Who Do You Think You Are?

Introduction

He Gets Us

I’m sure you saw him last Sunday afternoon. Mixed in among the Chiefs and the Eagles, Rihanna, Walter White, Maya Rudolf and a million Adam Drivers.

Twice, Jesus showed up for the big game as part of the $100 million “He Gets Us” campaign that’s been going for the past 10 months across billboards, YouTube channels and television screens — all portraying Jesus as one who understands the human condition – in particular last week’s $20 million spots to detail his call to childlikeness and love for our enemies.

Now, Jesus as a Super Bowl advertisement, resulted in a wide varieties of reactions and responses over the past week...

For some, ad brought excitement to see Jesus set before more than 100 million people and the potential impact, conversations, and transformed lives it could lead to.

For others, sparked interest, maybe you’re even here today because of the ads.

But these groups it seem were minority. Many had less than happy feelings...

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Politician & Activist, said Jesus wouldn’t make fascism look benign - which she argued the ads did.

Charlie Kirk, Conservative Activist & Talk Show Host, Jesus wouldn’t pander to liberals - argued ads were made woke tricksters

“Um, actually...” articles took issue with the ethics held by those who funded the ads, asserting Jesus’ ethic was one of love and inclusion.

Others denounced the ads, asserting Jesus isn’t a “brand” to be marketed like Doritos or M&M’s

Most prominent was frustration, even anger that Jesus wouldn’t spend that much money on a commercial in a moment when Turkey, Syria, Lebanon continue to reel from deadly earthquakes, Somalia continues in famine, and Ukrainian refugees stand in need of care.

Or while agreeing to the importance of evangelism, that Jesus would direct that money support local church communities on mission in contexts where the cost of ministry is high

Now, I’m not here to tell you how you should feel about the ads and as I witnessed in others on Sunday, the odds are you probably felt some mix of these emotions following the ads...

But most interesting to me in all these responses is how heated they all have been.

Despite our culturally held assumptions that Jesus is irrelevant and obsolete, past week was a reminder that he is as relevant and significant as ever.

Not because of the ads, but because of the debates and discussions about the ads.

Regardless of political, cultural, even religious background, every single one of them assumed the abiding importance of Jesus.

The debate of last week, debate of our time is over the identity of Jesus...

Who is the He that Gets Us?

Rorschach Jesus

This past week, potent example of how in our age, the question, “Who is Jesus?” spawns seemingly infinite answers and each one often serves as more of reflection of the identity of the one answering than the identity of the historical Jesus of Nazareth.

Like the Rorschach Test, when people are shown an inkblot, asked to interpret what they see, with the answers revealing an individual's own inner drives and desires.

For most of in the West, our answer to “who is Jesus? What’s he like?” is like an inkblot test, revealing little more than idealized version of our own identity. Personality. Politics. Gender. Sexuality. Vegan..

It’s a similar dynamic to what plays out on social media every Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Everyone agrees Dr. King was a significant person of enduring importance, so people look for a picture and a quote to post.

Which either intentionally or unintentionally affirms & fits within their pre-existing thoughts on justice and race in America.

“Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”, OR "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

Folks pick the quote reflects, affirms, recognizes their position on the subject, whether that’s that racism is a personal heart problem or a systemic one.

But Dr. King wasn’t an ambiguous inkblot person for us to make into our own image, not a Rorschach man to interpret as we desire.

However, most people are more interested in the recognition of their Identity, than engaging with identity of Martin Luther King Jr., his words, nuance, his work, character

To listen, to learn, to grow, for our identity to change or to disagree and go our way, but at least to know where, why, how we do.

Similarly, Jesus was not an ambiguous person, as Oswald Chambers wrote, “Jesus Christ’s teaching never beat around the bush”

But all the while, infinite opinions of Jesus’s Identity emerge, all built around our chosen options for identity.

We discern or decide who we are and than, intentionally or unintentionally craft a Rorschach Jesus who agrees with us.

So to a world that still holds that Jesus as relevant and significant, the question is are we content to make Jesus in our image?

Or are we willing to flip the cultural script? To engage and understand the identity of the one who changed the world - and open ourselves to our identity and life being changed?

