THE DEVILS CHILDREN

John 8:39–47 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.” 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. 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.”

Biological Fatherhood vs. Spiritual Fatherhood

Again, the Jews impress that Abraham is their father, now interesting enough Jesus had agreed that Abraham was their father, but in the play on words in insinuates that they really have another father, and this is what is causing the confusing and the irritation with the Jews.

Ok if you are or were Abrahams Children then you would behave this way? How you behave and how you act specifically towards others reveals the truth of your Christian Character

Children of Faith act and behave like the Children of Faith, regardless of time or season.

The heart of having a loving relationship with God is your Love for Christ, the things that represent Christ and God and ultimately your love for others, specifically in the body of Christ.

Christ came to honor God not himself

Why do we do the things we do, are we trying to honor God or ourselves.

I am certain the Jews felt like they were honoring God because they had woven into their belief system religious practices that they made themselves believe was for God but really for selfishness.

It is very hard to unlearn what people have learned especially when they believe it to be correct and it is connect with self-importance and image of self.

What was the struggle why was this happening?

Finally, Jesus gets very clear and direct about the what he means about who is who father

The Jews inability to both understand and embrace God’s truth through the Christ was directly linked to them being Children of the Devil, not Children of God. This was not correlational data, this was and is Causation.

If the cause of rejecting Christ and his message was fatherhood which identifies seed, thus nature, and then character how can these who reject Christ and his words (message) be saved?

Notice their (will) thelo was to do their Fathers epithymia (desires)

Their (free) will is to do what their father desires are for them

What is the character of their Father (Satan)

Murder

Liar

It is his Character it is apart of who he is as it is with his children

Jesus in Sinless

Again final cause and effect

Question Why do you not believe me?

John 8:47 (ESV) & John 8:43-44

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.”

This explains unbelief. What is not explained in this verse is belief. If even the genuine disciples were once members of the fallen and rebellious world, until ‘chosen out of the world’ by Jesus (15:19),

how did they come to believe the truth at a time in their lives when the truth itself would have evoked unbelief? The passage does not say; the answer has in fact been provided in John 6, and will be repeated in 8:47

True believers are drawn by the Father (6:44), they be given to the Son (6:37), that they be taught by God (6:45) and chosen by Jesus (6:70). [1]

[1] Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 354). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Big Idea

The reason that people do not believe is because they are deceived and blinded by the devil and their inner desires are to do the devils evil desires because they are his spiritual children.