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.

Reading of God’s Holy Word

“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.’ They answered him, ‘We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.’ They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.’ They said to him, ‘We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 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. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’” (John 8:31–47, ESV)

Introduction

So the pattern continues in John’s Gospel: Jesus makes some extraordinary claims concerning himself, or utters some provocative thing, which then gives way to a debate between he and the Jews. First it was his claim to be the source of living waters (7:38); next it was his claim to be the light of the world (8:12); and now it is this claim: “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)

It can be difficult for us to understand why these words of Jesus would lead to such an fiery exchange. The conflict is difficult to understand for two reasons:

One, we are told that Jesus uttered these words to those who had expressed belief in him – they said they believe that he was the Messiah, the Son of Man, as he had been claiming. Look at 8:30: “As he was saying these things, many believed in him.” And in 8:31 we read, “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) The reader is lead to believe that Jesus is among friends now, and that the potential for hostility has passed. How could it be that the most intense conflict of all is just around the corner if Jesus is indeed speaking to those who have believed in him?

Two, the fiery exchange is difficult for us to understand because the words of Jesus seem to us to be rather uncontroversial: “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) These words sound sweet to our ears. We cherish these words. It is difficult for us to comprehend how these words of Jesus could possibly be offensive, leading to such hostility. Read the rest of Sermon: John 8:31-47: True Disciples Abide »

Reading of God’s Holy Word

“So he said to them again, ‘I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ So the Jews said, ‘Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?’ He said to them, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.”

Introduction

It has been said of John’s Gospel that it is at once like “a pool in which a child may wade and an elephant can swim. It is both simple and profound. It is for the veriest beginner in the faith and for the mature Christian. Its appeal is immediate and never failing.” (Morris, 3)

One of the reasons the Gospel of John is at once deep and profound, and yet attainable is because of the way that John writes.

He uses symbolism and metaphor masterfully. He sometimes, in one or two words, manages to draw our attention to massive themes found within the Old Testament scriptures. Sometimes John is very specific and precise in what he says; at other times he is deliberately vague so that a particular word or sentence intentionally has multiple meanings.

The end result is that a brand new Christian can read John’s Gospel and come away happy and satisfied, having understood the message clearly.  At the same time the most learned theologian can study the Gospel in a most careful way and never fully exhaust all that is contained within it.

This is true of John’s Gospel in general, but I feel that it is particularly true of the passage that we are considering this morning. In a way, the meaning of this passage is utterly simple. Jesus is still revealing the truth concerning who he is. He is the Christ, the eternal Son of God, the Savior. Men and women will perish in their sins if they do not believe, or trust, in him. This is true because they are of this world. He is not of this world. It seems to me that the message is most clear, and accessible to anyone willing to listen. But we can wade out into deeper waters together.

This passage has something in common with what has come before. Jesus is still about the business of revealing his true identity. Notice the question at the heart of this text. In verse 25 the Jews again ask Jesus, “Who are you?” It seems that either the Jews were unable to understand his teaching up to this point, or they were unwilling to accept what he had clearly said. It is probably a combination of these things. Sometimes people simply cannot understand – more often than not they do not understand because they are unwilling. That would seem to be the case with the Jews of John’s Gospel. Jesus had been clear, but they had not truly listened to him. So Jesus is still about the business of revealing his true identity in the text before us.

But this passage differs from what has come before in that Jesus begins to reveal the truth concerning who we are in a more pronounced way. Notice Jesus’ words in verse 26: “I have much to say about you and much to judge…” (John 8:26, ESV) That is, in fact, what Jesus begins to do. He begins to reveal the truth concerning man. He has strong words to say concerning the condition of man. That is true of verses 21-30, and will continue even more strongly on into verses 31-47, which we will consider next week, Lord willing.

And so two things are revealed: One, the truth about Christ, and two, the truth about man.

I hope you recognize this: it is impossible to come to a saving knowledge of Christ without first of all understanding the truth of who he is, and secondly, the truth of who we are. If we fail to understand who Christ is then we will not see him as precious. If we fail to recognize who we are, we will not understand the greatness of our need. But when the two truths are grasped simultaneously we see the glory of God in Christ Jesus, and we run to him recognizing that he is the only answer to our great need.