“I AM” - Series and Sermon Introduction

Now, while I wasn’t expecting a historical survey on Jesus of Nazareth or a theological treatise on the subject of anthropology in a 30 second spot between Ben Affleck working at Dunkin’ and crying over dog food commercial,

I do think we can get somewhere over the next seven weeks, in our new teaching series, “I Am: The Identity of Jesus in John’s Gospel.”

In the fourth eyewitness account of the life of Jesus, the Gospel of John - multiple times Jesus makes these “I Am...” statements, which serve as his answer to the questions of his identity.

And around and within them, he also presents his perspective on our identity

As we approach Good Friday and Easter, allow these statements to answer, “Who is the He that gets us?” and “Who is the us that he gets?”

Skeptic, Investigating: welcome, this series is for you. To join us, bring questions, work through them. We believe Jesus is not only changed history, but is able to change our stories.

Followers of Jesus, we aren’t immune to Rorschach Jesuses, you’ve heard me talk about Stretch Armstrong Jesus, and Build-a-Jesus workshops over the years - necessary rhythm, of checking our assumptions at the door and once again hearing Jesus’ words on his and our identity.

So, if you have your Bibles with you, would turn to John 8:30

Now obviously being the eighth chapter, we’re jumping into the middle of the book.

At the height of Jesus’ public ministry as a captivating, controversial, mysterious rabbi, miracle worker.

In Jerusalem, During one of Israel’s High Holy Days - Feast of Booths, Sukkot, Jesus has been in the Temple all afternoon on the last day of the celebration, teaching and fielding questions from the crowd, and we are jumping right into the moment...

Once there, join me in standing for the reading of the Scriptures, way of bringing our whole selves, whole bodies to this word, receiving what we read and hear today as the Spirit of God’s word to us.

Prayer

John 8:30–59 (CSB)

As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; so then, you do what you have heard from your father.”

“Our father is Abraham,” they replied.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You’re doing what your father does.”

“We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me. Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out 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 tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”

The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?”

“I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and judges. Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

Then the Jews said, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. 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 claim to be?”

“If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me. You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”

The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”

So they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple.

Amen. You may be seated.

Heated conversation with Slavery, Children of the Devil, Demon Possession, Father Abraham, and attempted murder. I won’t fault you for feeling lost.

So to help us wade into what’s going on here, toward the end of the passage are two questions, serve as climax of what the whole passage is about

John 8:53 “Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?””

Who do you claim to be? Some translations, “Who are you making yourself to be?” Jesus, who do you think you are? - Question about Identity of Jesus

Second question, “Are you greater than our Father Abraham?” - Question about the collective identity of the crowd, meant to read ourselves with them - Who do you think we are?

Following these questions of identity as the plumbline, three questions for our time.

Who are we? (Our identity - Answers They Give, We Give, Jesus gives) (John 8:30-47)

Who is he? (Jesus - Identity - Answers they give, Jesus gives) (John 8:48-59)

Who is he to you? (Jesus Identity - our answer)

Who are we?

John 8:30–32 (CSB)

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus’ spent the afternoon of teaching, crowd listening has an connection with his words, resonated with his teaching – builds to his delivery of one of his most popular sayings...

Though we often leave out the first portion about true disciples and continuing in Jesus’ word, all of us recognize “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

It’s regularly quoted and riffed on in books, movies, and on Johnny Depp’s twitter at the close of the trial last year. It’s one of Jesus’ most known sayings...

So how does the crowd receive his words?

Crowd: Children of Abraham

John 8:33 (CSB)

“We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

The crowd is offended by Jesus' now famous offer of truth and freedom, as it insinuates they presently don’t have the full truth and that they are not free.

“We’ve never been enslaved to anyone!” Which is either supreme forgetfulness - as there isn’t one world power they haven’t been enslaved to, they are currently under political captivity to Rome!

Or, they understand he’s talking about something other than political subjugation - he’s talking about a deeper, inner freedom of the spirit.

The freedom they presume to have in their IDENTITY as Children of Abraham, and the truth they presume to have through the TEACHING of the Torah & Talmud (rabbi’s commentary on Torah) the Word that guides their communities into honorable lives, sets boundaries on what is acceptable before God.

