John 8:48-59: The Messiah and Covenant Lord

John 1:1–5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Intro

Who is Jesus and why can He alone save us from sin and death?

As we come to the end of John chapter 8 we have one of the most important passages on the person and work of Christ.

Who Christ is and what He accomplished in His death and resurrection.

And for the Christian, there is nothing more important than growing in our understanding of the person and work of Christ.

it speaks directly to the the purpose and end God created us for in the first place.

Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, and the only way is through the glory of Jesus.

The more we know Christ’s person and work, the more we see God’s glory, righteousness, holiness, justice, grace, mercy and love…

And the more we know God the more we will live all of our lives for Him.

Just how much does God love you?

How much does God forgive you?

How much does God save you?

Just look to Christ and how all the promises of God are yes and amen in Him.

That’s what I want to do today.

As we look at the person and work of Christ, the Big Idea I want us to see today is this…

Jesus is the Messiah and Eternal Son of God who alone has the power to save from death and give us eternal life.

The end of John chapter 8 is the climax of Jesus’ teaching I am the Light of the World whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

And all of chapter 8 has been going back and forth explaining what that means with John 8:48-59 being the definitive conclusion of it.

In this passage Christ gives a promise of eternal life - and then two grounds, or reasons we can have a rue hope and confidence in that promise both connect to who He is: The Messiah and Son of God incarnate in human flesh.

Let’s start with the promise with point number 1…

I. Jesus Alone has the Power to Save from Sin and Death

John 8:48–51 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.”

In this passage we are dropping into the middle of a debate between Jesus and the Jews.

And this debate started all the way back in verse 12 where Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I am the Messiah and Savior of the World.

Well the Jews of course did not believe and so they pushed back.

All throughout this passage they keep asking “Who are you?” (John 8:25).

And the whole argument…all the back and forth of chapter 8…all revolves around that single question: Who is Jesus?

The very same question our passage deals with today here as we come to the climax of Jesus’ answer and what it means that Jesus is the Light of the world.

For His part, Jesus has been answering plainly.

I am not of this world (John 8:23).

I have been sent by the Father (John 8:18).

And unless you believe that I am He (the Messiah and Son of God) you will die in your sins (John 8:24).

Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin But if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed (John 8:34, 36).

This of course offended the Jews who said we are offspring of Abraham! Sons of God!

We are not slaves of sin under condemnation.

But Jesus responded, if that were true you would believe in me.

But you don’t believe because you are not sons of God.

You are of your father the devil…enemies of God under condemnation and wrath (John 8:44).

And that brings us to verse 48: Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?

They are so offended the resort to attacking Jesus.

The Samaritans were the descendants of Jews who intermarried with Pagans after the northern Kingdom was destroyed by Assyria.

The were apostate idolators who mixed the true worship of God with the false worship of Gentiles turning their religion into an abhorrent form of Judaism.

So the Jews were basically labeling Jesus as a false teacher apostate and enemy of God’s people.

Oh and on top of that you’re demon possessed.

But 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.”

Jesus’ answer is basically saying I don’t have a demon.

But in saying I have a demon you dishonor me.

In fact, by saying I have a demon you are committing blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which Jesus says is the only unforgivable sin because no one can be saved in Christ by rejecting Christ as the Holy Son of God (Matthew 12:24, 31).

And in dishonoring me, you dishonor the Father who you claim to worship.

In John 5:23 Jesus said Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

And Jesus continues, “Why? Why do you dishonor me? Why do you not believe me?

I do not seek my own glory!

I’m not a false teacher saying whatever it takes to gain a following and grow my reputation.

The only thing I’m seeking is the glory of God by telling the truth of God.

I did not come seeking my own glory…The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).

This is what Jesus said earlier in John 7:18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

In other words, the words of Christ are true because they are the very words of God…and those words are salvation for everyone who repents and believes.

But there is One who seeks it…there is One who seeks my glory, and He is the Judge.

Jesus of course is talking about God the Father essentially saying to these Jews, by dishonoring me, you dishonor Him…

You dishonor the Judge who has entrusted all judgment and authority to the Son (John 5:22-23).

Do you think that anyone that dishonors Christ will ever escape that judgment?

The Father and the Son together One in judgment against sin?

