John 12:19-26

Worship Songs:

Discussion Questions:

1. How, in the midst of calamity, can you and your family be an instrument for the advancement of the gospel?

2. What does it mean to “hate our life in this world?”

3. In what areas do you struggle to serve others in a way that reflects the gospel?

4. Though we do not serve to earn blessings, what does Jesus promise in John 12:26b to all who submit and obey?

John 12:12-18

John 12:1-11

John 11:45-57

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Have you ever felt like you’ve been hustled? Where someone leads you on to think one thing, then eventually their true motives are exposed, and you’re left shaking your head wondering how you were so dumb to not see the truth at the beginning.

Well, several years ago, I had a guy reach out to me, and he was an extremely friendly individual. We had mutual friends. Everyone I knew spoke really highly of him. He wanted to have lunch, and at lunch he asked questions about my wife. He asked questions about my kids. He’s asking questions about our church plant, and he’s acting like he’s trying to help me with finding a location for our church plant. 

I’m thinking, “Man, this dude is really nice. I would enjoy being friends with him.”

We made plans to get together as families. I thought a new friendship was brewing.

Well, it didn’t take too long for me to find out why he was so friendly…He was trying to sell me something. 

All of his friendly acts were nice, but they were ultimately an attempt to cover up his true motives. Over time his true motives were exposed. He wasn’t truly interested in a friendship, he was interested in selling me a product.

Ironically, we really needed the product that he was selling. So, we purchased the product that he was selling. 

But, the moment that he made the sell, he was no longer interested in the friendship that he was once interested in. I quickly learned that, where he appeared to be concerned with myself and my family, he was really concerned with himself and his business. 

Well, in todays passage we will begin to see the true motive of the religious leaders. 

Ever since John 5, we’ve been noticing a group of people, the religious leaders, grow more and more frustrated with Jesus. They’ve claimed that Jesus has broke the law by healing on the Sabbath and by claiming to be God. So, they’ve been hiding behind a “zeal for the law” and a “love for God’s people” up until this point in the gospel.

But, today we will see their true colors begins to shine…and they’re not pretty colors. Today we see the true motives of the religious leaders.

They could care less about loving God. They could care less about loving their neighbor. All they are concerned with is their own status, power, and authority. 

When they were confronted with the truth about Jesus, rather than submitting to him in belief, they reject Jesus in order to preserve their own kingdom and social rank.

It is following the most miraculous miracle and the clearest sign that Jesus is the Messiah that they devise their plan to kill Jesus. Where the evidence is clear that Jesus is the Messiah, they look past the evidence in order to preserve their fame and power.

But, what’s remarkable is that their plan to destroy the Son of God is all a part of God’s plan. Where they think they’re about to eliminate Jesus’s ministry by killing him, they’re about to actually help him carry out the very purpose of his ministry.

Those are really going to be the two points we camp out on today:

1. The idolatry of the religious leaders. How the fear of losing power prevented the religious leaders from believing and trusting in Jesus.

2. The sovereignty of God in the midst of this idolatry. God used the hard-hearted plan of Caiaphas to carry out his predetermined plan to save the world. 

Now, before we get there, let’s really quickly refresh our memory of what’s happened thus far in John 11.

At the start of John 11, we’re introduced to a family that Jesus loves on an intimate and personal level. But, when Jesus hears that one of these family members, Lazarus, is sick, he (ironically) does not rush to heal him. Rather, Jesus stays two more days in order to allow this sickness to lead to death. John tells us that, because Jesus loved this family, he stayed when he heard that Lazarus was ill. He does this because he knows that he will raise Lazarus from the grave. He knows that God’s glory will be displayed through Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. 

Well, two weeks ago we saw that very thing take place. After Lazarus had been dead for four days— in front of a large, diverse, crowd— Jesus calls Lazarus from the grave.

He yells, “Lazarus, come out!”

Then, out trots Lazarus, still wrapped in his linen cloths. 

Jesus then tells the crowd to go unbind him and let him go.

Jesus performs many signs and miracles throughout his lifetime. But, this miracle (besides his own personal resurrection) is the most mind-blowing. Raising Lazarus from the grave, goes to show us that Jesus is not just a man. He is in fact the Son of God.

As we saw in John 1, the creator of all things has become flesh, and the creator of all things is Jesus. He was in the beginning with God, and he was God. In him was life, and without him nothing was made.

As we see in John 11, he is the one who possesses power over life and death. He is the Messiah who Israel has been anxiously waiting for. He is the one who possesses the power to defeat our greatest enemy: sin and death.

Now, what’s crazy is that we don’t really hear much about Lazarus after this point. At the start of John 12, we see Jesus go to a celebratory dinner with Lazarus in Bethany, and we also see that the religious leaders want to kill Lazarus because a lot of people are believing in Jesus because of him. 

But, here’s the thing, I got 1,000,000 questions that I want answered. When Lazarus came out, did he or his clothes stink? What did Lazarus look like? Did he dance when he came out or was he sad when he came out? How much longer did he live after this took place? Did he write a book called “5,760 minutes in heaven?” Tell me more about Lazarus!

But, John gives us no further details about Lazarus. In verse 44 we see Lazarus come out of the grave and Jesus tell everyone to unblind him (We don’t even know if anyone does it! We can only assume they do.). Then in verse 45, at the start of our passage today, John transitions into the response of the crowd.

“45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done."

What that tells us is that the purpose of this story is not Lazarus or even the miracle itself. The purpose of this story is to show us how God is glorified through the exaltation of Jesus. This quick transition from the miracle itself to the response to the miracle, should leave us asking the question, “What is my respond to Jesus in light of this miracle?”

You have two options when it comes to Jesus: you can respond in belief or you can respond in rejection. There’s no middle ground. You either respond in belief, trusting and submitting to him as Lord or you reject him as an enemy.

The farther we get into our passage today, the more we will see what rejection looks like. But, next week we will catch a glimpse at what true belief looks like.

So, what we see here is that there was a large crowd that witnessed this miracle performed by Jesus, and now there’s a great divide when it comes to responding to this miracle.

First we see that many believed in him. After seeing Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave, they conclude that Jesus is the Messiah. He’s the one we’ve been waiting for. Behold! The lamb of God! They believe in him.

But, then in verse 46 we see that some do not respond in belief. Many believe, but some do not. And those who do not believe go and proclaim to the Pharisees what Jesus had done. 

The way John presents these two responses tells us that their going and telling is not a good going and telling. 

In fact, their actions remind me of the Parazine household right now. As parent of a 2.5 year old and a 3.5 year old, we often hear the words, “Dad, sissy took my toy,” or “Momma, bubba hit me.” Kayla and I are surrounded with little tattletales. 

Well, we see in verse 46 that some people never outgrow the tattletale stage. Those who do not believe run to the Pharisees with the intention of getting Jesus in trouble.

Remember, Jesus has been a thorn in the flesh of the Pharisees up until this point in the gospel. He’s healed on the Sabbath. He’s claimed to be God. And because of these things, they’ve sought to arrest him and put him to death. But, their efforts have continually fallen short.

So, when the Pharisees hear this news, they’re greatly disturbed. Therefore, they get together to discuss what they should do in regards to this miracle.

Look at verses 47-48,

47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

First off, the council here is the Sanhedrin, which would be the highest ruling body or the high court of justice in Jerusalem. It consisted of seventy men. The men present at this meeting (both Pharisees and Sadducees) would be the political elite, the religious elite, the wealthy…they were the cream of the crop. And the high priest, Caiaphas, presided over this ruling body at the time.

What this tells us is that the issue at hand is huge! It’s monumental. 

This is no longer some guy turning water to wine at a party. This is a man who is claiming to be the Messiah and he’s raising people from the dead.

Get the council together, we got to figure this out… In the words of John Piper, “This is a high-level federal consultation.”

So, as they all gathered together, they first asked the question, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.”

This may be a small detail in the text, but I don’t want us to breeze over this statement. What we see first hand here is an acknowledgment of the miraculous works performed by Jesus. 

Even Jesus’ enemies acknowledge his divine power.

So, let me chase a quick rabbit here for a moment and speak to the skeptic.

Pop quiz: who is the author of this book? 

The author of this book is a man named John. John is known as the beloved disciple of Jesus. Which means that he is someone who walked with, talked with, laughed with, and cried with Jesus. John was an eye witness to the miracles that he is recording. He’s not making them up. He’s not writing about stories that he’s heard from his grandparents. He’s writing about things he’s seen firsthand.

But, in last week’s passage we saw that it was not just John that was present at the raising of Lazarus. We saw that a large, diverse, crowd was present, which speaks to the authenticity of this miracle.

The more eyewitnesses you have present, the more reliable your testimony becomes.  

For example, let’s say your best friend’s uncle Ricky passed away and you, along with everyone else in town, went to his funeral. You stood in line to hug your friend. You consoled your friend’s aunt Judy. You saw uncle Ricky in the casket. You watched them bury uncle Ricky. There was no doubt in your mind that uncle Ricky died. 

What would you do if aunt Judy eventually wrote a book saying that, at uncle Ricky’s funeral, he was raised from the casket back to life? You, along with everyone else who was present at the funeral, would call BS! There would be an uproar of folks saying, “That didn’t happen.”

The large, diverse, crowd at the funeral would weed out the false claim of uncle Ricky’s resurrection.

So, when John, an eyewitness to this miracle, records this account in his gospel, no one who was present dismissed it as false. In fact, John is showing us in our passage today that this story is spreading like wildfire. Both those who believe and those don’t believe are spreading this message! It was widely understood that this really happened. Even Jesus’ enemies are acknowledging his divine power.

John recorded this gospel not too many years after this story took place. In fact, most of this audience would likely still be alive. So, if Jesus didn’t raise Lazarus from the grave, then you would have documentation of people claiming that it didn’t happen.But, we don’t. This was a widely recognized story that really happened.

So, if I can lovingly be frank with you for a moment, claiming that this story didn’t really happen is just an ignorant claim. 

Even Jesus’ enemies are acknowledging his divine power. These men could not explain away these works performed by Jesus.  They could not avoid them. Jesus is healing the lame, he is giving sight to the blind, he is feeding the masses, and now he’s raising the dead to life…And the town is buzzing. Many people are believing in him. The whole town is looking for him (as we will see at the end of our passage today). The word is spreading about Jesus and the miracle that he just performed. 

The religious leaders are trying to figure out what to do about it because if they don’t do something, then everyone will believe, and if everyone believes in him then the Romans will come and take away both their place and their nation.

They’re afraid that the Roman Empire, which really ruled the Jewish nation at this time, will come crashing down on Israel and destroy whatever bit of independence that they had.

So, it’s at this point that we see their true motives being exposed. Here is verse 48 we see their biggest concern finally come to light. 

They’re rejecting Jesus because he is a threat to their place of power and authority. 

Their true motives for opposing Jesus are beginning to be exposed. They’re not concerned with the law. They’re not concerned with loving God, nor are they concerned with hearing from God. They’re not concerned with loving their neighbor. They’re only concerned with their place and their nation.

“Our place” undoubtedly refers to the temple, which is the place that they possesses prominence and authority in. “Our nation” is the place that they rule over. These men are thinking that if everyone continues to believe and the Romans catch wind of this, then they will lose everything.

The very thing that they are finding their identity in has been threatened by Jesus. Their greatest concern is not getting Jesus right, it’s protecting their stuff from Jesus.

So, they are presented with a problem, a dilemma… Do they embrace Jesus for who he is, even if it means they might lose everything? Or do they continue to reject Jesus in an attempt to protect their fame and position of power?

What a terrifying reality that it’s possible to look past the facts about Jesus and reject him strictly out of a fear of what might happen to your life if you believe in him.

They are not rejecting Jesus because Jesus is full of falsehood. They are not rejecting Jesus because Jesus has done something wrong. They are rejecting Jesus because of their love for self. 

Jesus was a threat to “their kingdom,” and Jesus is a threat to our kingdom today. Belief in Jesus means that you have to submit and lay down every part of your life for his glory. But, they refuse to do that, and they choose cling to the idols of their heart.

Jesus, in Matthew 16, says,

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” — Matthew 16:24-26

Belief in Christ brings with it trust and submission, and it brings with it transformation. When you believe in Jesus, you abandon that which you once knew for something greater, Jesus. That which you once found your identity in is no longer your identity. Where you were once dead, you are now a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

As a Christian, you are daily proclaiming, “I cannot make it on my own and I need help. My kingdom, my net worth, my status, my life is not worth pursuing apart from Christ. So, I’m laying down my wants, desires, and life so that I might have new wants, desires, and life in Jesus.” 

At the heart of following Jesus is a denying and abandoning of yourself and the things that this world offers. At the heart of the gospel is a clinging to Jesus.

And, listen, the more you have, the harder this is. To the broken and lowly, the invitation to come and believe in Jesus so that you may have life is an invitation that’s hard to pass up. But, that same invitation is easy to pass up to the brother or sister who has “gained the whole world.”

We live in a culture that prides itself building your kingdom, your status, your power at all cost. But, in following Jesus you are proclaiming that he is your ultimate joy and he is your ultimate treasure. We must decrease so that he must increase.

Although you may lose in this life, you know that you have an eternal hope and an eternal inheritance that is being kept in heaven for you by God, and this inheritance is one that cannot perish.

But, these men cannot fathom this truth. So, in attempts to hold on to this idol of status and power, they reject Jesus, their only hope for eternal life. 

What I want you to think through this week is this: What in your life are you afraid of God touching?

Are you afraid to come to Jesus because you’re afraid that he might call you to give up a certain relationship or job or social media platform? Are you subtly rejecting Jesus out of a fear of him actually being Lord of your life? Do you avoid confessing certain sins out of fear of people seeing you for who you really are? Do you avoid sharing your faith out of fear of being seen as a silly Christian?

Folks, lose your life so that you may find it! Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus! Jesus offers you life, abundant life. Although you may lose what you have currently, you will gain so much more for eternity. 

So, rather than submit to Jesus as king, they’re declaring war against Jesus, and they’re strategizing on how they can remain king of their own kingdom. 

Then, the high priest speaks, giving direction to their rejection of Jesus. Look at verses 49-50,

“49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

The first thing I want us to notice here is that this brother isn’t the most gentle and encouraging individual in the world, is he? He begins his formalized prophecy by saying, “You know nothing at all.” In others words, “You bunch of idiots. You big ol’ dumbs!”

You wouldn’t think he’s addressing the entire council of Jerusalem. You would think he’s addressing a group people getting ready to board an Alaskan cruise saying, “Guys! You know nothing at all. Don’t know that cruises are meant to be taken in warm weather? Haven’t you seen how Titanic ends???”

But, nonetheless, he now has their attention, and he begins to counsel the council. He says, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

What’s happening here is truly remarkable. This man is using strong sacrificial language. From a political stand point, Caiaphas is saying that in order for their nation to live, Jesus must die. If Jesus does not die, the whole nation will perish. Their enemy will win… Rome will take over and there will be no more Israel. It’s a death sentence to allow Jesus to continue to live. Therefore, Caiaphas hard-heartedly says, “We need to put Jesus on the altar so that we may live.”

Now, does this message sound familiar?

Do you remember what Jesus told Nicodemus back in John 3? Maybe a better question is, What did Tim Tebow wear on his eyeblack back when he played football for the Gators?

John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Now, Caiaphas is saying, 

“It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

HELLO! Caiaphas, that’s what is doing! That’s why Jesus has come. God knew that it would be better for Jesus to die than for the whole world to perish. Therefore, God gave his one and only Son. 

We’re now able to look back and see that Caiaphas is hard-heartily, and unknowingly, proclaiming the gospel.

***Discuss in greater detail how this declaration is actually a summary of the gospel.

Now, we can tell that John sees this connection clearly by his commentary in verse 51, 

“He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

What I want us to see here, and please do not miss this: despite his ill intentions, Caiaphas is proclaiming the message of God. 

God spoke through Caiaphas. 

What does this tell us? 

It tells us that the disobedient act of crucifying Jesus (which was rooted in unbelief and rejection) was orchestrated by God. God never falls off his throne. His redemptive plan will prevail! What man is intending for evil here, God is intending for God.

The cross, as awful and unjust as it was, was not God’s plan B. It was God’s plan, before the foundation of the world, to cleanse and adopt sinners into his family, through the death of Jesus (Eph. 1, Rom. 8, etc.). 

This is the gospel message! 

It was God’s plan for Jesus to die on the cross so that we don’t have to. It was God’s plan for him to be glorified through the substitutionary death of Jesus.

We have to understand that the cross was not God’s scrambled attempt to make things right when sin entered the picture. It was his predestined plan, before the foundation of the world, to offer his Son as a substitute for all of sinful humanity.  

This is the point that John has been constantly reminding us of all throughout this book. No one took Jesus’s life. Jesus willingly laid it down. 

Jesus came to give life to the lifeless, through his death.

John the Baptist, when he sees Jesus, proclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (1:29).” We therefore, see that the purpose of his coming was to be the passover lamb who was led to the slaughter in order to take away the sin of the world. 

In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Father sent him into the world to save the world through his death on the cross.

Jesus said in John 6 that in the same way that God sent down bread from heaven to give life to Israel in the wilderness, God sent down his Son, the true bread of life, to give eternal life to his people. The purpose of his coming is to give life through his death.

In John 8 and 9, Jesus says that in the same way that God came down and lead his people by the pillar of fire by night in the wilderness, Jesus is the light of the world, who was sent into the world. Whoever follows him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. He came to illuminate the darkness and to give life to the lifeless through his death on the cross.

In John 10, Jesus says that he is the good shepherd who came so that his sheep may have life and have it abundantly. He came to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus came to give life through the laying down of his own life.

And as John tells us here in John 11, Jesus didn’t just die for just one specific group of people, Israel. He died for all of humanity. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus died to “gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad (v.53).” People from every tribe, tongue, and nation will experience this eternal life, through belief in him.

So, Caiaphas was right. If Jesus does not die, their enemy will win. But, what he didn’t understand is that sacrificing Jesus would not save them from their enemy, Rome. Sacrificing Jesus would actually save sinners from their greatest enemy, sin and death.

It’s in verses 53-57 that we see the official plan to kill Jesus come into full effect, and it’s here that we see Jesus avoid them for a short time longer. He doesn’t avoid them out of fear. He’s just waiting for the right time, and the right time is approaching. It’s about a week away. As Passover is approaching, so too is Jesus’s death, and as this time is approaching, everyone is asking questions, wondering if Jesus will show up.

Let me read these last few verses. We’re not going to dig into them too much. I wanted us to spend a bulk of our time looking at what we already looked at today. But, I do want us to close by looking at one specific detail of these verses, which is the fact that it’s passover.

The remainder of the chapter says this, 

“So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.”

Do we remember what Passover celebrates? 

I’ll give you the cliff notes version. If you were to think back to Exodus 12, you would see where God’s people were in slavery in Egypt. God heard the cry of his people, and he prepared to lead them out of slavery, into the promised land. Well, as God was preparing to lead his people out of slavery, he announced the last plague that will take place in Egypt. And that plague was this: he would strike down the firstborn child of every household in the land. In order to be spared from this judgment, every family was commanded to slaughter a lamb without blemish and spread the blood of the lamb on the doorpost, and in doing so, the LORD would passover their household and spare them. 

So, by the blood of a spotless lamb, God’s people were spared from his judgment. The lamb died as a substitute for God’s people. The lamb died in the place of God’s people. The lamb died so that the nation would not perish. A lamb had to die to grant salvation… 

Does that ring a bell?

The passover feast (which was about to take place) was therefore a time of remembrance, reflection, and celebration of God’s faithfulness on behalf of his people. Jews from far and wide would come to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast. During this feast each year, each family would sacrifice a lamb in order to celebrate and remember God’s faithfulness.

Well, ironically (and according to God’s predetermined plan), they were going to unknowingly sacrifice the true lamb of God, Jesus Christ, this year.

As the prophet Isaiah prophesied (Is. 53), 

“…he will be pierced for our transgressions; he will be crushed for our sins; upon him (Jesus) will be the punishment that brought us peace. By his wounds we will be healed. He will be oppressed, and he will be afflicted, but he will not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before it’s shearers, Jesus will not open his mouth.”

Jesus is the spotless lamb who came in righteousness and justice in order to take upon himself the condemnation that we deserve. In the same way that Israel was spared from the judgment of the LORD during passover because of the bloodshed of a spotless lamb, so too can we be spared by the shedding of the blood of Jesus. 

Everyone look at me. 

You are not perfect. You have been wronged by others, sure. But, you have wronged others. You have sinned against your neighbor, and more importantly you have sinned against God, and sin brings forth death and condemnation.

But, here’s the good news: Jesus is the lamb of God, who came to take away your sins through his death on a cross. There is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

So, as Christian comes up to lead us in worship, my question for you today is: do you believe this to be true?

I’m not asking do you intellectually understand that Jesus possessed an incomparable, divine power. The enemies of Jesus believed this.

I’m asking have you trusted in Jesus as your only hope for salvation? 

The cross and the resurrection is your only hope! There is grace and mercy and forgiveness and hope in Jesus. There is no condemnation in Jesus. 

Come to him. Believe in him. Trust in him.

Have you confessed, repented, and asked for forgiveness of your wrong doing? Have you denied yourself and begun to follow him? My plead to you is that your answer is “yes.”

The cost of following Jesus is high. 

It demands humility and meekness. It demands you stepping off the throne of your life and bowing down before Jesus, saying, “You are king!” It requires an open handedness with money and earthly possessions. It may lead you away from comfort, prosperity, and safety. It may lead to you being mocked and ridiculed. It may lead to your death.

But, listen to me, the cost of following Jesus is worth it. 

When you follow Jesus, he gives you the Holy Spirit, who will comfort you and give you joy and peace. He gives you an eternal hope that cannot be taken away.

“Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him.”

If you have not done this and you want to today, come talk to me in the back. If you have done this, then lets spend a moment worshipping Jesus, the lamb of God, together as a church.

John 11:28-44

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Alright, guys! Today we will be continuing on, working our way through John 11. So, please turn in your Bibles to John 11:28.

This will be our third week working our way through this specific chapter. This chapter is a pretty remarkable story; and we know that this story (like every other story in the gospel of John) is being told for one specific purpose: our belief in Jesus. 

At the close of this gospel, John tells us that he’s writing this book so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  

So, that means that John chose to record this story about Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (when no other gospel writer chose to) in order to give us more evidence, in order to persuade and show us that there is something different about Jesus.He is the Christ, the Son of God, that the OT constantly spoke about and he is our only hope for eternal life. 

Therefore, when we finish studying our passage today, we should be left standing in awe of who Jesus is. We should be astonished, amazed, and blown away at (1) who Jesus is (2) what he accomplished here and (3) what this accomplishment points to.

And when we finish looking at chapter 11 in two week, we should be left astonished, amazed, and blown away at how anyone could respond to Jesus with hostility and opposition.

How could someone not respond to Jesus by falling on his or her face in worship?

Now, up until this week, John 11 has been a pretty dark and gloomy chapter. We’ve seen a lot of heartache and pain. But, this week we will see the rain stop and the sun begin to rise over the clouds.

Think about what we’ve learned thus far…

At the start of John 11, we see John introduce us to a family that had an intimate relationship with Jesus. This family is Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. This family loved Jesus and Jesus loved them.

But, then we quickly see that this family has encountered a major trial. What is that trial? Lazarus became sick, and because of this illness, Mary and Martha do the only thing they know to do. They send for Jesus. 

Then in verses 5-6 we see one of the strangest progressions in the gospel of John. We see that, because Jesus loved this family, he stayed were he was for two more days. Rather than stop what he’s doing and dart to their aid, he stays for another weekend. Because he loved them, he allowed them to continue to suffer.

This taught us that prolonged suffering does not negate God’s love for us. When we encounter prolonged suffering, that does not mean that God has not heard our prayer for healing, nor does it mean that God is mad at us. There was purpose in his delayed response. There was purpose in their prolonged suffering. And that purpose was that they see the glory of God displayed through their suffering.

Well, after two days pass, the pain of Martha and Mary increases because their brother, Lazarus, dies. And, once he dies, Jesus goes against the counsel of his disciples and he returns to Bethany to bring him back to life. Remember, the disciples didn’t want Jesus to return to Bethany because Bethany is two miles away from Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is where everyone who wants to kill Jesus lives (that will be important for us next week). But, rather than listen to his disciples, Jesus is obedient to the Father and he returns to Bethany anyways.

Well, at the start of last week’s passage, we see the scene switch over to Martha. Martha hears that Jesus is coming and she rushes out to meet him. Upon meeting him, she says something pretty profound, and this profound statement leads to a theological discussion between her and Jesus.

She says in verse 21, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

Jesus responded with words. He said, “Your brother will rise again.”

And Martha is like,  “Yeah, I know he will. He will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Martha has apparently been listening to Jesus, because her answer is theologically correct.

But, Jesus, in response to her response, makes one of the most remarkable claims found in the gospel of John. He says, “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?”

So, if you believe in Jesus, death will simply be a doorway. Death is not the end. It is simply the beginning. Though you die, you will live. He is the resurrection and the life. He is the one who raises the dead to eternal life. 

She then responds to his question about whether or not she believes by saying, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

This is a sister who gets it! The religious leaders are blind to the truth. But, this woman right here sees and knows the truth about Jesus! Jesus is the Son of God. He is the resurrection and the life. 

Now, that exchange between Jesus and Martha will be important for us in our passage today. So, be prepared to go back to those verses at times.

But, what we will primarily see in our passage today is validation to Jesus’s claim to be the resurrection and the life. Where we saw last week Jesus claim to be the resurrection and the life, this week he gives proof to that claim by raising Lazarus from the dead.

Let’s dive in.

“28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.”

So, what we see here is that apparently after Martha declares her belief in Jesus, Jesus tells Martha to go get her sister Mary. Martha says to Mary in verse 28, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

Now, if you’re like me and you’re skimming through last week’s passage, wondering when Jesus told Martha to go get her sister. Save your energy. There’s nothing in the previous verses that show this exchange between Jesus and Martha. It’s like there should a verse 27.5 that says, “Jesus then sent Martha to go get her sister Mary.”

But, nonetheless, she goes to her sister in private and says, “The teacher is here and is calling for you.”

I think one thing John wants us to see here is Mary’s immediate response. In verse 29 we see that… “when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.” Then, in verse 31 we see that the Jews take notice of her “rising and going quickly.”

So, John wants us to know that without any delay, Mary wastes no time and darts to Jesus. In contrast to last week’s passage where Mary remained seated, she now runs to where Jesus is, which is (as we see in verse 30) outside of the town of Bethany.

When Jesus calls, we should move quickly. 

Now, lets remember that Mary was not mourning alone at her home. We saw last week (v.19) that many Jews had come from Bethany to console Martha and Mary. So, when the Jews who were with Mary see her leave quickly, they get up and follow her, as well. She moves quickly so they don’t have time to ask questions. They can only assume. Verse 31 tells us that they assume she is going to the tomb to weep there. So, they follow her.

Now, I think that’s important for us to take note of. 

The fact that a crowd got up and followed Mary to Jesus is important because it tells us that a large, diverse, crowd is present at the time of the miracle that will soon take place. 

During this time not just family would be present with Martha and Mary. Yes, family would obviously be with Martha and Mary at this time. Yes, friends likely traveled from Jerusalem to mourn with them, as well. But, there would also be professional mourners present. 

D.A. Carson tells us in his commentary on John that there was a custom during this time that even a poor family was expected to hire at least two flute players and one professional wailing woman. What a job!

So, that tells us that there is a large, diverse, crowd following Mary to Jesus at this very moment.

Why is that important? Well strictly from an apologetic stand point, this is crucial for us. 

The large crowd present tell us that it would be irrational to be skeptical of the authenticity of the miracle that’s about to take place.

Let’s be real for a moment. The miracle that Jesus is about to perform is remarkable and very unbelievable.

If I came to you and told you that I died Friday night, but that Kayla brought me back to life this morning, I would hope that you would roll your eyes, shake your head, and then leave and find another church. 

But, if I, and Kayla, and my kids, and my neighbors, and my friends, and my distant relatives, and the nurses, and the funeral home people all said the same thing, then you would be compelled to believe the testimony that they’re give.

The abundance of witnesses give validation to the claims being made. So, John is making a point to tell us that a large, diverse, crowd of people were present at the sickness, the death, the burial, and the soon raising of Lazarus. 

So, how do we know that Lazarus was really dead?

Well, there’s a long line of witnesses (both believers and non-believers) that would say, “Yeah, he was dead.”

Some would say, “I checked his heartbeat.” Other would say, “I was hired to mourn, and I walked with Mary to the tomb to mourn with her.”

How do we know that Lazarus was raised to life? 

Well, there’s a long line of witnesses that would say, “Yeah, that’s true. That man who died was raised to life.” 

Some would say, “I was his doctor.” Others would say, “I was their professional wailer, and I watched Jesus yell at the tomb. I rolled the stone back. I unraveled his linens.”

John is telling us that it’s not just friends and family present. It’s not just Jesus’s disciples that saw this miracle. There’s a rather diverse crowd of friends, family, and hired workers present at the time of this miracle. There’s those who believe that are present, and there are those who do not believe who are present.

So, listen to me. The large crowd, the abundance of witnesses present, tell us that it would be irrational to be skeptical of the authenticity of the miracle that’s about to take place.

So, Mary got up quick, and started heading to Jesus; and as she’s going, a large crowd is coming with her. Then, we see in verses 32-35 Jesus and Mary meet for the first time since the passing of her brother.

Let’s look at this exchange.

“32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Now, I want us to take a moment and look at (1) what we see here in these verses and (2) what we don’t see here in these verses.

First off, what do we see here in these verses?

First, we see pain in Mary’s posture before Jesus. She’s hurting. The death of her brother has caused her deep pain

In verse 32, we see that she is broken and hurting, and she falls at Jesus’s feet. In verse 33, we see that she is weeping (this is a loud, uncontrollable sobbing).

She is broken over the death of her brother. So, she says to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Do those words sound familiar?

If you were paying attention just a minute ago, they should! Just a minute ago, we read Martha’s words to Jesus in verse 21; and now we see that the words of Mary in verse 32 are nearly identical to the words of Martha in verse 21.

I think this tells us that Mary and Martha have had this conversation already. At home, in the midst of their despair, in the midst of their pain, they’ve said to one another, “If only Jesus had been here, Lazarus wouldn’t have died.”

You know in these four days, they’ve likely wrestled through the question “why,” asking, “Why did Jesus not come? Why did he heal all these strangers, but not Lazarus, the one he loves?”

Therefore, when they both make it to Jesus, out of the abundance of their heart, their mouth speaks.  “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

So, what we see here is Mary has fallen before Jesus broken hearted, and she is weeping and pouring her heart out to Jesus.

Just to reiterate what Jacob taught us last week: it’s ok to come to God broken. It’s ok to be honest and raw with him. But, in our coming, may we not lose sight of who he is and the power he possesses.

Now, that’s what we see. Mary has come to Jesus hurting.

 But what do we not see here in these verses?

Well, if you have a red letter Bible (meaning the words of Jesus are red in your Bible) you don’t see much red here. 

Let’s compare Jesus’s exchange with Martha with Jesus’s exchange with Mary.  This won’t be on the screen, but if you were to look at Jesus’s exchange with Martha in verses 20-27, you see quite a bit of red.

In response to same words spoken by Mary,  Jesus told Martha that her brother will be raised, and then he told her that he is the resurrection and the life, and then he asked her if she believed.

Jesus and Martha had a theological conversation in the face of her suffering and pain.

But, here you don’t see Jesus have that conversation with Mary. Here you see a lot of silence from Jesus.

 In response to Mary, he asked one question with five words (to which they both respond). These words should be on the screen. He says, “Where have you laid him?”