This passage reveals these two things: the indescribable and unsurpassed glory of God in Christ Jesus, and the greatness of man’s need for him.

Let us first gaze upon the glory of God in Christ Jesus

Notice, first of all, that Jesus was from above. In verse 23 Jesus says,  “I am from above”. He goes on to say, “I am not of this world”. This is not a new concept in John’s Gospel. It has come up time and time again. Jesus Christ differs from us in that he has different origins. You and I are born into this world in the way that men and women are naturally born. We are the product of our earthly parents. We have a human nature, and that is all that can be said of us. But Christ is from above. His origins are heavenly. He came from the Father. He came down to us from above. It is true that Jesus was truly and full man – he had a human nature in the truest sense – but more can be said of him. He also had a divine nature. I do not have the time to explain all of  that now. It has been explained before and it will be explained again, I’m sure. For now simply gaze upon the glory of God in Christ Jesus knowing that he is “from above”, he is “not of this world”. When we think of the man Jesus Christ, and when we speak of him, we cannot simply say that he was born some 2,000 years ago. That he was born is true, but there is more to the man. He was born of a virgin, as you know. He is not only the Son of Man, he is also the Son of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1,14, ESV)

Consider, secondly, that Jesus was the “Son of Man”. Jesus reveals his identity in some interesting ways in this passage, which we will discuss in just a moment. But he is most clear when he says, “So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.’” (John 8:28, ESV)

The significance of the title, “Son of Man”, may slip by us unnoticed. Some might think that it is simply a humble way for Jesus to refer to himself, which it certainly was. Jesus rarely, if ever refers to himself as the Son of God. Others are right to call him by this name. But he preferred to call himself the Son of Man. It is indeed a humble title. It certainly emphasizes his humanity. But there is more to it than that. The title, Son of Man, is a Messianic title. It was used to describe the glory of the Messiah in the book of Daniel chapter 7, which was written over 500 years before Jesus was born. Daniel 7:13 says,

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV)

When Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man, it is with this passage and this person in view. He is claiming to be the Messiah. He is claiming to be the Christ. He is claiming to be the one who will come “with the clouds of heaven”, be presented before the “Ancient of Days”, being given a “kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.”

Jesus said to the Jews “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he…” (John 8:28, ESV) It can be hard to know what Jesus means by these words. Clearly the cross is in view. The Jews will indeed lift Jesus up on the cross when they crucify him. The cross, as horrible as was, is often times associated with the glorification of Christ. These things might seem contradictory at first, but the truth is that Christ was glorified through the suffering of the cross. As Christ was lifted up on the cross he was also lifted up to glory. And it was through the suffering of the cross that he would stand before the Father and be given all that Daniel 7 said that he would be given – “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.”

When we think and speak of Jesus Christ we cannot think of a mere man – he was and is so much more. He was from above. He is the Son of Man – the Messiah, the Savior of God’s people.

Understand, thirdly, that Jesus was in fact the Son of God, the Savior. This is something that the Gospel of John makes incredibly clear. I’m not sure how a person can manage to deny that the scriptures teach that Jesus Christ was God come in the flesh after reading the Gospel of John. The Gospel was written, in part, to convince us of this very thing!

The deity of Christ is clearly taught in John’s Gospel as a whole, and it is taught here in a most profound way, though we might miss it if we are not careful. I think this is one of those places where the Gospel of John is more like a pool in which an elephant can swim than a pool in which a child can wade.

Listen carefully to Jesus’ words.

Verse 24: “For unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

Again, listen to verse 28: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he…”

I hope that you are able to see that this is a strange way to speak. It is a strange way to speak in English, and perhaps even more so in Greek. Literally it is this, “For unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins.” And again, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am…” The Greek words are two in number – “ἐγώ εἰμι” – I am.

Typically when a person claims to be something we are also told what it is the he or she claims to be. In other places Jesus says things like “I am… the bread of life” – “Ἐγώ εἰμι… ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς”. Or, “I am… the good shepherd” – “Ἐγώ εἰμι… ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός”. But here it is simply “I am”, or “Ἐγώ εἰμι”.

I think you can understand why the Jews asked the question in verse 25, “Who are you?”