Keep in mind they are presently celebrating the Feast of Booths, commemorating Israel’s journey through the wilderness and Abraham's - the central figure in their history & culture - sojourning.

Spent the past week soaking in their Ancestral Identity - Freedom they have, Reading & Singing from the Torah and the Truth they have as the children of Abraham.

And Jesus has just said, “If you continue in my word, my teaching, my Torah. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I.e. You aren’t actually free and you presently don’t have the truth - famous quote is a subversion of their entire collective tribal identity.

It is important to note that Jesus' challenge to their identity is not an attack on their Jewishness, as Jesus himself is Jewish and taught the Torah.

Rather, he is inviting them to expand their understanding of what it means to be free and to know the truth. But they take this invitation as an attack.

But before we look at what that freedom and truth might be and Jesus’ perspective on their identity, worth briefly considering our own Identity...

Us: Children of the Enlightenment

As Western identity is not rooted in ancestral lineage, family tradition, or communal honor.

Instead, these institutions and their expectations are viewed as restrictive and a threat to individual identity.

That is because we are not the Children of Abraham, but Children of the Enlightenment

And our presumption of freedom and truth not found in the Family of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - but the Framework of the Philosophers Rousseau, Freud, and Marx

From Rousseau inherited belief that Freedom is being true to one’s inner self, Freedom = authenticity, embracing the natural untamed self, casting off external limits and boundaries.

From Freud, we were handed down belief that deepest part of our inner self, which we must free is our sexuality. Culture views Freud like Moses, and Sexual Revolution as our Exodus - march out of repressive sexual mores of the limiting past.

In the tradition of Marx we question the legitimacy of dominant groups, like Israel’s collective familial-religious Identity, and their claims of objective truth, as little more than the decrees of those in power to repress the masses.

And even while our Western identity rejects tradition, institutions and values, it is not as individualistic as it seems. We’re all just playing out our flavor of this same script, family tradition.

Like a high schooler shopping at the mega-chain Hot Topic to be different. For all our talk of individuality, we’re all wearing the same mass produced t-shirt.

As Children of the Enlightenment, we presume, “If I know my truth (truth of my inner, inherently sexual feelings and desires), my truth will set me free (from the oppressive powers that be).”

But Jesus' words challenges this notion of freedom. He implies that objective truth not only exists, it is only found in His words.

Jesus' invitation to be free by continuing in his words, declares that being true to oneself is not freedom.

For all the differences we may feel from the ancient Children of Abraham, we’re just living out a different presumption an Identity freedom and truth

Jesus: Children of the Devil

So what, then, is Jesus take on the human identity?

John 8:34–35 (CSB)

Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever.

No longer insinuating, Jesus explicitly states that everyone who commits sin is a slave to it, they are not free. And - they will not remain forever - slavery ends in death and alienation from God.

He reframes the experience of slavery, a familiar concept to the Jewish people, as a condition of the heart.

When someone sins, Jesus is saying, this isn’t just a moral glitch. It is not simply about an occasional lapse or mistake. It’s a sign that someone or something else is calling the shots. You may still have to agree to the impulses, but your resistance has been weakened. Your slave master has given the orders and you find yourself driven helplessly down the wrong path. - NT Wright, Broken Signposts

Jesus chose the slavery metaphor precisely because it was offensive and distasteful to his audience, who were under Roman rule.

Not to say that “outward” slavery doesn’t matter. But that there is a kind of controlling force over humanity which robs us of freedom and regardless of familial descent, will end with “not remaining in the household forever” an allusion to death and alienation from God.

He continues in v36-38, rooting his diagnosis of their enslaved identity in their actions, saying in essence, “Like father, like son, like daughter.”

The debate gets incredibly heated, as the crowd doubles down on their presumed freedom, they make a subtle dig at his Mother’s claims of his miraculous conception - before asserting they are not only the Children of Abraham, but the Children of God - those who have the freeing truth.

Jesus replies, but you don’t live like his children, rather...

John 8:44 (CSB)

You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out 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 tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus deals a death blow to their assumed identity of freedom and truth - deconstructs all their answers to, “Who do you think you are?”

Say all who are enslaved to sin are the children of an invisible but real intelligence he calls the devil, who since the beginning has been at work to destroy life and truth.