No…you are condemned already because you have not believed in the name of the only Son of God John 3:18).

And this is important for us…How you respond to Christ will determine how you will face the Day of Judgment.

It all rises and falls on Him.

Unless you believe in Christ you will die in your sins.

If you reject Him as the Jews rejected Him, you will be judged.

But we come to the good news of verse 51.

Truly, truly, I say to you,

That truly, truly promises a sure word.

A true word.

One you can trust wholeheartedly with a complete and abiding faith.

And what does Jesus promise?

if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

Everyone who believes and follows Christ will never see death but have eternal life.

Works Righteousness?

Now is Jesus here teaching a works based righteousness. If anyone keeps my word…obeys my word…he will never see death?

No.

No. Jesus said earlier If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples (John 8:31).

Abiding in Christ’s word…holding fast to it…cleaving to it…living by and obeying it…is the evidence that someone is truly a disciple.

True faith is marked by a life of faith…believing in Christ as Savior and from that faith following Him as Lord.

So no. this is not works based righteousness…it is works as the evidence of true, saving faith.

Death?

And what about death?

Is Christ promising that whoever believes in Him will never die?

Well that’s not true.

Christ Himself died.

And all the apostles died.

Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, died.

Every Christian throughout history has died, so what is Christ saying?

Jesus is not talking about physical death. He is saying that whoever believes in Him will not suffer, will not see, will not taste eternal death under the wrath and condemnation of God.

What Christ is promising here is eternal life - the full forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God.

When the Jews say, “How do you say ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death?’” changing see to taste where Jesus doesn’t correct them, the idea here is whoever believes in Christ will not ever taste the bitterness of death…

The wrath and condemnation for all their sins.

That is the context of this entire passage.

Unless you believe [in me] you will die in your sins (John 8:24).

If the Son sets you free you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

Free from what? Free from sin and death to inherit eternal life?

And this has been Christ’s message all throughout the book.

Jesus told the woman at the Well The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:13-14).

He told Nicodemus John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish [will not die in their sins] but have eternal life.

He said I am the Bread of Life…if anyone eats of this bread he will not die but will live forever. (John 6:35, 50-51).

He does not come into judgment, but has [already] passed from death into life (John 5:24).

And perhaps the most obvious place that shows us Christ is not talking about physical death, but the promise of eternal life is when He raised Lazarus from the dead and said “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Jesus alone claims to have the power to save us from sin and death.

He alone can give the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

But how? How can He promise that?

That was the question of the Jews.

John 8:52–53 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 are you greater than the Patriarch of faith and the spiritual giants of old?

They believed God’s Word. They followed Him. And they all died!

How can you say if anyone keeps my word he will never taste death?

Just who do you think you are?

Who do you make yourself out to be?

And that is the key question!

The question Jesus takes the rest of the passage to answer.

Because it is a bold claim…one that is only possible for Jesus the Messiah and the Eternal Son of God.

And those are the next two points.

In verse 51 you have a promise: if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

And in the rest of the passage we have two grounds for that promise.

Two reasons you and I can have a sure hope and confidence in that promise?

Why does Jesus have the power to save and why does Jesus alone have the power to save?

Because of who He is…the Messiah and the eternal Son of God.

So lets look at them both individually and go to point number 2 where we see where Christ and Christ alone has the power to save from sin and death because He is…

II. Jesus is the Messiah-Savior God Promised to Abraham

John 8:54–56 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.”

Here again Christ Highlights that He does not seek His own glory.

That it is obvious He is not a false teacher saying whatever it takes to grow a huge following.

His only concern was the glory of God and the truth making Him, unlike the Pharisees who sought after the glory of man, perfectly and wholly true (John 5:44).

Now why does Jesus hammer this home?

Why does He hit at the same idea two times in such close succession?

I’m not a false teacher seeking my own glory! The only thing I seek is the salvation of sinners and the glory of God!

And I think here’s the answer.

I am whole true! Worthy of all of your faith. The only one who can save you and free you from all of your sin!

Because consider the context of what Jesus says immediately after the two times He emphasizes that He does not seek His own glory.

If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death (John 8:51).

Salvation! Whoever believes in me will have eternal life.

And our last two points here…Who are you? I am the Messiah and Son of God.

Taken together, Jesus is wholly and perfectly true in His person and work.