The Jews were without excuse for two reasons:

One, this is not the only thing that Jesus has said about himself. This is not the only time that he has spoken concerning his identity. And this is why Jesus responded to their question, “who are you” with these words: it is “just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” (John 8:25, ESV) In others words, I’ve been speaking of these things for a long time now. I’ve been about the business of revealing my true identity from the beginning – that is, from the beginning of my ministry. I think these words also have a unique impact on the reader of the Gospel. If you are puzzled by Jesus words – “For unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” – then you ought to go back to the beginning – that is, to the beginning of the Gospel – to be reminded of all that Jesus has claimed concerning himself.

The Jews were also without excuse for failing to understand Jesus’ words (as are we) because they are a clear and unmistakable allusion to very important passage of scripture in the Old Testament.

The most well known of these passages is Exodus 3:14 where, when Moses is speaking to God in the burning bush, and asks the name of God, so that he can tell the people of Israel who it is that sent him, God gives him this answer – “‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’’” (Exodus 3:14, ESV) It is impossible to compare the wording of the Greek New Testament with the Hebrew Old Testament, but we may compare the Greek New Testament with the Septuagint, which was the official Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, and the Bible of the early Church. Here is God’s answer to Moses in the Greek: “Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν”, which means I am… the one who is, or, I am… the existent one.

I think we are right to see that the Divine name given to Moses is behind Jesus’ answer here. We are to believe that he is – that he is the Ἐγώ εἰμι.

And this is without a doubt where John chapter 8 will go with things. As things progress in terms of Jesus revealing his true identity we will eventually hear Jesus utter the words, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am [Ἐγώ εἰμι].” So they picked up stones to throw at him…” (John 8:58–59, ESV)

But may I suggest to you, that though Exodus 3:14 is clearly behind the “I am” statements of Jesus here in the passage we are studying this morning, there is more to the story?

My belief is that Exodus 3:14 is indeed in the background, but that it is in the distant background. I think there is another text – or, more precisely, a collection of texts – that fit the context and wording of John 8:24 and 28 more closely.

Notice this: the passage before us is more concerned with proving that Jesus is the Son of Man – that is, the Christ, or Messiah – than proving that Jesus is God come in the flesh. Both things are true, but this passage is centered upon the idea of Messiahship. Furthermore, consider that are other passages in the Old Testament which use the words Ἐγώ εἰμι in a way closer to the way that John uses them here in John 8. In Exodus 3:14 the words Ἐγώ εἰμι do not stand alone – the Divine name is “I am…who I am.” But in other important Old Testament passages, the words Ἐγώ εἰμι do stand alone.

Do you remember me making the point some time ago that John seemed to be particularly fond of the Prophet Isaiah? I mentioned this especially in connection to the way that John talked about John the Baptist and the Baptists ministry using texts from Isaiah. You may not remember it, but I did say it! John frequently quotes from and makes allusions to key texts from the book of Isaiah.

Please turn with me to Isaiah 40 so that I can show you something. You’ll have to explore what I am about to show you more on your own; I’ll only have time to briefly expose you to something amazing in the text. Notice that Isaiah 40 begins a section where the people of God are being comforted by the Prophet. They would be judged, but the good news was that God would save. Isaiah 40:1 says,

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1–5, ESV)

This sound familiar, doesn’t it? It should remind you of the way that the Baptist described his ministry at the forerunner to the Messiah.

Look at Isaiah 41:4: “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he [Ἐγώ εἰμι].” (Isaiah 41:4, ESV)

Look at 43:10-12:

“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he [Ἐγώ εἰμι]. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, ‘and I am God.’” (Isaiah 43:10–12, ESV)

Look at 43:13: “Also henceforth I am he [Ἐγώ εἰμι]; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 43:13, ESV)

43:25: “I, I am he [Ἐγώ εἰμι] who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25, ESV)

The point is this: It is true, the Divine name of  Exodus 3:14 is indeed behind the “I am” statement of Jesus here. But there is more to it than that. Jesus, in using this language in this context, is claiming to be the one that Isaiah spoke of. He is God, it is true. But more to the point, he is the Savior. He is the Messiah.