Whose strategy and first language is deception, whose end goal is to drive souls and society into ruin, to decimate love.

For everyone who sins, they are deceived and enslaved to this destroyer and now follow in his footsteps.

It’s a story similar to what plays out in the 90s staple that was - Hook - watched again with my kids for first time in decades a few weeks back.

Grown Up Peter Pan, Robin Williams - Hook, Dustin Hoffman kidnaps, enslaves his kids: Jack and Maggie - What does he do with Jack?

Through deception and lies, Hook turns Jack into a mini-me, dressed and acts like a pirate, to the point he believes he’s Hook’s Son and no longer recognizes his real Father.

Jack is both Hook’s slave and Hook’s Son.

Albeit silly image of a what Jesus takes very seriously - helpful for me in imagining what Jesus sees at work within humanity. We may presume we are free, think we have the truth - but it’s all a con, whipped up to deceive to the point that our true Father is now seen as the enemy who cannot be trusted.

We have been dragged away by deception into destruction - into sin.

What Martin Luther defined 500 years ago as, “Humans turned in on themselves.”

We are deceived and destroyed as we turn in on ourselves.

And this precisely what we’ve been told is freedom as Children of the Enlightenment.

As Freud taught, all of the psychoses people suffer are because of the repression of their inner desires. We’ve been told the real enslavement is the repression of the inner self,

Yet, a hundred years into following Father Freud’s tradition - mental health is at an all time low, as one report came this past week detailing how depression and suicidal ideation in teenage girls has skyrocketed in what one writer for the Atlantic called, “a mysterious tragedy.”

For Jesus, this tragedy is not a mystery - what we’ve been sold as freedom, is in fact, a relentless labor and toil that oppresses and leaves us weary.

We’ve been duped into desiring our own destruction.

We may think we are radically independent individuals who can do as we please without reference to any other authority, but as Bob Dylan sang, You Gotta Serve Somebody

And Jesus says, who sin, to all turned in on themselves - it’s the Devil and he’s killing, stealing, and destroying you.

How’s this for a He Gets Us Ad - Jesus understands the human condition... - we’re Sin-Enslaved Children of the Devil.

It’s a Dark diagnosis of the Human identity, but his point is not to leave us there, to go back to v36...

John 8:36 (CSB)

So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

Seam: The circumstances are grim, but there is there is freedom, and it doesn’t come through Abrahamic lineage or Enlightenment authenticity - it comes through the Son. So who he is that he can offer freedom and truth?

Who is He?

Them: Demon & Blasphemer

What’s the crowds answer? Well it’s not “what a great teacher!” Got some good stuff, some weird, let’s take the bits we like, leave behind the rest. No...

John 8:48 (CSB)

The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?”

Who is Jesus? Their answer is an ethnic insult and accusation of demon-possesion.

They turn his words on their identity, back on him - You, not we, are the one controlled by a demon!

You stand in the Temple of our God, in a crowd of the blessed Abraham’s descendants and claim we’re the enslaved children of the Devil?

Meanwhile you claim true Abrahamic Sonship, and even more to have seen, heard from, and be sent by God (John 8:38, 40, 42)

You claim not just that your teaching is the freeing truth, but that you are the freeing truth? (John 8:32, 36)

You say we are all enslaved sinners, but you have the audacity to claim to be free of sin? (John 8:46)

You, not we, are the deceived and deceiving one!

Amazing how in just a few verses, Jesus has brought fans and would be followers, to not just to denying him, but throwing ethnic slurs at him and accusing him of demonic possession.

But, surprisingly, even with all of this said, they continue to engage in the debate, but it’s not for another 10 verses that they take up stones to kill him, so what was his answer - what did he say was his identity - that finally pushed them over the edge, to take up stones?

Before Abraham

He says, first, I’m not a narcissistic megalomaniac, I’m simply here to do the work my Father sent me to do...

John 8:51 “Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.””

Another accusation of possession from the crowd, with the big question, Abraham died, are you greater than our Father Abraham? Who do you think you are?

Jesus: I am nothing less than the one you call your God has sent me to be. What has been God’s plan all along… which is why...

Abraham rejoiced to see my day.