With Martha, Jesus spoke. With Mary, Jesus was silent. 

Now, has something changed since the time he spoke with Martha? No. Everything he said to Martha is 100% true. Does his silence discredit the validity of what he spoke to Martha? No. Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Both of those things are 100% true. Does Jesus love Martha more than he loves Mary? No.

So, it is the God of this universe, the one who possesses power over life and death, the one who possesses all wisdom and knowledge, the one who knew what he was about to do before he did it, and the one who loves both Mary and Martha deeply, who, rather than speak, wept with Mary in her pain.

It’s not what Jesus does in this moment that is so powerful, It’s what he chooses not to do.

Jesus’s silence tells us that silence is not the equivalent of failure. At this moment, he doesn’t take on the role of a teacher and explain what’s going on. He doesn’t begin to apologize saying, “I’m sorry for your loss,” although he was. He doesn’t seek to encourage her by saying, “Cheer up! Lazarus is present with the Lord,” although he was. He doesn’t rebuke her by saying, “Stop crying because I’m about to bring him back,”although he will. No, Jesus simply wept with those who wept. 

Church, we are to do the same. As Paul tells us in Romans 12, we “rejoice with those who rejoice, and we weep with those who weep…”

Sometimes, in the midst of pain and heartache, silence is not bad. You don’t always have to have an answer. You don’t always have to have an encouraging word. Silence is not the equivalent of failure. Don't be quick to view silence as failure. 

Sometimes your brother or sister in pain needs to be reminded of the gospel. Sometimes we need to lift up the head of a suffering saint and point them to our eternal hope in Christ Jesus. Sometimes you need to share and explain, and comfort through words, just like Jesus did with Martha.

But, sometimes your brother or sister in pain needs you to be silent and weep with them. Sometimes, rather than try to lift up their head, we need to bow our head with them and hurt with them. 

“Weep. with. those. who. weep.”

May we follow Jesus’s example in how we interact with one another in the midst of trials. There’s a time to speak and there’s a time to be silent. 

Now, here’s something that rocked me this week as I was studying this passage. As I began to dig into commentaries, I began to quickly realize that I didn’t have a true understanding of what Jesus was feeling and going through at this point.  I don’t think I ever really thought about what it meant for Jesus to be “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” I think when I read “Jesus wept” I always thought that Jesus was just really sad; and because he was sad, he wept. 

But, John is actually going out of his way to tell us that Jesus experienced something far more severe than sadness. What we’re about to see is that Jesus isn’t simply sad; he’s angry and he’s upset. He’s deeply frustrated. The grief he is feeling is far different than the grief that Mary, Martha, and the crowd are feeling. 

The Greek word used for “deeply moved” is “embrimaomai,” and it’s equivalent to anger, outrage, or emotional indignation. The word was also literally used to describe the snorting of a horse.

This is strong language. John is seeking to tell us that when he saw the weeping of Mary and the Jews, a deep anger welled up within Jesus. And he adds to that by saying that Jesus is “greatly troubled,” which means that he was agitated and emotionally unsettled.

So, as he is emotionally unsettled with a deep anger welling up within him, he asked the question “where have they laid him (their brother Lazarus)?” And they then say, “Come and see.” And it’s at this point that Jesus wept. 

But, even Jesus’s weeping here is different from the weeping of Mary. The word used to describe the weeping of Jesus in verse 35 is different than the word used to describe the weeping of Mary and the crowd in verse 33. The weeping that we see in verse 33 is a loud, uncontrollable sobbing. The weeping in verse 35 is more of a silent overflow of inner turmoil. 

Why is that important?

That’s important because it tells us there is an internal struggle taking pace within Jesus right now that different than Martha and Mary. There is deep anger welling up within him that is beginning overflow into a silent weeping.

Which leads to the Jews (1) acknowledging his love for Lazarus and (2) questioning his motives.

“So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

They’re trying to reconcile Jesus’s love with his lack of action. They’re essentially asking the question, “If Jesus loved this man, and he possessed the power to heal him, then why did he not prevent him from dying?”

Notice how they’ve learned that Jesus possesses the power over life, but they have yet to learn that he possesses power over death. Raising Lazarus from the dead right now is on no ones radar. 

But, before we get to the act of raising Lazarus from the dead, let me go back to the emotions that Jesus is feeling and ask the question “why.”

Why is Jesus angry? 

What is leading to this inner anguish that Jesus is experiencing?Is he frustrated over the hopelessness of this situation? Is he frustrated that he showed up too late? Is he frustrated that he was unable to keep Lazarus from dying?

No. Jesus has made it clear that this sickness will not lead to death. He knows that he will raise Lazarus from the grave. He knows that this will lead to his glory. Jesus is not in anguish over the hopelessness of this situation.

Now, some commentaries, however, say that Jesus could be angry over a lack of belief displayed through their weeping. But, I’m not sure if that’s it, either. 

I think what we see here is that Jesus is face to face with his enemy: Satan, sin, and death. And I think we see this a little more clearly when we look ahead to verse 38, “Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.”

So, let me seek to explain. In this passage, as Jesus’s death is approaching, he’s visually seeing someone that he deeply loves experiencing the negative repercussion of sin and death. And he, himself, is personally experiencing the pain that comes from sin and death.

Remember, when sin entered the world in Genesis 3, it is at that point that we see death enter the picture. Mankind was originally created in the image of God in Genesis 1. But, in Genesis 3, they fell from their innocent and sinless condition by disobeying God in the Garden of Eden. And it’s at that point that sin brought forth physical, spiritual, and eternal death.

Therefore, the death of Lazarus is a result of sin. It is sin that has tore this family apart. It is sin that has brought forth this pain. Now, the whole purpose of Jesus’s coming is that we may have life through his death. So, where sin, death, and Satan have distorted and fractured God’s creation, God has now come to restore and redeem and give life to his creation.

Jesus— the one that all things were made by, through, and for— is experiencing the heartache and pain that comes from sin; and he’s deeply disturbed.

At this point, he’s standing toe to toe, looking eye to eye, with his enemy. And, as his blood is boiling, Jesus is about to show his enemy that he. Stands. No. Chance. 

Death will soon be defeated.

Jesus’s time to defeat his enemy— sin and death and Satan— is on the horizon, and when he does it’s not even going to be a close battle.

Let me try to set the stage for what’s taking place here and what’s about to take place.

If you and I were standing toe to toe with one another, looking eye to eye, and we’re about to fight, and you’ve had time to carefully calculate every punch that you’re about to throw at me, and you feel like you feel like you’re going to win the fight because you’ve never lost a fight before…But, right before you rare back to throw your first punch I said,  “Hang on. Here’s what’s about to happen… You’re about to jab me as hard as you can with your left hand and it’s not going to phase me. You’ll then throw a haymaker with your right, but it won’t hurt. That uppercut… it won’t work. That roundhouse kick… pointless. You’re going to exhaust yourself, throwing your greatest blows at me. And once you do that, I’m going to punch you square in the nose with my left hand and I’m going to knock you out.”

Please know that this is what we’re about to see take place. Jesus, looking eye to eye with death, is about to give his enemy a foretaste to how he will defeat him. Jesus, in watching Mary and the Jews mourn, in looking at the tomb, he’s angrily standing toe to toe with his enemy, sin and death, and by raising Lazarus from the grave he’s saying, “Your greatest blows will prove to be ineffective. You are about to throw everything you have at me by trying to kill me, and it’s not going to work. You will lose. In the same way that I’m about to raise Lazarus from the grave, I will rise from the grave. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

In the midst of such a hopeless situation, the obvious question rings loud, who will defeat the dreaded enemy of sin and death.

It is Jesus, the one who is standing toe to toe with sin and death at this moment that possesses the power to defeat them.

Lets keep reading.

“Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Hold up. Wait a second. 

Martha literally just made this beautiful declaration of her belief in Jesus back in verse 27. Remember in verse 27 she just proclaimed that she believed “Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, then you should trust him as the Christ. But, now, within the same day, we see her try to correct Jesus. 

Let’s notice two things really quick:

First, this reminds us that Christians are not perfect.  We will say and do some pretty dumb stuff. We will doubt God, even though he’s given us no reason to doubt him. It would do us well to remember that although we are forgiven, cleansed, and justified in Christ, we are still imperfect people going through the sanctification process. We are still going through the process of becoming more like Jesus. Although you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, you will still at times sin. At times you will still wrong your neighbor, and at times your neighbor will still wrong you.

May we therefore be a people who fix our eyes on Jesus, not our works, as our only hope for salvation. We, like Martha, will say and do some dumb things as Christians. Therefore, we need much grace.

I also want us to notice how her statement gives further validation to the death of Lazarus. In case you’re still doubting, Lazarus is dead. 

Seconds before Jesus calls Lazarus from the grave, Martha reminds us that Lazarus has been dead for four days. He’s been dead so long that there will be an odor from his decaying body. 

With the crowd present, no one steps in and rebukes her, which tells me that everyone agrees with her logic. 

Lazarus isn’t alive in the tomb playing poker with the roaches. That man is dead. His body is decaying, and the stench of death will invade their nostrils the moment they roll away the stone.

Jesus then responds in verse 40 by saying,

“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

Notice the patience Jesus displays to Martha here. He doesn’t mock her. He gently directs her focus back to who he is and the promise he gave her. He’s gently directing her back to belief so that they can see his glory.

And in response to these words, look at verse 41. 

“So they took away the stone (not Jesus, but the Jews). And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

So, here we see Jesus praying publicly what he’s already prayed privately. Jesus is thanking God for hearing him past-tense. This tells us that Jesus has already been praying for Lazarus. In the same way that Jesus prayed for Lazarus, he intercedes on our behalf. 

But, here Jesus goes to God in prayer for a specific purpose. What is that purpose? That purpose is the belief of those around him.

And then we get to the grand finale, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Look at these last two verses.

“When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

At the calling of Jesus, Lazarus comes to life. Think about that, Jesus possesses the power to call the dead to life. He’s not simply a good man. He’s not simply a good teacher. He is the only one who possesses the power to bring the dead to life. He is the only one who is capable of defeating our greatest enemy: sin and death.

How do we know this is true? Once again, look at the details John gives us here. Who unbinds Lazarus? The crowd. 

Can you imagine what’s going through their mind at this moment? At the calling of Jesus, Lazarus, the man who died came out, and now they gotta go unwrap him.

Levitical Law prohibited the touching of a dead body. Therefore, Jesus’s command to unbind him proves that Lazarus is now alive. This is no longer a dead body that one must avoid touching. This man is alive, and the crowd must unbind him!

What a moment in history. Jesus is not simply a good man. He’s not simply a good teacher. He is the only one who possesses the power to bring the dead to life.

And this is the gospel. 

Paul, in Ephesians 2, says to the church, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins…” So, that tells us that all of humanity is spiritually dead because of their sins. But, Paul goes on to say that “God, being rich in mercy has made us alive with the Messiah, even though we were dead in our sins.”

So, if your faith resides in Jesus, then you, by God’s mercy, have been brought to life (just like Lazarus). Where you had no hope for life, God graciously gave it. Where you were lifelessly and hopelessly trapped in a spiritual tomb, Jesus has called you out by name to a new life in him. Where you once let off a terrible stench of death, you are now the aroma of Christ to God. The hope of the gospel is that Jesus Christ defeated sin and death through his death and resurrection. And because of his death and resurrection, we too have been brought to life through belief in him.

John 11:17-27

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Recap of John 11:1-16

As we read and Ryan taught about 2 weeks ago, we are now in the story of Lazarus, Marth, Mary and Jesus. What we learned from that passage is that Martha and Mary sent for Jesus because their bother Lazarus was very ill. This family had a close relationship with Jesus as it was stated that He loved this family. We also learn that Jesus hears this information and stays an extra 2 days where He is. This was where Ryan really dug into the teaching of “prolonged suffering does not negate God’s love for you.” So it’s this thought that somehow Jesus not rushing to save Lazarus will be good, and show love. And then in our lives just because we are going through suffering does not mean that God hates you or is even punishing you. Somehow God is using your life to show His love and using the suffering for good. And then at the end of the passage we find out that Jesus does then leave after staying 2 days longer and makes his way to go visit the family He loves. The only problem is they are heading back into the land of Judea, specifically one near Jerusalem, where Jesus and Hid disciples had just fled from as the Jews in that area were trying to stone them!

John 11:11-27

So this is where our story picks up and this is the scene that is laid out as the story unfolds. Let’s read John 11:17-27.

 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two milesoff, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God he twill give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

 There is a lot here in this small section but just like any other passage let’s take one small bite at a time starting with the first verse

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

It is good information to have that Lazarus had been dead 4 days as there was an old Hebrew belief that the soul hovered over the body 3 days after someone died and it wasn’t until the 4thday when the body would start to decompose that the soul would then leave hovering over the body. This is letting us know as the audience that Lazarus is dead. Like for sure dead. This guy that was once ill now no longer has any life in his body.

 It is worth mentioning that the word “found” used here in this first verse is not showing that Jesus was surprised to find out that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days but rather that it’s just information that John is giving us to show 1.) That Lazarus is for sure dead, 2.) Jesus is entering the town now days after Lazarus had died. So this sentence could be said as Jesus “discovered” or “informed” that Lazarus was dead 4 days. 

And then we get even more information into the scene that Jesus is rolling up on.

 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

This was a very close trip. 2 miles really isn’t a large trek to take. I’m no runner but 2 miles really isn’t that bad to run yet alone walk. If the average person walks at about a 15 min mile pace, this trip would only take 30 min!

This is also setting the scene for what Jesus was about to do. Now we can cheat and read the rest of the story and see what Jesus does. But for a second I want us to forget that Jesus is about to do one of Hs last miracles. Think for a second that you are a friend of the real, in the flesh Jesus. You have eaten with Him, walked with Him, had Him over your house, and you know the things He has done. Then He goes on his way finishing His ministry while you stay with your sisters and brothers. Then one of your family members gets sick. And not only sick but really sick. To where they are declining at such a fast rate that by the time you have communicated to someone the state they are in they are already in a worse state of health. So you throw a message to the only person you think can help because modern medicine at that time was very limited to help your situation. You are scared your family member is going to die, you are trying to do all you can humanly to help them, and you are calling on the one person who you believe can do anything for this situation. You have faith in Jesus, you know He can fix this situation, He just needs to come quickly because the days are evil and this family member does not have much time left. You can see yourself even staring down the road often trying to look if you can see Jesus and his pose coming down the road. Anxiously and fearfully yet faithfully you wait. This is the backdrop being laid out for us when Jesus arrives. 

Now that you feel what Martha and Mary are feeling, we get another insight into the scene, “many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.”So there are a group of people also here. This isn’t just a family affair but rather a community affair. We see friend and family coming together to help grieve, lift up, console, and take care of one another during this trial. What an example this is!! As a church this is a great example of what true community and relationship looks like. We don’t desert each other when times get messy but rather come along side, helping, nurturing, and supporting our brother and sister through their grief.

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

This shows 2 different reactions from the sisters which would probably reflect on cameo we get of them in the Gospel of Luke (10: 38-42).  Here Mary sits at Jesus’ feet while he is visiting while Martha on the other hand is busy cleaning and preparing the house. Martha then gets upset with her sister and tells Jesus to get her sister to help her, but rather than rebuke Mary like Martha wanted, Jesus tells Martha that Mary has made the right choice by sitting at his feet. 

Each sister responds to their character. While Mary sat quietly in Luke at Jesus’ feet and was applauded then, here in the Gospel of John it is Martha who is applauded for passionate activity. This just goes to show that 1.) people will react different to situations. And that 2.) there is a time for quiet reflection but there is also a time for action. Pray for discernment in what to do. Pray for rest when you need it, and pray for energy when needed. All seasons of life are different, and how God cares for us during those times pampers to our specific situation. 

So now that Martha, the doer, has gotten up to meet Jesus, she has some words for Him. She states:

 “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

The words Martha utters to Jesus teach us a lot of Martha’s heart as well as our own. These words uttered here, “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died” are very scrutinized words. Most scholars view these words as words of rebuke Martha is giving to Jesus. But these words could also be just the words reflecting a grieving heart. These are probably words she and her sister uttered to each other frequently those past couple of days. She probably would have liked to say “why didn’t you come as soon as you got the message” but instead the all too familiar words of her heart flowed out of her lips, “if only you had been here.” 

One thing this interaction shows is it is not wrong for us to outpour our hearts to God. 1 Peter 5:7 says to cast “all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

This includes our questions, struggles, griefs, and frustrations. As a matter of fact, the Psalms themselves are filled with these sort of cries and laments. 

Psalms 22 opens up like this: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance?”

Psalm 12 declares: “Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race.”

God’s willingness to receive Martha’s complaints of the heart are proved by Jesus’ tender ministry to Martha. 

Another nugget to dig out of Martha’s response to Jesus here is in suffering we normally lose hold of truths that we know are true about the Lord (“If only you had been here”). We all go through times that seem hopeless and full of hurt. It’s okay to have emotions, tears, frustrations, and all other feelings that come from this human experience. But it is important for us never to forget who is in control and the truths He says. And when one of our brothers or sisters are having these thoughts, it’s important for us, as their family to gently remind them how loved they are, what God promises to them, and come alongside them to help them tangibly through this season.

Richard Phillips, a commentator on this passage. He states it this way, 

“When eyes that are clouded by tears fail to see, and when trembling hands lose their grip on faith, our calling is not to rebuke them for unbelief but to gently remind them of the grace and truth of the Lord” (Richard Phillips REC, pg. 26).

As humans, we will have emotions and questioning. It is our pleasure that we get to use God’s Word, His promises, and our past trails to help build one another up and remind them the child of God they are!

*Community group challenge: Look up at least 5 of the truths, promises, and statements God makes about His children. Write these down and share them with each other.

Martha also makes an assumption during her response to meeting Jesus. She assumes that her will and God’s will are the same (“Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died”). She assumes that it is the Lord’s will that her brother recovers.John informs us that this was not God’s intention. Remember 2 weeks ago what we read was Jesus’ response upon hearing that Lazarus was ill? “So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed 2 days longer in the place that he was” (John 11:6). Jesus arrived exactly when He intended to. His timing is perfect, not ours. His will is perfect, not ours. This waiting wasn’t for suffering to continue as a cruel joke to the ones Jesus loved, but rather a plan unfolding that would change the lives of everyone involved forever.

 Some of us are waiting to be cured of a sickness, or maybe we are waiting for a job, struggling with infertility, struggling with waiting for a spouse, fighting maybe just to even get up in the morning because life is just really hard right now. Trust God’s timing. It’s probably different than yours. He’s smarter than you. Pray for patience, understanding, and wait on Him. Trust me, He is not inactive. Rest in Him.

But even in this response we can still see that Martha hasn’t lost her faith in Jesus:

But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give to you.

 We can see that Martha didn’t lose her faith. “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Now it is unlikely that Martha meant a resurrection of her brother (John 11:39, “Lord by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days”). So what does Martha mean then?I think this is Martha reaching down into her faith, showing herself and others that she recognizes Jesus has an intimacy with God that no other person has.She has not lost her confidence that Jesus can somehow affect this situation for good.

And so Jesus has a response to Martha’s outpour, He says:

 “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus responds to Martha and gives her the only comfort He can give, “Your brother will rise again.” We as mere humans try and comfort each other when we are grieved. We offer comfort, sympathy, fellowship, and love. And while these are good things, they don’t seem to fit the bill that grief writes. Jesus offers something better than what we can give. He offers the solution to our grieving souls!Our suffering hearts are meant to direct us to Jesus. Paul states this in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who do not have hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”So only people who have put their hope in Christ can truly have a hope that looks beyond this life and sees eternally. 

 But we see Martha struggle through Jesus’ comfort, “I know that my brother will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” This is a big statement that helps us as the reader see what Martha believed theologically.This was making this distinction between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed in a life to come, the Sadducees did not. The OT seems to make a point to show readers that there will be a life after we physically die (Job 19:25-26; Psalms 16:10-11; 73:23-24). 

Job 19: 25-26 says,  

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God

Psalms 16:10 says,

 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

§ Psalms 73:23-24 says,

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.

 This thought of glory with the Lord has always and will continue to give hope and comfort in this life the help sustains us in all of life’s griefs. 

 Then Jesus makes his ending remarks to his exchange with Martha:

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

This statement Jesus makes here to Martha is one of perplexing beauty. Jesus first talks about what hope we have when we died (“though he die, yet shall he live”), and then speaks on those who are living who then believe in Him (“everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”). How can this be?

Jesus reveals Himself to be the source of “the resurrection and the life.” How? Well, we can hope in a resurrection because Jesus Himself beats death and resurrects from the grave. To believe in Jesus is not only to benefit from his life and death, but from his resurrection also. But the resurrection source begins with Jesus himself. There is no other way to obtain this promise without first putting your faith in Christ.

 He also offers life. How? Through His teachings, life, and Spirit we are given life more abundant than anything we could pursue on our own. Jesus says, later on “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

“Whatever Death is, and all that Death is…that is what we shall be saved from in this salvation. And whatever Life is, and all that Life is…that is what we shall be saved to in this salvation.” –Benjamin B. Warfield

 It’s no wonder that Jesus concludes this exchange with Martha this way. For we all are dead. And it is only Christ who can save us.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-5 says,

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins… 4 ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…”

 Jesus is still asking this same question to us today “I am the resurrection and the life, do you believe?” Do you believe that God can give you this hope no matter the circumstance? Do you believe that Jesus can give you life even if it looks like this Earthly life isn’t worth it? Do you believe that God can be good even if life isn’t so good right now?

I pray that God gives us eyes to see past our circumstances, past our grief, and the ability to see more into Him! God give us more of you, give us more of your love, use us to bring about your glory!

Church Membership

John 11:1-16

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

If you would, open up your Bible’s to John 11. This week’s passage marks the start of a new narrative found within this gospel. 

Although this is a new narrative found within the gospel of John, this is a narrative that possesses the same purpose as every other story in this gospel.

What is that purpose?

That purpose is that we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, so that, through belief in him, we might have eternal life.

Now, two weeks ago I said John 9 was my favorite chapter in this gospel. Well, I might have to take that back. John 11 is good! It might take the crown as my favorite chapter.

John 11 is rich with gospel-centered application that we really haven’t seen up until this point in John, and it’s rich with gospel-centered hope that has been consistent all throughout the gospel of John. Found in the chapter is arguably the greatest miracle, aside from his own resurrection, performed by Jesus. 

Spoiler alert! That miracle is the bringing back to life of a dead man named Lazarus, which is a big deal.

In the first ten chapters of this gospel, we have seen Jesus continually display his power over the physical aspects of this life. He’s restored sight to the blind, he’s healed the paralyzed, he’s healed the sick, he’s turned water into wine, he’s multiplied fish and bread to feed the masses, and he’s walked on water. 

But, this particular miracle in chapter 11 tells us that Jesus possesses a power that stretches far beyond the physical into the eternal. He possess power over life and death, which is a power that only belongs to God.

Now, aside from his personal resurrection, this will be his final sign performed in the public eye recorded in this gospel. 

Following this miracle, we will see the heat begin to really turn up in regards to his crucifixion. Where the clouds of persecution began to slowly creep in back in John 5, at the end of John 11 we will begin to feel the rumblings of thunder and hear the cracking on lighting off in the distance. The mighty storm of his crucifixion is on the horizon. The miraculous healing of a dead man will ultimately lead to the death of the Son of Man.

Now, our plan is to divide this chapter up into five weeks; and, surprisingly, it won’t be until week four that we see the actual resurrection take place. So, for three weeks we will be setting up for this grand miracle. But, let me tell you, these next three weeks will be packed full of rich application.

We will have an opportunity to zoom in on God’s love for his people, discussing how we know God loves us. We will discuss God’s plan in suffering, how to handle grief, how to counsel a brother or sister who’s going through grief, all while constantly reminding ourselves of the gospel.

***Now, just to reiterate what Kayla said in announcements, next week we will be taking a break from our study of this chapter to discuss church membership. What is church membership? Why is church membership important? How can you become a member at Harbor? So make plans to attend. Then, the following Sunday we will pick back up on John 11.

Let’s dive in.

“1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 

Let’s pause here for a moment. In these first 6 verses, I think John goes out of his way to introduce two things.

1. He goes out of his way to introduce important characters in this story and what’s going on in their lives.

2. He goes out of his way to describe Jesus’s relationship with these characters. 

Let me seek to explain by first answering the question: who are these characters and what’s going on in their lives?

Well, in verse 1 we’re first introduced to a man name Lazarus. Lazarus is from Bethany.

John then tells us that Bethany is the the same village that Mary and Martha are from, and apparently Mary and Martha are sisters (v.1). We also see that Lazarus is the brother to these sisters (v.2). 

So, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha are brothers and sisters. In these first two verses, we’re introduced to this tight knit little family.

But, John also finds it important to allow us to peek behind the curtain of what’s going on within the life of this family. We see pretty quickly that things aren’t going well for Lazarus.

Lazarus is sick. He is ill. He is weak and feeble, on the brink of death.

But, John also makes a point to tell us that Lazarus isn’t going through this trial alone. We quickly see that his sisters have invited themselves into the trial that he is walking through. He is not going through this trial alone. His sisters are making an intentional effort to care for and look after their brother who is sick. Because their brother is sick, they have sent for Jesus.

Now, that’s an obvious point that’s easy to breeze over. But, I think the example of the sister’s here is something worth highlighting. Mary and Martha’s care for Lazarus is something we should reflect as believers.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, says, 

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

I understand the weightiness of what I’m about to say because we live in a fallen world where, often times, the people who have hurt us the most are the people who share the same last name as us. But, Scripture calls us to care for our family. Caring for your family is a tangible mark of a believer. We have a biblical calling to look after and care for our relatives.

Caring for your family may look different in every situation. But, to those of you who are exhausted from caring for your family, please press on. I pray the Lord blesses you with strength to persevere.

And to those of you who have family in need, with no one to care for them, please consider repentance. We have a biblical calling to look after and care for our relatives.

So, it’s while Lazarus is ill, it’s his sisters who make an intentional effort to care for their brother by sending to Jesus, requesting help. May we, like Mary and Martha, love our family well. 

In these first few verses, John goes out of his way to introduce the characters in this story and what’s going on in their lives. But, not only does he introduce Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and the trial that they are walking through together, he also goes out of his way to highlight Jesus’s love for this family.

There’s four different Mary’s found within the gospels. So, John, in verse 2, goes out of his way to clarify who this Mary is. 

“It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair…”

What’s interesting is that this small piece of information is a bit of a spoiler because John doesn’t record this act of service until later in chapter 12. It almost like if you turned on Stars Wars and you began watching the first episode, the opening words on the screen read, “A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Anakin— who will later become Darth Vader, the father of Luke—begins his training to become the next Jedi…” This is information that is helpful, but it feels premature.

So, this led me to ask the question, why does John tell us this bit of information prematurely? Why does he feel the need to tell us about this particular action of Mary now?

Well, in one aspect, I think he’s clarifying which Mary he’s talking about. This clarifying statement tells us that this act of service was a widely recognized story. John anticipated his readers saying, “Ah, ok, that Mary. Cool. I’m tracking with you.

But, secondly, I think this helps shine light on what led to this incredible act of service by Mary. It’s following the raising of her brother, Lazarus, that she anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair.

But, thirdly, (and, in my mind, most importantly) I think he’s telling us of the type of relationship Jesus had with this family. This is a family that loved Jesus; and this is a family that Jesus loved.

We will study this in a few months, but the type of service described in verse 2 is unheard of. It’s a major sign of humility, service, and love. This is a woman and this is a family that loved Jesus. This is a family that enjoyed a close and intimate relationship with Jesus. They loved Jesus, and Jesus loved them.

Twice in these first five verses we see Jesus’s love for this family, particularly Lazarus, mentioned.

In verse 3, the sisters sent to Jesus, saying,

“Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

Your beloved friend, the one whom love and cherish, is sick. Then, John goes out of his way to reiterate this point by saying in verse 5,

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”

So, to summarize what’s going on at this point, it is a man that Jesus loves deeply who is sick; and the sisters of Lazarus have sent to Jesus to let him know of his sickness. 

Their attempt to send to Jesus is a cry of desperation.

Because of their close relationship with Jesus, they have to be aware of the power he possesses. They have to remember the miraculous work of Jesus giving sight to the blind and healing the invalid man. They have to remember Jesus healing the official’s son from miles away.

So, they’re crying out to Jesus, “Lord, help the one you love get better. We know you’re able!”

And Jesus responds in verse 4, 

“This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now, as we will see in a moment, this illness will lead to death. So, is Jesus wrong here? No. What Jesus is saying is that this illness will not end in death. Though he will die because of this illness, Jesus will bring him back to life so that God may be glorified. 

Notice that this is yet another example of Jesus’s divine nature. The purpose of this illness is God’s glory (it is for the glory of God), so that the Son of God (Jesus) may be glorified through it. God shares glory with no one but himself. So, the glory of God is the glory of the Son, and the glory of the Son is the glory of God. This is yet another claim to the divine nature of Jesus.

So, here Jesus makes a prophetic statement that death will not have the final say and that he (Jesus) will be glorified through this illness. This is a hopeful proclamation that there is purpose in his suffering. God sits on the throne, even in our darkest moments.

But, then in verses 5 and 6 we see one of the strangest progressions in all of Scripture. There’s a tension here that’s meant to recognized.

Up until verse 5, John has gone out of his way to describe the intimate relationship that Jesus has with this family. They love him. He loves them. 

Then, in verse 5, before he moves any further into this story, he reiterates this love that Jesus has for this family. “

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”

It’s those that he loves greatly that have cried out to him for help; and he has heard their cry. 

What does he do when he hears their cry? In verse 4 he says that this illness will not lead to death and that he will be glorified through it. But, then what does he do in verse 6?

“When he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

In their cry of desperation, Jesus stays because he has a purpose for their suffering.

Let me reread verses 5 and 6. I want us to feel the tension here.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

The word “so” here links what is about to be said with what was just said.

What does that mean? 

It means that it is because Jesus loved this family that he stayed where he was. Rather than stop what he’s doing and return to Bethany, he stays for another weekend. 

Listen, I love my family deeply. I love my wife and I love my kids. I will go to great lengths to ensure that they are safe. The moment that I sense danger or hear their cry for help, I waste no time. I move quickly. 

Two months ago at small group, my beautiful and very clumsy daughter fell down the stairs. The moment I heard the thud and scream, I darted to her aid. Hussain Bolt couldn’t beat me to those stairs. 

We often rush to help those that we love; and I think John knows this. I think John presents verses 1-5 in such a way that the readers fully expect and anticipate Jesus to stop what he’s doing and run to the aid of Lazarus. 

He presents this story in such a way that it leads us to say, “If Jesus loved Lazarus, then he would act quickly in delivering him from this trial.”

But, the opposite is true here. John tells us that It is because Jesus loves this family that he stays. It is out of love that Jesus waits. 

Because Jesus loves them, he doesn’t answer their request right away. Because he loves them, he allows them to continue to suffer. Because he loves them, he would rather them see the glory of God displayed through their suffering than rush to grant them healing

Church, listen to me. Do not miss this truth. Prolonged suffering does not negate God’s love for you.

You may be encountering great trials and you may have pleaded to the Lord for him to deliver you from these trials. But, please know that the fact that you’re continuing to suffer does not mean that God has not heard you, nor does it mean that God is mad at you. 

What this passage does is it teaches us to not look to our circumstances as a measure of God’s love.

How do we know that God loves us?

We know that God loves us because of the cross. We know that God loves us because he has entered into this world and suffered for us, laying his life down for us so that we might have an eternal hope.