When Jesus says in John 8:24, “For unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins”, he is insisting that we understand him to be the Savior promised from long ago. And we know from the Old Testament that this Savior will at once be God himself, and yet a man. He will be the Son of God, and yet the Son of Man. He will be One with God the Father, and yet somehow distinct. This is Christ Jesus our Lord – God incarnate – God come in the flesh. He is the Messiah – the Christ – the Anointed one of God.

Truly we must confess that Christ is glorious indeed!

Let us now consider the greatness of our need 

Notice, first of all, that we are described by Christ as being from below and of this world. Verse 23: “He said to them, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”

This is true of natural man – this is true of all who are not in Christ, who have not been born from above. We are from below, and of this world. This does not mean that we are from hell, or something like that. It means that we are of this earth – this fallen earth, characterized by sin and darkness and rebellion against God. I’ve said it time and time again that this is the significance of the word world in John. It describes the fallenness of this place in which we live. We are from below and of this world. This means that we are sinful and rebellious. It means that we are limited due to our creatureliness and sin – we cannot know God truly, in and of ourselves. We walk in darkness and are in need of light. Our need is truly great.

Consider, secondly, that we, if we do not have Christ, will die in our sin. 

This is repeated three times in this short passage. John 8:21: “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” John 8:24: “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24, ESV)

It should be clear that the thing that Christ came to save us from is our sins. Perhaps it would be more precise to say that Christ came to save us from the wrath of God that will poured out upon us because of our sins.  To sin is to miss the mark, or to fall short of God’s standard of righteousness. We sin when we break God’s law. The scriptures are clear that everyone has sinned. Romans 3:23 simply says: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23) – eternal death –  eternal separation from God. To die in your sins is to die with your sins un-atoned. Tot die in your sins is to die standing in the guilt of your sins. To die in your sins is to die in the filth of your sins to stand before God in that state.

It has been said that it would be better to die a thousand deaths in a ditch than to die in your sins. And yet this is the very thing that happens anytime someone passes from this world apart from Christ. It is not as if the scripture are unclear. Unless we believe that that Christ is he (all that he claims to be) we will die in our sins.

Understand, thirdly, that apart from faith in Christ, we cannot go where Christ has gone. Verse 21: “So he said to them again, ‘I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” Much has been said about the fact that Christ came from the Father. It is to the Father that Christ would return. The message is clear, unless we believe in Christ, we cannot see the Father. In John 14:6 Jesus puts it this way: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

To believe in Jesus is believe that he is who he claimed to be.

To believe in Jesus is to trust in him alone for the forgiveness of sins.

To believe in Jesus is to follow him as Lord.

To reject Christ means that we die in our sins. To reject Christ means that we will not be with him where he is now. To reject Christ means that will stand before God guilty of our sins, and will experience his judgment.

If hell and eternal judgment were not real it would a most unloving thing to tell people that they are real. But if they are real – if hell exists and the wrath of God does indeed threaten us – the it would most unloving to remain silent.

The scriptures teach that hell is real and that judgment is real. If we believe the scriptures to be true how could we not speak of these things? How could we not warn of the wrath to come and urge people to repent and believe in Christ? There is nothing worse than for a person to die in their sins.

Conclusion

After gazing upon the glory of God in Christ Jesus, and after briefly considering the greatness of our need, I must finally urge you seek Christ while he may be found.

Look again at verse 21. Jesus says,  “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, “you will seek me and not find me”? I think the meaning is this – if the Jews to whom Jesus was speaking decided to finally reject him as the Christ or Messiah, they would go on searching for the Messiah, but none would be found. Jesus is the only Savior there is! For the just Jews to pass on him would mean that had passed on their only hope for salvation. They would not have another opportunity – they would never come across another, for Jesus is the only one.

It is sobering thought, isn’t it? Those who are presented with Christ actually find themselves at a crossroads. If they are deliberate and decided in their rejection of Jesus they may never have another chance. They my go on seeking him – that is, seeking another savior – but none will be found, for Jesus is the only one.

Reading of God’s Holy Word

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.’ They said to him therefore, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:12–20, ESV)

Introduction

It is my opinion that the events described in this passage are a continuation of the events described in John chapter 7. Jesus, it seems, is still speaking in the temple on the last day – the great day – of the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). The text does not indicate a change in location or movement from one day to the next. We simply read in verse 12, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying…” So this story seems to picks up where chapter 7 left off.

