John Part 19
Notes
Transcript
Ok, we left off last week at chapter 8
and verse 24.
In this verse
Jesus gives us a requirement for salvation.
He says…
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
So, He says that unless you believe that I AM
Again, recall from last week,
the word “he” is not there
It just says Unless you believe that I AM.
Because John and Jesus
both quoted the Greek OT book of Isaiah
Not the Original Hebrew
And the Greek wording held more weight to the Jews
Who grew up reading the Greek OT
They knew exactly what I AM meant
And that’s why later in this chapter
They pick up stones to kill him…
Now, he Says in verse 25
25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.
26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.
So, at this point
They didn’t understand that Jesus was referring to the Father
They were a bit slow
So, Jesus starts talking a little more plain.
And it is about to get a little more dramatic
once they understand what Jesus is really saying here.
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Again, in this verse, the word “HE” is not there.
He is really saying
That when you put me on a cross
You will know that I AM
Meaning, you’ll know that I’m the same God
Who spoke to Moses from the Burning Bush
In Exodus 3.
Here we see Jesus repeating something we’ve covered a few times
He does nothing by his own power
He says nothing by his own words
What he does is really the Father doing it
What he says is really the Father saying it.
29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
Who sent Jesus?
He has claimed already that the Father sent him
And now he says that the Father is with him
He never claims that God the Son
Or God the Holy Spirit is with him
This is what we would expect to see
If it is God the Father who is manifest in the flesh.
And not God the Son, a second divine person,
manifested in the flesh.
Jesus is clearly telling them that he is the I AM
The same God from Exodus 3
And not another person.
if Christ has a dual nature (Divine and human),
the Trinitarian must explain why only the Father
is ever described as being with him,
and why the second divine nature of the Son
never appears as a subject or agent in relation to the incarnate Jesus.
In other words,
We would expect him to say something like
God the Son is with me
at least one time.
But he never does.
Now, look at verse 30…
30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Some people in that crowd
Starting believing that Jesus was the Great I AM.
But Some of them didn’t
And they are about to get really upset about it.
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Now, we need to understand that this still applies to us today
We must live in the word
If we want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Only his disciples are going to heaven
And only his disciples will abide by the word of Jesus.
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
You may have heard that this verse says “make free”
instead of “set free”
I know I’ve heard that actually preached as a point
And the KJV does word it that way
But the Greek word simply means
Cause to be free
And in older English
The word “make” had a broader meaning
that encompassed that.
We have some holdovers today that you might know
such as:
Make ready
Make Haste
Make whole.
In those phrase, “make” means:
Cause to be ready.
Cause to hurry
Cause to be whole
Today, we wouldn’t naturally say Make free.
in everyday english
We would instead say SET free.
And it means the same thing as make free did in 1611
Now, I’ve preached ton on this verse
and I think I’ve even preached on it this year
So we won’t dive in too deeply
I’ll just hit the highlights
John identifies what the truth is in this book
Jesus is the Truth
He’s the way, the truth and the life
So, when he says you shall know the truth
I believe he is saying, you will know me.
Because Jesus is the truth
And this ties back to John 1.1
Where it says that the Word was God
What is the “word”
Well, it is God’s own voice
and anything God says is truth
because God cannot lie
So, Jesus is the Word made flesh
And all God’s words are truth
So, He is the Truth
And when you know Jesus
youll know the word
and youll know the truth
and then…
You will be free.
Now reread the prior verse in light of that understanding…
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
So, if knowing the truth sets you free
And you are not free
then you know really know Jesus
Or perhaps
You’re relationship is growing cold
Because knowing OF Jesus
and Knowing Jesus
is not the same thing.
How do we know Jesus?
Abide in the word.
When the word says you are more than an overcomer
and you are not overcoming
then get back into the word
believe it
quote it
pray it
and I believe you will be set free from whatever has you bound.
fear, anxiety, addiction
There’s word for all of it.
Abide in the word
Know the Truth
and you can’t help but be free.
Now, some people in that crowd didn’t jump on board with this idea.
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
So, they claim to be sons of Abraham
and biologically they were
but they were not spiritually his sons
and that is a point Jesus is going to get too
but they also claim to have never been a slave to anyone.
Apparently they had not been abiding in the word
because the Jews were slaves many times.
The longest was 400 years in Egypt
but they were enslaved some 40 times by the Philistines
the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians.
and they were currently under Roman occupations
and paying taxes to Czar…
so, this is a bit of an odd statement to me
but Jesus redirects the idea away from physical slavery
and onto his real subject
and that is slavery to sin.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.
38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
So, here, Jesus is starting to set them up
He getting ready to say that the devil is their father
not Abraham
and not God
Because they are still slaves to sin
and they do not want to be set free by him
and his words find no place in them
Notice he ends by saying “your father”
tempting them to claim Abraham has their father again.
And they really thought that was all that was required to be saved
at least it seems that way to me
They thought they were so special
since they were Abraham’s offspring
And they were special
but not special enough to be automatically saved
There is a difference between being chosen
and being saved.
I know some groups things those are the same thing
but Romans 9-11 proves otherwise
They were chosen to bring us the law
preserve the OT
and bring us the Messiah
But they were not chosen to automatically be saved
just by being Abraham’s biological children.
And Jesus is making that point here.
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.
So, yes, Abraham is your biological ancestor
but he is not your father in the faith
Otherwise you would be faithful like Abraham was.
Instead, they are trying to kill the word made flesh
Abraham wouldn’t have done that, Jesus says.
You know who would though?
One who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.
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.”
So, after Jesus rules out Abraham as being their spiritual father
They try to claim that God is their spiritual father
But notice the criteria for calling someone your spiritual father
You must do the works your father did.
And they are not doing what Abraham did
They are not doing what God does, for sure
So, then who is their father?
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.
the Devil is their father.
Why?
Because they don’t want Jesus
and Jesus is the Truth
and if you don’t want the Truth
Then you must want lies
The devil wants to kill the truth
and these Jesus want to kill Jesus
So, Jesus is basically saying
Like father, like son.
The devil is a murdered since the beginning.
Now, there is so much wrapped up into that claim.
You gotta follow closely to really understand what Jesus is saying.
It starts by asking the question
Why is the devil a murderer?
(explain)
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.”
So, He tells them they are of the devil
and that if they were of God
They they would know, and obey the word of God
But they do not want the truth
they want to kill the truth
Just like Satan does.
So, then they throw an insult at Jesus…
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
But Jesus brushes it off
and offers them eternal life.
And offer you would think
that no one could refuse
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.
51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
But despite offering them eternal life
They double down on their insults
52 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.’
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”
So, they are questioning his ability
To give them or anyone eternal life
If Abraham and the prophets all died
Who is this Jesus
that promises eternal life without death?
Well, he’s about to tell them exactly who he is…
54 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.’
55 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.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
And the final verse of the chapter shows us just who their father is…
The one who wants to kill the truth…
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