Why do we constantly preach the gospel to the church every Sunday? Because it is our only hope. It is the exclamation mark to the fact that God loves you!

So, in your darkest moments of despair, in the midst of the storms of this life, fix your eyes on the cross. Do not look to your circumstances as a measure of God’s love. Look to the cross. Prolonged suffering does not negate God’s love for you. 

In fact, when we look to Scripture, we constantly see the opposite is true. Because God loves us, he uses trials for our good and his glory. 

Romans 5, 

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Stop. Paul is telling us that we have been justified by faith in Jesus. Because of what Jesus has done on our behalf, we stand in right standing with God. Because of what Jesus has done on our behalf, we have peace with God and we now have an eternal hope in him.

Then, he goes on to say,

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Paul is directing our eyes past our current situations onto God’s love for us that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. God is using our suffering for our good and his glory. 

Therefore, we don’t have to get discouraged whenever our suffering is prolonged. Rather, we can rejoice in our prolonged suffering because we know that God loves us and that he’s using our suffering for our good.

James continues this thought by saying, 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kids, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

This tells us that the hope of the gospel is not a prosperous life in which we never encounter trials. The hope of the gospel is that our trials don’t end in death. The hope of the gospel is that, though we encounter trials in this life, we know that we have an eternal hope. Although we go through many trials in this life, we know that God is using them for our good and his glory.

Look at me. Are you going though a trial right now? Have you pleaded to the Lord for deliverance, but it feels like God hasn’t heard your prayer? Are you discouraged and feel like God doesn’t love you?

My prayer is that this passage comforts you greatly. It is because Jesus loved Lazarus that he did not respond immediately. Prolonged suffering does not negate God’s love for you.

We are not to look at our circumstances as the measure of God’s love for us. We look to the cross as the measure of God’s love for us. Jesus’s willingness to lay his life down for his sheep is the greatest display of God’s love for his people. 

That truth doesn’t remove the pain of your suffering, but it should offer you comfort, peace, and joy in the midst of your suffering. Church, you are loved by God, and nothing can separate you from that love. 

Because Jesus loved this family, he stayed two more days. This act of staying will be important for us later on in the chapter because we will see that Lazarus was in the tomb for four days, which means there is zero doubt concerning whether or not Lazarus was dead. Upon Jesus’s arrival, Lazarus is “dead dead.”

Had Jesus arrived earlier and healed him immediately upon arrival, folks wouldn’t believe that Lazarus was really dead. They would believe that this was more of a recitation as opposed to a resurrection.

So, now in verse 7 we see Jesus decides/ to pack his bag and head to their aid. Look at verse 7, 

“7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 

If you’re not good at geography, like myself, and you’re wondering why Jesus is going to Judea and not Bethany, then it may be helpful for me to point out that Bethany is in Judea.

Also, Jerusalem in is Judea. In fact, John makes a point to tell us in verse 18 that Bethany is about two miles away from Jerusalem.

Why is that significant?

That’s significant because Jerusalem is where Jesus just left at the end of chapter 10 because the Jews were seeking to kill him.

We therefore shouldn’t be surprised by his disciples response in verse 8,

8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”

They’re essentially saying, “Jesus, this is a death wish. Why return to the place where the crowd was seeking to kill you?” And Jesus responds with one of the strangest answers in verses 9-10,

"9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 

When I first read this, I remember thinking, what in the world does this have to do with Jesus going to Bethany? As I wrestled through this proverb spoken by Jesus, and consulted many different commentaries, I found John Mcarthur’s explanation really helpful.

He sought to explain this proverb by pointing out the fact that the light of day is immovable. No matter how hard we try with daylight savings, you can not lengthen the daylight, nor can you shorten it. It is what it is and it is fixed by God.

Well, in the same way that the hours of the day are determined by God, so too is the life of Jesus. The Jews who are seeking to kill him can not shorten his life, and his disciples who are trying to preserve his life cannot lengthen it. The number of days, hours, and minutes of Jesus’s life are predetermined by God, and nothing can change that. Therefore, Jesus is going to walk in obedience to the Father’s will. He will not walk in darkness; he is going to walk in the light and in doing so, he will not stumble.

“A day cannot finish before it’s ordained end.” Well, neither can Jesus’s life (or our life for that matter)! Avoiding Bethany out of fear of the Jews will not lengthen his life. Being bold in the face of his enemies will not shorten it. It is better to walk in obedience to the Lord into what appears to be danger, than to walk in disobedience into what appears to be safety.

So, following this he says, 

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 

So, here Jesus tells his disciples his intentions for returning to Bethany. He’s returning to do the miraculous. He’s returning to do something only God can do. He’s returning to wake up Lazarus. But, the disciples are oblivious at this point. They’re still set on not going. 

They say to him,

 “12 “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 

They’re missing the point. They’re saying, “Jesus, if Lazarus is snoozing, he’ll wake up himself. He will recover from this sickness without you. Let the man sleep. Let’s stay here in safety.”

Well, John then gives us (the readers) clarity in verse 13. It’s not that Lazarus is sleeping. That man is dead.

“13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.”

Therefore, Jesus clarifies his original statement,

 “14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 

Here Jesus goes from speaking in an eloquent, proverbial manner to speaking in a point blank, blunt manner. “Guys, he’s dead. I’m going to wake up a man who is dead. And for your sake, I’m glad that I was not there to heal his sickness.”

The illness, death, and resurrection of Lazarus all had purpose, and that purpose is to bring glory to God by glorifying the Son, which will lead to their belief.

At the conclusion of John 11, there should be no doubt that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the one who possesses the power to give eternal life.

Jesus doesn’t just possess power and authority over life, but he possesses power and authority over death; and the resurrection of Lazarus is intended to point forward to the resurrection of Jesus.

Well, following this, Thomas turns to his peers and says, 

“16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

They’re anticipating this to not go well. This is a suicide mission. We will spend more time on this verse in next week’s passage.

Listen, what we’ve seen here in our passage today is, because he loved Lazarus, Jesus allowed him to die; and he does this purposefully. He allows those that he loves to suffer so that they may better see and know the glory of God. 

Once Lazarus is dead, Jesus makes the decision to return to Judea to resurrect Lazarus. In doing so, we will see, at the conclusion of this chapter, the Jews will begin their plot to kill Jesus. 

So, in a very real sense, the healing of Lazarus will lead to his own personal death.Jesus laid down his life so that not just Lazarus will experience life, but that all who are dead in their sins, might be brought to life in Christ, through faith in him.

If you faith resides in Jesus, then you have been brought to life because of his willingness to lay down and take up his life. If your faith resides in Jesus, then your life won’t end in death, either. We have been given eternal life in Christ.

Though you will taste death one day, death will simply be a doorway to the very thing we long for as Christians. We will be with our Savior for all eternity. With him there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more death.

Church, cling to this hope in the midst of suffering. We serve a risen King who loves us deeply.

How do we know he loves us?

We know he loves us, not because of our circumstances, but because of the cross. 

The absence of suffering is not a proof of God’s love. Rather, the proof of God’s love is the fact that God entered into this world to suffer for us.

All throughout Scripture we see that God uses pain and suffering for the advancement of his glory. Yesterday, as I was reflecting on this truth, I was reminded of the book of Ruth.

In the book of Ruth, we see that it is through the pain and suffering of Naomi and Ruth that we see God leading Ruth to Boaz, and Boaz to marrying Ruth. It’s through their children that the redeemer of the world, Jesus, was born.

So, as we close today, I want to read this quote,

“Our natural response is to rebel against them [our trials and suffering] as alien intruders, which must be expelled from our lives as quickly and painlessly as possible by every means available, including God’s miraculous intervention. With hindsight, however, another perspective is possible. We can offer our trials to God for him either to remove or retain as he pleases, thereby bringing glory to his name and deepening our faith, and possibly that of others too.”

Church, it is good to plead for the Lord to remove suffering. We see Paul do it. But, in our pleading, may we offer our trials to God, trusting that he is good and that he loves us. He can remove or retain as he pleases. We can pray this way because we know that prolonged suffering does not negate God’s love for us.

John 10:22-42

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Introduction

If you would, go ahead and open up your Bible’s to John 10:22-42. If you don’t have a Bible, or you forgot your Bible, there should be a blue Bible at the corner of your row. If you don’t have a Bible, this is a gift from us to you. We hope, trust, and pray that it will be a blessing to you in your life.

As you’re turning in your Bible, let me introduce our passage with a small illustration.

Several years ago I managed a cafe, and one of the major challenges in managing a restaurant is the high turnover in staff. It seemed like I was constantly training and losing employees. As soon as one of our employees got really good at their job, he or she would leave for another job.

So, over the years, I feel like I got pretty efficient in the hiring process. Over the years, I began to learn what to look for in hiring a new employee.

I also began to learn that every potential hire has flaws.Therefore, it was my job to figure out what that person’s flaws were before I hired that him or her. And once I was able to identify those flaws, I then had to answer the question, “Are we willing to work with those flaws?”

Will these flaws be detrimental to the business that we are trying to run?With their flaws, will this person fit in well with the staff that currently have

Now, here’s one thing I learned in the hiring process for a restaurant: former Chick-fil-A employees possessed minimal flaws when it came to work ethic.

These people were the golden gooses that you never wanted to lose. If you had the opportunity to hire a former Chick-fil-A employee, you wanted to do so immediately and you wanted to keep that person as long as you could. 

Chick-fil-A does an outstanding job at identifying and training up good employees. Their work ethic and customer service was outstanding.

And, now, as a former manager of a restaurant, wherever I go to eat, I watch and study how different restaurants are operated. 

Here’s one thing I’m confident in: If you took ten employees from McDonalds and ten employees from Chick-fil-A and placed them in a restaurant to work together, and then told me to pick out the Chick-fil-A employees, I guarantee you I could pick out the Chick-fil-A employees in less than 10 minutes.

Their work ethic and actions would reveal where they came from.

As I approached the register, I would likely be greeted with a blank stare and a “huh” by an employee from McDonalds, while a Chick-fil-A employee would likely greet me with a smile and then follow up with the question, “How may help you today, sir?” 

When I say, “Thank you,” one would roll their eyes while the other would respond with the famous two words, “My pleasure.”

It is easy to recognize a former Chick-fil-A employee by their work ethic and customer service. 

Their actions, the things they do, reveal where they came from.

Well, in our passage today, Jesus is greeted with a question concerning his identity. This is a question that they should know the answer to by now

But, in response, Jesus points back to his actions, saying that the works he’s done should bear witness to the fact that he is the Christ, the Son of God, who is one with the Father. 

As easy as it should be for a former restaurant manager to discern a Chick-fil-A employee from a McDonald’s employee, one should be able to identify Jesus as the Christ when they look to the works that he has accomplished.  

RECAP

For the past two weeks we’ve been looking at Jesus’s teaching concerning himself being the good shepherd. In contrast to the Pharisees who are blind thieves and robbers who are not looking out for the good of God’s sheep, Jesus is the good shepherd who knows and loves his sheep.

Jesus is the good shepherd who intimately knows his sheep and his sheep know him. They hear his voice and they follow him. Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. He is the one who possesses the authority to both lay his life down and take up his life again. 

Well, following this proclamation, there was a division among the Jews concerning these words. Some claim that he’s possessed by a demon. Others are saying, “No, a demon possessed man can’t open up the eyes of the blind.” 

So, some are looking past the works of Jesus and saying that Jesus is insane. But, others are interpreting the words of Jesus through the works that he’s done.

McDonald’s employees don’t smile at you and say, “My pleasure.” Those are actions that reveal that you work at Chick-fil-A. Well, in the same way, the miraculous and selfless act of giving sight to a man born blind reveals that Jesus is divine, not demonic.

Seeing and witnessing the works that Jesus has done should lead to belief and trust in Jesus. However, we will unfortunately see that that’s not the case for some in our passage today. Despite clear evidence, some choose to reject Jesus. 

John 10:22-42

Lets dive in.

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 

Alright, first things first, John gives us a bit of historical context for us to work off of here. We see that the Feast of Dedication is taking place during this time.

Anyone familiar with the Feast of Dedication? We might recognize the Feast of Dedication better as Hanukkah. 

Interestingly, this feast wasn’t a feast instituted by God in the OT. Meaning, like all the other feast, you can’t skim back in your Bible to Exodus or Leviticus and see God lay out instructions on how to observe this feast.

So, what is the purpose of this feast and where did it come from?

Well, history tells us that during 167 B.C. the temple was desecrated through the leadership efforts of a Greek leader named Antiochus IV. He forced the Jews to sacrifice pigs, observe pagan practices, and avoid circumcision. His aim was to mock and replace the altar of Israel’s God with the altar of Zeus. 

Well, three years later a jewish leader by the name of Judas Maccabaeus led the charge to overrun the forces of Antiochus. They were eventually able to reclaim and purify the temple.

Well, in honor of the temple being restored, when the first sacrifice was made to Yahweh, the Feast of Dedication was established. And following this establishment, the Jews would begin to, once a year, meet in homes and light candles to remember this battle that took place. They reflected on and celebrated how God delivered them from darkness and oppression and how the temple was restored.

So, now, we see more irony here… Jesus, the great deliverer and purifier of the temple, was walking in the temple. Yet they’re unable to recognize him.

We also see that it’s winter time, so it’s cold. Which is likely why Jesus is walking in the colonnade of Solomon. The large columns would protect him and his followers from the cold wind.  

*** Also, side note, one commentary pointed out that the reference to the winter could also be a metaphorical reference to the cold-hearted hostility that Jesus has been and will continue to face by the religious leaders.

So, that’s what’s going on contextually here. Lets continue reading…

24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 

First off, the image I have here is the Jews circling around him like a bunch of bullies in a school hallway about to take his lunch money. And as they gather around him, they challenge him by saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Now, I want us to understand that this isn’t a question of genuine curiosity. It’s a question rooted in annoyance. They’re not genuinely trying to learn more about Jesus, they’re trying to get rid of him. We will see that the farther we get into this passage

Now, before we go any further, let’s double click on that word “Christ” and remind ourselves of what that title means. If you remember, the Hebrew word Messiah is translated Christ in the Greek and it means anointed one.  

To be anointed in the OT means to be set apart by God for a specific task. We specifically saw prophets, priest, and kings being anointed (set apart) by God. The Christ would essentially be the anointed one who would be set apart by God to save his people.

Now what John has been showing us is that Jesus is the Christ. He is the long anticipated, greater prophet, priest, and king who came to redeem his people from their greatest enemy sin and death, and he came to accomplish this through his death on the cross.

But, here’s the thing, during this time there was an expectation that the Christ was going to come as a militant king with sword drawn, ready to set God’s people free from Roman domination. They believed their greatest enemy was the Greeks. They believed their greatest enemy was physical, not spiritual. Therefore, they believed the Christ would somehow triumph over unrighteousness and purify their nation similar to what Judas Maccabaeus accomplished. 

We see this clearly in some of their literature during this time…Psalms of Solomon 17:21-22 (not the lovey dovey song of songs, but Psalms of Solomon, apocryphal literature), 

“See Lord, and raise up for them their king, The son of David, to rule over your servant Israel in the time known to you, O God. Undergird him with the strength to destroy the unrighteous rulers, to purge Jerusalem from Gentiles who trample her to destruction.”

So, this tells us that Israel anticipated a personal benefit and blessing from the coming of the Messiah. They anticipated a physical redemption by this anointed king. They anticipated a purging of Jerusalem from the Gentiles who trample her to destruction.

So, the Jews are anticipating the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, because they think that he, like Judas Maccabaeus, will set them free from their physical enemies.

However, they’re looking in the wrong direction. The Messiah isn’t coming as a militant king who will lead the Jews into battle. He’s coming as the good shepherd who will lay his life down for his sheep in order to defeat their greatest enemy, sin and death. They’re looking west for the rising of the sun.

But, here’s the thing, they’re past the point of genuine curiosity about Jesus being this Christ. They’re not asking this question out of hopeful anticipation. They’re mockingly asking this question in frustration. They either want to hear Jesus plainly dismiss the idea of him being the Messiah so that they can be done with him or they want to hear him plainly say, “Yes, I’m the Christ” so that they can kill him for blasphemy.

They’re annoyed with him and they want a clear, point blank, answer. No more figures of speech, tell us plainly! They’re ready to get rid of Jesus.

Now, as we’ve worked our way through this gospel, is this a logical question? Has Jesus not been clear about who he is? No. Jesus has been abundantly clear about who he is and what he’s come to accomplish. 

As we’ve worked through this gospel, we’ve seen that there is an abundance of evidence supporting the fact that Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God who was sent into the world to save his people from sin and death, through his death on the cross. By this point, there should be no confusion surrounding who Jesus is. 

Therefore, Jesus responds to their question by saying, 

“25 “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

There’s quite a bit packed into Jesus’s response here, so let’s do some unpacking.

Look at verses 25-26,

“I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.”

Twice here Jesus brings up their unbelief, which tells us that their lack of belief is an important aspect to his response. Jesus is telling them that the issue is not a lack of evidence; the issue is a hardened heart.

Jesus has already answered this question, but they don’t believe. If they would simply listen to the words that Jesus has spoken to them, then they would know the answer to the question that they’re asking.

The words and proclamations that Jesus has made should lead to their belief. But, yet, they do not believe.

Now, not only has Jesus told them the truth concerning himself, but his works bear witness to who he is, as well! His works support the answer he’s given them, but they do not believe.

Think about the works that we’ve seen throughout this gospel!

Do you remember back to John 2 where Jesus turns water to wine? Do you remember Jesus displaying zeal for the house of the LORD by cleansing the temple? Do you remember Jesus graciously and miraculously healing the officials son from miles away? Or what about him healing the invalid who was disabled for 38 years by telling him to get up and walk? Do you remember Jesus feeding the large crowd of likely 15,000-20,000 people with five barley loaves and two fish?  Do you remember everyone being full? Do you remember the disciples taking home togo baskets full of leftovers? Do you remember Jesus walking on the water to his disciples in the midst of the storm? Do you remember Jesus giving sight to the man who was born blind, accomplishing something that has never been done before?

John has provided us with example after example, story after story, in order to provide an abundance of evidence supporting the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the giver of eternal life.

But, here’s what’s impressive! John tells us twice at the conclusion of this book that the stories given are only a small fracture of the signs performed by Jesus.

• “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book (20:30)…”

• “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (21:25).”

So, that tell us that what we have read here is only a small fragment of the many works that Jesus accomplished. All of Jesus’s life oozes evidence supporting who he is. Which means that the Jews do not lack evidence! They’re dismissing a truth that should be easy to accept.

And Jesus has made it really clear, he’s not seeking his own glory. Rather, he’s seeking the glory of the One who sent him (7:18). These are works that he’s doing in his Father’s name… Those who study the law should recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of the law.

So, Jesus is making it clear, their unbelief is not a result of a lack of evidence nor is it a result of an unclear message. The question that they’re asking Jesus is a question rooted in a hard, unbelieving heart.

And their unbelief is a result of the fact that they are not among his sheep. Verse 26, they do not believe because they do not belong to Jesus. The reason for their unbelief is that they do not belong to his flock. If they belonged to Jesus, they would respond in belief. Now, this is not an excuse for his listeners, this is an indictment against his listeners. They do not believe because they are not among his sheep. 

Well, that leads us to ask the question: what do Jesus’s sheep look like? Jesus answers that! His sheep hear and follow after the good shepherd who intimately knows them.“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Just like the blind man in John 9, God’s sheep hear Jesus’s call to come to him in belief, and they respond in obedience. They know the voice of the good shepherd and they follow him, no matter the cost.

Have you heard the gospel message to come to Jesus in belief, trusting in his death on the cross for salvation? Have you responded in belief, trusting that what he has accomplished on the cross for you is sufficient for your salvation?

If yes, then you belong to Jesus. You are his sheep. But, on the contrary, the religious leaders hear the call and do not respond with belief and obedience because they are not his sheep. 

They do not recognize his voice. Therefore, they do not follow him. Their rejection of Jesus is proving that they do not belong to Jesus. 

Ok, big deal. The Jews are probably saying at this point, “So, I don’t belong to your little metaphorical sheepfold, Jesus. Whoopdeedoo!”

Well look at verse 28, It is those who believe and belong to Jesus that have been given eternal life.

“I give them [his sheep] eternal life, and they [his sheep] will never perish, and no one will snatch them [his sheep] out of my hand.”

It’s only those who belong to Jesus, who hear his call to come and believe and who respond in obedience, that will be given eternal life.

Eternal life is not something that one can earn. It is a gift freely given!

Ephesians 2,

“We are saved by grace through faith. And this [faith] is not your doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

We must always understand and remember that eternal life is a gift. Eternal life is not earned, it is freely given. And those that have been given eternal life will never perish. The hope of the eternal life does not rest on your shoulders.It rests on the shoulders of Jesus. 

If your faith resides in Jesus, rest in the fact that no one will ever be able to snatch you out of his hand. 

How do we know that no one will be able to snatch us out of his hand? We know this to be true because of verse 29.

“My Father, who has given them [his sheep] to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them [his sheep] out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

What a proclamation! Jesus is saying that he is one with the Father who is greater than all! Everything that Jesus says and does is the embodiment of the Father’s will. Jesus and his Father are perfectly one in action. Whatever Jesus does, the Father does. Whatever the Father does, the Son does.The strong grip of the Son is the strong grip of the Father. And the strong grip of the Father is the strong grip of the Son. They are two separate persons that are one in nature.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…”

No one is able to snatch those who belong to Jesus out of Jesus’s hand because the Father has given them to him. No one can steal from the all powerful God of the universe.

Rest in this church! Your salvation is secure in Christ.

Can the severity of the trials that you are encountering separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus? No! In those things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Can the severity of the sin that you’re struggling with right now separate you from Jesus? Can anyone bring a charge against God’s elect? No! Your sin has been dealt with viciously on the cross. Repent, confess, and rest in the fact that nothing can separate you from Jesus. “Christ Jesus is the one who died— more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us.” THIS IS GOOD NEWS.

Listen, the Jews wanted a plain answer on whether or not he was the Christ. Jesus upped the ante and gave far more! He and the Father are one!

Well, following this proclamation…

“31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.” 

They heard Jesus loud and clear. Jesus is claiming to be God. Therefore, they are, once again, ready to kill him. And at this point Jesus doesn’t flee. Rather, as we see in verse 32, he speaks…

32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 

It’s like Jesus is saying, “So, ah, yes. Your attempt to kill me makes total sense. Are you mad that I selflessly gave sight to the blind? Are you mad that graciously fed the hungry crowd in the wilderness? Are you mad that I walked on water to help my disciples? Are you mad that I healed the centurions son? Are you mad that helped a lame man walk? Are you mad that I was zealous for the temple of the LORD? Are you mad that I restored joy to the wedding banquet by turning water into wine? No? Then, which work are upset about? Give me a good reason for wanting to stone me.”

Not a single action performed by Jesus gives validation to their unbelief.  They’re all “good works from the Father…” When you survey the life of Jesus, there’s never a good reason to reject Jesus. So, trust Jesus!

Well, the Jews answer him,

33 “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 

They’re saying that Jesus is guilty of robbing God of the honor that is due to him by making himself God. But, what’s crazy is that their accusation is the opposite of what’s actually true.

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus, “although he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men…”

So, the reality is that Jesus is God and God became man. But, they’re claiming that Jesus is man who is claiming to be God. They’re blind to what’s actually taking place before them.

Well, Jesus answered them, 

34 “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 

Verses 34-36 were honestly super confusing verses for me to wrap my mind around this week.  So, lets try to piece this together.

The frustration of the Jews is centered around Jesus saying that he is God. They claim that it is blasphemy for him, a man, to elevate himself to the status of God. Jesus, however, references Psalm 82. In Psalm 82, their law, the Scriptures, God called men “gods.” 

Therefore, if it is ok for God to call men gods, then it’s ok for God to set apart and send Jesus into the world as the Son of God. If God can place the title ‘god’ on a created being, someone lesser than God, then why can God not do the same for the one who he’s set apart (anointed) and sent into the world? 

It is the Father who sent the Son, and it is the Son who is doing the works of the Father. Jesus is not making himself God. He is God.

Jesus then directs their attention back to his works in verse 37. He’s essentially saying, “Guys, ok, think logically here…. 

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me…”

If there’s a single part of Jesus’ life that is not in line with the Father, then do not believe him!

And then he says in verse 38 (which I think is remarkable!)

“…but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

So, in the face of opposition and rejection, Jesus continues to offer the invitation to come and believe! What a picture of grace! 

Have you continually rejected Jesus your whole life? The invitation to come and believe is not off the table! 

Do you know someone who has continually rejected Jesus their whole life? Continue to share the hope of the gospel just like Jesus! 

Jesus continues to love and offer hope to those who are seeking to kill him. What a remarkable picture of loving your enemies! If Jesus continues to extend love, grace, and hope to those who are holding stones, ready to kill him, then we can extend love, grace, and hope to those who wrong us.

And, lastly, to my theology nerds, this tells us that the doctrine of election is not an excuse to not evangelize. Jesus just said, “You do not believe because you are not my sheep,” and now he’s continuing to invite those very people to come and believe! The doctrine of election is not an excuse not to evangelize.

Well, following this invitation, they don’t respond in belief. Rather, they tragically seek to arrest him.

“39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.”

So, following this attempt to arrest him, Jesus (like Reggie Busch in his prime) escapes from their hands.

Then look at verse 40-42,

“40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.”

So, he returns to the place where JTB originally baptized. And if you go back to John 1, you will see JTB continually direct the crowds eyes off of himself and onto Jesus, saying that he is the Christ. 

John performed no miracles, he did no signs. He was simply a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.”

Now, after John is dead and gone, these people are remembering the words he’s proclaimed… and they’re seeing Jesus face to face… and they’re now making the connection. “Everything John said about this man was true. And many believed in him there.”

Folks, I want to close by asking you this:

1. Do you believe Jesus’s words to be true? Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?

2. If no, please carefully consider the words Jesus has said here. IF Jesus is not doing the works of God, then do not believe. But if he is, then come and believe! It was the Father’s will to send his Son into the world to live the life that we could not live, die the death that we should have died, and rose from the grave, defeating sin and death.

3. If yes, if you do believe these words to be true, then continue to follow Jesus’s example here! Share the hope of the gospel with those around you, even with your enemies. And, as you share, find comfort in verses 40-42. Long after JTB died, his gospel proclamation became fruitful. All you can do is be faithful each and every day. Walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and trust that the Holy Spirit is working behind the scenes in ways that you may never see in this life.

John 10:7-21

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Today we will be looking at John 10:7-21. In last weeks passage we saw Jesus continuing on a conversation that he was having at the end of John 9 with the Pharisees.

In John 9 we saw this remarkable, yet very tragic, reality play out before our eyes. We saw Jesus remarkable and miraculously give sight to a man born blind. 

However, tragically, following this miracle, we saw the blind man and the Pharisees going to two completely opposite directions. 

For the man who was once blind, his eyes were opened to the truth about who Jesus was, and he eventually responds with belief and worship.He received spiritual sight.

The Pharisees, however, appear to be blind to the truth about Jesus. No matter how clear the evidence is about Jesus being the Son of God, they have shut their eyes to that truth, proving themselves to be blind. As a result, they are seeking to silence, kill, and destroy Jesus. 

The Pharisees, the religious leaders, were tasked with shepherding, teaching, and leading God’s people. But, their actions reveal that they are doing the opposite. They have no concern for God’s people because they have no concern for God. Our love for one another is a byproduct of our relationship with God. Their actions are proving that they are enemies to God, and if they’re enemies to God, then they are enemies to God’s people. Where they claim to know the truth and be without fault, Jesus is showing them that they are blind and guilty.

At the conclusion of John 9, Jesus says to the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

So, the Pharisees remain guilty. 

Well, following this rebuke given to the Pharisees, the shepherds of Israel, Jesus begins to use a figure of speech in order to give clarity to how they are guilty (in verses 1-5).

And this was a rather generic, yet very specific, figure of speech that (1) condemned the Pharisees to be thieves and robbers and (2) speaks to who Jesus is.

They are the ones guilty, not Jesus. 

So, you have religious leaders who are blind to the truth and who are enemies of God. Because they are enemies of God, they are seeking out selfish gain. Rather than care for and selflessly lead the flock (God’s people), they are trying to harm the flock. They are not shepherds. They are thieves and robbers. 

But, there is a shepherd of the flock who personally knows each and every one of his sheep, and the sheep know him. Like the blind man in chapter 9, they hear his voice, and they follow his leading. They do not follow strangers; they follow their shepherd.

Now, we know this shepherd to be none other than Jesus. So, Jesus here is condemning the Pharisees to be thieves and robbers, and he is proclaiming to be the shepherd that knows and cares for his flock. 

But, what’s interesting is that Jesus first communicates all of this in a rather vague or hidden manner. He speaks about robbers and thieves, sheeps and shepherds, gatekeepers and strangers. But, he doesn’t connect the dots by specifically identifying who any of these characters are. He doesn’t say, “This is who I am. That’s who you are.” Which leads the Pharisees to prove themselves to be blind once again because, as we see in verse 6, they did not understand what Jesus was saying to them.

Well, in verses 7-18, we see Jesus explain his words in verses 1-5 by connecting the dots. In these verses he specifically identifies who the good shepherd is, and this one specific identification illuminates this whole figure of speech being used. 

Jesus makes it abundantly clear in our passage today. He is speaking about himself here. 

• 17 times we will see Jesus use the word “I.”

• 6 times we will see him use the word “me.”

• 4 times we will see him use the word “my.” 

Jesus is adding color to this vague, black and white, figure of speech used in verses 1-5. Verses 1-18 tell us truths that are exclusive to Jesus, and Jesus alone. 

Once the crowd is able to make this connection, they are then able to make connections as to who the sheep, robbers, and thieves are. The Pharisees are not caring for and leading the people of God. They are seeking to silence, kill, and destroy the good shepherd. They are at war with the only one who can protect and care for the people of God.

But, not only does our passage today explain what the crowd didn’t understand in verses 1-5, but Jesus here expands what he previously taught. He doesn’t just identify himself as the shepherd, but he identifies himself as the exclusive door to which one can enter and leave the fold and find life, abundant life.   

It’s a magnificent passage that possesses rich truths about Jesus! So, lets begin to unpack this explanation of the figure of speech found in last weeks passage. 

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Lets stop here for a moment. 

Remember, Jesus gives this figure of speech in verses 1-5. But, in verse 6, you see the crowds head is cocked to the side with their right eyebrow raised, with crickets chirping in the background. So, Jesus again says to them, “I am the door of the sheep.”

As Wayne showed us last week, a sheep pen would likely be square-shaped with only one opening as the door. For the safety of the sheep, there wouldn’t be a plurality of entryways. There would be one exclusive entrance to which the sheep can safely leave, enter, and rest.

Now, obviously, these entrances wouldn’t have literal doors with keypads that could be locked or unlock by the shepherds. Rather, in some instances, as we saw in verse 3, there would be a hired gatekeeper who would watch the sheep for the shepherds at night. In other instances, you would have the shepherd, himself, lay down across the entrance of the sheepfold.

So, although there’s no literal door like we would envision today in America, either the shepherd or the gatekeeper would serve as that door. As he lays across this entrance, no sheep can leave and no harm can enter without stepping over him (the door).

The point Jesus is making here is clear: he is not one of many doors; he is the one and only door of the sheep. He is the only entryway into the sheepfold. He is he exclusive protector of the sheep.

As we will see in the next few verses, he is the means to green pastures and he is the means to safety. He is our only hope for provision and protection. He is the door. 

Jesus then says in verse 8, 

“All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”

This is a verse that was a little difficult for me to understand because I initially thought back to men like JTB or Moses or Abraham or the prophets. Which led me to ask the question: is Jesus saying that literally all who came before him were selfishly seeking to harm the people of God? 

