John (18)

Introduction: How many of you like things to be clear? Maybe a clear swimming pool as opposed to murky water? Maybe a clear sky as opposed to a cloudy sky? Clear driving conditions rather than pouring rain? Clear communication rather than garbled mumbling?

Transition: Your in the right place then because today from John 10:22-42 we will discover Jesus clarifying His claim to be One with the Father.

10:22-23 The Time and place (Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. following its desecration by the Syrian forces of Antiochus Epiphanes)

Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 337). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Clear Answer

The setting is like that of a courtroom. There are charges brought and opening and closing arguments, a defence is given, and a verdict offered.

10:24-30 The Question is posed by the Jews in the Temple who have “cornered” Jesus up: Are you the Christ?

The Answer: I have told you. I have shown you. The real problem is unbelief. You do not believe because your not me sheep. Then, Jesus uses this opportunity to clarify those who are His sheep.

A list of identity markers.... (Use this list to ask yourself today, “Do I belong to Jesus?”)

My sheep...

A. Hear my voice.

B. I know them. (intimately like a Shepherd)

C. Follow Me. (obey)

D. I give them eternal life.

E. They will never perish. (die, be destroyed)

F. They will never be snatched away. (seized, plundered, stolen) ie. Protected.

This is wonderful encouragement to those who belong to Christ, but you might ask how can He offer such benefits? Because, “I and the Father are one.” = The preservation and protection of the disciples of Jesus is in direct connection to His identity with the Father. Jesus can guarantee these promises to His followers because He and the father are one. Because He is God.

Point: Promises are only as certain as the one making them.

Clear Argument

10: 31-33 The accusation: Again, picked up stones. Jesus asks, “Which good work will you stone me for?” The Jews answered: “(33) Stone you for blasphemy, for making yourself God.”

10:34-38 The Argument: Jesus gives a defence to His Sonship. The entire tone of John’s gospel is like a court room. Jesus is being put on trial to defend His identity as the Christ. And His closing arguments here blow the stack off of the opposition. However, keep in mind. John is not presenting this case just to show how smart Jesus was. How good of an argument he could make, or how silly the Jews were. No, He is revealing the miraculous works of Jesus so that you would believe that He is the Christ and would have life in His name. He is giving definitive answers for why we must believe in Christ in order to have eternal life. So we must spend some time observing key components of Jesus’ argument. Notice 4 specific details about Jesus’ argument...

A. The Progression of the argument.

34-36: Scripture cannot be broken(annulled, unwound) > The Scripture in Psalm 82:6 calls those who received God’s word , gods. > Jesus is not committing blasphemy by claiming to be the Son of God.

Jesus found common ground with the Jews. They all believed in the authority of Scripture. They all believed that as God’s eternal revelation, Scripture cannot be broken. However, the Jews were guilty of inconsistency in their interpretation of Scripture. They were only willing to use Scripture authority as it defended their desires to kill Jesus. They conveniently, and willingly, overlooked passages that exposed their guilt.

We must notice the essence of this argument. If Jesus is in fact One with God, then the Jews were guilty of blasphemy by not believing Him. They were guilty of their own accusation.

Application: May their example be a firm warning to us today against self interested Bible study. Only claiming Biblical authority when it serves our self indulgent purposes. Or only reading and studying Scripture so long as it doesn't mess with my presupposed formations of interpretation. This doesn't mean we cannot have clear, truthful, firm convictions about what the Bible teaches. Rather, we must always approach Scripture with humility realizing that the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to read even as we seek to read the Bible.

B. The Prophesy of the argument

36: You are accusing the “one whom the Father consecrated (set apart, appointed, sanctified, dedicated) and sent into the world” of blasphemy.

In the same way that the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) was a memorial of consecrating the Temple again after it had been defiled, Jesus had been consecrated by the Father and sent into the world.

Remember John 1:14… The word became flesh and dwelt among us. Why is that such an important truth? Because Jesus is fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament about the coming messiah. Even the feasts that they celebrated were pointing to the deliverer who was coming. Jesus is telling them, I am here, on this Day of Celebrating the Consecration of the Temple.... as The One fulfilling all the requirements of the temple because I’m consecrated to do so. The Father has set me apart and sent me for His work and will. You who are accusing me of blasphemy.

C. The Proof of the argument.

37: Jesus’ works are clear evidence to authenticate His claim to be the Son of God. Jesus’ true identity makes His works true. His miraculous activity is the result of His messianic identity. The work that Jesus was doing were in perfect alignment, perfectly consistent with who He was.

Point: Being comes before doing.

Application: Helps us in our own attempts to share the gospel with those who are unbelievers. Often, the reason we have opportunity to speak words of life is because we are living words of life. When we live like Jesus, we will have opportunity to speak like Jesus. And when we have opportunity to speak like Jesus we must simply present the truth of Christ and leave the convincing up to God. We cannot argue an unbeliever into Heaven. We can offer clear and straightforward answers to legitimate questions.

There is a huge difference in a person who is asking inquisitive questions about Jesus from an authentic awakening of the Spirit of God, and a person who is simply antagonistic looking for an opportunity to stone you.

But keep in mind, We are not always very good soil testers, so we need not worry too much about how receptive a person is to the gospel. Sometimes those who seem the harshest critics become the best Christians.

Transition: Notice , that even Jesus still attempted to offer a way for even those seeking to stone Him to step into the sheepfold.

D. The Plea of the argument.

38: Jesus offers them low hanging fruit. So even though they don’t believe that He and the Father are one, then at least believe the works that He is doing. His miraculous signs are easy to see for those who will believe. So Jesus says, believe the works. That will be a step toward knowing and understanding that I and the Father are one. That they might come to know Christ through His works even as He knows them through their works.

If they had eyes to see, they could blatantly see like Nicodemus, “No one could do what Jesus was doing unless He was from the Father.” Sadly, they were spiritually blind. They could not see. They would remain in darkness.

Transition: Which takes us to the closing verses of this passage.

Clear Response

39-42: These verses contain the only ways in which a person can respond to Jesus. Reject or receive. The Jews sought to arrest Him. So after relocating across the Jordan river to where John the Baptist had first been baptizing, many people came to Him and on the basis of John’s witness testimony, many believed in Christ.

Closing: How will you respond to this clear eye witness testimony today? Are you a re believer in Christ. Or a rejecter? If you are a believer, then rest in the sweet comfort of what Christ has done and will continue to do for you. Rest in His promises and be full of hope!

If you remain in darkness, I pray that your eyes would be opened by Christ. That you might even believe the works that He has done so that you would come to know and understand that He can be Your Savior today. Won’t you receive Him now? Won’t you confess Him as your King? From a true heart that’s being awakened By the Holy Spirit, wont you speak to Him in prayer and surrender you life to Him?