Notice that, in both chapters 7 and 8, Jesus is about the business of revealing his true identity to the people who were gathered around him in the temple.

Notice how the two passages mirror one another:

• In 7:37 Jesus cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” He claims to be the source of life giving, eternally satisfying, water.  In 8:12 he makes a different claim. He says, “I am the light of the world.” He revealed himself as living water, and now as the light of life.

• In 7:38 Jesus urged people to believe in him, saying ,“Whoever believes in me…” Likewise in 8:12 he urges people to follow him, saying,  “Whoever follows me…” In both instances he is pressing upon his hears to receive his testimony concerning himself and to believe in him.

• In 7:38 Jesus offered people living water, saying, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” In 8:12 Jesus offers light, saying, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

So 7:37-52 and 8:12-20 have these three things in common: One, they both make assertions concerning Jesus’ true identity. Two, they both urge people to respond by believing in Jesus. And three, they both highlight what Christ is able and willing to give to the one who believes – namely, living water and the light of life.

But notice how in both passages the claims of Jesus spark controversy. In chapter 7 the claims of Jesus give way to the people arguing amongst themselves. 7:40:

“When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.” (John 7:40–44, ESV)

The same is true of chapter 8. The claims of Jesus give way to conflict. This time it is not the people divided amongst themselves, but the Pharisees, at odds with Jesus. Jesus’ declarations concerning himself are the spark which lead to the fire of conflict and division.

This morning I would like to first examine the fire of chapter 8 – the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees – before returning to a consideration of the claim of Jesus that sparked it all.

The Debate Between Jesus and the Pharisees

So what did the fiery debate between Jesus and the Pharisees center upon? The Pharisees essentially brushed to the side Jesus’ claims concerning himself and insisted that anything that Jesus said concerning himself was invalid because he testified concerning himself.

Look at verse 13: “So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.’” (John 8:13, ESV)

In other words, we do not believe your claims – we do not accept your words, because you are bearing witness about yourself. Your testimony is not true; it is invalid.

Clearly, Jesus is on trial. Though he is standing in the midst of the temple and not in a courtroom, he is certainly on trial.

And isn’t it true that Jesus is on trial whenever the gospel is preached, even to this very day? People stand in judgment of him. They must decide if they are going to receive or reject his testimony concerning himself.

The Pharisees decided that his testimony was invalid because he was alone in his witness concerning himself. They insisted that someone else be brought to testify concerning the validity of his claims.

Listen to Jesus’ response. Verse 14: “Jesus answered, ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.’” (John 8:14, ESV)

His point is a good one. It is wrong to assume that a witness is saying something untrue  simply because he stands alone. It may be that a witness is very good, faithful and true even though he is the only one able to testify concerning something. In some cases, only one witness exists!

This is Jesus’ point, I think. Even though he stood alone in his testimony concerning himself, what he said was true. In fact, in Jesus’ case, no other human could adequately testify concerning him due to the fact that he came from above – from the Father. Who else could possibly give testimony concerning these things? Jesus himself knew where he came from and where he was going. This was something that man couldn’t know, in and of himself. The fact that Jesus came from above – from the Father – and that fact that he would return to the Father, sitting down at the right hand of God until his enemies are made his footstool, is not within the reach of man’s capacity to understand. Man, in and of himself, cannot know these things – he is unable to lay ahold of these truths on his own.  These truths, like many other truths, must be reveled to man from above, if they are to be known.

Have you ever thought about this? Have you ever taken the time to consider how limited we are in our capacity to understand truth, especially truth as it pertains to God? Man, if left to himself, and if only given access to the material stuff of this universe, can only reach so high in his quest for truth. His fleshly understanding can only take him so far.

It is true that Jesus stood alone in his witness concerning himself – concerning his true identity, origin, and mission. But it must be asked: who else could possibly stand with him? Who else would be able to say, yes, I saw him in the begging with God. Or, yes, I was there when the Father sent the Son, and the Son agreed to go and accomplish the work of redemption. Who on earth could possibly stand as a witness to these things? Jesus came from above to reveal the Father to us, and to the Father he would return. He alone was able to testify to these things.