As the Messiah and Son of God He really does have the power to save.

And His promise of eternal life is a sure and true word of salvation for everyone who believes.

Therefore…because He is wholly and perfectly true, He is worthy of all of our faith in both His person and work for the forgiveness of our sins.

In contrast the Jews, by rejecting Christ, are not true but liars who are ignorant of God and His salvation.

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.

They do not know God because they do not know Christ (John 8:19).

Only Christ knows Him.

Only Christ has kept His word.

Sin makes it impossible for us in and of ourselves.

The only way to truly know God is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

And that takes us to verse 56 where Jesus comes flying in from off the top rope to clearly and directly say out loud for everyone to hear exactly what He’s been driving at this whole time.

Remember the set up.

Who do you make yourself out to be? (John 8:54).

Someone who is wholly and perfectly true not seeking my own glory but the glory of God.

So who am I that whoever believes in me will not see death?

I am the Messiah-Savior God promised long ago to our father Abraham.

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.

The Day of Christ is Christ’s incarnation and saving work.

Jesus is saying that Abraham rejoiced and looked forward to seeing Christ, the Messiah, die for His people and save them from their sins.

And then Jesus says He saw it and was glad.

Notice Jesus doesn’t say He sees it as in Abraham seeing Christ sitting up there in Heaven.

But saw it, past tense, and was glad.

But Abraham had lived nearly 2000 (1,850) years earlier.

And if you’re following the math you might be wondering how did Abraham possibly see Christ and rejoice?

So two questions:

Number 1: How did Abraham possibly see Christ?

And 2: What did He see that led Him to rejoice that we might see with him and rejoice as well?

Now I will say there is some debate on what precisely Christ means whether He was referring to a specific event in Abraham’s life or making a statement about Abraham’s faith in general.

But for my part, I think there are two ways in which Abraham saw the day of Christ…those being promises and types.

Promises

Hebrews 11:13 says These all [meaning Abraham and the Patriarchs] died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar.

And just a few verses earlier that Abraham was looking forward to the city that has [eternal] foundations whose designer and builder is God, meaning eternal life (Hebrews 11:10).

So one of the ways that Abraham saw Christ’s day was by faith in the promises of God given to Him in the Abrahamic Covenant.

God called Abraham out of Paganism…out of Ur.

And God made a covenant with Abraham and said, I will be your God and you will be my people…I will bless you and in you…in your offspring…all the families of the earth will be blessed.

And while there was a physical fulfillment of those promises with Isaac, the Promise Land and the physical nation of Israel, the New Testament makes it clear that the true and ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant and God’s promised blessing to the nations is salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16, 9).

He is the offspring of Abraham.

So, according to Hebrews, Abraham looked forward in the promises of the Abraham Covenant to a Messiah who would eventually come and bless the nations with eternal life.

And because Isaac, Abraham’s son who would eventually lead to the Messiah, was born purely out of God’s grace…Abraham being old in years and his wife Sarah being barren…this salvation would come by grace through faith, and not by human works or effort.

So Abraham rejoiced to see Christ’s day and saw it by faith in God’s promises to bring the future Messiah who would bless the nations with salvation and eternal life.

Types

The other way Abraham could have possibly seen Christ’s day, His work and salvation, was through Old Testament types lived out in His life that pointed forward to the Messiah.

You can think of types as shadows…a vague blurry picture that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

You can think of it as Jesus is the True and Better X…

There is one type in particular from Abraham’s life as it particularly relates to Christ.

That is the sacrifice of Isaac.

God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the child of the promise, as a test of faith for Abraham to prove his love for Him.

And that story is rich in shadows and types that point forward to Christ, but suffice it to say just before Abraham was going to bring the knife down and sacrifice His son, Isaac, the Lord said stop and provided a ram nearby to die in Isaac’s place.

Abraham even called the name of that place “The LORD will provide” (Genesis 22:14) pointing forward to how God would provide a sacrifice who would die in our place for our sins as the ram died for Isaac.

So Abraham saw the day of Christ, His salvation and work, in the promises and types of the Old Testament by faith that God would send a Messiah and save His people from their sins.

And that’s why Abraham rejoiced.

That was our second question: What did Abraham see that led Him to rejoice that we might see with him and rejoice as well?

