life. Thanks be to God.

We were once enslaved to cruel and harsh masters. We were enslaved to the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, and the rigor and curse of the law. We were enslaved to the world the flesh and the devil.  We were at one time enslaved to the evil of afflictions and to fear – death being the thing that we feared most of all. We were once enslaved to the victory of the grave and to everlasting damnation. Christ has freed us from all of these things.

Q2: What have we been freed to in Christ Jesus?

But what has Christ freed us to? Has he not freed us from these things so that we might aimlessly wander the streets of life? By no means! He has freed us for a purpose.

A1: We have been freed to have full access to God the Father.

The first is this: we have been freed from bondage so that we might have full access to God the Father. We have been freed from bondage so that we might come to the Father freely.

We have been adopted into the family of God. We have been made children of God. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.“(1 John 3:1, ESV)

A2: We have been freed to obey God from a child-like love. 

The second purpose is this: We have been freed from bondage to obey God from a child-like love. We have been freed from these things, not to indulge the desires of the flesh without the threat of condemnation, but to love God from the heart! Romans 6:8:

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:8–14, ESV)

For the child of God, living in obedience to the commands of God is not a burden, but the highest joy. It is something we are to do from a heart transformed by grace. 

Conclusion

Tell me brothers and sisters, are you living in the freedom that is yours in Christ Jesus? Or have you decided to go and live in the land of the condemned once again?

A Christian walking as if in bondage is a strange spectacle indeed! The Christian who lives as if bound – bound by condemnation; bound to the rigor and curse of the law; ruled by the world, the flesh or the Devil; bound by the evil of afflictions or by fear – is an contradiction.

The Christian who is living as if bound is like a prisoner set free who decides to remain in his cell – the shackles have been removed, the prison door flung open, the guards stand to the side, and yet there he remains. He is free but prefers the prison cell to the courtroom of the king, the donjon over the Fathers embrace.

May it not be so of us. May we rejoice in the freedom that we have in Christ! And may we walk in that freedom, to the glory honor and praise of our merciful Savior, Christ Jesus our Lord.