The question facing the Pharisees is the question facing all who consider Jesus today: will we receive the testimony of Jesus concerning himself? Will we receive him as God’s revelation of himself to us.This is at the heart of John’s gospel, isn’t it? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, ESV) Much can be said about that opening verse. At the heart of it is this principle: Jesus is God’s Word to us. He reveals the Father to us. His testimony is to be received as true.

 

Jesus builds upon this in verses 15-16 saying, “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.” (John 8:15–16, ESV)

When Jesus says, “you judge according to the flesh”, he means this: when you judge, you judge with a limited, flawed and incomplete understanding of things. Your judgements are flawed at best! This was particularly true of the Pharisees to who Jesus was speaking, but it true of all of us to one degree or another.

You’ve experienced this, haven’t you? You know what it is like to have to make a decision about something though your understanding of things is limited and flawed and incomplete. It can be frustrating. Sometimes I wish I were omniscient! Actually, I am glad that I’m not. I doubt I could stand it. But you have experienced the frustration of having to make judgments concerning something while lacking the ability to see all of the facts with clarity. We, because we are not all knowing, are alway dependent upon witnesses – upon the testimony of others.

An image comes to mind of me standing in the hallway with our four children gathered around (I really do have wonderful children, and I’m very, very, proud of them. But they are flawed like the rest of us). I can remember them having a conflict with one another – it was one of those days – and I can remember wanting so badly to get to the bottom of it. They all had a different perspective, though. And I can remember in that moment being profoundly aware of my limitations in regard to making a sound judgments. I was limited due to my lack of understanding. I was hindered because of my creatureliness.

That is Jesus’ point, I think. We are human (of the flesh), and we are limited in our ability to judge rightly. When we judge, we judge according to the flesh.

By the way, I think that is why the story of the woman caught in adultery was placed where it is. I will not rehash all that was said last week concerning that passage, but I will reiterate that the story of the woman caught in adultery illustrates profoundly the inability of the Pharisees to judge with right judgement. In contrast we see that Jesus’ was pure and perfect in his judgment. The Pharisees judged according to appearances – what they could see with their eyes (7:24). Jesus judged with right judgement.

We, as humans, are limited in our ability to judge truly and purely. That is not to say that we are never to judge. For example, judges and juries must judge in the court of law for society to function! It is only to say that judgement is difficult for us given our creaturely limitations. How much more difficult it is when we consider our fallen condition.

You know, we live in a age dominated by the philosophy of relativism, as you know. The popular thing is to say that we humans cannot possibly know what is true. It is viewed as arrogant to claim that you know the truth. The thought occurred to me that relativism makes a lot of sense once you reject the idea that God has revealed himself in human history. Relativism – that is the belief that humans cannot know for certain what the truth is, and are arrogant to claim to know the truth – does indeed harmonize with Jesus’ statement, “you judge according to the flesh.” Relativism is right to notice that human beings, if left to themselves, and if judging according to flesh, are severely limited in their ability to see truth with clarity and with certainly.

But we believe that there is more to the story, don’t we? One of the core tenants of the Cristian faith is that we believe God has revealed himself to us. We believe in a speaking God – in a God who has determined to make himself known to his people. We believe that God has revealed himself. He has revealed himself to all, in a limited way, through the creation (Romans 1). More to the point, we believe that God has revealed himself clearly and particularly in human history, speaking at various times and in various ways. And we believe that God has revealed himself most supremely through the sending of his Son, the eternal Word of God. This is how the author of Hebrews began his sermon, saying, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV)

The significant thing is this – God has spoken! Our ability to judges is limited, it’s true. And I agree that it would be impossible for us to come to any firm convictions concerning truth if left to ourselves, for we are limited by our creatureliness, and we are further limited by our fallenness. But we cannot ignore this fact: God has revealed himself to us. God has spoken to us. He has not left us to stumble around in the darkness.

This is, in fact, where Jesus’ argument goes. After saying in verse 15, “you judge according to the flesh”, he says, “I judge no one.” I will not linger long here. This statement is consistent with what is said elsewhere, that Jesus did not come the first time for the purpose of judging the world, but to save (John 3:16-18). He will indeed judge, but that activity will primarily be reserved for his second coming, though it has in some was begun even now.

He then says, “Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.” Here is why Jesus’ judgment is true – here is why Jesus’ testimony concerning himself is to true: he and the Father are perfectly united in their judgement.

