Who is Your Father?

John 8:39–47 ESV

39 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, 40 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. 41 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.” 42 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. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 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. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 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.”

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Who is your father?

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My dad, Dr. Gayle Woods, has pastored churches for many years in the Churches of God (Holiness). For fourteen years, he served as president of Kansas City College and Bible School. As a result, my father has had a fairly “visible” role, especially in the COGH, but even in the holiness movement.

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From time to time, I have met people who have asked me, “Is your father Dr. Woods?”

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I think there’s something about our foreheads and big noses that people recognize!

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But… one of the greatest compliments I received… some years ago… was from a person who told me that when I preached, he could hear my father in me.

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Yes, children and parents are different people. Sometimes, children and parents are very different. This may be particularly true for those children who reject the values that their parents believe in, especially when children reject God.

Yet at the same time, there are often certain traits, speaking patterns, physical attributes, ways of thinking, and more that children inherit from their parents.

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The central question of our text is this: who is your father - your spiritual father?

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Our text today continues Jesus’ dialogue with the people after proclaiming he is the Light of the world. The Pharisees immediately took offense to that statement and argued with Jesus.

But many of the people believed in Jesus as a result of his defense. To those, Jesus continued to teach, telling them that they must abide in his word to truly be his disciples. He told them that if they did so, they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.

This statement was offensive to the people, however. Their nationalistic pride did not want to admit they had ever been slaves to anyone. They were the people of God, the children of Abraham, free from all!

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Jesus agreed with them that physically they were descendants of Abraham. But in our text, Jesus challenged them forcefully, saying that they were not spiritually the children of Abraham or even of God. No, they were children of the devil!

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There are two overarching considerations of this story we should notice at this point. First, while Jesus’ opponents throughout his ministry were typically Jewish, and later the Jewish nation as a whole rejected Jesus as the Christ, this scripture in no way supports hatred for the Jews.

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Rather, the Bible tells us that the Gospel came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. The Jews were natural branches of the Vine of Christ; Gentiles have been grafted in. And, someday in the future, many Jews will recognize that Jesus is the Messiah and put their faith in him.

One commentary notes:

This rhetoric from a discussion of spiritual legitimacy has had an unfortunate afterlife in the association of the Jews with Satan. This association was common in anti-Semitic language and imagery from the late Middle Ages in Christian Europe and has had an influence on modern anti-Semitism. The medieval European anti-Semitism manifested in accusations that the Jews were involved in ritual murder, (blood libel), bestiality, sorcery, and associating with the devil. Such an interpretation takes this passage out of context and misreads its religious antagonism as racial hatred. While the NT is sometimes critical of the Jewish people for their failure to recognize and believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the earliest Christians and writers of the NT were themselves Jews and at no time advocated hatred or violence toward the Jews as a race.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 8:44). Lexham Press.

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The point is simple: antisemitism is wrong, unbiblical, sinful and must not be tolerated by God’s people!

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The second point we should note is the theological setting we find ourselves in today.

There is a terrible heresy that often goes unchallenged and maybe even unnoticed by people today: the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man.

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What is this false doctrine? It is simply the belief that God is the Father of all humanity and that we are all brothers and sisters - children of God.

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One of the primary places where this teaching is spread is at the funeral service. It doesn’t matter how good or how wickedly a person has lived. It doesn’t matter if they believed in God or didn’t, or believed in some other god.

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Everyone is going to Heaven.

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In our text today, Jesus forcefully contradicts such thinking, as he and the people debated back and forth about spiritual parentage.

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The main truth we find in our text is this:

Big Idea: Only those who trust in Jesus are God's children.

Our text begins as the Jews respond to Jesus’ statement in verse 38, where he claimed to speak of what he had seen with his Father while they do what they had heard from their father.

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Can you hear the annoyance, the outrage, the irritation, the frustration in their voice as they respond?

“Abraham is our father.”

In Jesus’ response, we see that only those who trust in Jesus are God’s children because…

1. Our spiritual parentage is revealed by our conduct, John 8:39-41.

John 8:39–41 ESV

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.”

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What did Abraham do?

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Abraham believed God.

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Now, I know we can easily get into an argument of faith and works at this point.

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No, Abraham was not saved by works. No, faith is not truly a “work” that we can gain credit for before God.

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But as the book of James so masterfully explains, true, saving faith is accompanied by works. Abraham believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness. But at the same time, Abraham’s faith is seen in what he did… or did not do.

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Because Abraham trusted God, he left his extended family and set out for Canaan, following the call of God. Because Abraham trusted God, he waited patiently for God to provide him an heir.

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But we also see the conduct of Abraham that resulted from faith in his welcome of the three travelers on their way to visit Sodom.