Salvation…Life…and Blessing through faith in the Messiah.

A Messiah-Savior who would die in our place for our sins and give us the blessing of eternal life!

To see this clearly I want you to turn to Galatians 3:13-14.

And I want you to notice that in this passage Paul juxtaposes the curse of the Law - condemnation, sin, and death - with the blessing of Abraham which we just defined as eternal life and blessing through faith in Jesus, the Messiah-Savior.

Galatians 3:13–14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham [eternal life] might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

This is what Abraham saw by faith.

Not fully. Not clearly.

He didn’t have the whole picture like we do, and the picture he had was dimly lit.

But in the promises Abraham saw that there would be a Messiah…one who would save us from our sin.…

And in the Old Testament Types like the animal sacrifices and the Sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham saw that this Messiah would provide a substitutionary sacrifice to pay for sin once and for all…

In other words He saw Christ, the Messiah-Savior - who Himself offered His own life to bear the penalty of our sins and bear the curse our sins deserved so that we might enjoy God’s promised blessing of eternal life..

That’s is why Abraham rejoiced.

And that’s is why Christ promised everyone who believes in Him will never see death (John 8:51).

He became a curse for us.

He died in our place for our sins.

He suffered the penalty our sins deserve.

He died…that we might live…and through faith in Him…have eternal life.

Salvation…blessing…the full forgiveness of sins…all by grace through faith.

Transition

So who is Jesus? Why does He and He alone have the power to save from sin and death?

Because He is the Messiah-Savior God promised to Abraham.

The blessing of the nations who laid down His life…became a curse for us…and died in our place for our sins as our Substitute to forgive our sin once and for all and to give us the blessing of eternal life.

And not only is He the Messiah-Savior who died as a substitute for our sin…

Point number 3…He is also…

III. Jesus is the Eternal Son of God and Covenant Lord Incarnate in Human Flesh

John 8:57–59 “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 the Jews come back and say its impossible that you have seen Abraham or that Abraham saw you because you are not yet 50 years old.

50 years old is when Levites would retire from service in the Temple, so probably the idea is you’re not even old enough to retire so how have you seen Abraham? (Numbers 4:3).

And then Jesus says something even more shocking than He is the Messiah-Savior and the fulfillment of all the promises and hope of the Old Testament.

Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.

What Jesus was saying was not lost on the Jews.

So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy, and they picked up stones to stone Him because they knew with those words Jesus claimed to be God (Leviticus 24:16).

By saying before Abraham was, I am, Jesus took the Divine Name of God and applied it to Himself.

I AM Eternal God

I Am is God’s name revealed to Moses Exodus 3:14.

When God called Moses to go and deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, Moses asked who do I tell them as sent me?

And God said tell the people of Israel I AM has sent me to you.

And the theological significance of that Name is that God is the eternally self-existent One.

The One True God.

The One True Sovereign over all the universe who has life in Himself and gives life, meaning, purpose, and existence to all things.

I Am Eternal God.

And so when Jesus says Before Abraham was I AM, He’s saying, “I am eternal God incarnate in human flesh.”

Remember John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word was with God as in distinct from God, but with God in a deep, intimate, personal, face-to-face relationship…face-to-face communion and fellowship with God Himself.

And the Word was God as in God Himself. This distinct person with God is also God Himself.

This communicates to us the mystery of the Trinity

There is One God…One Sovereign Being, One Sovereign Lord…eternally subsisting in Himself in three divine persons - The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus…the Word of God…is the eternal Son of God, distinct from God in His person, but One with God in His divine nature and essence.

And He is the eternal Son of God incarnate in human flesh.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

The eternal Son of God, the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, took on Human flesh to reveal God, draw us near to God, and save us from our sins (Hebrews 1:3).

But that’s not all I Am signifies.

I AM Covenant Lord

If you go back to the context of Exodus 3, “I AM” also reveals God as Covenant LORD…the One who remembers His Promise to Abraham and for His Name’s sake fulfills it.

Exodus 3:15, just one verse after God said I AM, 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…I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to…[the Promise Land] a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:14, 17).

So I AM is Eternal God, but also the Covenant Lord who keeps His covenant promises and delivers His people from slavery in Egypt and the bondage of Pharoah to life and blessing in the Promise Land.