It was long believed to be true among the Jews that God was the Judge of all the earth, and that his judgements were most holy and pure. I think of the way that Abraham pleaded with God for Sodom and Gomorra. He said,  “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25, ESV) He pleaded in this way knowing that God, the Judge of the earth, was perfect in judgments. Here Jesus maintained that his judgments are true because he is perfectly united with God the Father in his judgements.

And why are God’s judgments always true and pure and exact? Two things come to mind:

One, he is omniscient. He know all things. He knows himself completely. And he knows everything that exists outside of himself. He sees all things. Nothing is hidden from his sight. You are I are severely limited in this regard. We can only see what is right before us. We even struggle to know ourselves! God sees all and knows all.

Two, God is perfect in his judgements because he is holy. He knows all and sees all and therefore has all that he needs to make right judgements! But more than that, he is holy and just. He does what is right concerning what he sees and knows – he speaks what is true. You and I are also severely limited in this regard. Even if we knew all things we would not judge rightly given the corruption of our hearts.

Jesus insists that his judgements are true because they are not his judgements alone, but the judgments of the Father who sent him.

Let’s consider verses 17-18 as the argument advances. Jesus says, “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (John 8:17–18, ESV)

At first Jesus made the point that his testimony was true even though he stood alone. No other human could possibly testify concerning his true origin, identity, and mission. But here he reveals that there are in fact two witnesses concerning him. This makes his testimony valid in accord with the law of Moses. He himself was one witness, and the Father who sent him was the other.

You may be thinking to yourself the same thing that the Pharisees were thinking. Verse: 19: “They said to him therefore, ‘Where is your Father?’” In other words, that doesn’t count, Jesus.You can’t just say that the Father testifies concerning you. Anyone can claim that! Where is your Father? If he testifies concerning you, then have him come forward as a witness. It’s not that the Pharisees didn’t understand what Jesus was claiming – they knew he was speaking of the heavenly Father. They simply weren’t willing to receive his claim.

“Where is your Father?”, they say.  This language sounds familiar, doesn’t it. Philip, one of Jesus’ own disciples would eventually say to Jesus,

“‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 14:8–11, ESV)

So, according to John’s Gospel, in what way does the Father testify on behalf of the Son, that he is indeed the eternal Son of God, and that life is found in his name? Through the works of Christ! Though the Pharisees, and Philip for that matter, could not see the Father, or hear his voice, they could listen to Jesus’ words, and they could examine his works and see that, in fact, the Father was testifying concerning Jesus through them. Think of the miracles of Jesus. He turned water to wine; he multiplied bread and fish; he raised up and invalid; he would raise a man who was dead and buried three days in the grave; and he himself would rise from the grave. What were these things for except to serve as signs? These signs were, among other things, the testimony of the Father that this Jesus was indeed something other than a mere man. He was the eternal Son of God – the eternal Word of God – come in the flesh, life being found in his name.

Jesus answered them in verse 19, saying, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’” (John 8:19, ESV)

This is an incredibly important statement. You cannot know the Father except through knowing the Son. If we are to have a right relationship with God we must go through Jesus Christ. He is the only mediator between God and man. John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, ESV)

We are told in verse 20: “These words he spoke in the treasury (probably in the court of the women), as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20, ESV)

This was quite an exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. The words might seem insignificant at first, but they get to the heart of the difference between true and false religion. True religion builds upon the foundation of God’s revelation to us. False religion builds upon the foundation of man’s opinion, or judgment, of things.

I’d like to look for a moment at the claim of Jesus which sparked all of this as a way of bringing things full circle.

Jesus’ Claim Concerning Himself – I Am the Light of the World

What lead to this fiery debate? Jesus made this simple claim: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV)

This is a simple claim, but it is profound.

This is one of the great “I am” sayings of Jesus found in John’s gospel – “I am the light of the world”, Jesus said.

Notice that he does not simply claim to have some light within himself – he claims to be the light. Furthermore, he does not simply claim to be the light of a particular people – he claims to be the light of the whole world. This is a simple claim, but it is a very big one indeed. It’s no wonder that the Jews were stirred up as they were.