We are told in that story that as these three men started to leave, the LORD spoke to Abraham and revealed his plan for judgment. Abraham’s conduct is marked by his welcome of God into his life!

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In contrast, Jesus told these people in our text, John 8:40

John 8:40 ESV

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.

Indeed, Jesus went on to say in John 8:42

John 8:42 ESV

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.

Abraham welcomed God; these people hated the Son of God.

What we do… what we say… and what we spend time thinking about is a pretty good indicator of our relationship, or lack of one, with God the Father.

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This is not to deChristianize the sincere believer who struggles with certain habits of sin or in a moment of weakness, fails to respond in a Christlike way.

At the same time, this truth should cause us to evaluate our lives. Do we ponder on holy thoughts? Do we speak in a way that honors Christ - at all times, not just at church? Do our actions demonstrate a life that is sold-out for God, that ignores the pressures of a compromised world?

You may have heard this story before but

There was a preacher who was interviewing with a pastoral search committee. An English teacher headed the committee, and was very concerned that the future pastor spoke properly.

"When the hen is on the nest, does she sit or set?" he asked the candidate. The hopeful pastor was frustrated. He didn't know what to say, and his career was on the line.

Finally he replied, "It really doesn't matter if she's sitting or setting. What I want to know is this: when she cackles is she laying or lying?"

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That’s the real issue, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter if our grammar is perfect or if we mouth perfect religious speak. The issue is… what does our conduct say about our spiritual parentage?

As we continue studying our scripture, we also see in Jesus’ response, that only those who trust in Jesus are God’s children because…

2. Our spiritual parentage is revealed our character, John 8:42-44.

John 8:42–44 ESV

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.

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Jesus’ attack on those who were debating him takes our breath away, doesn’t it?

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You’re a child of the devil!

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That’s what Jesus literally said!

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Why would Jesus say that these people were children of the devil?

For one, in their hearts, a number of those who were arguing with Jesus wanted to kill him. They wanted to get rid of him. The truth of Jesus’ charge is seen in John 8:59 as the people picked up stones to throw at him.

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This urge to kill and destroy is the same desire that is true of the devil’s character. Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning.” This makes us think of Cain’s jealousy of Abel because Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God and Cain’s was not.

Cain drew Abel out into the field where no one could hear… and killed him.

But we also see the murderous hatred of the devil even earlier in history. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect fellowship with God. They could eat of any tree but one.

And Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Eve, deceiving her about God’s goodness. While Adam and Eve were responsible for sinning, and the spiritual death that resulted from their sin, truly Satan murdered this couple through his deception.

It was commonly recognized in Jewish literature that death was the result of Satan’s initiative: “God created us for incorruption, and made us in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it” (Wisd. Sol. 2:23-24; cf. Sir. 25:24; Rom 5:12).”

Source: ZIBBC, p. 88)

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Why would Jesus call these Jews “children of the devil”?

Verse 44 goes on to say that devil “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.”

It has been suggested that this phrase may refer to the fall of Satan that preceded the fall of humanity that is recorded in Genesis 3. Isaiah 14:12 is thought to refer to Satan’s fall, saying…

Isaiah 14:12 ESV

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

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Regardless, the point is clear: the devil has no part in truth. He dwells in falsehood and deceit.

And so, Jesus continued to say in John 8:44 that “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

This same deceit is seen again and again among the religious leaders of the Jews as they interacted with Jesus. Multiple times, they would approach with a supposedly sincere question.

Master, should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Master, if a woman’s husband died, and then according to Jewish custom, his brother married her but then died - and this happened to all seven brothers, whose wife would she be in Heaven?

Master, of the 613 commandments of the Law, which is the greatest?

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Again and again, Jesus would immediately detect their true motive and defeat them at their own game.

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The true follower of Jesus is marked by a different character - a new nature. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:20-25

Ephesians 4:20–25 ESV

But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Now, most people are not hardened killers, are they? We don’t live surrounded by assassins, do we? And, most people don’t tell awful lies, do they?

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How can we truly recognize the character of God’s child, or a child of the devil?

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As we consider this question, however, we remember Jesus’ application of the Law in his Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus said, “The Law says not to murder anyone, but I tell you that being angry with someone can be murder, especially if you call that person names and say that they are worthless human beings.”

Jesus also told the people, “You have the practice of swearing by different things - by heaven, the throne of God, the earth, or Jerusalem. You think that the importance of what you swear by suggests how seriously you need to take your promises. But I tell you, let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” a “no.”

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The character of those who are God’s children is displayed not in a legalistic toeing of the line of God’s rules, but in a heart for God’s principles and precepts.