That’s Jesus!

He is the Covenant Keeping Lord who delivers His people from slavery to sin and death and the bondage of a far greater Pharaoh - Satan himself.

And who through the Red Sea of baptism…faith and the repentance of sins…delivers us into the Promise Land of Eternal Life.

Didn’t Jesus just say in John chapter 8 everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin and you are of your father the devil? (John 8:34, 44).

He was getting at this idea here!

So by saying I am the Great I AM, Jesus was saying I AM Eternal God and Covenant Lord incarnate in human flesh.

The One who’s come to deliver my people and give them the promise of Eternal Life.

And as Eternal God, I keep my covenant eternally…unceasingly…unbreakingly…

And what covenant is that?

The New Covenant! The fulfillment of all the promises of the Old ratified and put into effect with Christ’s blood.

I will be their God, they will be my people…

The will all know me…the will all be reconciled to me…for I will be merciful toward their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more! (Hebrews 8:6-13).

Or in Jesus’ words they will never see death but have eternal life.

Mediator

Remember the question that’s been driving this whole conversation.

Who are you? Who do you make yourself out to be?

I told you at the beginning: I am the Light of the World.

I am the Messiah-Savior, the Eternal Son of God and Covenant Lord incarnate in human flesh.

The Jews couldn’t believe it…they picked up stones to stone Him…

But only a Messiah who was fully God and fully man could save us from our sins.

God

He had to be God because:

Only God can save sinners.

With man it is impossible but not with God (Mark 10:27).

Only God can forgive sin.

Mark 2:7 Who can forgive sins but God alone?

And only God has the power to give life having life within Himself (John 5:21-26).

We can raise the dead and give life!

Only God can do that.

Man

But the Messiah also had to be a man.

Man sinned against God and only man could pay that debt of sin.

But man could never pay for that sin because of the sin nature we inherited from Adam.

And God’s answer to this impossible problem, was the incarnation of Christ.

He took on human flesh and lived a life of perfect obedience we failed to live.

And He went to the cross with no sin of His own to die for…a pure a spotless lamb…to suffer the wrath of God our sins deserved.

Become a curse for us. Bear our condemnation on the tree.

Die so we might live and give us eternal life.

As our Mediator He stands in the gap to reconcile us with God and make peace between a Holy God and rebel sinners by His blood on the cross (Colossians 1:20).

Conclusion

Why is Christ the only One who can save us from sin and death?

Because He is the Messiah Savior and eternal Son of God incarnate in human flesh.

Hebrews 2:14–15 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

So why will you never taste death…the angst and bitterness of condemnation for all your sin?

Because by the grace of God, the Bible says, Christ tasted death for you (Hebrews 2:9).

He drank the cup of God’s wrath so that we could drink the cup of His forgiveness.

He bore our sins in His body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24).

So that we would be delivered from death and have the eternal promise of eternal life.

Christ and Christ alone has the power to save from sin and death because Christ alone is the Messiah and Eternal Son of God incarnate in human flesh who tasted death for everyone that believes in Him.

And for us, there are only two possible responses to Jesus’ claims.

Repentant faith or hard-hearted unbelief.

The Jews picked up stones to stone Him.

They rejected Christ. They did not trust in Him for salvation.

They ignored Jesus’ warning Unless you believe that I am He…the Messiah-Savior, Eternal Son of God and Covenant Lord who alone has the power to save from sin and death…you will die in your sins.

You will die under the condemnation of your sins and suffer God’s eternal wrath.

Or you can believe.

You can come to Christ and be saved.

For the Christian we should see Christ’s condescension…

His humbling Himself to the point of death to suffer the wages our sins deserved…

To die in our stead when the very sins He died for were the very ones we committed against Him…

And our response to Christ’s condescension, mercy, and grace should be humble awe and heart-felt gratitude and worship.

And for the non-Christian, come to Jesus.

Put your faith in Him and hold fast to His Word.

Pray God, I deserve to die for my sin…

Jesus will you let your death be my death so that I would not have to drink that bitter cup…

Taste the death my sins deserve, but have eternal life.

And Christ promises that everyone who believes in Him will never see death.

You will be washed, you will be cleansed, and you will be forgiven.

And today Christ will give you the blessing of everlasting life.

Jesus said 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).