We would do well to remember that Jesus spoke these words in the temple on the last day – the great day – of the Feast of Booths. We should pay attention to the was the historical setting. I made much of the historical setting when teaching through chapter 7 on Jesus’ offer of living water. He uttered those words with the great water pouring ceremony of the Feast of Booths fresh on the peoples minds. His words were linked with the festivities of the day. Jesus was claiming to be the fulfillment of those ceremonies. The same is true of Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world. Every night during the Feast of Booths the Jews would light four huge lamps in court of the women in the temple, the very place where Jesus likely uttered these words. According to D.A. Carson, “‘Men of piety and good works’ danced through the night, holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises. The Levitical orchestras cut loose, and some sources attest that this went on every night of the Feast of Tabernacles, with the light from the temple area shedding its glow all over Jerusalem.” It was with this fresh on the peoples minds that Jesus uttered the words, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The lighting of the lamps in the temple was filled with symbolism.

It reminded the people of the pillar of fire which lead Israel through wilderness placeless under Moses. I hope you are learning to read the New Testament against the backdrop of the Old. Jesus had recently fed 5,000 in the wilderness – this should remind us of the mana from heaven given to the people of Israel. Jesus claimed to be the source of living waters – this should remind us of how God provided the people of Israel with water from the rock in the dessert place. And here Jesus claims to be the light of the world – should we not also remember the way that God led the people of Israel in the wilderness and protected them by a pillar of fire. Christ is the fulfillment of these things.

The lamps in the temple also reminded the people that God is their light.

Psalm 27:1: “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 119:105:  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The lamps also looked forward to the time when God would drive away all darkness and establish everlasting light.

Isaiah 60:19: “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

Revelation 21:22-23: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”

Jesus is claiming to be that light! It was the eternal Word of God who lead Israel in the wilderness. It was the eternal Word of God who has given light to the people of God in every age. And it will be the eternal Word of God who fills the new heavens and earth with light in the consummate state. Jesus is claiming to be that light. It is not that he was ushering in that consummate state in its fullness at his first coming – he will usher it in fully at his second coming – but nevertheless, he claimed to be that light. He is the light of the world.

But what does it mean to say that Jesus is the light of the world. We are obviously using metaphorical language here. Jesus is not really composed of physical light. Light was created. Light is a part of this physical universe. But light symbolizes something.

First of all, light gives life. Plants do not grow apart from light. The light that Jesus gives produces spiritual life. He is the light of life.

Light reveals truth. Some of us were looking at a building last week. The electricity was off and the windows were covered. We walked into the room and could not se it for what it was. The darkness consumed the room. The darkness hit the truth of the room from our eyes. We brought flashlights and lanterns, though. And when turned those on we were able to see how things really were n that place. It is this way for humans living in this world. It is true, the world is filled with physical light. And it is true that we can see things in the daytime. We can observe the natural world. But apart from Christ we cannot see things as they really are. We walk in darkness as it pertains to our spiritual condition. We walk in darkness as it pertains to the heavenly realm. We walk in darkness as it pertains to our relation to God. Christ is the light of the world. He is the one who alumnus these things that we might see them for what they are.

It is interesting, I think, how light has the power to drive out darkness and reveal the truth of things, but nothing except light can reveal light itself? Light bears witness concerning itself. And so it is with Christ. He is the light of the world. No one, apart from God himself, can testify to Christ. He bears witness concerning himself. He is self attesting.

Lastly, light enables us to walk as we ought to walk. Imagine what it would be like to trapped in place of utter darkness and to be have to walk in that place perpetually. That would be a most tortoise thing. And yet that is our spiritual condition apart form Christ. We, in our natural state, walk in darkness. More than that, we are also filled with darkness. When Christ comes to us, we begin to see as we ought to see. We see ourselves for who we are, we see the world for what it is, and we see God as he is. The way of life becomes clear to us when Christ shines upon us. The light of Christ enables us to walk as we ought to walk.

These are truths symbolized by light concerning Christ as the light of the world.

Application and Conclusion 

Let’s apply these truths briefly before we conclude.

One, receive the light of God’s revelation of himself to us in Christ Jesus.

Two, bask in the light of God’s revelation of himself to us in Christ Jesus.

Three, walk in the light of God’s revelation of himself to us in Christ Jesus.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5–7, ESV)