I knew the obvious answer to that question was no, but I couldn’t figure out why. I couldn't figure out why until I thought back to verse 1.

What did Jesus say thieves and robbers did in verse 1? They avoided the door and sought to enter the fold another way. 

Who is the door? Jesus.

When you look to the message of Moses, Abraham, the prophets, and JTB, you will notice that they all acknowledge, proclaimed, and pointed to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. They proclaimed the redemptive, hopeful, and exclusive message of Jesus Christ. They did not avoid the door in order to deceive and harm the people of God. Rather, they pointed to this exclusive door. 

So, Jesus is referring to those who are avoiding the door (those who are avoiding Jesus). This would be both the religious leaders who are seeking to kill Jesus and those who claimed to be false messiahs in the past. Anyone who is proclaiming another gospel than what Jesus is preaching are thieves and robbers.

Jesus is the exclusive entryway into the kingdom of God. If Jesus is the door, the exclusive entryway into the fold, then the Pharisees rejection of Jesus reveals their true motives. They are thieves and robbers. Their motive is to do harm to the people of God in order to have personal gain.

What Jesus is doing here is presenting a stark contrast between himself and the intruders previously spoken about. Where the thieves and robbers avoid entering through the gate because their intention is to do harm, Jesus is claiming to be the door of the sheep. 

Which means that, unlike those who came before him, Jesus’ goal is to protect and provide for his sheep. He is the only one who provides eternal security and safety for those whose faith resides in him.

In verse 9 Jesus repeats himself and says,

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

What a beautiful invitation to the exclusive way into the fold. 

The door means the door. Not one of many doors, but the one and only door. And what happens if someone enters by him? He will be saved and will go in and our and find pasture.

Don’t miss this! 

Although there is one entryway, this is one entryway that is available to all people.

Who is invited to enter? Anyone…. and anyone means anyone. There’s no prejudices. Whoever, any person.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done, this invitation is available to you. Come and enjoy salvation that can only be found in Jesus. Jesus here is claiming to be the only exclusive means by which someone can be saved. It is exclusive in that there is no other hope for one to be saved. Yet, what we see here is that the exclusive message of the gospel is available to anyone who comes in belief.

Going back to John 9, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been sitting next to a temple begging as a blind man, hearing your whole life that your blindness is because of your sin, come and believe. You will be saved and you will go in and out and find pasture.

Going back to John 4, it doesn’t matter if you’re an ostracized woman from Samaria who has had five husbands and the man you’re living with now isn’t your husband, come and believe. You will be saved and you will go in and out and find pasture.

Going back to John 3, it doesn’t matter if you are a devout, law abiding Pharisee, come and believe, you will be saved and you will go in and out and find pasture.

Jesus is our only hope for salvation, and he is our only hope for finding pasture. 

Where the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, Jesus came that they those who enter through him might have life and have it abundantly. 

Look at verse 10,

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

In dummy terms: abundantly means far better or more than you need. Superior and exceedingly beyond all expectations. These aren’t famished sheep. These are fat sheep! 

The provision of the good shepherd far exceeds anything they could ever find on their own. The life we have in Christ Jesus far exceeds anything you could ever imagine.

Now, hopefully we know this not to be a physical abundance, but a spiritual abundance. 

• The man who was once blind was kicked out of the temple, ostracized and persecuted for his identification with the good shepherd. Yet, he was able to joyfully worship Jesus. 

• Stephen, in Acts 7, while he was being stoned for his faith, he cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” On the brink of death, his heart was full of forgiveness.

• Paul joyfully wrote letter after letter to the church while in prison for his faith.

The abundant life that we have in Christ should never be limited to physical blessing; and the abundant life that we have in Christ can never be diminished by physical suffering.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But Jesus came (meaning the purpose of his coming) was to give his sheep abundant life.

In Christ, there is peace that surpasses all understanding, joy in the midst of hopelessness, love and patience and kindness in the midst of hostility. 

Now, lets be clear, only in Jesus can one taste this abundant life. Nothing in this life, apart from Jesus, can satisfy. We will always be left feeling empty and wanting more.

But, I think there are two roads we run down, thinking they lead to abundant life. When, in reality, they leave us empty.

The first road is, as my mom used to put it, fast cars and wild women. There’s a lie that tells us that if we have more stuff, then we will be happy.

• “If I could just make more money.”

• “If I could just date that girl or that guy.”

• “If I could just look like her or him.”

But, what happens is, when you chase after these things, you’re always left empty.

There’s a lie that tells us that an abundance of possessions leads to an abundant life. But, that’s not true. As the Genie warns Aladdin, “Here’s the thing about wishes. The more you have, the more you want.” Meaning: the more you chase after the growth of your possessions, the more empty you will feel.

Abundant life is not found in the things of this earth, it’s found in Jesus.

But, I think we also sometimes believe that abundant life can be found in our devout moral efforts. So, we’re not chasing after worldly possessions, we think we’re chasing after God. 

We want God to be pleased with us. Therefore, we develop a checklist of things not to do. 

We think, “If I can just stop sinning, then God will be pleased with me and he will bless me with joy and peace.” So, we grit our teeth and we try harder. But, we never reach that standard of perfection that we’re reaching for. Therefore, we’re always left empty. We look good on the outside (which feels good sometimes because it leads to others praising us), but on the inside we’re rotting away.

So, what the gospel does is it takes our eyes off of ourselves and directs them to Jesus and says, “He is your hope!” If your faith resides in Jesus, then God now doesn’t see you as a wretched sinner. He nows sees you as holy and blameless and above reproach. The righteousness of Jesus has been placed on you and your wickedness was placed on him as he went to the cross. It’s the great exchange. You now have an eternal hope in Christ Jesus that far exceeds anything this life could offer.

The gospel offers you freedom. It offers you rest. 

You are able to lay your head down at night fully confident and secure in Christ. You know that no physical gift can exceed what you have in Christ. And you know that no moral failure can make you lose what you have in Christ. 

Jesus came that you may have life and have it abundantly. This is a free gift that you could never earn; and it’s an abundance that far exceeds anything this life can offer; and it’s an abundance that cannot be diminished by anything this life throw at us.

Now, as you study Scripture, one thing you want to do, in trying to determine the point of the passage, is you want to notice the details of that passage. For example, you want to look for repetition of words or phrases. You want to notice things that are compared or contrasted with one another. You want to look for lists, causes and effects, figures of speech used, conjunctions, verbs, pronouns. You want to closely study the text.

So, similar to verses 7-10, when you look at these next few verses, you will begin to notice Jesus repeats a specific phrase. You’ll notice he begins to compare and contrast things in order to support the point that he is repeating. 

What’s that point? That point is that he is the good shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep. 

Four different times in verses 11-18 Jesus speaks to his willingness to lay his life down for his sheep. So, in these verses he’s seeking to show us that he, the good shepherd, lays his life down for his sheep.

Look at verse 11, 

 "11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Alright, lets stop. 

So, similar to where he claims to be the door twice in verses 7-10, he is about to claim to be the good shepherd twice. This is the first of those two claims. This isn’t a claim to be a morally good shepherd (although that is true). This is a claim to be the excellent, magnificent, outstanding, noble shepherd, the one that far exceeds all others.

What’s truly remarkable here is the proof that Jesus gives for his incomparable goodness. What sets him apart as the good shepherd is his willingness to lay his life down for his sheep.

So, how do we know that Jesus is a good shepherd that is worthy of being trusted?How do we know that belief in him is enough to save us? We know this by his willingness to lay his life down for his sheep. 

Listen, during this time it was understood that, when danger arises, shepherd’s would certainly risk their life for their sheep. David, for example, in leading up to him defeating Goliath, said to Saul,

“Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

So, we see by David’s example that a shepherd would willingly put his life in danger for the good of his sheep. But, let’s be honest, it would never be the shepherds intention to lay his life down for his sheep for no reason.

 D.A. Carson said, 

“The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd.”

So, what D.A. Carson is point out here is that the sheep are in danger, and the only way for the sheep to be saved is by the shepherd laying his life down.

HELLO! That’s the gospel! Sin and death are lurking and if it was not for the good shepherd laying his life down, we would die, eternal damnation would be ours. But, because the good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep, we will be saved.

Jesus is saying, before his death on the cross, that the proof of him being a good shepherd is his self-sacrificing love for his sheep. In order to save his sheep, he is going to willingly lay his life down for his sheep. That is why he came.

In order to highlight this truth, Jesus contrasts this declaration with the example of a hired worker. He says in verses 12-13, 

“12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

This hired worker isn’t necessarily wicked like the thieves and robbers. He’s simply someone who is watching after a flock that does not belong to him. He’s there, not because he loves the sheep, but because he needs the paycheck. And when danger comes, he flees because he doesn’t have any concern for the sheep.

What happens when he flees? Death and chaos transpire. Some get snatched while others get scattered. 

But, you know what? That’s the direct opposite of who Jesus is. 

Jesus describes what a hired hand does whenever danger arises in order to tell us what Jesus does not do whenever danger arises. Jesus isn’t a hired worker (like those who he’s speaking to) who doesn’t care for the sheep that he’s watching after. He’s the good shepherd who cares for his sheep and who lays his life down for his sheep.

Look at verse 14,

“14 I am the good shepherd [there’s that repetition]. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep [more repetition].”

So, Jesus isn’t someone who is seeking harm on the flock. He’s not someone who temporarily watches after a flock in order to earn a certain wage. Jesus isn’t someone who flees whenever danger arises. 

As we saw last week (and as we see now) Jesus intimately knows his flock by name, one by one. This isn’t an intellectual knowing. This is an intimate knowing. In the same way that the Father and the Son intimately know one another, Jesus knows his own and his own know him. And it’s those that he intimately knows by name that he sacrificially lays his life down for. 

Then, Jesus says something that would have been pretty startling. He says, 

“16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” 

Jesus here is speaking to the Jews. So, him saying that he has sheep that are not of this fold is a reference to the Gentile Christians who would become a part of God’s people in Acts. It’s a reference to us. 

Jesus intimately knows, loves, and cares for sheep all over this world. And what Jesus is saying is that— although you have sheep from different backgrounds, mountains, and towns— they will be one flock and they will have one shepherd. 

This flock will not be only Jews. You will have Russian sheep, Japanese sheep, Chinese sheep, African sheep, American sheep. You will have sheep from every tribe and tongue that will be brought into this flock.

This is important for us to always remember. Do not let the unfortunate way our church looks today in America tell you otherwise. Where we have small groups, bible studies, and Sunday school divided up by age and gender, there is only one flock and one shepherd. Where here in America, there’s a divide between white churches and black churches, there is one flock and one shepherd. Gender, age, ethnicity… all of these things that divide us, should bear no weight in the kingdom of God. What unites us is not our age, color, or gender. What unites us is our shepherd, Jesus, the one we joyfully follow together. 

We would do well as a church to pray for and strategically strategize on how we could better reflect this verse here in the future.

Then Jesus says,

“17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

I really struggled with verse 17. I think every commentary I read had a different explanation for this verse. Some commentaries tried to reverse the wordage, making it say, “Because the Father loves me, for this reason I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” Other commentaries would say that the love of the Father is eternally linked to the unqualified, continual, obedience of the Son to the Father.

Here’s the thing. Rather than get bogged down in all these different interpretations, what I want us to see here in these verses is this: the death of the Son delighted the Father. Jesus did not die because God was mad at him. For this reason the father loves Jesus. The cross was an act of love, not hate.

Which reminds us that the whole purpose of Jesus coming into this world was for him to lay his life down for his sheep. It was God’s plan before the foundation of the world. Jesus’s death was not an accident or fate. It was calculated and planned.

Paul tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Which means that the cross was God’s plan A, not B. The cross was God’s predetermined act of love.

Which means that, as the blind religious leaders are beginning to plan to crucify him, Jesus is saying to them that no one is going to take his life from him. He laid it down willingly. 

Now, think about this, if a shepherd laid his life down to save his sheep, then he would save his sheep at that particular moment. But, it would be a matter of time before more danger crept in. 

So, here’s the beauty of the gospel: Jesus’s death was not the end of the story. He laid his life down for his sheep, yes. But, three days later he rose from the grave. Verse 18 tells us that he possessed the authority to lay his life down on his own accord, and he possessed the authority to take it up again. 

This is the hope of the gospel! 

If Christ is not risen, then our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. But, Jesus is risen! Therefore, we have an eternal hope!

And now, as we’re sent out to go make disciples, we don’t go alone.The good shepherd isn’t laying dead in a field somewhere, we’re not wondering around alone as dumb sheep trying to find new grass to eat while trying not to get eaten ourselves.

No, the good shepherd is risen! And, he’s still, to this day, watching over his flock.

Well, following this explanation, we see that (in verses 19-21),

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

There is still great confusion surrounding who Jesus is and what he’s come to accomplish.

So, what does this mean for us, church?

First and foremost, this passage tells us that Jesus is the only one worthy of our trust.

As we read in Psalm 118 in worship,

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me free.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.” 

My prayer for each and every one of us in here is that we confidently trust in Jesus alone for our salvation. He is the good shepherd. He’s not one of many good shepherds. He is the good shepherd that is worth trusting and following. 

And, if he’s the good shepherd that’s worth following, then he’s the good shepherd that’s worth imitating. 

Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross is our only hope for abundant, eternal, life. But, not only that, it is now the defining picture of what we are called to live out as believers. Those who have received grace, extend grace.

Those who have received love, extend love. Those who have received mercy, extend mercy. Gospel doctrine shapes gospel culture. Those who have experienced the gospel, live out the gospel.

This applies to every aspect of our life.

Do you want to be a good spouse? Look to the gospel. “Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her…”

Do you want to be a good Christian? Love one another as Christ has loved you. 

When your neighbors dog poops all over your yard, don’t cuss them out (this may or may not be a personal example). Continue to love them. Live peaceable with all. Repay no one evil for evil. All throughout the NT you see reminder after reminder of Jesus’s death on the cross. Those reminders are there to remind you of your humble state, your desperate need for Jesus, and they are there to spur you on to faithful Christian living. 

Let me close by reading Philippians 2,

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

May we be a church that gives our time to help others, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that sacrifices our resources to serve others, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that does nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that does all things in humility, counting others more significant than ourselves, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that looks after the interest of others, just like the good shepherd did for us. And just like the blind man who encountered Jesus outside the temple, may we be a church that worships the good shepherd who willingly laid his life down for us on the cross.

John 10:1-6

John 9:8-41

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

John 9 is truly a remarkable chapter. It’s quite possibly my favorite. In this chapter there’s a clear tension between those who can see and those who are blind. In it we find this paradoxical reality where the physically blind receives spiritual sight, while those who can physically see remain spiritually blind.

RECAP

Let’s refresh our memory of what we’ve learned last week at the start of John 9.

As Jesus’s hour (his time to die on the cross) is approaching, he’s been greeted with more and more hostility. 

So, at the start of John 9, as Jesus is leaving the temple (because the Jews are seeking to stone him), he sees a man who was born blind. In the face of hostility, he does not stop ministering to those in need. As Jesus notices this man, his disciples asked who’s sin was to blame for this man’s blindness. 

Although all suffering can be traced back to the garden, which means that all suffering is a result of sin. Jesus teaches his disciples that not all suffering is a result of specific sin. “It was not that this man, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” God was not punishing this man because of sin in his life; rather, he had a redemptive purpose for his suffering. 

Last week we thought about how freeing that must have been to hear as the blind man. Where his entire life he’s heard and thought that his suffering is a result of punishment, he now hears someone say, “No, God has a purpose in his suffering.”

Some of us, like this man, may be weighed down with guilt, thinking that God is punishing us because of sin that we’ve committed in our past. And this guilt prevents us from having joy in the midst of suffering because we think God is mad at us. 

So, may these words comfort us.

“It’s not that you’ve sinned, it’s not that your spouse or parents have sinned, but that the works of God might be displayed in your life.”

Jesus is showing his redemptive purpose in suffering. 

Jesus then bends down, spits in the mud, wipes the loogie-mud on the mans eyes and sends him to a pool to wash. As crazy as that command was, the man was obedient.

He rumbles and stumbles his way to the pool, washes; and in perfect John fashion, where he nonchalantly records the miraculous, we see the man goes and washes and comes back seeing. 

Well, that leads us to our passage today. 

It’s in verse 8 that the commotion starts.

John 9:8-41

Look at verses 8-12,

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

What we first see here is that everyone immediately began to notice a difference in this guy. In this context, the life of a blind man is drastically different than the life of a man who has sight. 

I would assume that where this man bumped and stumbled his way to and from his house, he’s now probably skipped and ran around the city. Where he probably looked past his peers with a hazy stare all his life, I would bet that he’s made eye contact with every person in the city, saying, “Hello.” He’s probably spent many hours laughing and crying over the things he’s now seeing. 

We could spend hours speculating over what this man’s life must be like now. But, one thing we know from the text is that he is no longer sitting and begging. 

Look at verse 8, “His neighbors are asking, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’”

“Used to” insinuates an action previously done that is no longer currently being done. 

There’s no need to sit and beg as a blind man when you can now see. Because of his encounter with Jesus, this man can now stand and work. He can now do things that he could never do before. His life is drastically different. 

Listen to me, I think there’s a spiritual truth for us here. If we have miraculously received spiritual sight through belief in Christ, people will notice. Receiving spiritual sight is not merely intellect.

As Paul in Ephesians 4 says, “…you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

There is a way of life that we once lived, that we are to no longer live. People who knew us before our encounter with Jesus, should now look at the lives we live and say, “Is this not the man who used to live in darkness?”

There is a taking off and a putting on in the Christian faith. Where we were once selfish, we are to now be selfless and generous. Where we used to speak falsehood, we are to now speak truth. Where we used to tear everyone down with our words, we now build others up with our speech. Where we used to be angry, we are now peaceful. We are now kind and tenderhearted. Now we forgive others just as God in Christ has forgiven us. Where our life used to consist of serving ourselves, we now live to serve God and others. The christian walk consist of a putting off of our old self and a putting on of our new self, which (as Paul tells us) is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 

So, the people are looking at this man saying to one another, “I wonder if that’s Stevie (pun intended)?”

Some are saying, “Yes.” Others are saying, “No.

But, Stevie’s interjecting himself saying, “This isn’t superstition. The writing’s on the wall, guys.” “I am the man.” I am the man who was once a blind beggar. 

Then, in verse 10, we see for the first time someone other than Jesus specifically address this man. They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”How are you now able to see?

He responds, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.”

Here he pulls no punches and explicitly proclaims the the truth about Jesus. Which, as we will see in a minute, is a risky move. Anyone who confesses Jesus to be the Christ will be put out of the Synagogue. 

Listen, this should tell us that a true encounter with Jesus leads to proclamation. If you live a life in darkness and then are miraculously given sight, people will notice and you will proclaim. If you’ve been miraculously given sight, then you will boldly proclaim the truth of Jesus.

But, as we see by his example, you don’t always have to have eloquent words and you don’t always have to have lofty answers. Sometimes it’s alright to simply say, “Hey! This is what Jesus has done for me! I was once blind, but now I see.”

A true encounter with Jesus leads to proclamation.

Well, in verse 12 they respond by asking, “where is he?” 

He responds, “I don’t know.”

So, at this point, Jesus is unable to be found. His neighbors want to find his healer, but the healer cannot find him.

Well, in the midst of all of this curiosity, the record scratches and we see a problem presented in verses 13-14, 

“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.”

Oh no. Here we go again. 

Back in John 5 a tension of Jesus working on the Sabbath was presented to us. In John 5 Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years.

Rather than marvel over this miraculous work of healing, the religious leaders sought to persecute him.  And in the face of persecution, Jesus didn’t let up or back down. Rather than debate the religious leaders on whether or not what he did was work, Jesus justified his actions by alluding to his divine Sonship. 

In John 5, Jesus referenced their understanding of how God interacted with the Sabbath and he said, “I know that you know that God works on the sabbath. Well, my Father is working until now, so I am working.”

In a nutshell, the religious leaders understood that God was the Lord over the Sabbath, which allowed him to work on the Sabbath. But, they didn’t understand that the Lord over the Sabbath was standing right before them. They didn’t understand that Jesus can work on the Sabbath because the Father works on the Sabbath. The Son and the Father are one. Whatever the Father does, the Son does.

So, Jesus healing on the Sabbath should reveal and affirm the truth that Jesus is God in flesh, the Lord over the Sabbath. However, the religious leaders Jordan shrugged the healing and began to accuse Jesus as a law breaker.

Well, here we are once again. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath.

Let’s see where that leads to. Look at verses 15-17,

“So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

They probably studied the man, holding up three fingers and asked him the question, “How many fingers am I holding up?” They came to the obvious conclusion that this man can in fact see. 

So, they ask how he received his sight. The man gives his truthful answer. “Jesus put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

Well, because Jesus did this on the Sabbath, some of the Pharisees say, “This man is not from God.” But, others are looking at this miracle and are asking, “How is this possible apart from God?”

There’s a division surrounding Jesus. Some are claiming that he’s a sinner, a law breaker. Others can’t place that title on him because of the work he just accomplished. 

So, they ask the man, “What do you say about him?” And he proclaims that he’s a prophet. So, he’s saying that Jesus is not a sinner, but someone from God. 

So, we’re beginning to see the man and the pharisees going in opposite directions. The man’s eyes are beginning to open, while the Pharisees eyes are beginning to shut.

Then, in verses 18-23 we see they apparently dismissed the boy and summoned his parents, 

“The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

So, first we see the skepticism of the Pharisees surrounding the authenticity of this miracle. They did not believe that this man had been blind and had received sight. They’re thinking, “Maybe this is a sham and he’s been faking it.”

Which, their uncertainty may be a bit of a tragedy in and of itself. 

If it’s true that this man would have been begging outside of the temple, then that means that these religious leaders, whose entire work and life would have been centered around the temple, would have not recognized a man in need outside of the temple. 

My office is downtown. I park in the same parking garage every day. Every day I walk past the same hotel workers and the same police officers who works next to my office.  If that police officer walked in here today, I would recognize her and she would recognize me. Yet, they’re unable to recognize a blind man who sat outside their temple every day. 

Christians, may we observe, recognize, and know the people in our lives. Look up when you walk. Make eye contact and smile at folks when you pass by them. 

I remember having conversations with folks who are homeless in this area and hearing them say, “Man, we’re not stupid. We see people walk on the other side of the street when they approach us. Sometimes it would be nice to be treated as a regular human being.”

May we observe, recognize, and know the people God has placed in our lives.

So, the religious leaders did not believe this man had been blind and had been given sight. So, they call the parents and ask them three questions.

1. Is this your son? “Is this your son…”

2. Was he born blind? “Is this your son, who you say was born blind?”

3. How does he now see? “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"

And interestingly, the parents answer two out of the three questions. 

In verse 20 they say,

1. We know that this is our son… So, yes, that’s my boy.

2. “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.” 

3. But, we don’t have an answer to your third question. “(v.21) But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes.”

Do you think this is an honest answer? Do you honestly think that if your child who’s been blind since birth comes home seeing one evening, you’re not going to ask questions? No one probably, apart from the man himself, celebrated this healing more than his parents. No one probably asked more questions than his parents, and no one has probably heard his testimony about Jesus more than his parents. 

Yet, they avoid giving an answer to the question. They say, “Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

Why do they do this?

They don’t do this out of a lack of knowledge. They do this out of a fear of man. John exposes their motives in verses 22-23. They feared the Jews. They feared being banned from the synagogue. 

They knew that the answer to the question of “how” was Jesus. But, out of fear of what that confession might bring, they withheld that truth.

Listen, it’s way too easy to follow in the parents footsteps in our proclamation.  It’s easy to speak partial, general truths, while denying proclamation about Jesus. It’s easy to talk about football. It’s easy to talk about life. But, sometimes speaking the truth about Jesus is difficult because we fear what might happen if we do so.

The parents said, “Ask our son. He is of age. He will tell you how he received his sight.”

So, what do the Pharisees do? They, for a second time, bring in the formerly blind man.

Verse 24, 

“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

Please notice that they’re satisfied with giving glory to God for this man’s healing on the Sabbath. Which means that they’re 100% okay with God working on the Sabbath because he’s Lord of the Sabbath.

Jesus being able to give sight to the blind on the Sabbath should therefore reveal that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (i.e. God in flesh). It’s clear as day. However, they don’t want to accept the fact that Jesus is God, proving themselves to be blind. Therefore, they want to call Jesus a sinner for healing on the Sabbath. So, they say, “Give glory to God. We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.”

The man responds, 

“Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 

So, he’s saying,  “I don’t know anything about the character of this man.  All I can speak on is what he’s done in my life. I was once blind, and all I could ever see was darkness. But, now I can see because of him.”

You can begin to sense the frustration in the Pharisees by their next response in verse 26.

They said to him, “What did he do to you?” How did he open your eyes?”

Whenever you’re not satisfied with an answer given, you find yourself continually asking the same question over and over again, hoping for a different answer.

This is the fourth time this question has been asked in John 9. In verse 10 the man was asked the question, “How were your eyes opened?” by the crowd. In verse 15 he was asked that question again by the Pharisees. In verse 19 his parents were asked that question. And now, in verse 26 he’s being asked the same question.

Well, insert an eye roll emoji, and let the sass flow. In a perfect drop the mic fashion, the man responds in verse 27,

“I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 

Dohhhhhhhhh. 

Well, frustrated and offended, 

They reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

They claim to be disciples of Moses because they know that God has spoken to Moses. How do they know that God has spoken to Moses? They know this because the Scriptures bear witness to the fact that God has spoken to Moses.

Well, ironically and tragically, if they truly knew the Scriptures then they would recognize Jesus as the Son of God. If they were truly disciples of Moses, then they would know that Jesus is the Prophet that Moses was speaking about. However, their uncertainty about Jesus is revealing that they’re blind.

The man answered, 

“Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he come from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

The blind man is essentially saying to the Pharisees,  “You’ve got to be kidding me!? No one has ever been healed like I’ve been healed. I’ve told you 100 times that Jesus was the one who healed me.But, you’re telling me you don’t know where this man came from? It’s obvious that he’s from God.”  

God does not listen to sinners. It would be impossible for anyone to perform a miracle of this magnitude without God. So, the fact that Jesus was able to give sight to the blind, on the Sabbath, should lead to the obvious conclusion: Jesus is the Son of God, who was sent down from heaven, by the Father, to redeem the world.

How do you think they respond? Do you think they respond by saying, “You know what? You’re right!”

No way. 

They answered him,

“You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

They pick back up the accusations that were once thrown at him. He was born in sin. How could a man born in sin teach the righteous Pharisees? 

And they cast him out. They cast him out of the house of worship. He has been banned from fellowship with God’s people and he is now unable to worship God. 

Now, verse 35 is where things get good.

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’”

Stop.

Please don’t miss the intentional language John uses here.

Jesus found this man.

He intentionally sought him out. 

It’s very easy to say things like, “I found God” or “I found Christ,” but may we never get confused. The Father and the Son were never lost. We are the ones lost, and it is God who finds us. 

So, Jesus heard this man was cast out, he finds him, then he asked the man a pivotal question, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

We’ve seen this terminology used often throughout the gospel of John. We see the Son of Man prophesied about in Daniel 7. In Daniel 7 we see the Son of Man being described as an eternal ruler who was going to come and establish an eternal kingdom that could not be destroyed or pass away. All peoples, nations, and languages will serve him. The Son of Man will reign forever.

What a vague, yet very specific question! In a vague sense, even the Pharisees would give an answer “yes” to this question. Of course I believe in the Son of Man. He going to come and establish his eternal dominion. 

But, Jesus isn’t asking a vague question and the man doesn’t respond with a vague answer.He responds with a question himself. He said,

“And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 

His response here reveals that Jesus either (1) possessed a knowledge of who the Son of Man was, specifically, or (2) that Jesus himself was the Son of Man.

“Who is he?” “Show me, that I may believe in him.”

Jesus responds to him, 

“You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”

What an answer. 

Up until this point, this man had yet to see his healer face to face. But now, Jesus is saying, “I am the one who has given you sight to see. I am the one who has found you. The one who is speaking to you now is the eternal ruler. I am the Son of Man, who was sent from the Father to redeem you from your sins.”

And look how the man responds. Does he respond by picking up stones to kill him?Does he ask more questions?

No.

“38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him.”

This word for worship means to fall prostrate before someone’s feet in reverence and awe. This is the only place in John where anyone is said to worship Jesus. It’s used a handful of times in chapter 4 in reference to worshipping God. But, now we see it used in reference to Jesus.  So, this man has already acknowledged the fact that Jesus must be from God. But, now he’s taking this understanding a step further. He’s giving to Jesus the reverence and awe that is only acceptable for God. And Jesus is allowing him to! Which is yet another claim to him deity!

If you have been given spiritual sight,  if the eyes of your heart have been opened to the truth of the gospel, then you will respond in worship. Worship is a byproduct of belief.

Please don’t miss the beauty packed into these verse. In verse 34 this man was cast out of the synagogue. He had no place to worship the Lord. But, what does Jesus do?He finds him and reveals himself to him. And now the man is able to worship the Lord. As one commentator put it, “The Jews cast him out of the temple, but the LORD of the temple found him.” The LORD has now come to him so that he can worship him in faith outside of the temple. 

Rather than shake his fist at Jesus saying, “It’s because of you I’ve been having all of this trouble,” he responds in worship and awe.

Jesus then said to the man, 

“For judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 

The purpose of Jesus, the light of the world, coming into the world is to reveal himself to the world and expose the darkness of the world. On one hand he gives life to those in need. On the other hand he reveals sin and blindness. Some who could not see (spiritually) will receive sight through belief. While other will see the truth and will become blind through unbelief. 

Well, the eavesdropping Pharisees hear him say this and they ask,

“Are we also blind?” 

Jesus responds, 

“If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

In other words, if you were to confess your need for help then you would be on your way to seeing. If you would confess that you are weak, then your guilt would be removed.

Yesterday Kayla and I went to Jackson for a family Christmas lunch. On our way to this Christmas lunch, we decided to stop at McDonalds (why we stopped to get something to eat on our way to lunch, I’m not sure).

As we’re sitting in line, I notice the drive through has two lanes. However, I also notice that everyone is in the left lane. So, me being impatient, I decide to go around everyone in the left lane in order to get in the right lane. As soon as I do that, I notice that the right lane is blocked off.

At this point I had two options:

1. I could admit I was wrong and turn around and go back to the end of the line…

2. Or I could keep driving, acting like I know what I’m doing, then park on the other side and get out to order.

I chose the latter. There’s no way that I was going to show everyone that I made a mistake. So, I acted like I was fine and planned to do what I did the whole time. 

I think we see something similar here in verse 41. If the Pharisees were to confess their need for a savior, then their guilt would be removed. But, rather than confess their need for help, they claim “to see.” They continue to boast in their own works, rather than confess their need for a savior. Therefore, their guilt remains. 

It is those who admit that they are blind and helpless,  and that boast in Jesus as their only hope for sight, that will receive sight and life. While on the other hand, it is those who cling to their own works and who reject Jesus, that will remain guilty.

Listen, we never outgrow our need for Jesus. May the gospel never become flavorless to us, church.

So, today I want us to close a little different. I want us to close by taking part in communion together as a church. Then, I want us to spend a few moments, like this man in our passage, worshipping Jesus together as a church. If you have received spiritual sight, then you will worship Jesus.  

John 9:1-7

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Alright, pop quiz. What is the purpose of this gospel?

John tells us toward the end of this gospel that he wrote this so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

So, the purpose of this gospel is for us to be able to see Jesus for who he truly is and then believe and trust in him. John’s goal is for us to be reading through these stories and think, “Man, how could someone miss this!?”