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As we continue studying our scripture, we also see in Jesus’ response, that only those who trust in Jesus are God’s children because…

3. Our spiritual parentage is revealed by our spiritual commitment, John 8:43, 45-47.

In our text, Jesus pointed out the spiritual confusion that these Jews were mired in. Because they had rejected him, their hearts were blinded to the truth of God.

John 8:43 ESV

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

John 8:45–47 ESV

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.”

In contrast, the one who puts their trust in Jesus gains spiritual clarity. They are able to understand the lies of the devil and the truth of God’s Word.

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But only those who commit their lives in faith to Jesus gain this clarity. All others are mired in the confusion of spiritual darkness.

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Consider this! What Jesus reveals here is that apart from the grace of God, we have no hope of understanding spiritual truth. If God doesn’t give us grace, we would never be able to understand the truth and respond in faith to him.

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Theologically, we call this grace - prevenient grace - grace that goes before and prepares us to receive the saving grace of God.

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But let’s not get lost in the theological terms. We need to consider the practical ramfications of this truth.

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It doesn’t matter how engaging our worship services are. It doesn’t matter how good a sermon is preached. It doesn’t matter how often we share the gospel with others.

Yes, we should strive to worship God with excellence. We should do our best to exposit God’s Word in a way that catches people’s attention and is applicable to their lives. We should do our best to share the Gospel as often as we can with the lost.

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But the point is: without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, our efforts will accomplish little!

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We need the power of the Holy Spirit upon us! If people do not experience the convicting, convincing, and cleansing power of the Spirit, their lives will not truly be changed.

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The picture we see here of the unbeliever is truly sad. They have rejected God’s truth and as a result, they cannot comprehend God’s truth, leading them to continue to reject the truth and become even more mired in the darkness of sin.

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But those who repent of their sin and commit their lives to Christ gain a clarity of life, Truth, and Jesus Christ!

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This year, I have been using a chronological Bible reading plan for my personal devotions - a plan that tries to arrange all the scriptures in the Bible in the order in which they occurred.

This morning, I was reading passages from three of the gospels regarding Jesus’ early ministry. After an initial explosion of popularity, Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth.

He was invited to speak in the synagogue. Jesus found the text in Isaiah where it says “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”

After reading the text, Jesus told the people that that day, the scripture had been fulfilled.

The people’s immediate reaction was positive. They spoke warmly of Jesus, the hometown boy who had gone away and become a “success”.

But then Jesus continued speaking, telling them that a prophet has no honor in his hometown. He mentioned two stories of from history of how foreigners received God’s grace instead of Jews. And the people became so angry they wanted to throw Jesus off a cliff!

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As I read that scripture, I wondered why Jesus felt compelled to “poke the bear.” Why didn’t Jesus stop while the people spoke well of him? Why did he have to antagonize them?

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In our text today, we see a similar scenario. A number of people initially believed in Jesus, but as he taught them a “beginning discipleship lesson”, they turned violently angry.

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And Jesus called them “children of the devil”!

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Why did Jesus have to “poke the bear”? Why didn’t Jesus take their “belief” in him and then try over time to change their hearts and minds to truly trust in him?

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It would have been nicer, right? It would have made for a much easier scripture for us to study today, right? It would have been the “polite” thing to do!

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Throughout history, the Church has struggled with this same problem - people who say they believe in Jesus but whose lives never truly are changed by Jesus.

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The startling thing about our text is that Jesus was talking to Jews, to religious people!

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Yet while they were religious and may have attended the synagogue faithfully and obeyed all the rules, many of these people had hearts and minds who were far from God.

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So when it came down to it - by their conduct, their character, and their commitment, it was obvious. They didn’t belong to God!

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The point of our text is not and should not be used to judge one another. Jesus is not teaching us to point fingers of condemnation or to label people.

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But Jesus is saying that there is a difference between those who truly know God and those who don’t. And, the consequences of that difference is not benign. Either a person is a child of God, or a child of the devil!

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Big Idea: Only those who trust in Jesus are God's children.

It doesn’t matter how good a life a person lives. It doesn’t matter how much they attend or support the church. It doesn’t matter how likable they are.

There is only one way to Heaven - and that is through Jesus Christ.

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I know this truth doesn’t make for a polite, politically correct conversation, but it is the truth.

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Those who reject Jesus, tragically, are not the children of God, have no hope in Heaven, and are lost in sin.

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It’s a lot easier to brush past people in the store when we don’t think about their eternal destination.

It’s a lot easier to have a family reunion when we ignore the fact that while we’re family, spiritually we are not necessarily family with everyone.

It’s a lot easier to live when we don’t hear the cries of those lost in sin, having no real hope in the world.

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But the heart of God breaks for those who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Should not our hearts break also?