Picking up on common understanding of the Jewish Crowd that Abraham had received a vision of what the prophets called The Day of of the Lord. Described all over the scriptures, a time when God would reign as king and judge and work justice for the world. This is what Abraham's descendants were waiting for, and Jesus proclaims that he is the fulfillment of that hope.

That day, is my day.

And Jesus says, that Day, is my day. The Day of the Lord is my day.

And so, if you were really Abraham’s children, you’d be rejoicing like him. But because you’re not, you only further prove yourself as not his people.

John 8:57 “The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?”

Blown away that a thirty something rabbi would claim to be Ancient… Laughable for them.

John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.””

It’d be incredible enough if he said, Before Abraham was, I Was. That he existed even before Abraham. Grammatically, that would be the correct way to say it, unless he’s saying something more...

I Am

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of these two words for the Jewish people.

As they go back to one of the most sacred moments of their people’s history and their understanding of God, all would know by heart.

Story of Moses at the Burning Bush, as he’s commissioned by God to free his people from slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 3:13–15 (CSB)

Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord , the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

The name of God, translated in here and in Bible as “The Lord” out of reverence for it’s sacredness is, “I Am”

This is a powerful revelation of the identity of the Creator and Covenant God of Israel, and it speaks to his nature as utterly self-determining and wholly self-reliant.

I AM - utterly self-determining, cannot be constrained by anything other than himself. Wholly self-reliant

He can Identify himself only by reference to himself.

I am, he has always been in the present tense, without past or future as points of reference or containment. He is the beginning and the end.

Sourced in nothing but himself, he is source of everything, it is his conscious, his personhood that is the spring of every human’s, in him we live, and move, and have our being.

Behind all that true, beautiful, and good - that makes our hearts ache to name something so transcendent - he says, I Am.

And the incredible reality shaking statement he makes is that though he cannot be bound by anything, he has chose to identify with and commit himself to broken humans, the family of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob so that through their family - in an awaited son - he might bless all the nations of the world.

The Creator and Covenant God of Israel is I Am.

And at the climax of his speech, Jesus says, Before Abraham was, I AM.

Jesus says, I Am I Am. I am the embodiment and full expression of the one God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

In doing so, lays ground work for what we call the Trinity, that I AM - is the community of Father, Son, and Spirit.

I am, I Am come to redeem this sin-enslaved world, come to free those who have been destroyed and deceived by the Devil

As we’ll see through his death on the Cross, When he, who is truth arrested over a lie. When he, who is only one truly free of sin’s enslavement, would be bound, cursed and killed . When he, who is the source of life would give himself over to death. The Son would become like a slave, so an enslaved human race, might be set free as sons and daughters. With the sin, the devil, and death’s grip broken - would open the door for freedom, truth, and life.

This is the truth that if you know, will set you free. This is the word that if you receive, will redeem you from death.

At this point, the crowd has heard enough, they definitively know what’s he’s claiming so v59, they take up stones to kill him, mob justice for the high sin of blasphemy.

this is why they eventually had him hung on a cross, this is why he left the temple, wasn’t yet time for his final freeing work.

The crowd understood his understood his identity claim, took up stones for it , but who is he to you?

Who is He to you?

Who is Jesus to you? And does your answer take into account the identity he claimed for himself?

Good Teacher?

For those who want to claim Jesus as a Good Teacher, Inspired prophet, they just don’t do justice to his claims.

I am trying to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I am ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claims to be God.” That is one thing we must not say.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic— on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the devil of hell.

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.... But don’t let us come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He hasn’t left that open to us. He didn’t intend to.

C. S. Lewis

Jesus is either Liar, Lunatic, or Lord, Lewis argues.

Worth answering a fourth option held by some, not liar, lunatic, or Lord, he’s a Legend - that the Jesus of the Gospels is not the Jesus of history, but a legend concocted hundreds of years later.

I’ve taught on this twice in the past two years, happy to have conversation again if you’d like, but the reality is upon examination and study, the Gospels are trustworthy eyewitness accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus.

So it remains, Jesus is either, as the crowds said, demon-possessed, a liar or lunatic, or he is Divine, he is Lord.