It’s been so clear. Up until this point in the gospel of John, especially in the recent chapters, we’ve been consistently seeing Jesus revealing himself as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, who was sent into the world to redeem sinners like you and I.

But, despite this clear presentation, what have we been seeing lately? No matter how clear the truth about Jesus has been presented, Jesus has been consistently met with rejection by the religious leaders.

What does their rejection prove? Does it prove that Jesus is not true? No, not at all. Rejection is not a guaranteed sign of falsehood. On the contrary, their rejection proves that they are blind to the truth. The truth about Jesus has been clearly presented to them, yet they’ve continually rejected him. 

Think about this, Jesus, in John 6, performs a miracle that only God could and has done. He miraculously feeds the 5,000 in the wilderness. After doing so, he proclaims to be the all satisfying living bread of life sent from heaven. In the synagogue, on the next day, he invites the crowd to come and eat of this bread in belief, and in doing so, he or she will live forever.

He’s saying that belief in himself will lead to eternal life. However, despite this beautiful invitation, many people grumbled and walked away, proving to be blind to the truth.

Then, in chapter 7, in the midst of the feast of tabernacles— a feast that celebrated God’s provision and presence— Jesus began to teach and show them that God has come and tabernacled (dwelt) among them. The parallels and proclamations he makes are astoundingly clear.

In the midst of this feast that celebrates God’s provision, he invites anyone who is thirsty, anyone who still lacks, to come to him and drink, and in doing so, out of the heart of the one who believes will flow rivers of living water. 

Yet, there’s division among the crowd. Some believe. Some don’t.

Then, in the middle of this feast that celebrated God leading his people by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night in the wilderness, Jesus proclaims to be the light of the world. Then he invites the crowd to come and follow him. Whoever follows him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 

Yet, again, we see hostility towards Jesus rising. The religious leaders are not judging with right judgment. They are rejecting Jesus, and their rejection of Jesus is proving that they are blind to the truth. 

Then, last week, we saw Jesus have an exchange with the religious leaders. He sought to show them, by exposing their actions, who their true father is. The religious leaders are claiming to be sons of Abraham. Although they are biological descendants of Abraham, their actions are revealing that they are actually children of the devil. Where Abraham believed God, trusted God, and followed God, the religious leaders are rejecting God and seeking to kill the Son of God. 

Their rejection of Jesus reveals who their true father is: the devil. Their hatred of the truth reveals that they hate the truth, just like their father, the devil; and their attempt to kill him reveals that they are murderers, just like their father, the devil.

Then, if Jesus hasn’t been clear enough already, he makes the clearest proclamation about himself that you could make. He proclaims to be the great “I am.” He claimed the covenantal name of God for himself. “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” He clearly claimed to be the creator of all things. The God of Abraham.

Yet, rather than bow down in reverence, they bend down to pick up stones to kill him. They’re rejecting the God that they claim to serve, proving themselves to be blind to the truth.

So, what John is about to show us is truly remarkable. What we’re about to see in chapter 9 is a paradoxical reality where a man who is physically blind is able to spiritually see, all while those who can physically see remain spiritually blind.  

It’s those who can read the Scriptures and who watched Jesus perform miracle after miracle that are hard hearted and blind to the clear truth of Jesus. Yet, today we will see a man who wasn’t able to visually see any of this, respond in belief and obedience to Jesus. 

Now, for the next two weeks our study will be centered around this one particular healing of the blind man. Today we will look at verses 1-8, then next week we will look at verses 9-41.

Today we will spend a bulk of our time looking deep into the problem that is at hand (the fact that this man was blind). We will the majority of our time chasing a rabbit that’s presented in this text and address the topic of suffering. Then, we will look at the strange solution that Jesus provides to this man’s suffering, while also looking at the profound obedience of this blind man. Then, next week we will look at the bold proclamation of the man who experienced this healing, while also looking at what follows this healing and proclamation. 

Alright, let’s look at verse 1.

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.”

Alright, stop. We’re not going to go this slow the whole time. I promise. But, at the conclusion of John 8 (v.59), we see Jesus go out of the temple. 

Now, we’re not sure of the exact time frame of the story we’re about to read. This could be literally right after Jesus leaves the temple. We know from verses 8-9 that this man was a beggar, and it’s been recorded that men and women would sit outside the temple and beg. So, it could be that, as Jesus is leaving the temple, he saw this man.

But, we’ve also noticed that, all throughout this gospel, John is not too concerned with chronology. So, it could be immediately after Jesus left the temple or it could be any amount of time after Jesus went out of the temple. 

I, personally, tend to think this is chronological. Meaning: Jesus went out of the temple, and as he’s doing so, he saw this man born blind from birth.

Regardless, I think it’s amazing how, all throughout John 7-8, Jesus miraculously avoids being arrested and/or stoned. And, what I think is even more amazing is how, in the face of this hostility, Jesus does not stop ministering to those in need. 

Jesus’s example here is a clear example of what faithfulness in the midst of hostility looks like. As he’s avoiding death, he notices someone in need. As he’s hiding himself, he notices a man who was blind from birth. The threat of death does not hinder his ministry.

Now, please take note of how John describes this man. He was a man blind from birth. Meaning: his sight didn’t deteriorate over the years. He didn’t have 2020 vision, then one day decide to disobey his parents and stare at the sun. No, from the moment he entered the world, he was unable to enjoy the gift of sight. Darkness is all he’s ever known. 

Now, verse 32 tells us an important detail about this man’s blindness. It says, “never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.” So, that should tell us that healing is not, nor has it ever been, on this man’s radar. Unlike the invalid man in John 5, he’s not at the pool of Bethesda, hoping to make it into the pool for healing. His life is one of sitting and begging. 

As Jesus is passing by, as he’s fleeing death, he sees, stops, and acknowledges this man; and, as he notices this man, his disciples ask a question.

Look at verse 2,

“And his disciples asked him [not the blind man, but Jesus], “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

So, rather than talk to the man, they talk to Jesus about the man. As we can tell by their question, their concern is centered around the cause of this man’s suffering. Who’s sin is the cause of this man’s blindness?

So, they’re thinking that either…

1. This man sinned in the womb, causing his blindness.

2. God sovereignly knew of the sin that this man was going to commit beforehand. Therefore his punishment of blindness was issued prematurely. 

3. This man’s parents sinned, causing him to be born blind. 

The cards this man has been dealt are so tragic that there’s no other explanation. Either he or his parents have sinned. 

So, there’s a transactional understanding of suffering present here. Meaning: they believed suffering was a result of sin.

Well, in one aspect, this train of thought is 100% accurate. 

We see in Genesis 3, that sin brought forth death, pain, sickness, and in this case blindness. If sin never entered the picture, this man would have been able to see. His ailment is 100% a result of sin. 

All suffering in this life is a result of the sin committed in the garden. You can trace the origin of all suffering all the way back to Adam, Eve, a serpent, and a tree in Genesis 3. Sin and suffering are intimately connected. 

Alright, that’s our big picture, general theological understanding of sin and suffering. Had Adam and Eve not sinned, suffering and pain would not exist. 

But, more specifically, if you were to zoom in a little bit, some suffering has a direct correlation to specific sins. Our actions at times have consequences. 

An extreme example would be: if you go to the bar, get drunk, get in your car, drive, and then get in a wreck and break your back. Your life of pain and suffering at that point would be a direct result of your personal decision to get drunk and drive. 

Some sufferings (big and small) that we endure could be a direct result of our own personal decisions in life. 

Sometimes God disciplines those that he loves; and he does this for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

So, the disciples question isn’t that crazy. Some suffering is a direct result of personal sinful decisions. But, with that being said, what we see in Jesus’s response is that not all personal suffering is a result of personal sin. We see that truth ring true all throughout Scripture. 

We see that ring true in the life of Joseph. Joseph was unjustly sold into slavery. He was falsely accused of sin, which led to him being thrown into prison. However, we see that the Lord never left him (Gen. 39:2), and Jospeh eventually rose to prominence in Egypt. We eventually see Joseph proclaim “what man meant for evil, God meant for good (Gen. 50:20).” 

The suffering of Joseph had nothing to do with Joseph’s sin and everything to do with God’s good plan. God’s plan to care for his people was carried out (not thwarted) by the pain and suffering that arose in Joseph’s life. God eventually used the sinful decision of his brothers for their good and God’s glory. What a picture of grace!

We also see this ring true in the life of Job. Job was a blameless and upright man, who feared God and turned away from evil. Yet, the Lord gives Satan permission to attack Job, not because Job is guilty of sin, but because God is good and he uses suffering for our good and his glory.

Now, before you shake your fist at God and say, “That’s not fair,” what have we been seeing here in the gospel of John? What will we celebrate this Wednesday? 

We celebrate the coming of the Messiah, Immanuel, God with us. The great I AM, the God of Abraham, came and was born in a manger. Despite the fact that he lived a blameless life, he lived a life that was marked with suffering. He suffered and died for us on the cross.

The gospel provides us with joy in the midst of suffering. 

Why?

Because… 

(1) we know that we have an eternal hope on the other side of this life. This suffering that we endure is light and momentary.

(2) As we will see in a minute, we know that God uses trials for our good.

(3) we know that the God who uses trials for our good is not unaware of trials himself. He came and suffered for us so that we might have life through him.

Sometimes the trials and sufferings of this life have nothing to do with your personal decisions. Sometimes you hobble through life for what appears to be no apparent reason… 

But, Jesus’s answer in verse 3 is going to show us that suffering has purpose. Jesus   redirects his disciples focus off of the theological question of fault and onto the redemptive purpose of suffering. As we will see, this man in particular was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 

Listen, what we’ve been seeing is the unfortunate reality that prosperity often blinds one of his or her need for Jesus. An easy life often times hardens one’s heart to the beautiful invitation to know and worship Jesus. It’s the men and women who can run, see, and hear that reject the invitation to eternal life. But, it’s the man who sits in darkness that sees, believes, and follows the light of the world. God used this trial to draw this blind man to himself.

Look at Jesus’s response to his disciples, 

“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Jesus’s response here shows us that there is purpose in our suffering. It doesn't matter who you are, you will encounter trials during this life. No amount of money can save you from these trials. No amount of faith can save you from trials. Trials will indeed come. But, it doesn’t matter what type of trial you encounter, with Jesus there is no such thing as a hopeless trial. 

This man was born with a physical disability that no one was able to cure. His life did not consist of running, laughing, and playing. Rather, it consisted of sitting and begging. Though his eyes were open, all he could see is darkness.

Then, Jesus, the light of the world, enters the scene; and now, for a moment, there’s hope. 

Jesus is beginning to show his disciples and this man that the purpose of his suffering is not punishment. It’s to display the works of God in him.

Can you imagine the weight that must have been lifted off of the shoulders of this man? Where he was constantly burdened by the thought that his suffering was a result of sin in his life, he (likely for the first time) hears the words, “That’s not true.” For the first time in his life he hears that there might be purpose in his suffering.

Listen, some of you may need to hear that today. Some of you have been weighed down by guilt, thinking that God is punishing you because of sin that you’ve committed in your past. Some of you cannot find joy in the midst of trials because you’re weighed down by guilt, thinking that God is mad at you. Some of you need to hear the words, “It’s not that have sinned, it’s not that your husband has sinned, it’s not that your parents have sinned, but that the works of God might be displayed in your life.

May we not have a gospel-centered, grace-saturated, understanding of salvation, and then a works-based understanding of trials and suffering.

Jesus then shepherds his disciples into true Christian living. Where his disciples have abandoned the role of a caring servant and adopted the role of a judge.

Jesus says, 

“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.””

Jesus didn’t stop and acknowledge this guy in order to simply discuss the theological implications of sin and suffering. Jesus’s isn’t taking his disciples on a trip to the zoo, where they will simply sit from a distance and observe, and discuss the theological implications of this man’s sin and suffering.He came to work, and he’s inviting his disciples into this work. 

Jesus is saying that he must act quickly because night is coming. Meaning: his death is coming. The time of his future suffering on the cross is on the horizon. When he dies, night will come, and no one will work. As long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world. 

Now, caveat: we now know that the beauty of the gospel is that, now that we have the Holy Spirit within us, this light of Jesus is continuing to shine through us. 

But, at this point, Jesus is telling his disciples that this man’s situation isn’t hopeless. The light of the world is about to invade the darkness of this man’s life and give him sight. The works of God will be displayed in him.

Look at verse 6,

“Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘ Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.”

If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking this is strange. Jesus has already healed by simply speaking. So, why does Jesus hock a loogie in the dirt and make some mud to wipe in this guys eyes? 

As I read commentaries this week, there’s several ideas here (I think they’re all packed full of truth).

First, I do think there is some parallels to Genesis where God created man from dust. So, in the same way that the LORD used the dust of this earth to bring forth life at creation, Jesus used dust to bring forth sight to the blind. Jesus is re-creating in the same way that he once created.

Secondly, I also agree with Calvin in that the loogie-mud placed on the blind man’s eyes was designed to double or increase the darkness in order to magnify the healing. Meaning the spit and the mud only made things worse. 

Which, I believe was intended to magnify the miraculous obedience of the blind man. Before Jesus made things better, he made things worse. And he sends this man to the pool of Siloam with mud on his eyes.

Yet, despite this absurdity, the man obediently stands up and heads to the pool, bumping past men and women, stumbling up and down steps. We’re unsure of what’s going on in this man’s mind up until this point. All we know is that he was obedient and that he trusted Jesus. 

He was sent, with mud and spit on his eyes, as a messenger to the pool that means “sent,” in order to proclaim to the world the truth that the light of the world is here. 

And what happened to the man after he washed his eyes in the pool?

He sees. “So he went and washed and came back seeing.” 

The man was healed. Where all he knew was darkness, he now sees light. The light of the world has given him sight.

Can you imagine what this must have been like for the man? 

Things we take advantage of and never think about, he was able to enjoy for the first time. He can now see the flowers that he could only once smell. He can now see the face of his mom and dad. He can now run without the fear of stumbling over a rock.

He’s probably looking around saying, “That’s what a cloud look like! Wow, my hands look strange! That woman is beautiful! That dog looks funny! Man, the temple is huge!”

John, once again, so casually records the miraculously here. “So he went and washed and came back seeing.” Come on, John. At least give us an explanation mark!

Well, it’s in next week’s passage that the commotion begins to start. People begin to notice; this man begins to explicitly proclaim the truth about Jesus; and after being kicked out of the Synagogue, he gets to worship Jesus, personally. 

So, in our story today we see a blind man receive sight by obeying and trusting Jesus. Yet, in next week’s passage we will see those who claimed to see, refused to obey, which reveals their spiritual blindness. Though they claim to know the truth about Jesus, they’re actually blind to the truth about Jesus. And the one who was blind physically now sees both physically and spiritually. 

God used this man’s life of suffering both for his good and God’s glory. Had this man not been blind, he likely wouldn’t have been able to see and be used by Jesus. 

Listen, may this offer you comfort throughout your life. Life is hard. For some of y'all 2019 has been the most difficult year of your life. But, I know (because I’ve watched you) that your walk with the Lord has grown more in this year than it ever has and that God has been glorified in your life. 

For some of us, prayers have been answered, healing has been granted, and we praise God for that. For others of us, we feel like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul had a thorn in his flesh, some type of weakness or suffering, and he pleaded to the Lord for him to remove it.

But, rather than grant healing, the Lord responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

So, this tells us that God can be glorified in leading us out of suffering and by leaving us in suffering. Therefore, may we join with Paul in boasting “all the more gladly of our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. For the sake of Christ, then, we are content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when we are weak, then we are strong.”

My prayer for 2020 is not that our life is prosperous and easy, but that God will be glorified in our lives. If God chooses to be glorified through our prosperity, so be it. If God chooses to be glorified through our suffering, so be it. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. May we therefore lean in and trust him in all situations. 

So, church, if you’re walking through trails (whether it’s a direct result of your sin or not), trust God and find joy in knowing that he’s working all things for our good. If you’ve been miraculously given sight, if you see Jesus as the Messiah and you trust him for your salvation, then you have an unshakable hope that is found in Christ Jesus. May we be a people who trust Jesus in all circumstances and find joy in all situations.

John 8:39-59

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Sometimes it’s easy to evaluate a child’s looks, thoughts, and actions and identify his or her true father.

Well, in the same way that someone can easily identify a parent by the looks of a child, Jesus (in our passage today) is telling the Jews that he can identify their true father by their actions. In our passage today, Jesus is seeking to show the Jews who their true father is by exposing their thoughts and actions.

Where Israel thinks that, because they’re descendants of Abraham, they’re children of God, Jesus is seeking to show them that this is far from the truth.  

Yes, the Jews were biological descendants of Abraham. But, their actions reveal that they were actually children of the devil. 

Yikes… 

That’s not a message you want to hear proclaimed in the temple.

This is a strong and offensive message; and we’re going to see today that Jesus is not proclaiming this message out of hate, and he’s not doing it out of spite. Rather, he’s doing this out of love. He proclaims this message so that they might have eternal life. 

Where the Jews thought that being descendants of Abraham was sufficient to prevent them from spiritual slavery and give them eternal life, Jesus is showing them that they actually needed someone who was far greater than Abraham to give them eternal life.

Now, our passage today is a continuation of last week’s passage. So, although we divided it up into two weeks, this is one fluid conversation. 

Let’s therefore go back and quickly refresh our memory of what we learned last week.

Brady did an outstanding job teaching the word last week, and I’ve heard several stories this week of how God spoke to men and women through the teaching of his word last week. So, praise God for that! If you weren’t here last week, I strongly encourage you to go back and listen to it.

In last week’s passage, Jesus began to show those who believed in him what true belief looks like. 

True belief is not merely intellect. If you truly believe in Jesus, you will be his disciple. You will follow him. You will abide in his word; and, in abiding, you will be set free. 

Belief in Jesus isn’t an intellectual “aha” moment that we have once. We don’t just pray a prayer, then continue to live the life we always lived. True belief is a continual abiding in, remaining in, and trusting in Jesus. 

We saw, however, the crowd couldn’t fathom the fact that they needed to be set free from anything since they’ve never been enslaved to anyone. So, they point to their heritage, to the fact that they’re descendants of Abraham, and they say, “We’ve never been enslaved to anyone. How can we be set free if we’re not slaves?” 

Jesus’s message is not computing.

Now, quick detour: for those of you who might not know, Abraham was considered the father of Israel. 

In Genesis 12, we see Abraham was called out of a pagan nation by God to become a people (a nation) that would bless the nations. Here we see (1) the LORD called Abraham to leave everything he’s ever known (his family, his country, everything), but we also see (2) God promised him that he would be blessed in doing so.

So, God made a promise to Abraham that “in him all the families of the earth would be blessed.” 

“In him” implies biological descendants. This was a profound promise because, at the time, Abraham’s wife was barren. They had no children. So, God is promising a man whose wife is barren that in him all the families of the earth will be blessed. 

This would have been a promise that would not have made sense logically. There’s no physical proof for Abraham, at this moment, that this promise will come through. In the same way that you need sticks to make a fire, you need biological children for this promise to work, and they have none. 

Yet, despite the uncertainty, Abraham went and followed the LORD. He took his wife… he took his brothers son, Lot… and all the people and possessions that he had acquired… and followed the LORD.

Then, in chapter 15, God gives validation to this promise by making a covenant with Abraham. Here God promised Abraham that his offspring will be like the stars in the sky. Well, if you fast forward to many years later, you will see God faithfully carry out this promise.

So, Israel is saying, “Hey! We’re descendants of Abraham. We are the people of God. We are living poof that God is faithful. We’ve never been enslaved to anyone. What freedom are you talking about?”

This is yet another classic example of them missing the point. Jesus proceeds to show them that this isn’t a physical freedom that he’s talking about. Rather, this is a spiritual enslavement. They’re enslaved to sin, and the Son can set them free from this slavery. He can set them free from the bondage of sin.

But, this message unfortunately has no place in their hearts, and they begin to reject this invitation to freedom. They don’t want to accept this freedom because they don’t want to embrace the reality that they need to be set free.

Now, before we pick up our stones, we must realize that we’re quick to do the same. We are quick to reject help because we don’t want people to think that we need help.

But, let me tell you, at the heart of the gospel is a cry for help. Proclaiming to be a Christian is not a power move. Proclaiming to be a Christian is the most humble proclamation you can make.

Their only hope for eternal life is standing right before them and they’re seeking to kill him, rejecting his message. 

Jesus is therefore seeking to show them the reliability of his message. His Father really is God, and his message really is from God. He is speaking of what he has seen with God. And the crowd, however, is rejecting this message from God because they’re doing what they heard from their father. 

Jesus is seeking to show them that sonship is proven through obedience, not heritage. Their actions are revealing they are not sons of God.

That leads us to our passage today. Our passage today begins with their response to Jesus’s accusations.

In response to the accusation that their hostile actions towards Jesus are revealing who their true father is, they respond in verse 39, 

“Abraham is our father.”

Once again, they’re pointing to Abraham in order to give validation to their relationship with God.

They’re saying, “We are Abraham’s seed. We are his descendants. We are from his bloodline. We’re doing what we’ve heard from Abraham. We don’t need you Jesus because our father is Abraham.”

This is a very common thought process in the americanized church today.

• “Are you a Christian?”

  • “Yes.”

• “How do you know?” 

  • “Well, that’s how I grew up. That’s how I was raised.”

It’s easy to think that the faith of your parents or grandparents is sufficient to save you. But, it’s not. 

Listen to me, Jesus is showing his audience that being a biological descendent of Abraham did not equate to salvation (i.e. freedom from sin) for the Jews. In the same way, being a biological descent of a Christian does not equate to salvation for us today. Growing up in a Christian home does not mean that you’re a Christian.

What we’re about to see is the crowd thought that they were in God’s family because they were descendants of Abraham. But their actions are revealing otherwise. 

In verses 39b-41, Jesus responds to their statement. Here he begins to show them that their actions are inconsistent with Abraham’s action, which reveals that they’re not Abraham’s children, and if they’re not Abraham’s children, then that means they have another father.

Let’s look at his response. 

“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.”

So, where they think they have no need for freedom because of their bloodline, Jesus is exposing the reality of their brokenness.

Jesus is saying, “How do you actions reflect that you’re from Abraham? They don’t. Your pursuit to kill me reveals that you’re children of someone else.”

If I proclaimed to be an Alabama fan (which I wouldn't), but always wore Auburn clothes (which I wouldn’t) and always went to Auburn games (which I wouldn't), you would begin to question whether or not I was actually an Alabama fan (which I’m not).

The proof that they are not not children of Abraham is their inability to do the works Abraham did. Abraham’s actions were the opposite of their actions.  

So, the first question that I asked here was, “What were the works Abraham did?”

Well, for starters, Jesus’s words here give us an idea of what these works would be.

The statement, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham” tells us that whatever they’re doing is the opposite of what Abraham did.

So, where they’re seeking to kill Jesus, Abraham would have sought to exalt Jesus. Where they’re at war with the truth bearer, Abraham would submit to the truth being told by God. Where Abraham “believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness,” they’re rejecting the message of God.

Abraham was a man who listened to, walked with, and trusted God… even when nothing made sense. He was a man who’s faith resided in the promises of God. 

On the opposite hand, the descendants of Abraham are seeking to kill Jesus, the one who has told them the truth that he heard from God. So, their actions are inconsistent with Abraham’s.  Abraham believed God and they rejected God.

So, Jesus is looking at their actions and he’s saying, “You’re not sons of Abraham.”

Well, they responded to Jesus by saying, 

“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father— even God.” 

Here they’re giving further validity to their claim to be Abraham’s children. They’re claiming to be pure-born. They’re not an illegitimate breed. “We were not born of sexual immorality.” 

Now, several commentators point out that this could very easily be a subtle jab at Jesus’ mother’s virgin conception. 

“We know our father. But, you have two father’s. Your father, Joseph, adopted you. Your mom was conceived outside of wedlock.”

“We” presents a stark contrast between those speaking and Jesus. “We weren’t born of sexual immorality (wink, wink) like someone else we know…” 

So, in their attempt to affirm their legitimacy, they could be insinuating that Jesus is illegitimate. “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”

Whether that’s a part of their motive or not, the point still remains: they’re claiming that their conception and birth is pure, they’re truly descendants of Abraham, which means God alone is their father. 

They’re claiming that they belong to the one true God. But, Jesus responds by showing them that their hatred of Jesus reveals who their father actually is. 

In a somewhat Jerry Springer fashion, he lets the crowd know that Abraham is not their father, but the devil is.

Look at how he begins this in verse 42,

“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.”

So, Jesus is saying that proof of being a child of God is love for Jesus. If you don’t love Jesus, you’re not a child of God.

Jesus is not an enemy to God who came on his own accord in order to steal God’s glory. 

He was sent from God. 

“For I came from God and I am here…”

Meaning: the one standing before them came from heaven,

Their lack of love for Jesus is (1) exposing their lack of love for God and (2) exposing who their true father is.

So, how do you know if you’re a child of God? Proof of being a child of God is found in your love for Jesus. If you love Jesus, cling to Jesus, abide in Jesus, trust in Jesus, and follow after Jesus, then you are a child of God.  

Love for Jesus is evidence of being a son or daughter of God.

Look at verse 43, 

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

Now, Jesus here is not saying that he’s a poor communicator. Rather, he’s saying that they cannot understand him because of their love for falsehood. The focus here is on their unwillingness to accept Jesus’s message rather than their inability to understand its meaning. The issue is found in their refusal to listen.

Then, he says in verse 44, 

“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 cats out of the bag here. Jesus explicitly tells the truth. 

Your father is the devil. You like what your father likes. Your will is to do your father’s desires.

What’s his desires? To kill, destroy, lie, and deceive.

“He was a murderer from the beginning” is reference to a very common passage in the Bible found in Genesis 3. 

As Adam and Eve dwelled with God in perfect harmony in the garden, the devil came in the form of a serpent and lied to Eve and twisted the truth, deceiving her and Adam into eating the forbidden fruit. From this deception, death entered the scene.

This wasn’t a slip up by the devil. He didn’t accidentally lead them to eat the fruit. It was calculated deception, war against God. He does not stand in the truth. There is no truth in him. He is a liar. He is the father of lies. This is your father.

Then, in verse 45, Jesus says, 

“But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”

So, again, their rejection of Jesus reveals that they are sons of the devil. They do not love Jesus because Jesus tells the truth. The reason they do not believe Jesus is because Jesus speaks the truth.

They loved deception. They loved being able to hide their sin in the dark. They would rather be slaves to sin in private than embrace their only hope for freedom, the truth bearer, Jesus. Their rejection of Jesus is rooted in the fact that Jesus is speaking the truth.

Listen to me, this is a temptation we all face. 

In order to believe the good news of Jesus, we have to face the truth about ourselves. We have to come to terms with the fact that we are all dead in our trespasses and sins, sons and daughters of the devil, and because of this we have no hope for eternal life on our own. 

Proclaiming to be a Christian is not a power move. Proclaiming to be a Christian is the most humble proclamation you can make.

Our only hope for eternal life is found in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus, we can become adopted sons and daughters of the One true God.

Jesus then asks the question in verse 46,

“Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell you the truth, why do you not believe me?

Feel the weight of what Jesus is doing here. This is still the feast of booths. So, there’s still a large crowd present.

And Jesus holds the microphone up and says, “If any of you can accuse me of sin, come on up.” 

I imagine a long pause and some crickets chirping, then him saying, “No. You can’t accuse me of sin. I’m blameless. So, If you can’t convict me of sin, then what makes you think I’m lying here? I’m telling you the truth.”

Jesus here is using his blameless actions as proof that his words are true.

Then, he says in verse 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, the reason why you reject me is because you’re not of God.

Faith in Jesus is one’s only hope for being a child of God. Yet, their rejection of Jesus is showing them that they are in fact sons of the devil. Their actions are far from Abraham.

Jesus is forcing his audience to reflect on the question: whose actions do your actions reflect more: Abraham’s or the devil’s?

And I want you to reflect on the same question this week. Who’s actions do your actions reflect more: Abraham’s or the devils? Do you embrace the truth about Jesus? Do you embrace the truth about yourself? Or do you try to hide from the truth about yourself?

Rejecting the truth about Jesus and ourself reveals to us the fact that we are sons of the devil and not of God. 

They then respond with the classic come back in verse 48, 

“Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

Sometimes I’m quick and witty and can fire back a snarky comeback. But, most of the time I’m not. 

So, growing up, if someone says, “Ryan, you’re so stupid,” I will often times respond with the very uncreative remark, “No, you’re stupid.”

When you don’t really have an insult to say, you just repeat the insult someone just made about yourself.

Well, I feel like the crowd is doing the same thing. In the face of the accusation that their father is the devil, they ask if Jesus was demon possessed.

What a comeback, guys. Good one! 

Well, Jesus responds,

“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.”

So, no, Jesus is not demon possessed. He’s from the Father, and he honors the Father.

Think about it, Jesus would be the worst demon possessed man to ever exist. He’s never sinned, perfectly observing the law. He honors the Father. He humbly doesn’t seek his own glory. If he was demon possessed, whatever demon possessed him would need to be fired.

Jesus honors the Father and they dishonor Jesus. They dishonor him by (1) claiming that he has a demon and (2) by not giving him the proper honor that he rightfully deserves as the Son of God. Therefore, they dishonor the Father.

Then, smack dab in the middle of this rebuke Jesus says, 

“If you keep my word, you will never see death.”

Now, is Jesus saying, if you keep his word, then you will never literally die? No. 

There’s an interesting stat out there: out of every five people, five people die. Death is inevitable. Jesus himself dies. 

So, what is Jesus saying here?

He’s saying that if you do what he’s been calling you to do, which is come to him in belief, clinging to him as your only hope for freedom from sin and your only hope for eternal life, then you will never see death. Though you will die, you will live with Christ for all eternity. 

The beauty of the gospel is that when you believe in Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit, and in that moment you’re miraculously brought from death to life. You’ve been made alive with Christ (in a spiritual sense), by the mercy of God.

So, when your physical body passes away, you will be at home with the Lord for all eternity. Belief in Jesus leads to eternal life. If you abide in, cling to, and trust in the message he’s proclaiming, you will never see death. 

Jesus here is claiming to possess power over sin and death; he’s claiming to possess the power to give eternal life; and he’s inviting children of the devil to come to him in faith, so that they might have eternal life. 

Jesus lovingly and truthfully exposes their corruption so that he could share with them true hope.

They, however, respond to this invitation by saying, 

“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, yup, you’re demon possessed. Not even Abraham, the father of Israel, or the prophets have avoided death. Death is inescapable. How can you say such a thing, Jesus?

Once again they’re thinking merely in the physical, unable to hear the true message Jesus is proclaiming.

But, Jesus responds, 

“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.”

So, Jesus doesn’t really respond by answering their questions directly. Rather, he says, “The God you claim to serve is my Father, and he is the one who glorifies me.”

Once again, he’s saying that if they truly knew the God they claimed to serve, they would truly know Jesus. But, they don’t know God. So, they don’t know Jesus.

But, Jesus knows God. Jesus, the Son, truly knows the Father. He is truly the Messiah who came to proclaim good news to the poor and set the captive free.

Then, Jesus brings back up their father Abraham and says,

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

So, Jesus here is speaking in a personal, divine, manner. He’s speaking out of a divine knowledge, as if he was there to see Abraham rejoice.

Not only is Jesus claiming to know God, but he’s claiming that he knew Abraham on a personal level. Abraham rejoiced that he would see the coming of Jesus; and the fact that Abraham rejoiced over the coming of Jesus tells us that Jesus is claiming to be superior to Abraham. 

Abraham acknowledged the fact that Jesus is superior, not vice versa.

