John 8:48-59
John Bible Study • Sermon • Submitted
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The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
John 8:4
Reference to the accusation can be found in
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
When their theological argument fails, the accusers turn to personal abuse. First, they attack Jesus and call Him a Samaritan. Remember the dialogue from ?
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
John 4:4
This is the only reference to this in all the gospels.
What do you think they did this?
Jews would not speak down to other Jews
There were also Samaritan prophets that made great claims
Acts 8:
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
Not the first nor the last time they called Him demon-possessed
at least 6 other places: ; , ;; ; ;
OT mentions of madman
When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?”
“You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied.
2 Kings
The days of punishment are coming,
the days of reckoning are at hand.
Let Israel know this.
Because your sins are so many
and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,
the inspired man a maniac.
Samaritans were considered to be enemies of the church and the nation of Israel
They think Jesus has gone to the “other side” therefore, He has to be teaching of the devil
Mad, unclean, evil
God honors His Son, but self righteous men dishonor Him
We the light of God’s word shines on hearts, there are 2 choices:
accept and be saved
reject and be lost
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.
Jesus states that He acts according to what His Father requests Him to do
Jesus states that the Jews were dishonoring him
His passion is to serve the Father
What is your passion? Are you seeking the Father or are you seeking self?
Jesus would not be the last to say this. Paul also had to deny such a charge:
“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.
If He had the devil, He could not serve the Father.
Man cannot serve two masters:
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew
John
I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
Jesus is pursuing only the glory that comes from the Father
What others think is immaterial
God’s approval is everything for He alone is Judge
1 Corinthians
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
God is the Righteous Judge that vindicates us
for one to seek his own glory is not glory indeed
It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.
Proverbs
God will seek to honor those that do not seek their own
Before honor is humility
Jesus doesn’t seek revenge by refers to the On that will vindicate
Psalm 37:
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
“If we undertake to judge for ourselves, whatever damage we sustain, our recompence is in out own hands, but if we be, as we ought to be, humble appellents and patient expectants, we shall find, to our comfort, there is ONE that judgeth.” Matthew Henry
I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
We see the character of the believer
one that keeps saying the word of God; one that keeps it, has it, and holds it
1 Timothy 6:1
to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We see the privilege of the believer
never see death spiritually
has eternal life
Death is:
no the terror aspect
our sight does not terminate in death
we have a future
death is not permanent
Reference to Spiritual Death
“The assurance relates to life which physical death cannot extinguish, and so the death of the spirit; the believer receives eternal life, the life of the kingdom of God, one which death has not power and which is destined for resurrection.” George Beasley-Murray
Notice that Jesus appears once again to give eternal life to the scribes and Pharisees. Isn’t that just like Jesus to do so?
At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
Once again Jesus is misunderstood. Compare to , where the Samaritan woman asked, “Are you greater than Jacob?”
Their question misses the point of who Jesus is
Why do you think that Jesus did not strike them down?
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
Self glory means nothing
Besides, Jesus did not need to do that because the Father did that for Him!
; ; ,
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.
Old Testament shows that the Jews did not really know God
Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6
Jeremiah
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
Jesus knows God: Jesus says in verse 29, “I always do what pleases Him.”
Do you always do what pleases the Lord? Why and Why not?
He does not deny
He does not retreat
In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Remember the racial slur from verse 48 where Jesus was called a Samaritan?
Jesus doesn’t even give a response! We can learn lots from that!
Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
Look at
For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Compare to what John the Baptist was about:
John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
John
John the Baptist was a lamp but not the Light.
The same concept is true here with Abraham.
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”
Some scholars say that Abraham was in Paradise observing the ministry of Jesus but there is not biblical basis for this.
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
This speaks of Abraham being created and Jesus being the Creator.
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
This ended the dispute
Actually was fulfilled prophecy
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
Ma
At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
What kind of stones are you throwing?
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
an example of a prophet being hidden
Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.
Jeremiah
What happens when the Lord leaves you?