Sermon Tone Analysis

Abraham

Jews claim Abrahams descendants, never in bondage (8:33)

Be free in the Son not a slave to sin (8:34-36)

Abrahams children would do work of Abraham (8:39-40)

If God were your father you would love Me (8:41-43)

The devil is your father (8:44-45)

Now our tie into our passage today is

Jesus’ point is spot on, His logic irrefutable, so the only thing left for the Pharisees is to resort to name calling.

Now we get to our passage tonight and it will contain the next of the great “I AM” statements.

May we look together now?

Our Passage

Any general observations?

What is the Jews accusation (v.48)?

What does Jesus say He does compared to what they do (v.49)?

Carefully look at (v.50), who is the One?

What does Jesus have to say about His word (vv.51-52)?

What is the Jews question, snark comment (v.53)?

Who gives the glory (vv.54-55)?

What did Abraham rejoice in (v.56)?

You see more snark (v.57)

What is Jesus claim (v.58)?

Why did they pick up stones (v.59)?

Charges addressed

Jesus accused of being a Samaritan and having a demon

This is not really anything new, they could not refute the lord’s statements before (8:41) so they attacked His character claiming he was born of fornication.

It was an insult to be called a Samaritan.

Jesus response, I honor My Father, you dishonor Me.

How does Jesus honor His Father?

How do they dishonor Jesus?

Kuzik said, and he found the quote from another source, but not sure the source.

“Jesus desire to honor God and His personal humility disproved any charge of demonic possession.

since those who have Satan as their spiritual parent will have some of the characteristics of Satan, they will have an evident pride and self-seeking - things that were and are absent in Jesus.”

A promise and a call

If anyone keeps My word

Jesus had previously warned them that they would die in their sins because of unbelief (8:24)

Jesus invites them to believe by keeping His word

Basically He is pleading with them, hey if you simply receive and embrace what I’m telling you, you will never see death.

Is that not the same that is offered to us today?

We will not taste the 2nd death?

The death Jesus is speaking of is not annihilation, nor termination, it is transformation!

For we will see Jesus (2Cor5:8) and we will be like Him (1Jn3:2)

The great promise is to those who believe and keep His word

Spurgeon said regarding never see death: “When the gospel of the Lord Jesus comes to my soul, and I keep his saying by faith, I am turned completely round.

My back is upon death, and my face is towards eternal life.”

Now, look at (v.53)

The Jews think they have Him.

Jesus came to give life, eternal life (Jn20:31); He came that those who believe may not taste death/see death (8:51-52); So they may walk in the light (1Jn1:7).

How is Jesus greater than Abraham (v.53)?

Because of His claim, and the proof that He will offer on the cross, and also by the signs and wonders He had already done.

Now we turn back to the scripture and see how Jesus answers.

We need to keep in context to get a better understanding

Who honors/glorifies Jesus (v.54)?

The Father does

Jesus makes another bold claim (v.55), can you see it?

You never knew Him, or have not come to know Him

Jesus backs it up in normal fashion, I know Him, I keep His word.

He does what pleases the Father (Jn8:29), what He hears from the Father (Jn8:38) and what He sees the Father doing (also Jn8:38).

Abraham rejoiced to see His day

Did Jesus say Abraham saw His day (v.56)?

It says he did

But you maybe asking when, how?

Here are some possibilities

By faith as seen in (Heb11:10, 13-16)

Heb11:10 “10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Heb11:13-16 “13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country

of their own.

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

How about with Melchizedek, believed to be Christophany (Gen14:17-24)

Gen14:17-20 “17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

He gave him a tenth of all.”

Gen14:21-24 “21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.”

22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

24 “I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.””

Melchizedek name means “King of Righteousness” - is that not who Jesus is?

He was from Salem which means “peace” - is Jesus not the prince of peace?

There is no history of him, no parents, no beginning, no end

Heb7:3 “3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.”

Here comes the “I AM” statement

This is not the first.

John 4:26 (NLT)

26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”

How about

and

as well as 6:48, 51 too

Since on a roll can’t stop

This did not sit well with the Jews, so they mock him again

They knew he was not 50, but 50 is when a man would retire from temple service, they again were mocking him.

Jesus response was great

This is another statement that makes Him equal, claims equality with God like

Jesus presented the truth with invitation for them to believe, to trust Him and be set free, yet they did not.

They chose to walk in the darkness when the Light was standing right before them.

So, this is where they, the Jews, go with it next

When they, the Jews, picked up stones to stone Him, they understood his claim and were going to take matters, judgment into their own hands, but God had a divine time schedule.

Jesus hour had not come (Jn7:30), so they could not stone Him, they could not lay hands on Him.

The glory of God, the shekinah glory that had been absent for about 1000 years had reappeared in the temple, now left the temple again.