• It’s not Abraham > Jesus.

• It’s Jesus > Abraham.

So, yes, Jesus is greater than Abraham; and Abraham, their father, acknowledged this truth. Jesus is the one that Abraham’s hope resided in. If they were truly Abraham’s children, they would notice this and they would join in this rejoicing. 

Well, following these words, they say, 

“You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

And Jesus responds, 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Jesus has made a lot of “I am” claims up until this point in the gospel. He’s claimed to be the bread of life. He’s claimed to be the light of the world. By the end of the gospel of John, there will be seven “I am” statements made by Jesus.

In all of these claims, he is claiming to be able to do and accomplish things that only God could do and accomplish. But, here in verse 58 Jesus isn’t just claiming to be able do things that only God can do. He is claiming to be God. He is claiming for himself the divine covenantal name of God. 

In Exodus 3, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and he calls Moses to go Egypt and set his people free from slavery. During this exchange, Moses asked God to tell him what his name was, so that he could tell the people.

And God responds, 

“I AM WHO I AM… Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you. 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.”

Jesus here is claiming to be the God of their fathers. He is claiming to be the creator of all things, the great I AM. He is the one who called Abraham. 

He is the one who heard Israel’s cry in slavery and acted on their behalf. He is the one who delivered them from their enemies. He is the one who filled the Nile with blood. He is the one who sent the frogs, gnats, and flies. He is the one who killed all of the Egyptian livestock. He is the one who sent the boils, who sent the hail, who sent the locust, who sent the darkness, and who killed all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.  He is the one who parted the Red Sea. He is the one who delivered his people from slavery. He is the one who dwelt with his people in the wilderness. He is the one who provided them bread from heaven and water from rocks. He is the one who led his people to the promise land. He is the almighty God, the Great I AM. 

This means that the Great I AM has come and dwelt among man in order to redeem sinners through his death on the cross. 

You cannot make a more specific claim to deity than the one Jesus has made here, and because of this claim, we see in verse 59, 

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

Listen to me, there’s two types of responses one may have to this claim from Jesus:

• We can bow down to him in reverence, awe, and submission.

• Or, we can pick up stones to throw at him.

There’s no middle ground. He’s either a blaspheming fool or he’s the great I AM. If he’s the great I AM, then we can trust him.

We can trust him for eternal life. A person is justified (made in right standing with God) only through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Salvation does not depend upon your ability to try harder.

The almighty God of the universe came to earth in the form of a baby (Merry Christmas, BTW). His mother Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was born in a manger.

He grew like us, he learned like us, he bled like us, laughed like us, yawned like us, wept like us. 

But! He never sinned like us. He walked in perfect submission to the Father, doing exactly what the Father told him to do; and he did so to the point of dying on the cross for sinful humanity like you and I. 

He died the death that we should have died. He took upon himself the punishment that we all deserve. He rose from the grave, defeating sin and death, so that through faith in him we never have to taste death.

Rest in this truth. Rest in the gospel. Rest in Jesus. 

The great I AM loved us enough to die for us, and if this is true then we can trust him in every aspect of our lives. 

He is a good God who never leaves his people. He disciplined them, sure. But, though they encountered discipline and though they encountered many trials, they never encountered them alone. 

That truth has not changed today. Though we encounter many trials in this life, we know that those trials cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Ever since the garden, the devil has been a liar, hellbent on our destruction. But, from the beginning, before all things were created, God has been good and he possesses a good plan for his people. It was God’s plan, before the foundation of the world, to redeem sinners like us through Jesus’s death on the cross.  

The actions of Jesus’s audience revealed who their true father was. Though they claimed to know God, their actions revealed otherwise. Their actions revealed that they were actually enemies of God. 

True belief in Jesus entails following Jesus. True belief in Jesus entails an abiding in Jesus.

Does your life, do the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart, reveal that you are sons and daughters of God? Or do they reveal that you are enemies of God, sons and daughters of the devil?

If you are sons and daughters of God, because of your faith that resides in Jesus, then may you continue to grow and trust in him for all things, in all situations.

John 8:31-38

Good morning everyone. For those here who are visiting Harbor Community Church for the first time, welcome. For anyone who may not know me, I am Brady, and along with Ryan I am an elder for the church. I want to be honest right up front and let you know that me being up on stage is not the usual. 

Ryan is typically up here teaching on Sunday mornings. But, about once a month, we break the routine a little and have other qualified men preach for several reasons. 

1.     First, our 3 core pillars here at Harbor are Biblical Teaching, Authentic Community, and Family Discipleship. With that we want to be intentional in prioritizing each. Because of that, every week Ryan is not up here teaching he is in the back volunteering with the kids. Our children are our first mission field and we want to set the example from top to bottom that discipling our kids is the work of the whole church, not just a few select members. 

2.     Second, we want to be intentional about not only teaching scripture but equipping others to do the same. One great way to do that is provide opportunities for those with a gift and passion for teaching God’s word. So we share the pulpit and use this as an opportunity for discipling and encouraging future leaders.  

3.     And lastly, this gives Ryan a bit of a break. Leading a church plant is a challenging endeavor and we always want to do whatever we can to prevent anyone from burning out, especially our main teaching pastor. 

 So, with that said, this is my first time ever teaching in this setting on a Sunday morning. As an elder I take this responsibility very seriously and at the same time know that I am far from the most gifted communicator. So lets take a moment to pray, and please pray for me as well, that I would simply be the vessel that God uses to speak his word today. 

Background

As we begin I would ask you to open up your bibles to the book of John and flip to chapter 8. Today we will study verses 31-38. As a church we have been studying through the book of John each week, verse by verse. 

If you do not have a bible, there should be some extras sitting in the back as well as on the welcome table that was right out by the elevator when you came in. Feel free to grab one of those. If you do not own a bible, please take one as our gift to you. 

  As you are finding today’s passage, I want to briefly recap what we have talked about over the last few weeks. First and foremost, we have to keep in mind that John wrote this entire book with a specific goal in mind. 

 In John chapter 20 verses 30-31 he tells us that his whole purpose in writing is that we would believe that Jesus is the is Messiah, and that by believing we may find true life.That has been his intended purpose from the beginning of chapter 1 up to where we are today in chapter 8. 

To this point, John has recorded for us many miraculous things that Jesus has said and done. 

·      He has turned water into wine

·      He has healed an official’s son

·      He has healed a man who was crippled for 38 years. 

·      He has claimed to be the Son of God almighty. 

·      He has taught the scriptures as one with authority even though he had no formal education. 

·      He has fed 5,000+ men with a few loaves of bread and fish. 

·      He has walked on water.

·      He has claimed to be the bread of life. 

·      He has claimed that he offers living water to all who believe in him. 

·      And he has claimed to be the light of the world.

By these things, he has caused great division among the people. Some hate him and want to kill him. His words and his works have been so miraculous that many others have believed that he is truly the promised Messiah that the Jews have been expecting for generations. The people could not ignore the incredible works he was doing or the remarkable things that Jesus said. One thing is certain, everyone made a choice, either to reject Jesus or to believe in Jesus. 

He has consistently said and done all these things on purpose. He is revealing to the people who he really is. 

In today’s passage he proclaims to them where true life and freedom can be found. Jesus wants true disciples who follow his teaching with everything they have. 

Now with all that in our minds, lets read John chapter 8 verses 31-38. 

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.” 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’?” 

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.” 

 Now in this passage I think there are 3 main themes that stick out. As we look at each verse individually I want us to keep these in our minds. I will introduce them now, then we will see them over and over again as we go verse by verse. 

Main Themes

1.     There is a crucial difference in being a “believer” and a “disciple.”

We will see this play out in the passage today as well as other places throughout John, but here is what I mean by this. Belief in Jesus does not necessarily equate to salvation. Belief isa necessary part of salvation, but by itself, a literal head knowledge belief is not enough to save.  

James 2:19 tells us this, 

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” 

Therefore, one can be a “believer” without being a Christian. 

The mark of a true believer (what I will call a “disciple”) is one who abides in Christ. 

So for the remainder of today I want us to be clear that when I am talking about a “believer” I am speaking of someone with a head knowledge about Jesus but who is not a true disciple of Jesus. A “believer” knows about Jesus and even claims to believe in Jesus, but has not been transformed by Jesus.

In this case, a “believer” is not a Christian. 

Then when I refer to a “disciple” I am referring to those who not only believe, but abide with and obey Christ. These “disciples” are Christians. 

 I want to acknowledge that this can be a little confusing, as the bible does sometimes refer to Christians as “believers.” This is true and good. But, in every case, no matter the word used, only “believers” who truly follow Christ and obey his commands are ever considered Christians. When a person gets saved, their old sinful nature is crucified and they are “born again” as a new creation. 

The second main theme we will see is this: 

2.     True freedom is not physical freedom. True freedom is freedom from sin and death.

The Jews in the passage are thinking in temporary, physical, earthly terms. Jesus is talking of eternal, spiritual realities. 

Especially today, the world proclaims that freedom is being able to do whatever you want. To sin as you wish with no boundaries and no consequences. Jesus clearly teaches that this is backwards, those who live however they want are actually living an illusion. They claim freedom, but in reality, they are trapped in bondage to sin.  

Only the disciple of Jesus Christ experiences true freedom. 

·      Freedom from the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. 

·      Freedom that leads to our good.

·      Freedom that brings lasting joy.

·      Freedom that truly satisfies… and

·      Freedom for eternity. 

And the third main theme we see is this:  

3.     Jesus is our only hope to be set free from the slavery of sin.

On our own, we are slaves and will never be set free. (verse 35a) 

Where Jesus is, there is freedom. (verse 35b) 

Jesus alone sets us free from sin. (verse 36) 

 God’s plan since the beginning of creation has been for Jesus to come to earth to set us free from sin and death. (John 1:1-5, 14-17) 

Questions

Now as we begin to unpack each verse I want each of us to wrestle with a few questions. 

• Have you ever believed in Jesus at all?

•  If you have learned about Jesus, are you truly a disciple of Jesus Christ, or are you simply a “believer”?

•  Have you experienced true freedom from sin and death?

• Has Jesus transformed your heart and mind and given you new life, full of lasting Joy and Hope?

(At this time I want to mention something that our community groups can discuss this week. First, I would love for you guys to read the parable of the sower in Matthew chapter 13 verses 1-23. Once you have read the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, then you can discuss, which category of seeds the Jews, that Jesus is talking to, would fall into? We know that they believed in him, but we will see that they do not follow Jesus, so which seeds would they be? Then you can discuss which category of seeds we fall into? Are we seeds that fell on the road, on rocky soil, among the weeds, or on good soil? Which of those describes your life and how can we become good seed if we are not already?)

Now back to verse 31 in John chapter 8: 

“31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,”  

The first thing to notice in this verse is that he is talking to those who had believed him. If you look back one more verse it tells us in verse 30 that “many believed in him.” So immediately Jesus is addressing this group of believers. 

This is very important. They believed, which was good, so Jesus began instructing them how to truly become his disciples.  He says that the mark of a disciple is one who “abides in his word.” 

Therefore, we must ask the obvious question: 

What does it mean to “abide in Jesus’ word?”

I think that we can look ahead to John chapter 15 to help bring some clarity to that question. 

Jesus says:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  

Here Jesus uses the analogy of a vine to explain to us what it means to abide in him. I think from these verses we get a picture of what it means to abide in Jesus Christ. 

1.     First, Abiding in Christ means He is our lifeline. 

His words are our fuel and our food. If we are abiding in Christ, our lives will be marked by a deep hunger for scripture and spending time in God’s word. 

So let me ask the question: 

·      Is Jesus the one who sustains and nourishes you? 

·      Do his words pour over your soul and give you life? 

·      Or do they sound more like burdensome rules you have to follow?

I think an illustration will help here: Have any husbands ever brought home flowers for your wife? Here is a tip, and this is free, if you don’t already do this, you should start, even if she never asks for it. 

A few weeks back when Emily finished up her last chemo treatment I surprised her with a bouquet of some of her favorite flowers. I have a picture and the picture really doesn’t do justice to how beautiful they were. Needless to say, she loved them. And I was glad I could bring her a little joy that day. 

But what happened to those flowers a couple days later? They began to wilt and dry up and die right? 

Like a flower that fades quickly when it is cut, so our lives will fade if we are forced to go without the Word of God. 

If we are abiding in Christ and filling our lives with his words, then we will grow and flourish. But, the spiritual life of anyone not abiding in Christ will quickly dry up like a dead flower that has been cut and thrown out.

Then the second sign of abiding in Christ is this:

2.     Abiding in Christ means producing spiritual fruit. 

Verse 8 of John chapter 15 tells us that producing fruit brings glory to Godand provesthat you are Jesus’ disciple. Let me say this another way to make sure we caught that, if you are a disciple of Jesus, you will be producing spiritual fruit. If we want to know who Jesus’ true disciples are, we need only to look at who is bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. 

So, what does that fruit look like in a disciple’s life?

Overall, I think spiritual fruit will look like anything that is building up the kingdom of God on earth. I wish I could give you a checklist and say “hear is what to look for.” But that wouldn’t be wise as it would quickly become a list of do’s and dont’s to try and earn our way to God’s favor. But scripture is far from silent on what the faithful life of discipleship will look like. 

Jesus tells us later in chapter 13 that others will know who his disciples are by their love for one another. So a clear sign of a disciple of Jesus will be how that person deeply loves his or her brothers and sisters in the church. 

Paul also tells us in Galatians that the transformed disciple of Jesus will be growing in the fruit of the Spirit. I always like to point out that it is the “Fruit” of the Spirit and not the “Fruits” of the Spirit. 

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control…

So we should certainly expect a person who is abiding in Christ to exhibit all of these qualities and be constantly growing in them.

 Another clear fruit in the disciple’s life is faithfulness to share the good news of what God has done in his or her life. In every case in scripture, the person who has been set free from sin and given new life by God has immediately begun sharing that with the people nearby. This is what we call evangelism. 

And God commands us to make disciples of all nations, so we should expect to see new people coming to faith in Christ by our proclaiming the gospel. Now our evangelism will not necessarily mean that we will be seeing men and women come to faith in Christ. Salvation is a miraculous work of God where God gives a new heart and new mind to a person who was previously dead in their trespasses and sins. He alone brings salvation and we cannot force anyone to become a follower of Jesus. 

Because of that fact, we will never be judged by the number of converts we personally lead to Christ, but rather we will be judged by the measure of our obedienceto what God has commanded us to do in his word. 

 But, the reality is, if you have never once shared what God has done to rescue you from sin and death, you are probably not a disciple of Jesus. 

 Now I do want to be clear here though. 

·      Spiritual fruit never precedes salvation.

·      The fruit of our lives do nothing to earn our way to salvation. 

·      No amount of good works can gain us favor with God. 

·      Our salvation is not earned by our fruit. 

Rather, salvation is given to anyone who humbly accepts the free giftof salvation offered by Jesus Christ on the cross. We place our faith in what was done for us in love. Fruit simply flows out of our thankfulness for the incredible love God shows to us. 

Then, the third way we can know someone is abiding in Christ is this,

3.     Abiding in Christ means living in obedience. 

We already mentioned that God’s word is the lifeline of a disciple. We also know that God’s word is active and powerful. So, any disciple will be actively studying and living out what God’s word teaches in obedience. 

Later in John chapter 14 verses 23 & 24, Jesus says: 

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.” 

The mark of a disciple is obedience to God’s word. 

These have been some difficult truths for me to chew on the last few weeks as I try to examine the fruit of my own life. 

If we claim to be Christians but there is no obedience to God’s word, then we are foolish to believe we are his disciples.   

So, as we have seen, 

·      There is a crucial difference in being a “believer” and a “disciple.” 

·      A believer has a head knowledge and belief about Jesus as miraculous. 

·      A disciple is one who abides in Christ. 

·      A disciple clings to Christ as his lifeline.

·      A disciple’s life produces spiritual fruit.

·      And a disciple follows the words of Jesus in obedience.

If we are abiding in Jesus, we will love the things Jesus loves and hate the things Jesus hates. We will walk in righteousness and flee from sin. We will begin to act like Jesus, talk like Jesus, love like Jesus, attract the poor and needy like Jesus, extend grace like Jesus, and ultimately become like Jesus. 

Maybe you are actively abiding in Christ and making disciples. Praise God! Maybe you are realizing that your relationship with Jesus is more or less just a belief, with no fruit or obedience in your life and you need to truly be saved. Or maybe you have never believed in Jesus at all. 

Either way, verse 32 offers grace and hope. 

Lets look at verse 32, 

“32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  

We can all be set free by the truth.  

 I think there are 2 important questions we must answer… 

1.     What is the freedom Jesus is talking about?

2.     What is the truth that brings freedom?

We will see these answered as we look at the following verses. 

Starting in verse 33:

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’?” 

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.  

Clearly by the response of the Jews in verse 33 there was some confusion about Jesus’ teaching. Their minds are set on earthly, physical things, while Jesus is ultimately concerned with eternal spiritual realities. This is why they are so confused by his assertion that they could be set free.  

Their response is quite ironic actually. Yes is it true that these particular Jews had not been in physical chains. But, as a people, they were currently under Roman control. They had freedom to practice their law but within the realm of what Caesar allowed. So to a degree they were currently in bondage. 

On top of that, the Jews have a long history of being slaves to foreign powers. They had been in captivity several times. And most notably, they were slaves in Egypt, which is what led God to raise up Moses to lead them to the promised land. Jesus had even just alluded to that time in chapters 6, 7, & 8 with his mentioning of the bread, the water, and the light. So their assertion that they had never been slaves was shaky from the start. 

Ultimately though, 

·      Jesus was not talking about physical slavery. 

·      He wasn’t talking about being in chains. 

·      Or being forced to do manual labor. 

·      He was talking about being in spiritual slavery.  

He tells us in verse 34 about the worst kind of slavery…being enslaved to sin… and he tells us in verse 35 how this slavery ultimately leads to death. 

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.  

Each of us is guilty of sin. 

We all practice sin. 

I practice sin. 

I have sinned and rebelled against God during the time I have spent preparing this sermon. 

We sin because, by nature, we are sinners. 

David teaches this in Psalm 51 verse 5 when he says: 

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.  

The sin nature within us has been passed down to us through the generations from the first man Adam. Outside of Jesus, no human being has lived without sin. Therefore, each of us was born as a slave to sin. Because of our sin, we are not free. And, worse than that, because of our sin, we are separated from God. 

Because of our sin, we are deserving of death, hell, and God’s righteous judgement. And because God is just, he would be acting unjust and contrary to his nature if he let guilty sinners into his holy presence. 

God, the creator and sustainer of the entire universe, is perfect and holy. 

·      He is quite literally the definition of what is good and true. 

·      He is the standard of justice and perfection. 

·      He is holy. 

·      He is light and life. 

·      God’s nature is incompatible with sin and darkness. 

For this reason, our sin causes a division between us and God. Verse 35 tells us that our slavery forbids us from remaining in the house with Father God almighty. 

This house represents the eternal dwelling place of God. This house is where Jesus, the Son, will reside forever. This house is where peace, justice, hope, joy, and indescribable love exist in perfect harmony forever and ever. 

This house… is heaven. 

The problem is that our sin bars us from remaining in the house. The slave is not welcome in the house of the master. That privilege is reserved for the children. Only sons and daughters are invited into the house to stay. One sin is enough to put us on the outside looking in. 

Therefore, true freedom is not physical freedom. True freedom is freedom from sin and death.

At this point it would be very easy to get discouraged. After all, because of our sin, we are slaves and can’t do anything in our own power to make our way into the wonderful house of God. The Jews in this story were angry with Jesus and I can understand why. If this was the whole story we would have no hope.  

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Last summer Emily and I took a trip to Europe and visited Berlin as one of our stops. One day in Berlin we took a tour of the Sachsenhausen Concentration camp. It was a truly remarkable and heartbreaking place to visit. This wasn’t a death camp like some of the worst ones, but they certainly had a lot of blood on their hands. This camp was one of the very first camps built. And they actually used it as a place to test new methods of torture and experimentation to use at other camps. They did awful awful things to the prisoners and murdered over 30,000 people there.  

Right outside the entrance there would have been a small homey looking cottage where they would have a camp fire burning. They did this so that the prisoners they were bringing in would feel comfortable and not freak out as they wondered what awaited them beyond the walls. 

I have a picture we took of the gate at the entrance. In German these words translate to roughly, “hard work makes your free.” 

They led the prisoners in with the allusion that if they worked extremely hard it would lead to their freedom. They were led to believe that their best efforts would earn them the right to go back home to their previous life of freedom and happiness. 

This was an absolute lie! 

The guards knew it and the Nazi leaders knew it, yet they lied over and over as they literally slaughtered millions of innocent people. Those who made that assertion were the embodiment of evil…. 

And Satan feeds us this same lie today.  

·      We think that our hard work will set us free from the bondage of sin and death. 

·      We think that we can stop any sin whenever we want.

·      We think that God will cut us some slack because we try to be “a good person.” 

·      We think that surely there will be a scale and as long as our good outweighs our bad we are in. 

·      We think that we can earn God’s favor if we go to church often enough or pray enough or do anything else enough. 

In the same way the prisoners walking through that gate falsely believed they would be set free if they just worked hard enough, we believe the lie that we can earn our way to heaven. 

Oh how I wish we could go back to that camp entrance and tell them the truth. If only they would have known the truth about what really laid beyond those walls…. 

But even worse, imagine if they would have known the truth and went in anyway? 

The Truth

I am standing up here to tell you the truth about where freedom is truly found. I want to be like a man standing on the top of that barbed wire wall yelling “turn around, only torture and death awaits through that gate.”I want to be crystal clear about the only way to find true freedom. 

The truth is… that freedom is found through Jesus and Jesus alone!

Verse 36 says this.

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  

In John 14:6 Jesus says: 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

·      There is only one path to freedom. 

·      There is only one way of salvation. 

·      There is only one hope for sinners like you and like me. 

Jesus Christ!

Freedom is found in the truth. We are not forced to remain slaves forever. The truth is that we have been given the offer of a lifetime. 

Everything we have done has earned our place in slavery, …. 

 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by graceyou have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

We could not earn our freedom on our own, but Jesus paid the ransom to set us free. 

·      Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price so that you and I can be made holy. 

·      He died on the cross to set us free from our bondage to sin. 

·      He rose from the dead so that we could live with him in the house of God for eternity. 

·      He conquered death once and for all so that all who place their faith in him will be set free. 

·      His work gives us the freedom to now live for God with our whole lives. 

Despite the hopelessness of slavery, the Son, Jesus Christ, offers life and adoption into the family of God. 

·      Jesus alone is the Truththat sets the captive free. 

·      Jesus alone is the Sonwho offers freedom. 

·      Jesus alone has the authority to set us free. 

·      Jesus alone offers freedom from our slavery to sin. 

·      Jesus alone is our hope.  

·      Jesus alone brings us from death to life. 

·      Jesus alone offers true life... spiritual life... eternal life in the house of the Father. 

All we must do is accept the gift of sonship that Jesus offers, through faith in him. Freedom is within the grasp of anyone who has heard this truth today. We are saved by the grace of Jesus through placing our faith in the work of Jesus, as he willingly sacrificed his life on the cross to pay the penalty we owed for our sin. We are set free because Jesus then rose from the dead, conquering death, so that when we place our full trust in him, sin no longer has any authority of our lives. 

If you need to experience that freedom today all you have to do is this, repent of your sins and follow Jesus. 

If you have never done that before today, why in the world would you wait? Pray to the Lord today to set you free from the bondage of sin and death and he will answer that prayer.  So if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.

How could we not praise the one who offers us so much undeserved grace?  

·      When we understand what a great price was paid for our freedom it will inevitably lead to worship. 

·      The only proper response to Jesus is to follow him with every ounce of energy we have.  

·      When we understand the depths of grace offered to us it will burst forth from inside us to those around us. 

·      When we accept the free gift of grace in Jesus it breaks the chains of slavery to sin.  

·      When we are changed by him we will begin to love like him.  

·      When Jesus sets us free we will obey his commands and bear the fruit of God. 

·      When Jesus is the king of our lives, we won’t be able to maintain a mere belief or head knowledge about Jesus… his extravagant grace beckons us to die to ourselves and follow him as his disciples. 

Therefore, Jesus is our only hope to be set free from the slavery of sin.

Paul deals with this exact topic very clearly in Romans chapter 6. I don’t have time to read it all today so I will just highlight a few things. (But I would love for our community groups to read all of Romans chapter 6 together and discuss this question:

What is the proper response of a Christian who has been set free from the bondage of sin?) 

In this chapter we see this, apart from Christ our sin controls us. Therefore, we must follow Jesus’ death to put to death our sin. Jesus’ resurrection gives us the power to truly be free from our sin. So the call to follow Christ is a call to come and die, but the promise of Christ is that, by his resurrection, we will gain life for eternity. Our old self is crucified so that our new self is able to follow after Christ. In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin and never will be again. Those chains have been broken. Therefore, we no longer live to satisfy our former sins, rather, disciples of Jesus now live for his glory.

Verses 22 and 23 tell us:

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The offer is open to all of us today. Not only to believe, but to obey and have life and life eternal. Jesus is not looking merely for those who believe, he is looking for disciples. 

Lets look at the last 2 verses from our passage in John and see how these Jewish “believers” responded to Jesus’ offer of freedom. (Remember that these are people who have believed in Jesus, yet we will see that their belief is simply a head knowledge that had not transformed their lives. 

 They believed, but they didn’t abide. Therefore, Jesus exposes that they are still slaves to sin, and ultimately still in slavery to their “father” satan.)

Look at verses 37 and 38 

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.” 

I hope that you feel the weight of the tragedy unfolding in these verses. The Jews here were very proud of their spiritual heritage. 

·      They were proud of their knowledge of the law and the scriptures. 

·      And they were especially proud that they were the offspring of Abraham.  

·      They knew the promises that God had spoken thousands of years before to Abraham. 

·      They knew that the Jews were God’s chosen people. 

·      They knew a Messiah was coming to establish God’s kingdom on earth and that he would be from their bloodline. 

·      So they took their identity as “offspring of Abraham” very seriously. 

The offer of eternal freedom for the whole world was literally standing right in front of them. 

In their midst was the embodiment of all the promises they had learned about for generations.  

Yet they missed it... 

The choice was clear:

·      Accept the offer of full, eternal, grace driven freedom from sin and death.

·       To repent and believe that Jesus truly is the Messiah.

·      To die to self and follow after Jesus.

·      To abide in the one who makes all things new. 

·      To experience true life and joy and peace.

Or,

·      To remain in their sin that leads to death.

·      To try to work their way into heaven, but ultimately fail.

·      To continue in their pride and miss out on true life.

·      To live a life with no hope for eternity.

That same choice is clear today. 

Are you following Jesus and abiding in his words?

Have you been set free from your sin and death?

There is no hope for us if we place our faith in anything besides Jesus.

·      The faith of our parents,

·      Our knowledge of the bible,

·      Our good works,

·      Our genuine effort to please God,

·      Our church attendance,

·      Our giving to charity,

·      Our volunteering to setup chairs,

·      Our serving in the kids ministry,

·      Our feeding the homeless,

·      And even my being up here teaching God’s word all are incapable of providing freedom from sin and death.

Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man remains in the Father’s house except through faith in him.

Conclusion

So I had a conclusion prepared earlier in the week but something happened this week that changed my plans. 

At the end of last year Emily and I made goals for 2019. We had an idea of how the year would go. We looked forward to where we would travel, how much money we would be able to give, when we would hopefully start a family, and many other things. Then in April our world was flipped upside down when Emily was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 27. For those who are like me and knew nothing about cancer, being diagnosed before your 50’s is nearly unheard of. Her oncologist calls her a unicorn.

 This has by far been the most difficult year of our lives. We have been forced to trust in God to provide comfort and hope the way that only He can.

Then also, I have known for several months that I was going to preach in December, but I didn’t know the exact date until probably about a month ago. As soon as I found out, the first person I texted was Coach Mike Jacobs to let him know. He was my baseball coach at the University of Mobile and he and Mrs. Joy had told me to let them know so they could come listen. Ever since I played there, they were some of my biggest supporters. 

 I texted him and told him the date I was preaching, and he simply said “Awesome. We will be there.” 

• He is literally a huge reason why I am even up here today. 

• He was the only coach to offer me a place to play college baseball.

• Because I went to UM I met my wife Emily. 

• Most of my closest friends are guys he recruited on the baseball team, like our other pastor Ryan. 

• He introduced me (and Ryan) to Mars Hill Church, which ultimately led us to plant Harbor Community Church. 

• Without Coach Jacobs this church may not even exist.

• Coach Jacobs even got me an internship at the engineering company I still work at today. 

He is a spiritual giant in my eyes and a man I have come to love and respect as much as anybody in this world. He modeled to every person who ever played for him what it meant to love Christ and serve him with the gifts God had given him. He made sure that every player he recruited would hear the gospel. He showed us what it looked like to love his wife deeply and to serve alongside her. Ultimately, he showed us what it looked like to not just believe, but to abide in Jesusand be a disciple of Christ.

Then this Tuesday, I got a text saying that he had a heart attack and passed away. 

Just like that everything changed.

 God’s plan is often not at all what we would plan. That has certainly rung true this week. We had no idea that Emily would get cancer. Nobody had any idea that would happen to Coach. The beautiful thing about both these situations though is this, we have hope, because we know a God who offers life beyond these physical bodies.

 We have hope that God is much more powerful than cancer. 

We have hope that Emily is healed and the cancer is all gone. 

 But more than that… we have hope knowing that whatever God’s will is, we will ultimately live with him in heaven forever.

We mourn the loss of Coach Jacobs deeply. Yet we can rejoice because we know that he loved Jesus more than anything in this world. Coach Jacobs is more alive today that he ever was walking on this earth!

In Jesus we are given life that 

·      no cancer,

·      no heart attack, 

·      no sickness

·      no disease

·      no job loss, 

·      no divorce,

·      no wayward child,

·      no sin,

·      no tragedy,

·      no pain,

·      and no heartbreak can ever take away.

I know one thing for sure, if Coach Jacobs were here today I would want to make him proud. And I know that nothing would make him more proud than to make sure that not a single person walks out of here today without hearing the truth. 

The glorious good news of Jesus Christ. 

We are all sinners in need of a Savior. We are enslaved to our sin and on a crash course with death and hell and eternal punishment for our sin by a just, holy, and righteous God. 

But God… who is rich in mercy provided a way out for us. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to earth and lived a perfect life. He was crucified to pay the penalty of our sin, that we deserved. And then he rose from the dead, conquering sin and death once and for all. And because of what Jesus did, God offers us freedom from sin and death! All we must do is repent of our sins, accept the free gift offered to us, and follow after Jesus Christ.

If you have never done that, or if you are trusting in your hard work for God, or if you have a belief with no fruit and no abiding relationship with Jesus,

I beg you to cry out to God to be merciful to you today. 

If you have questions or want to talk about this more please grab me or Ryan or anyone near you to talk about this. We will be hanging around after the service as we clean up.

Closing Prayer

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

John 8:12-30

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

In our passage today, Jesus makes a claim to be the light of the world. Now, before we begin to look at this claim, I would like for us to circle back to John 1. In order for us to truly understand what Jesus is saying here, we need to understand three things:

1. We need to understand what John has said about life, light, and darkness up until this point in the gospel.

2. We need to understand what the Scriptures say about life, light, and darkness.

3. (3) We need to understand what’s going on culturally during this time in relation to life, light, and darkness.

When we rightly understand these three things, we will undoubtedly understand that Jesus is claiming to be the one who has descended from heaven into darkness, in order to give eternal life to those who believe in him.

John 1

Back in John’s prologue, John 1:1-18, we saw John introduce to us the Word made flesh (which we know to be Jesus).