And if you read the Gospels - look at the life of Jesus and you will not find a deceitful narcissist or a maniacal megalomaniac - but a person who radiates honesty, vulnerability, joy, compassion, grace, peace, consideration, constancy of character. If he could not be a liar or lunatic, we are left with one answer.

But if he is Lord, than his claims not just of his Identity, but also ours - must be received as the truth that sets us free.

To lay aside our tradition as Children of the Enlightenment, that freedom is in the inner person, so we just need a coach to cheer us on and bring it out.

And to reckon with his words, that we are turned in on ourselves, addicted to sin, enslaved to a dark power - we need someone outside of ourselves, greater than ourselves, stronger than ourselves to free us, forgive us, empower us to live in freedom, and resurrect us to life. We need a son to set us really free.

Jesus just simply won’t let us get off with the Good Teacher position, he’s too explicit in his claims both of his identity and ours.

He is “I Am”

So, if he is I Am. What are we to do? Throughout the passage he has told us. To receive him as Lord is...

To continue in his word, to fully be his disciple, to know the truth of who he is and be set free.

To, unlike the crowd, love him - to receive his love and pursue him - to give our heart, soul, mind, and strength to him in total devotion

Beth Felkner Jones, “we are not free to compartmentalize our lives, offering part of us to Jesus but not the whole”

To, unlike the crowd, believe him - to receive him for who he says he is, trust him with loyal allegiance

To keep his word, and be kept by him even through death.

It’s an invitation open to all. Though he said, everyone who sins is slave to sin, he also said, anyone who receives, everyone keeps, any body who continues in my word - they will know the truth, they will be set free, they will be kept through death.

For those here, up to today, wouldn’t have called Jesus God, Divine - Invitation stands open for you today, no matter how good or bad you may think you are, Jesus thinks the situation is actually worse than you might think, but he also thinks your future can be better than you presently imagine.

For those here, Disciple of Jesus - consider, are you continuing in, keeping his word? Is there any part of your life you compartmentalize form his Lordship, any part of our life you continue to be enslaved to sin? Jesus desires freedom for you, he has it for you.

Move into response time for us to wrestle with just these questions, end with poem as our prayer, from Malcom Guite, based on today’s passage...

Malcom Guite Poem

Oh pure I AM, the source of everything,

The wellspring of my inner consciousness,

The song within the songs I find to sing,

The bliss of being and the crown of bliss.

You iterate and indwell all the instants

Wherein I wake and wonder that I am,

As every moment of my own existence

Runs over from the fountain of your name.

I turn with Jacob, Isaac, Abraham,

With everyone whom you have called to be,

I turn with all the fallen race of Adam

To hear you calling, calling ‘Come to me’.

With them I come, all weary and oppressed,

And lay my labours at your feet, and rest.

- Malcom Guite, “Before Abraham Was, I Am.” Parable & Paradox

Who is he to you?

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Response

Sing

Celebrate who Jesus is, who he has freed us to be.

Table

For followers of Jesus here, when you are ready, come to the table, take the juice and bread stacked on top of each other, to remember and receive the broken body and shed blood of Jesus – "who son sets free is free indeed.”

Prayer Team

We have our prayer team on the sides of the room, whether something from the teaching, some needed healing or wisdom, available to pray with you and for you.

Come Forward

But finally, I want to offer an opportunity to come to Jesus, by coming forward to the front as an act of worship, surrender, openness, consent

I want to offer that invitation specifically to 2 groups of people here today.

Disciple of Jesus,

But some area of your life compartmentalized away from his Lordship, where addiction or enslavement to sin is still present. Repentance, Help, I believe the Spirit wants to mark today out as a day of Deliverance for some of you here, invite you to come forward. To respond.

Not a follower of Jesus

but today, maybe as culmination of other conversations, cannot shake that Jesus is not just a good teacher, neither is he a lunatic, liar, or legend. He’s Lord. Want the freedom, truth, life and identity he offers. Come, pray simple pray, normal words - You are the Lord and God, Be my Lord. Be my God. Talk to him, name your failures, fears, pain - ask for forgiveness, freedom, life.

* For those of you here, or those of you who may make your way up in the coming moments, encourage you to take posture of surrender and openness - Might stand with open arms, sit, kneel, lay down.

* Whichever you do, let’s come to Jesus, Pray, listen, receive.