First, in verses 1 & 2 we saw that the Word (Jesus) was preexistent and eternal in nature. 

In the beginning (before anything existed) was the Word… 

Jesus was there. He was not bound by time. There was never a time that he was not. 

Second, at the beginning of creation, Jesus was there, coexisting with God…

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God…”

He is a distinct person from God. The Son and the Father are two distinct persons. Yet, despite this truth, we also see Jesus’ divine nature in that he is God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(Jesus) was the preexistent, personal God who was in an intimate, triune relationship with God, the Father & the Holy Spirit. 

“He was in the beginning with God.”

And if he was in the beginning with God, then that means that (v3),

"All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

If Jesus is the fully divine creator of all things, then that means that Jesus is distinct from creation. If all things were made through him, then that means he cannot be created. You cannot create something while simultaneously coming into existence yourself. Jesus was not a created being. He is distinct from creation.

Not only was Jesus distinct from creation, Jesus is also superior to creation. If Jesus was the creator, then that means that Jesus is superior to creation. Jesus and creation are not on the same level. Without Jesus nothing was made that was made.

Then, we saw that, 

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

Jesus is the one that literal, physical, life is found in, and he’s the one that spiritual life is found in. Where there was nothing in Genesis 1, the Father, through the Son, brought forth life. And where mankind is lifelessly dead in our sins, the Father, through the Son, brings to life those who believe in him. Jesus is literally the source of life for all things, everywhere; and he is the source of eternal life for all who believe in him. 

Light and darkness are not equal. When light shines, darkness flees. Darkness cannot overcome the light.

Then, in verses 6-8, we see that JTB came to bear witness about the light. That’s important for our passage today. We have JTB pointing to Jesus, bearing witness about the light. Then, we see in verse 9-10 that the true light, the creator of all things, has come into the world. Yet, the world did not know him.

From the start of this gospel, John has been wanting us to know that the creator of all things has come into the world, as the true light, in order to give life through his death on the cross.

Yet, all throughout this gospel, we have seen many (because of their love for darkness) have rejected him. In our passage today we will see the true light of the world, Jesus, proclaim to be the light of the world, and we will see his own people reject him. But, we will also see some who have received him, who believe in his name. And it is those who believe in him that will become children of God. They will be “born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

So, from the start of this gospel, John has been telling us that Jesus, the light of the world, has come into a world of darkness in order to give life to the lifeless, through his death on the cross.

John 8:12-30

Last week we learned that John 7:53-8:11 was not originally a part of the gospel of John. It wasn’t found in the earliest manuscripts. In fact it wasn’t found here in the gospel of John until around the 5th century. So, we (I) believe the author was likely Luke. It was either a part of oral tradition or was a fragment of a text that didn’t really have a home. Therefore, scholars sought to insert it in a place that least interrupts the flow of a passage. Because the story was located at the temple and it dealt with judgment, it was placed here in the middle of a passage that was located in the temple and dealt with judgment. 

That tells us that today’s passage is a continuation of John 7:52. So, lets refresh our memory of what’s been taking place leading up to this exchange.

What’s going on culturally during this time? 

First and foremost, we saw that all of this is taking place during the Feast of Booths. That’s very important for us as we work our way through this weeks passage. The Feast of Booths was one of three pilgrimage least, which meant that all the Jews were required to journey to Jerusalem to observe this week long feast. 

This was a feast dedicated to celebrate all the different ways that God has provided for his people. It celebrated God’s complete provision of the harvest, present tense; it was a time to pray for a good rainy season, future tense; and it was a time to celebrate how God faithfully provided for his people, past tense, by dwelling with his people in the wilderness.  

John, all throughout John 7, has been showing us how Jesus is the fulfillment of this feast. In the middle of a feast that celebrated God dwelling with his people in the wilderness, Jesus came and tabernacled (dwelt) among his people; and, now, the Holy Spirit tabernacles (dwells) within the hearts of his people.

In the middle of a feast that celebrated God’s provision, Jesus invited those who were thirsty to come to him and drink. Out of the heart of those who believe in him will flow rivers of living water because the Holy Spirit will come and dwell in them. So, now we know with confidence that the LORD will never leave his people because he dwells in his people.

This message stirs up the crowd. Some believe; some reject. And now in the midst of all this chaos Jesus is about to proclaim to be the light of the world.

Now, during this feast, they would light four large golden lamp stands (likely 75 feet tall) in the court of women near “the treasury.” They would do this as a remembrance of how God dwelt with, and led his people, in the wilderness. We will read about this in a minute, but the LORD led his people in the wilderness through a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. So, these ginormous lamp stands would serve as a reminder of how the LORD provided for his people in the wilderness. Some would say that the city would be so lit up that every courtyard in Jerusalem would be illuminated.

This would have been a celebratory time, as well. Some would say that, while the lamps were lit, they partied and celebrated all night during this feast. So, it’s lit of several different occasions: it’s lit because of the lamps and it’s lit because of the celebration. 

We also see in our passage today (v. 20) that all of this is taking place in the treasury. The treasury would have been in the court of women. Which means that this would have been a well populated area in the middle of a location in the temple where both men and women were permitted to enter.

I think this location is important for us because it brings to life the invitation that Jesus is about to make. The invitation to come and follow the light of the world is not reserved for the religious elite. It’s available to all who come to him in belief. The gospel is not reserved for one type of people. As Paul tells us in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

So, it’s while these lights were lit in the treasury, and while Israel celebrated God’s dwelling with them through the pillar of fire, that Jesus proclaims to be the light of the world. 

This is a lengthy passage. So, rather than read this whole passage in one sitting, let’s take it in chunks. Our first chunk will be verse 12, and then we will progress through this passage piece by piece.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Now, again, this is not the first time that we’ve come in contact with the theme of light in the gospel of John. In fact, this is something that John’s constantly putting in front of his readers. 

But, why? Why is Jesus’s proclamation to be “the light of the world” important

Well, in one aspect, it’s important because light is a common metaphor used throughout the OT. We’re looking at a large chunk of scripture today. So, we don’t have time to go through all of the different references to light used in the OT. But, it’s often used in reference to God, the Messiah, and the Word.

Now, just because we don’t have time to dig into these OT references to “light” this morning, that doesn’t mean that they’re not important. They’re extremely important. In fact, this may be a really good discussion point for your community group this week. Y'all go home, swim around in the OT, jot down different references in the OT about “light,” then discuss these references in your group. I think this will help really help bring to light (pun intended) the claim Jesus is making here. 

But, that being said, I think John wants us to see this claim in light of what was being celebrated during the Feast of Booths. So, all of the OT references to light are good and needed. But, the one that I want us to look at today is found in Exodus 13:21-22. 

When Israel was led out of slavery, and before they made it to the promised land, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and the LORD never left them alone in the wilderness.

Exodus 13:21-22 says, 

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”

So, while Israel wandered in the wilderness, in the midst of darkness and uncertainty and hopelessness, the LORD was with them. He did not depart from his people. He was a light, the light, for his people in the midst of darkness, so that they might follow him.

Darkness is terrifying because you’re unable to see what’s lurking in the darkness. Just as my kids. Darkness is crippling because you’re unable to see where to step. Just ask any parent who’s stepped on a lego at night. But, light illuminates and comforts the fearful, and it illuminates and directs those who cannot see. 

The LORD, the creator of all things, the one true God, led his people in the wilderness by a pillar of fire at night. And, now, Jesus is saying, “I am the light of the world.” He is not claiming to be a light among many other lights, he is the light. 

Jesus here is claiming to be the creator and sustainer of all things, the LORD over all, the one who has descended from heaven into a world of darkness. With these large lamp stands surrounding them, everyone knew exactly what Jesus was saying here.

Israel would have been helplessly lost in the wilderness without the LORD going before them in a pillar of fire. So, too, is mankind helplessly lost in darkness without Jesus.

Now, think about this: what was the purpose of the pillar of fire in Exodus? Was it there for decoration? Was it there to be marveled over? No. It was meant to be followed. It led them. It would have been silly for Israel to look at the pillar of fire, agree that it was the LORD, then sit idle in the dark. The pillar of fire was meant to be followed.

Listen, in the same way that the pillar of fire was meant to be followed, so too is Jesus. Jesus says that “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

What a wonderful invitation!

Belief in Christ is not merely intellect. It is a lifestyle, an active following after Jesus. 

But, as we see in Israel’s example, following the light of the world isn’t always easy. The LORD led them through the wilderness for 40 years. Many never made it to the promised land. 

Following Jesus does not guarantee you prosperity. Your life on this earth may be hell. Your life may be plagued with famine, sickness, death, and calamity. You may never get what you long for on this earth.

But, you know what? In Christ, you have an eternal hope that cannot perish. The trials of this life cannot separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. So, while you walk in the wilderness of this life, you still have Jesus. “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In the midst of trials, you have the light of life. You have Jesus and that’s all that you need.

Now, Jesus’s claim here assumes an important detail that we must not miss. The statement, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” tells us that whoever doesn’t follow him remains in darkness and remains lifeless. 

Darkness is (1) a place of ignorance and folly, (2) of evil and fear, and (3) a place of judgment and wrath. Therefore, Jesus is saying, “Whoever follows me will no longer follow the evil ruler of this world, walking in ignorance and folly. Whoever follows me will be spared from the wrath and judgment that he or she rightfully deserves. Whoever follows me will have life.”

Because all of humanity is “dead in their sins,” this proclamation of Jesus is a message of hope! Jesus is inviting sinners to come to him in belief, and in doing so they will find light and they will find life. Come! Believe in Jesus, and follow him for all your days!

Without Jesus, you don’t just fumble around in the darkness, but you lay lifeless in the dark. The gospel breathes life into dry bones, bringing the dead to life, and once you’ve been brought to life, you then follow after Jesus.

Jesus here is revealing himself as the long awaited Messiah, and the crowd should be ecstatic at this point. However, rather than continuing on in celebration, you hear the record scratch. The Pharisees respond in verse 13,

“You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”

We’ve learned throughout this gospel that a witness is essential in establishing any claim to be factual.

• “On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” — Deuteronomy 17:6

• “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.” — Deuteronomy 19:15

• “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” — Numbers 35:30

So, on three different occasions in the OT we see the importance of having two or more witnesses in order for a charge against someone to be established as true. Someone cannot be prosecuted on the basis of one witness. During this time “my word against your word” won’t cut it.

I think their response here tells us that they’ve already made up their mind about Jesus. He is a criminal that deserves capital punishment, and they are bound and determined to convict him as such.

So, the Pharisees are dismissing Jesus’s claims to be the Messiah because he’s making the claim about himself. They’re looking around saying that there are no witnesses to confirm his claims. Therefore, because there are no witnesses, these claims must not be true.

Now, is that true? Is Jesus the only one proclaiming this message? No. 

Going back to the prologue, JTB was a witness. Jesus’s works bear witness to himself. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, told Jesus that they acknowledged these works (Jn 3:2). The Scriptures bear witness to Jesus (Jn 5). The Father bears witness (Jn 5).

Yes, Jesus is bearing witness about himself. But, he is not making this claim alone. So, again, we see that the Pharisees are not concerned with justice. They’re only concerned with silencing Jesus. They’ve put their hands over their ears and shut their eyes to the countless witnesses that have validated the words of Jesus here, and they don’t accept Jesus’s claims because he’s bearing witness about himself. 

Richard Philips says, “This reminds us that unbelief never runs out of objections and never has sufficient proof.” When you boil it down, unbelief is never an intellectual matter.  It’s always an issue of the heart. The evidence that they’re stepping over here in order to dismiss Jesus’s claim is astounding.

Jesus however, answered them,

“Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.”

So, we know (because of John 1 and John 5) that Jesus has an abundance of witnesses bearing witness to the fact that his words are true. However, Jesus says, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true…” 

So, Jesus is readdressing a point that he’s already made. But, he’s attacking it from a different angle. Jesus can offer a true testimony about himself because he knows where he came from and where he’s going. In a world full of lies and deception, an abundance of witnesses are necessary. But, that doesn’t apply to the one who is the source of truth: the Son of God. 

If Nick Saban went to a high school football team, they wouldn’t make him show his credentials to discuss football. They would sit down and listen. So, in the same way, the Son of God, the creator of all things, God in flesh, the source of truth, does not have to show his credentials. He doesn’t have to have witnesses to validate his claims. What he says is true, regardless of whether or not he has any witnesses. Light never has to defend itself.

Even if he does bear witness about himself, his testimony is true. Why? Because he knows where he came from and where he is going. But, they do not know where he came from or where he is going. 

The Pharisees, as we see in verse 15, 

“…judge according to the flesh… but Jesus judges no one.” 

The Pharisees judge only by what they see, only by appearances. In assessing who Jesus is, they’re judging by human standards. As D.A. Carson puts it, “They see his ‘flesh’, as it were, but never contemplate the possibility that he could be the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14).”

They’re looking at where he was born, at the fact that they think he’s from Galilee and not Bethlehem; they’re looking at the fact that he’s healed on the Sabbath; they’re looking at the fact that he’s bearing witness about himself; and they conclude that he cannot be the Son of God.

They’re not judging with right judgment. Jesus, however, does not judge according to the flesh. He does not judge in the same way that his accusers do. But, again, “…even if he does judge, his judgment is true, because he doesn’t judge alone.”

“Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.”

We saw in John 5 and we will see in a few verses that Jesus will judge. One day he will raise all the dead to a judgment of life or a judgment of condemnation, and his judgment will be in accord with the Father.

Jesus then says,

“In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

It’s almost as if Jesus is saying, “Alright, you want two witnesses? Well, here you go: I bear witness about myself and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

The Father who set the Son bears witness about the Son. Once again we see the perfect harmony between Jesus and the Father.

They respond with their eye brows pointed and a sneering grin on their face,

“Where is your Father?”

Jesus then says,

“You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

This is a point that Jesus has been making all throughout this gospel. They are unable to recognize Jesus as the light of the world because they do not know the Father. They’re celebrating the faithfulness of a God that they don’t even know. What a tragedy. If they knew the Father, they would know Jesus. If they knew Jesus, they would know the Father. But, they knew neither Jesus nor the Father. 

Where they prided themselves in being close to God because they observed and kept God’s law, they were in fact far from God. This tells us that it’s possible to know the Bible and not know Jesus.

This was a stern rebuke. Yet, despite this stern rebuke, we see in verse 20,

“These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.”

In response to such a rebuke, no one arrested him because his hour had not yet come. This is the third time since the start of chapter 7 that we see their attempt to arrest Jesus fell short, which tells us that no persecution falls outside the sovereign hand of God. Jesus will be arrested when it’s time for him to be arrested.

So, to summarize what’s happened thus far: 

Jesus has proclaimed to be the light of the world, and he has invited the world to follow him. He has extended to a dark, dead, and hopeless world an invitation to miraculously transition out of darkness into the light of life, out of death into life. 

Yet, the Pharisees respond with hostility and rejection, claiming that he’s guilty of breaking the law. 

Jesus then shows them that they’re not judging with right judgment, and that his message is in fact true. He’s seeking to show a group of people who thinks that they’re in the light that they are in fact in the darkness. The accusers are in fact the ones condemned. Jesus is seeking to show a group of “morally upright individuals” that they are blinded by their sin. They do not know God.

Convincing/showing religious men and women their need for Jesus is a major challenge for us in the Christian faith.

Let’s look at verse 21,

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

He’s, again, seeking to show them that he is their only hope for eternal life. If they do not come to him in belief and follow after him, then they will not be able to go where he is going. 

Where is he going? He is going to return to where he came from. He is going to return to the Father in heaven, and they will not be able to find him because they will die in their sin. Their devotion to obeying the law will profit them none, because they have sinned against a holy, just, and righteous God. They have rejected their only hope for salvation: Jesus.

Making it to heaven is not dependent upon your ability to read the Bible, go to church, and serve others. Although those are important to the Christian faith, they’re not the foundation to it. Faith in Jesus is the foundation. Making it to heaven is dependent upon the faithfulness of Jesus to be lifted up on the cross, not your faithfulness to do x, y, and z. Do you believe in Jesus? Does your faith reside in Jesus Christ? This group of people will die in their sins because they have rejected Jesus’s invitation to come to him in belief.

The Jews therefore say in verse 22, 

“Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’”

Jesus has already said something similar, and they missed the point then, too. Back in chapter 7 Jesus said the same thing and they mockingly asked, “What is he going to go to the Greeks?” Well, this is yet another example of them missing the point. 

Their question about Jesus wanting to commit suicide is yet another example of great irony. No, Jesus will not kill himself. They will kill him. They will nail him to the cross in unbelief.

Jesus responds to their question, 

“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

Listen, Jesus is not just a morally good person. He is the Son of God who descended from above. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. He is the great I AM. If they (we) do not believe this, then they (we) will die in their (our) sins. Eternal life is unattainable if you only believe that Jesus was a good man. It’s one thing to believe there’s a God. It’s another thing to believe that Jesus is God. “For unless you believe that I am he (that I am the one who is from above, the one who is not from this world) you will die in your sins.”

They respond,

“Who are you?”

And Jesus says, 

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 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.”

Jesus’s message has not changed. He is the Son of God who has come down from heaven and walked in perfect submission to the Father’s will, proclaiming the Father’s message. 

Now, John then gives a clarifying statement in verse 27, if we couldn’t figure this out already on our own: 

“They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.” 

And in verse 28 Jesus says, 

“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. 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.”

To be lifted up is always a reference in John to the lifting up of Jesus on the cross. Back in John 3:14 Jesus tells Nicodemus, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." 

Jesus here was referencing Numbers 21. If you remember back to Numbers 21, it was here that we see Israel become impatient and begin to complain and grumble against the LORD. Therefore, the LORD sent fiery serpents, and those serpents bit people, and many people died. 

As a result, the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned. We’ve blown it. Please pray to the LORD for him to remove these serpents.”

And the LORD hears their prayers and tells Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on the pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”

Now, what’s incredible is that Jesus was telling Nicodemus that Numbers 21 was a foreshadow to the cross. All of mankind is sin-bitten. We are all plagued by spiritual death, dead in our trespasses and sins. But, the good news of the gospel is that whoever looks upon the Son of Man in belief will live, will have eternal life. 

It was God’s plan before the foundations of this world to save sinners like us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What grace, and what love this is! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

So, Jesus is saying, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man (after you nail Jesus to the cross), 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. You will realize that the Father is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

This tells us that the death of Jesus on the cross was pleasing to the Father. It pleased the Father to crush the Son so that we could be forgiven and free. 

Following Jesus’s death, comes his resurrection, and they will then know that Jesus is in fact that Son of God, who is one with the Father.  

“As he was saying these thing, many believed in him.”

Next week Brady is going to spend some time explaining this belief that we see here, because in next week’s passage we see this belief being tested by Jesus. 

So, I would like to close by going back to John 1:9-13, 

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

You’ve heard Jesus’s proclamation to be the light of the world. So, which is true of you?

Have you received this message or have you rejected it? 

If you’ve rejected it, then you will one day die in your sins and you will not be able to go where Jesus is, heaven. But, if you have received his message and believed in his name, then you (by the will of God) have been given the right to become children of God. Where you were once dead, you have been brought to life, and the Holy Spirit now dwells in you. No matter your circumstances, may you therefore have joy as you follow after Jesus, the light of the world. 

John 7:53-8:11

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

TEXTUAL CRITICISM

***Mars Hill just recently did a seminar discussing in much greater detail the topic that we are about to discuss. I strongly encourage you to go to their website and listen to it.  

Now, before we dive in, let me address a possible elephant in the text (room). Most of your Bible’s will have something in a footnote or a bracket saying, “The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.” 

For some of you, you have noticed this, and it scared and confused you. But, you didn’t really know what to do about it. For some of you, you’ve noticed it and you just don’t care. So, you kept on reading. While some of you noticed it, you tackled it. Therefore, this doesn’t phase you at all. 

So, for the sake of those of us who have no idea what this footnote means, I’m going to spend a few minutes explaining what this means. But, before I seek to explain what that means, let me read our church’s stance on the Bible:

“We believe that the Bible is the breathed-out, written word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and has primary authority of all matter of faith and conduct.”

So, what that means is that we believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, all of the authors of the different books of the Bible were prompted and led by the Holy Spirit to write everything that we need for belief in Christ and obedience to God. In their writing, we believe that the Holy Spirit kept them from error. 

Now, during the time of their writing, they shockingly didn’t have a printing press. There was no fax machines or copiers. Therefore, because these words were recognized as the inerrant word of God, copyist began to make copies of the original manuscripts.

So, for example, John wrote this gospel. Copies were then made, and those copies were dispersed. Then copies were made of those copies, and copies of those copies, so on and so forth.

Before you know it, hundreds and thousands of copies of the original NT manuscripts existed. Then, overtime, the original manuscripts deteriorated and became inexistent. Therefore, we don’t have any of the original manuscripts. But, we have thousands of copies of those manuscripts.

So, now we have a thing called “textual criticism,” which is the discipline of attempting to determine the original wording of a document when the original document doesn’t exists. This is a challenging discipline that I am not capable of doing. However, I’m thankful for those who do.

Textual critics take all of these copies, compare them, and then try to conclude what the original wording was/is. Although we don’t have the original manuscript of John, we have, what some scholars would call, an “embarrassment of riches” when it comes to ancient handwritten copies of the Bible.

Imagine making $1M/year by working as a cashier at McDonalds. Then one day one of your coworkers says, “Hey, I notice you drive a Tesla. How can you afford that by making minimum wage?” It would be embarrassing to reveal how much money you make to a coworker who makes so much less than you.

Well, when you compare the amount manuscript data from the NT with the data provided for the average Greco-Roman author, it’s not even a close comparison. Daniel B. Wallace says this, 

“The average classical author’s literary remains number no more than twenty copies. We have more than 1,000 times the manuscript data for the NT than we do for the average Greco-Roman author.”

So, most writings would possess around 20 copies; and no scholars doubts the credibility of these writings. Well, multiply that by 1,000 and that’s how much data we have for the NT. There’s an abundance of evidence surrounding the reliability and trustworthiness of the Bible.

Now, this abundance of evidence can create both problems and solutions for textual critics. The problem they create is the more copies you have the more variations you find. So, if you have 5,800 copies in the Greek language that were all written down by hand, then you can expect mistakes to be made. (Most of these mistakes consist of spelling errors and changes in words.)  

The more copies you have, the more variations you have. However, the more copies you have, the more those variations tend to be self-correcting. 

For example, If, back in 2017, I recorded in my journal that FSU beat Alabama in football and Chris recorded in his hot pink diary with hearts on it that Alabama beat FSU, then we would have a serious dilemma on our hands. Which is true? Nobody knows. 

However, if I recorded in my journal that FSU beat Alabama in football and Chris, Brent, Andrew, and Troy recorded in their diaries that Alabama beat FSU, then we have a better idea which is true. 

Because we have more recordings, the variations correct themselves. F.F. Bruce says, 

“If the great number of manuscripts increases the number of scribal errors, it increases proportionately the means of correcting such errors, so that the margin of doubt left in the process of recovering the exact original wording is… in truth remarkably small.”

So, with that in mind, we do not have the original manuscript of John, but we do have many copies of this original manuscript. And our little footnote in our Bible tells us that this passage wasn’t found in the earliest copies of the gospel of John.

What does that mean? Well, it means what it says.It means that, until the fifth century, this story wasn’t found in any of the early Greek manuscripts. So, that means that for around 400 years this story wasn’t found in the gospel of John. 

Not only that, but when you study the teachings and commentaries of the early church fathers, none of them mention this passage in their commentaries on the gospel of John. So, it’s safe to conclude, there’s overwhelming evidence, that this story was not a part of the original writings of John.

Now, if this gospel wasn’t written by John then 

1. Who wrote it?

2. What is it doing here?

Well, I, personally (and I’m not alone here), think there’s a lot of evidence that would point to the author of this passage being Luke. The language and writing style used in this passage doesn’t match the rest of the gospel of John. Rather, it resembles more of Luke. 

For example, Luke is often concerned with the poor, the marginalized, the helpless, the rejects of society, similar to the woman addressed in our passage today.

But, not only that, a lot of the words used here reflect Luke’s vocabulary. For example, John never uses the words “scribes and Pharisees” and the “Mount of Olives” anywhere else in his gospel. But, Luke does. The word for “early” in verse 2 isn’t found anywhere else in John. But, it is in Luke. The words for “all the people” in verse 2 is found 20 different times in Luke & Acts. The word for for “appear” is found over 24 times in Luke & Acts. The word for “accusers”and “conscience” is only found in Acts. There’s over 10 words used in this passage that aren’t found elsewhere in the gospel of John.

Imagine if Toby Keith recorded a song and put it on Drake’s new album, you would quickly realize there’s a difference between that song and the rest of his album. The tone, language, and words being used would quickly reveal Drake is not the author. You would be asking, “Since when did Drake get a southern accent, and what’s he doing talking about mud, trucks, and fishing?” 

The language and writing style in this passage doesn’t fit with the rest of this gospel. In fact, if you were to remove this passage, the story flows much smoother from John 7:52 to 8:12 than it does from 7:52 to 7:53. Which, again, tells us that this passage was inserted at a later date. Scholars do not disagree over this. 

That being said, I don’t think there is any reason to doubt the authenticity of this story. There’s details in this passage that push back against the theory of this story being fabricated and made up; and, as one commentator puts it, “It has all of the earmarks of historical veracity.”

Therefore, some scholars believe that this text was likely a manuscript fragment found separated from a larger manuscript. So, what scholars over the years have sought to do is insert this story in a place that least interrupts the flow of the text. Some have placed it here, others have inserted it following John 7:36. Some have placed it at the end of John 21:25, others have placed it after Luke 21:37-38.

It’s a passage that does have a home. Therefore, some have decided to place it here because it takes place in the temple and deals with the theme of judgment (which is so prevalent in John 7). 

So, although this story is not original to John, I believe it’s a historically accurate document that carries the same “character, tone, words, and actions of Jesus, clearly conveying the gospel.” Therefore, we will not dismiss this passage today.

Today’s passage is dripping with the gospel. In it, we will see the scribes and the Pharisees seek to trap Jesus so that “they might have some charge to bring against him,” and the way they seek to do that is by bringing a woman caught in adultery before him. 

Jesus, however, responds with a perfect balance of law and grace, truth and love, by (1) exposing the religious leaders hypocrisy and (2) giving grace to the sinner.

TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE

Now, for my second introduction of the morning, what I would like to do is highlight two groups of people in this passage and discuss how Jesus interacts with each of them. Then, we will unpack these verses.

These are:

• The scribes and Pharisees.

• The adulteress and the adulterer.

Scribes and the Pharisees:

The scribes were a group of people who possessed a knowledge of the law. They would be responsible for copying and drafting documents about the law. The pharisees were leaders in the synagogue. These would be men who were extremely zealous over the minute details of the law. 

Both the scribes and Pharisees were men who knew the law and who were zealous for keeping the law. However, as we will see today, despite this knowledge and zeal for the law, these were men who were walking in hypocrisy. 

But, most importantly, as we will also see today, these were men who hated Jesus. They did not like Jesus; and out of their hatred for Jesus, they will seek to take the law and use it to trap Jesus. 

Now, before we look at how the scribes and Pharisees seek to trap Jesus, and how Jesus interacts with them, let’s look at two other characters in this story: the adulteress and the adulterer.

Adulteress

What makes one an adulterer or adulteress? A simple answer would be the act of adultery.

Well what is adultery? 

Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse. (Jesus also takes this a step further by including the act of looking at a man or woman with lustful intent). Adultery is one of many ways that mankind seeks to enjoy the gift of sexual intimacy outside of the confines that God has given us in his word. 

Now, I want to spend a few moments camped out here on what the Bible says about adultery. This is where things get squirmy. But, I want to do this because I did a little research this week on the topic of adultery in our culture.

There’s a study out there that shows that 20% of men and 13% of women have reported to have sex with someone other than their spouse while married. I hope those numbers reflect those outside of the church.

Not only that, but data from a survey done in 2002 indicated that, by the age of 20, 77% of boys and girls had sex before marriage. 

And, not only that, but “1 in 5 mobile searches are for pornography.” “68% of young adult men and 18% of women use porn at least once every week.” “64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women say they watch porn at least once a month.” 

This tells me that we don’t just live in a culture that is polluted with sexual perversion, but we live in a culture that worships, celebrates, and longs for sexual perversion.

Around every corner one can find temptations to be lured into sexual immorality. Single men and women are constantly faced with the temptation to “awaken love before one should.” Married men and women are faced with the temptation to be intoxicated with the love of someone other than his or her spouse. And, at the click of a button, both married and single men and women are tempted to chase after a fantasized love that they can find on the internet.

Remaining sexually pure in the middle of a culture that celebrates sexual perversion is a challenge for believers today.

Now, that being said, the temptation for sexual immorality isn’t new to our culture today. In fact, contrary to what some may believe, the Bible has much to say about sex. Which tells me that there’s a right way to enjoy sex and there’s a wrong way to enjoy sex.

Sex is good. But, the temptation to pervert the good gift of sex is common amongst all people. Surprisingly, the Bible strongly encourages sexual intimacy. Sex is not a bad thing. It’s a good gift from God that is to enjoyed within the confines that God has given.

God created sexual intimacy to be enjoyed between one man and one woman within the confines of marriage. However, sin has sought to distort, fracture, and destroy what marriage was originally intended to be. 

Where the marriage bed was to be the only place for sexual intimacy, we now see (1) sex being enjoyed outside of the confines of marriage and (2) married partners withholding sex from one another (which Paul rebukes in 1 Corinthians 7). 

Proverbs 5-7 give stern warnings against adultery. We see that although the lips of a forbidden woman “drip with honey, and her speech is smoother than oil” in the end she is bitter and her path leads to death. Therefore, “a young man is to keep his way far from the house of the forbidden woman.” 

Meaning: you are to flee (run from) the temptation to enjoy the good gift of sex with anyone other than your spouse. We are to flee sexual immorality like we would flee a murderer.

Lets pretend Brady has lost his mind and is now hell bent on seeing you die. You’re at his house and he starts threatening your life. When he journeys into his room to find a gun, wisdom would obviously tell you to RUN (or “flee from him”). It’s in this moment that your only hope for protection would be outside of Brady’s presence.

In your pursuit of safety, wisdom would also tell you to avoid future contact with Brady, meaning you’re not going to hang out with this crazy fool anymore, nor would you go anywhere that you think he might be. 

This means you would begin to avoid shopping at Walmart (because you know Brady is a Walmart guy), and you would start shopping at Publix’s, Whole Foods, or you would even make the expensive trip over to Fresh Market. At this point, you wouldn't care about prices because you are aware of the danger of seeing Brady again. 

This is obviously a silly analogy, but the point still remains: sexual immorality is a horrendous sin and it is one we must “seek safety from by flight.” It is our calling as Christians to run from sexual immorality. We are to seek safety from it by fleeing. Safety from sexual immorality can only be found by obediently running from it and running to God and submitting to His word.

Proverbs constantly warns us to, as we’re running, “not desire her beauty” and “not let her speech captivate you.” Avoid, flee, the temptation to enjoy sexual intimacy outside of the parameters that God has given you, which is marriage.

The book of Proverbs doesn’t just call us to run, but it also calls us to “delight in the wife of your youth.” Meaning: enjoy the gift of sex with your wife or husband. “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well…” “Rejoice in the wife of your youth…” “Be intoxicated always in her love…”

Married couples, some of y’all need to go home, open up your Bibles to Proverbs 5 or Song of Songs, and worship the Lord by “being intoxicated in the love” of your spouse. Sex is a good gift from God that is to be enjoyed with only your spouse.

Listen, “our ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all of our paths.” God sees all and knows all. He sees your actions and he sees your thoughts. Therefore, run from sexual immorality and cling to intimacy with your spouse. This is pleasing to the Lord. 

The one who commits adultery lacks sense, and destroys himself (as the Bible says). The Bible gives stern warnings against adultery because adultery is breaking the law.

Adultery is like a kid opening up a new Christmas gift, playing with it for a moment, and then throwing it on the ground to go steal and play with another kids Christmas gift. It is a selfish endeavor that destroys ones life.

So, in our passage today, where this woman had a spouse to delight in and worship God with through sexual intimacy, this woman lacked sense and chased after her sinful desire to eat of the forbidden fruit of sex outside of marriage… And she got caught…And she stands before Jesus condemned by the law. 

Look at what the law says about adultery…

“You shall not commit adultery.” — Exodus 20:14.

“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” — Leviticus 20:10.

“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman.” — Deuteronomy 22:22.

So, the law speaks strongly against adultery, and there were serious repercussion for both the man and woman caught in adultery.

So, here in this passage you have a group of men who know and are zealous for the law and you have a man and a woman who are guilty of breaking the law through the act of adultery. Because of the scribes and pharisees distaste for Jesus, they take the woman to Jesus in hopes to trap him. 

Let’s go ahead and dive in.

53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

So, early in the morning, while Jesus is teaching a large crowd, the scribes and Pharisees enter the scene with a woman caught in adultery. They place her in his midst and say to him, 

“Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.

Verses 4-5 tell us the words they say, but verse 6 shows us the motivation of these words. Their goal is to test Jesus so that they might have something to charge against him. So, we have a group of men who know the law and who are zealous for keeping the law. However, we see here that they have little concern for justice. Their aim is to trap or test Jesus. 

So, we just saw that adultery was an offense that was to be punishable by death. Therefore, they bring a woman who was guilty of adultery before Jesus saying, “This woman should be stoned.”

Now, do any of us notice the inconsistency found in the words of the scribes and Pharisees here? Lets go back and read what the law said about adultery.

“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” — Leviticus 20:10.

“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman.” — Deuteronomy 22:22.

The law is clear: both the man and the woman shall be put to death, not just the woman. Yet, the scribes and Pharisees bring only the woman. This shows us that they had little concern for justice here. Rather, they were laser focused on trapping Jesus. These men who know the law and are zealous for the law are manipulating the law in order to trap Jesus.

Adultery was an offense punishable by death; and this woman was undoubtedly guilty. She was presented before Jesus (the giver of the law) as one who has gone against God’s design for marriage, and consequently the law says that she and the man is to be punished by death. Yet, she stands before Jesus alone. 

The scribes and Pharisees had little concern for justice. Rather, they were wrapped up in trapping Jesus. So, they ask Jesus what his thoughts were.

Rather than respond immediately, Jesus bends down and begins to write in the dirt with his finger.

There’s a lot of speculation over what Jesus is writing here.Some believe that he was writing Exodus 23, which speaks against spreading false reports. Which would indicate that he’s accusing them of spreading a false report.

Others believe he’s writing out Jeremiah 17:13, which says, 

“O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.”

This would mean that Jesus was writing out their names in the earth, accusing them of forsaking the Lord themselves. With them being scribes and Pharisees, they would have immediately known what Jesus was doing here. 

The reality is, we simply don’t know what’s being written here. The author leaves this detail unknown. Any attempt to figure this out would simply be speculation. But, what I think Jesus’s actions here do tell us is this: Jesus is not acting on their time table. He will not answer when they want him to answer.

So, verse 7 tells us that they continue to ask.

7 And as they continue to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 

Now, Jesus here is not saying that one cannot confront sin unless he or she is sinless. If that was the case, one could never carry out the law. What Jesus is doing here is he is forcing the scribes and Pharisees to examine their own hearts before they carry out the law. In doing so, he exposes their corruption and their inability to keep the law. 

Yes, the act of adultery was punishable by death. The scribes and pharisees were right. But, are they without sin here? Are they keeping the law by bringing just the woman? No. Are they, therefore, blameless and without sin in their pursuit of “justice?” No. 

Jesus here is humbling the arrogant scribes and Pharisees by challenging their motives. He is revealing that they do not know nor keep the law.

Then, one by one, the stones begin to hit floor and the crowd begins to dwindle. D.A. Carson says, “Those who came to shame Jesus now leave in shame.”

Can you imagine what this woman was feeling at this point? 

With her greatest sins exposed before the blameless giver of the law, Jesus, with her head down in shame, tears flowing from her eyes, thinking this is her last moments of life, I can’t imagine what’s going on in this woman’s mind. I’m sure she’s filled with great regret and remorse, fear and hopelessness.

Then, in verse 10, Jesus (the lawgiver) speaks to the woman,

“Woman where are they (where are your accusers)? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

At the feet of Jesus, rather than receive condemnation, this woman finds grace and forgiveness when her sin was exposed. Because of where Jesus was going, the cross, he is able to justly extend grace when condemnation is demanded; and following this grace, she’s sent to go and “sin no more.” 

Richard Phillips says, “We are forgiven in order that we might become holy.” We must never reverse these two. We don’t clean our life up and then come to Jesus. We come to him broken and in desperate need of forgiveness, and— because of the cross— we are sent to go and sin no more. Repentance is not a means to earn forgiveness. It is something that follows the forgiveness we find in Christ. 

A GREAT TRAGEDY

Now, as we close today, I want to highlight what I believe is one of the greatest tragedies of this passage. Where this woman’s sin was exposed and brought before Jesus, the man was able to remain in hiding. At the start of the story, it seems like the man was off the hook. He escaped judgment. 

The man was able to go home to his wife and kids, continuing on living in darkness, hiding his corruption from others. But, this woman’s deep dark secrets were exposed, and she stood before Jesus condemned. Yet, this woman walks away not condemned. She walks aways forgiven and justified.

Because of the cross, the sinner who comes to Jesus broken and empty handed can walk away a new creation, forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Because of the cross, men and women like you and I and the woman in this story, can one day stand before God holy and blameless and above reproach. 

Listen to me, the greatest lie anyone could ever tell you is that hiding your sin is worth it. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

It is a great tragedy that this man’s sin remained in the dark. Some of you are like the man in this story. You’ve gotten far too comfortable with sin and you’re way too good at hiding it. 

I want you to understand that this man did not escape judgment. Although he thought he could hide, his sin was on full display before God.

May we be a church that strives for purity. May we be a church that strives to “go and sin no more.” And, when we do fall, may we be quick to confess, clinging to the blood of Jesus.

And, lastly, some of you, have been sinned against. You have been hurt and wronged. May you find the example of Jesus here comforting. 

We know Jesus to be the giver of the law. Therefore, this woman’s sin was blatant defiance against Jesus (God) alone. Yet, he extends grace.May we, like Jesus, be quick to extend grace and mercy to those who sin against us.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” — 1 John 1:5-10

John 7:40-52

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

One thing that I’ve begun to really appreciate about the gospel of John, especially John 7, is how it’s packed full of irony. The more I’ve begun to think through all of these ironies found in John 7, the more I’ve become convicted. 

I think John gives us these ironies to:

1. Show us the unadulterated truth about who Jesus is.

2. Show us the unadulterated hypocrisy found in the lives of Jesus’s audience, which should reveal to us the same hypocrisy in our own lives.

Today we will be finishing John 7. If you remember, all of John 7 is one fluid story that’s taking place during the Feast of Booths. This feast is very important for us to understand as we work through this chapter. The Feast of Booths was one of three pilgrimage feast, which means that Jews were required to travel to Jerusalem to observe this feast. This feast was a week long feast that (1) celebrated God’s complete provision of their harvest and (2) celebrated God’s faithfulness to provide for his people, by dwelling with his people in the wilderness. 

During this feast John has been showing us that while the religious leaders and the crowds celebrated God dwelling with them in the wilderness they don’t see that God is standing right before them. Jesus tells the crowd that they don’t see and recognize him as the Son of God because they do not know God personally. If their will was to do God’s will then they would know who Jesus was. 

So, ironically and tragically, they’re consumed with external religious practices, yet they have no relationship with God. Their heart is far from him. 

We’re then reminded of the religious leaders desire to kill Jesus because he worked on the Sabbath (Jn 5). But, ironically, Jesus shows them that they’re guilty of doing the exact same thing when they circumcise on the Sabbath.

Jesus was essentially showing them that if they want to kill him, then they must kill themselves, as well. They’re walking in hypocrisy. They’re judging by appearances, not with right judgment. The more we progress through this gospel, the more we will see this hypocritical judgment of the crowd and religious leaders exposed. 

Now, some people eventually believe in Jesus, while others want to arrest him. But no one can touch him because his hour had not yet come. The Pharisees hear about those who are beginning to believe in him. They get frustrated. They send officers to arrest him. And Jesus doesn’t budge. 

In fact, he continues to preach. He tells the Pharisees that he will eventually be going to a place that they cannot go to. “[They] will seek him and [they] won’t be able to find [him].”

The Pharisees then mockingly ask, “Where’s this man going to go? Is he going to go to the Greeks?” The only place that was so repulsive that they couldn’t imagine going to was the Greeks.

So, is he going there? Well, no. He’s going to return to the Father. And when they die in their unbelief, they won’t be able to find him. It will be too late.

But, ironically, after Jesus’s ascension, he will send his people out by the power of the Holy Spirit to those repulsive Greeks. The beauty of the gospel is that it takes enemies and strangers and makes them friends and family. The only people that the religious leaders couldn’t imagine God sending them to is the very people that God will graft into his family. 

Then, last week, on the last day of the feast— during a feast that celebrates God dwelling with his people and miraculously providing food and water for his people in the wilderness, during a feast that celebrates God’s provision for his people now— Jesus ironically and masterfully stands up and exclaims, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

He was saying, “Hey! I know your barns and your wells are full, but if any of you thirst and long for something more, come to me and drink!” In the middle of a feast that celebrates God’s provision, he asked if anyone lacked, and then he extended to them the invitation to come to him and drink.

Now, not only could he satisfy their thirst, but out of their hearts would flow rivers (plural) of living water. This is an invitation to take something that is dry, lacking, and lifeless, and make it life giving. 

If you come to Jesus in belief, God won’t simply dwell with you, he will dwell in you. If you believe in Jesus, you will receive the Holy Spirit, and from the Holy Spirit dwelling in you will flow rivers of living water. Meaning: the fruit of the Holy Spirit will flow from your heart and life, and be a blessing to both you and those around you.

A river of love, a river of joy, a river of peace, a river of patience, a river of kindness, a river of gentleness, a river of goodness, a river of faithfulness, and a river of self-control will flow from you.

Belief in Jesus is not merely intellect. Belief in Jesus leads to life giving actions that come from the Holy Spirit that dwells within the life of a believer.

Have you come to Jesus in belief? If so, out of your heart will flow rivers of living water. 

Well, as we continue to read through this gospel and finish up this chapter, we will see more irony in our passage today. There is great confusion and division surrounding who Jesus is and what he’s come to accomplish. But, in the middle of this confusion, there’s one group that’s more certain about who Jesus is than anyone else. This group is certain that Jesus is a blasphemer that is deceiving the foolish. But, we will see yet again that they are not judging with right judgment. Their judgment is based strictly upon appearances.

As we work through this passage, we will see that they’re more deceived than anyone else. Ironically, all of their accusations made against Jesus and the crowds ring true of themselves. We will see today that the self-righteous have very little concern with truth. Because of their self-righteousness, they are unwilling to judge with right judgment. 

Our passage today will once again force us to survey the evidence surrounding Jesus and decide for ourselves who Jesus is.

Let’s dive in.

“40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ 41 Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.”

Now, verse 43 tells us that there’s a division among the people over who they think Jesus is. Following Jesus’s bold invitation for anyone who is thirsty to come to him and drink, the crowd is beginning to lay their cards on the table, showing who they think Jesus is. And not everyone is in agreement. 

First, in verse 40, we see that some people heard Jesus’s words and they think that he is the Prophet. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this title thrown around in the gospel of John. Nor is this the first time that we’ve seen the crowd identify Jesus as “the Prophet.” 

Back in John 1 we saw the religious leaders approach John the Baptist and ask him if he was the Prophet. John says, “No, that’s Jesus.”

Then, back in John 6, after Jesus miraculously feeds the large crowd bread and fish, the crowd exclaims, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

They connected Jesus’s miraculous provision in the wilderness with God’s miraculous provision of manna for his people in the wilderness, through the prophet Moses. 

So, claiming that Jesus is the Prophet means that they are connecting Jesus to the OT prophecy found in Deuteronomy 18, where Moses says,

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers— it is to him you shall listen…” 

So, ecstatic they thought that they had found the prophet that Moses prophesied about, and Jesus had their attention.

Well, Jesus then leaves the crowd and on the next day he begins to proclaim to the crowd that he’s the bread of life that came down from heaven, which led to the crowd grumbling and complaining. Where they should have listened, they complained and grumbled and left. As quickly as he gained their attention in the wilderness, he lost their attention in the synagogue in Capernaum. They, and many of his disciples, left him at this point because of his claims to be “the bread of life sent from heaven.” 

Well, now, similarly, Jesus’s invitation during the feast of booths to “Come to him and drink” reminds the crowd of Moses once again. Where they were previously reminded of God providing manna for Israel in the wilderness, they are now reminded of God miraculously providing water for Israel in the wilderness.  

On several occasions, God miraculously provided water for Israel through Moses. In Exodus 17, for example, we see the people thirst for water and grumbled against Moses. God then tells Moses to strike a rock, and from the rock water will be provided. Moses does so and God miraculously provided for his people, reminding them that the LORD was with them. 

***There’s so much symbolism here of Jesus that we don’t have time to get into. In a dry and lifeless area, the rock was struck, and out of the stricken rock flows life. In a lifeless area, Jesus, the rock, was struck, and out of his death on the cross flows eternal life.

So, during the Feast of Booths, during a time to celebrate God’s provision for his people in the wilderness, Jesus invites the thirsty to come to him and drink. This proclamation leads some of the crowd to say, “This really is the Prophet.”

They’re thinking, “There’s just too many similarities between Jesus and Moses. He has to be the Prophet that Moses was talking about. Therefore, we must listen to him.”

Jesus, the Prophet, has their attention, and they’re listening closely.

Then, another part of the crowd says, “This is the Christ.”

Now, we learned a couple weeks ago that “Christ” means messiah or anointed one. The one who is anointed is divinely set apart by God for a specific task. In Luke 4 we see Jesus say, himself, that he is “the anointed one,” who would be set apart by God to proclaim good news to the poor and set the captives free. Jesus is therefore, the one who is capable of setting men and women free from bondage. Jesus is the one who was sent by God to rescue, redeem, and restore anyone who comes to him in belief. He is the Messiah that the OT has prophesied about!

Now, although it seems like the crowd thinks that the Prophet and the Christ are two separate people, we know that both of these proclamations here are true of Jesus! Jesus really is the Prophet. He really is the Messiah. So, both of these groups of people have recognized and connected Jesus as one whom the OT has prophesied about. 

But, then another part of the crowd enters the scene and says, “Nah, this can’t be the Christ.”

Look at the latter part of verse 41 and 42,

“Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

This group of people, like the religious leaders, are not judging with right judgment; they’re judging by appearances. They’re looking at Jesus and they’re mulling over all of the things he’s said and done, and they’re thinking through the OT prophecies pertaining to the Christ, and they conclude that he’s not the Christ. 

They think Jesus is from Galilee, and they know that the Christ is to be an offspring from David born in Bethlehem. Therefore, they come to the conclusion that he’s not the Christ. 

 Now, I want us to notice a bit of irony here that John leaves unaddressed. Their references to the Scriptures are accurate. Yes, the Christ is to be a descendent of David. Yes, the Christ is to come from Bethlehem.

Psalm 89:4, for example, says,

“I will establish your (David’s) seed forever and build up your throne to all generations.”

And we saw two weeks ago that in Micah 5:2,

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

So, they rightly understand the Scriptures pertaining to the Christ. However, they do not rightly understand Jesus. If they would have done their research, if they would have judged with right judgment, they would know that, although Jesus grew up in Galilee, he was born in Bethlehem.

This part of the crowd has dismissed Jesus as the Christ because of a partially, ill-informed, understanding about Jesus. They’ve looked past the works and words of Jesus, and the many witnesses pointing to Jesus being the Messiah, and they’ve rejected the idea of Jesus being the Messiah because of appearances.

Now, I struggled this week with the question, “Why doesn’t John address or answer their false understanding about Jesus here?” Why does he leave their false opinions unresolved.

Unlike Matthew and Luke, John doesn’t tell us the birth narrative of how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Unlike Matthew and Luke, John doesn’t tell us the genealogy of Jesus, showing us how he is in fact a descendent of David. 

The crowd is rejecting Jesus as the Christ because of a misinformed perception about him; and John’s main goal in writing this gospel is show us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in his name.

So, why does he leave their questions unresolved here? Why does he not capitalize on this opportunity to expose their misunderstanding about Jesus

As I wrestled through this, I began to realize that he does expose their misunderstanding about Jesus. But, he does it in an unconventional manner.

Rather than give us more information or evidence supporting Jesus as the Christ, John takes his flashlight here and exposes the crowd's inability to judge with right judgment, which should give us more evidence to the fact that Jesus is the Christ.

We’ve come to a point in this gospel where John is beginning to force us, the readers, to look at the evidence and decide for ourselves. Up until this point, John has strategically laid out an abundance of evidence for Jesus being the Christ. And now, with the crowd, we’re beginning to be forced to make decisions about who we believe Jesus is.

The crowd here is making a judgment about Jesus strictly off of what they can see; and based off of what appears to be true on a surface level, they’ve rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They were quick to write him off because of a misinformed understanding about him.

Men and women do this all the time. We do this with God and we do this with others.

For example, one may look at his or her surroundings and conclude that God is not good because all this person sees is sin, death, and corruption. How could a good God allow bad things to happen? Without learning about God, we make a judgment about God based off of what we can see.

Not only that, but we people. We live in a social media driven world where stories are at the tip of our fingers. We quickly make judgments about men and women based off of appearances, and we are quick to condemn and judge, and often times we condemn them of things we’re guilty of ourselves.

Without learning more about Jesus, the crowd rejects Jesus as a blasphemer. Listen, I think we see here that you can always find an excuse not to believe in Jesus. But, I think we also see here that your excuse for unbelief will never be valid. 

John is seeking to show us that Jesus really is the Christ who is capable of setting you free from sin, and any excuse you have to reject Jesus as this Messiah is a surface level, illegitimate excuse. 

Anyone seriously searching to know the truth about Jesus will go to God’s word, asking for wisdom, and will discover the truth about Jesus. But, that’s not the case for the crowd here. They’re content to come to a conclusion about Jesus with the visible evidence that they have. 

So, ironically, this portion of the crowd rightly understands the prophecies surrounding the Christ. But, they don’t rightly understand that the Christ is standing right before them in Jesus, offering them eternal life.

“So there was a division among the people over him.” 

Jesus’s words are dividing the crowd down the middle. Part of the crowd is connecting the dots and identifying him as the Messiah/Prophet. Another part of the crowd is rejecting him as a deceiver. 

There’s no middle ground of apathy when it comes to Jesus. You either submit to him as Lord, giving him your full attention, trust, and obedience. Or you respond to him in hostility, rejecting him as a deceiver. 

Which is true of you? 

If you believe Jesus is the Christ, then that means you trust in him for eternal life. He is the one you’re submitting to, and he is the one who has given you the Holy Spirit so that you may bless those around you. 

If you’ve rejected Jesus, then you will continue to thirst and long for this life that is found in Jesus, and eternal damnation will be your fate.

So, following Jesus’s words, there was a division amongst the crowd, and

 “…some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.”

Why did no one lay a hand on him? Because “his hour had not yet come (v.30).” We were reminded two weeks ago that “no persecution falls outside the sovereign hand of God.” The crowd didn’t lay a hand of Jesus because it wasn’t in God’s timing for them to do so. Yes, Jesus will eventually be arrested. But, not yet. John continually directs our attention to the fact that the opposition Jesus faced was not outside of God’s control. It was God’s plan to send his Son to redeem sinful humanity through his death on the cross. So, “some of them wanted to arrest Jesus, but no one laid hands on him.”

Now, as we continue to progress through this passage, we will ironically see that those who reject Jesus, claiming him to be a deceiver, will actually be the ones who are (1) deceived themselves and (2) the ones seeking to deceive others. They’re guilty of the very thing that they’re claiming Jesus to be guilty of. Their rejection of Jesus was not birthed out rightful thinking; it was birthed out of a self-righteous hypocrisy based upon appearances.

Look at verses 45-46, 

“The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”

Let’s pause here for a moment. Two weeks ago in verse 32 we saw the Pharisees and the chief priest send the officers to arrest Jesus. Now, following Jesus’ invitation to come to him and drink, the officers are coming back empty handed, without Jesus, because Jesus is speaking in a way that is unrecognizable. 

“No one has ever spoke like this man!” Feel the weight of this. The officers heard first hand the message of Jesus, and rather than arrest him as a blasphemer, they come back saying to the religious leaders, “We couldn’t arrest him because we’ve never heard anyone say the things Jesus is saying.” They were sent out to arrest a deceiver and they came back thinking he’s a truth-bearer.

They’re saying to the teachers, the religious leaders, "We’ve grown up hearing y'all teach, but Jesus is speaking with an authority that we’ve never heard. We couldn’t do what you told us to do. He’s making connections between himself and the OT that are compelling.” 

This leads to the Pharisees saying in verse 47,

“Have you also been deceived?”

This question shows us exactly what the Pharisees thought about Jesus and the crowd. “Have you also been deceived” tell us that they believed Jesus was a deceiver. They believed he was teaching lies, manipulating truth, and leading the ignorant crowd into deception. They believe the crowd had been deceived, and they were asking if the officers have been deceived, as well.

They then say, 

“Have any of the authorities or Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accused.”

So, where there is widespread confusion over who Jesus is, the Pharisees are certain that they know the truth. They’re essentially saying to the officers, “None of us have believed in Jesus. Therefore, you shouldn’t either.” 

The evidence they’re giving to support the idea that Jesus is not the Christ is themselves. At this point, their justification for why Jesus cannot be the Messiah has nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with their assessment of Jesus. Jesus cannot be the Messiah because we have not believed in him.

Never mind the works that Jesus has done throughout his life, never mind the words you just heard him proclaim, you’re an idiot who has been deceived if you believe in him. The religious leaders are seeking to strip the officers of any opportunity to decide for themselves, and they’re seeking to pressure them into placing their hope and confidence in their expert knowledge.

They’re saying, “Who’s job is it to study the Scriptures? Who knows the law Ours. Have any of us, who knows the law, believed in him? I don’t think so. So, what camp do you want to be in: ours or this crowds that does not know the law?”

The religious leaders are degrading those in the crowd who have believed in Jesus. They’re claiming that the crowd has brought condemnation upon themselves for believing in Jesus. They are calling them ignorant fools who don’t know the law. 

I think there’s, yet again, great irony that John wants us to pick up on here. Ironically, those who are supposed to know the law don’t recognize the giver of the law and the one that the law points to, Jesus (Jn 5). The one’s who boasted in their wisdom and expert knowledge are pointing their fingers, claiming that others are deceived, when, in fact, they are the ones who are deceived. And, ironically, this foolish crowd that is “accursed” and that “does not know the law” knows the truth. 

Now, very beautifully, John highlights and exposes their hypocrisy by bringing up Nicodemus in verse 50.

“Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

Nicodemus is mentioned three different times in the gospel of John. He’s mentioned in John 3. He’s mentioned now. And he’s mentioned in John 19.

There’s a couple details that John wants us to notice here in verse 50 pertaining to Nicodemus.

First, He wants to remind us that Nicodemus had previously gone to Jesus with questions (Jn 3). 

Nicodemus went to Jesus at night and said, “Hey! We’ve seen all of these things that you’re doing. We know that you’re a teacher that comes from God. No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 

Jesus then tells Nicodemus that “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus’s religious superiority would profit him for eternal life.

So, John wanted to remind us that Nicodemus has heard the gospel clearly taught to him, he knows the truth about Jesus, and he’s clearly been wrestling through the words Jesus has previously spoken to him. Nicodemus, unlike his counterparts, is seeking to judge with right judgment.

But, not only that, John also wants to remind us that Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Nicodemus is a part of the crowd that is zealous for the law and that is boasting in their unbelief of Jesus. 

Now, it’s unclear, at this point, whether or not Nicodemus believes himself. I think at the end of this gospel, we will see that he clearly does believe. In John 19, when everyone leaves, Nicodemus brings oil and myrrh, and buries Jesus. But, at this point in the gospel I think John is showing us the progression of Nicodemus. Where he went and heard the gospel message from Jesus in John 3, he’s now wrestling with that message in John 7, and he will be a believer of that message in John 19.

So, somewhere between John 3 and John 19, Nicodemus is converted, and I think this reminds us that evangelism isn’t always a preach once, convert immediately process. Sometimes we preach the gospel, and it appears that nothing happens. But, for months, years, or maybe decades that person wrestles over who Jesus is, and then after a long period they may decide to place their faith in Jesus.

May the slow conversion of Nicodemus comfort us in our evangelism. Don’t get discouraged. Continue to preach and continue to pray.

At this moment it’s unclear whether or not Nicodemus believes, but what is clear is that Nicodemus is not on the same brainwave as his crew; and he begins to challenge the Pharisee’s logic by asking, 

“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

First, notice the difference in how he and the Pharisees refer to the law. Unlike the Pharisees, who refer to the law as “the law,” Nicodemus calls it “our law.” Where the Pharisees are using the law as a tool to bring condemnation on others, Nicodemus is using the law to bring clarity to both himself and others. The Pharisees language reeks of arrogance and pride, and Nicodemus’s words have the pleasant aroma of humble submission. Nicodemus, unlike his counterparts, is seeking to judge with right judgment.

Here, he’s referencing passages like Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 17:2-6; 19:15-19, which states that a person must be heard and that evidence and witnesses must be considered before a person can be charged as being guilty. 

Nicodemus is exposing the Pharisees inability to keep the law, which means they’re ironically the ones who stand accursed. Where they’re seeking to condemn Jesus, they’re condemning themselves. 

In exposing their inability to judge with right judgement, John is giving us more evidence to the fact that Jesus is the Christ. The Pharisees then respond to Nicodemus by saying, 

“Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

So, they’re mockingly asking, “What are you on his team, too? Are you from Galilee? If you knew the Scriptures, then you would know that no prophet comes from Galilee.” Once again, their words ironically fall short of being truthful because there was actually two prophets who came from Galilee: Jonah and Nahum.

So, listen, the more we progress through this gospel the more we will begin to see the sinful hypocrisy of man being exposed. The religious leaders are not judging with right judgement. They’re judging based off of appearances. Although they are zealous for the law, they do not know God. 

The more we see the hypocrisy of the religious leaders exposed, I hope we see more and more hypocrisy exposed in our own lives, as well. I hope and pray that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we put that to death.

My prayer is:

1. We will constantly be reminded that our ability to “do good works” does not grant us salvation.

The religious leaders knew God’s word, and could keep God’s word (externally). But, their self-righteousness kept them from truly knowing God and seeing their need for a savior. Rather than fall on their face before God in repentance, they keep on seeking to be blameless in the eyes of others. Listen, your ability to “do good works” does not grant you salvation. To the believer and nonbeliever, you never outgrow your need for Jesus. 

1. We are a people that is slow to make judgments about others without first learning what they do.

Hostility and division is a fruit of making judgments about others without learning about all they do. Husbands and wives, don’t make judgments about your spouse without learning his or her side of the story. Christian brothers and sisters, don’t make judgments about one another without learning his or her side of the story.  May we not be quick to make judgments about others without learning all of the facts? May we be slow to go to social media, blasting men and women for something we don’t know anything about. 

John 7:37-39

When I was growing up my grandparents liked to take my sister and I on trips during our breaks from school. We went to a lot of different places, but one memory sticks out in my mind. One trip we made was to the aquarium in Chattanooga, TN. The aquarium was really awesome, and I loved almost every second of it. There was only one thing that I didn’t enjoy. They had a new 3D max movie about the ocean. So we were all sitting there looking at cool images of jellyfish, coral reefs, and fish. They were coming out of the screen, and I thought it was the coolest thing. Then, all of the sudden, huge sharks started swimming right at me. I won’t tell you how old I was during this trip, but it scared me. So much so that I took off my 3D glasses so I couldn’t see them as well. I could make out just enough of the blurry screen to keep up with what was going on, but the picture was not clear.

We have seen in the past few weeks, while reading about the ministry and life of Jesus, that people around him did not know quite what to think of him. Over and over Jesus has sought to bring clarity to the crowds. The people knew enough of God’s promises to be looking for a Messiah.

• He promised Adam and Eve that their seed one crush the head of the one who tempted them. (Gen. 3:15)

• He promised Abraham that through his offspring, all of the nations would be blessed. (Gen. 22:18)

• He promised David that his throne would be established forever. (2 Sam. 7: 16).

• He prophesied through Isaiah that a suffering servant would be pierced and crushed for transgressions and iniquities of his people. (Isa. 53:5).

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. God’s people had an understanding that He was working a salvation for them. They had an idea that somehow God would make all things right again. They knew enough to trust God, but their picture was blurry and unclear.

Then as we have studied. John the Baptist bursts on the scene and starts preaching a message about the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He says this man is none other than Jesus of Nazareth. And we have seen the things Jesus has worked and proclaimed during his ministry so far. He has claimed unity and equality with the father. He has called himself the bread of life. He has forgiven sins, healed people, and even walked on water. Jesus, in his compassion, has extended 3D glasses to the people he comes across to help them see with clarity who he is. And today we are going to look at yet another example of Jesus going to great lengths to show the people who he is. In this passage of scripture this morning he uses the Festival of Booths to show the people that He is the provision they have been looking for all along, and that he offers more than a temporary solution to their greatest needs.

I. Jesus shows himself to be the true fulfillment of the Festival of Booths.

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Let us look at verse 37 together... the feast John is mentioning here is the feast of booths. This feast was something that Israelites celebrated to praise God for his provision after their harvest, and also to remember the provision God made for them while living in the dessert. The festival began every morning with a water ceremony. It was a pretty elaborate ceremony, listen to his description:

“It began at the crack of dawn at the Temple each morning of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. A procession of priests, musicians, and other worshipers began at the Temple and proceeded about half a mile down to the Pool of Siloam at the southern tip of the City of David. Every morning for the seven days of the Feast this great procession wound its way for a full half a mile down from the Temple to the Pool. The High Priest, dressed in full vestment and carrying a golden pitcher, led the throng. The other priests followed him, along with the Levites, musicians, and all the worshipers. When the High Priest arrived at the pool, he dipped the golden pitcher into the pool, filling it, then headed back to the Temple. He led the entire procession back to the Temple through the Water Gate. There the crowd paused as trumpet players blew three blasts on silver trumpets. Then the priests would sing or shout, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3 NKJV). From there the High Priest slowly proceeded to the altar and ascended the ramp. At the very top of the ramp were two silver basins. The priest poured water from the Pool of Siloam into one, and wine was poured simultaneously into the other as the trumpet players blew the trumpets three more times. Then the congregation and choir of Levites sang Psalms 118:25, “Save now I beseech thee, O LORD, O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”

So, the people celebrating this festival saw this happen every morning for six mornings, but the last day was different. It was what our text calls “the great day”. People of Jesus’ time called it Hoshana Rabba. On the great day, the priests would walk around the altar seven times and trumpets would be blown seven times. Each time the priests circled the altar people would shout, “Please bring salvation now. Please God, please save and bring salvation now.”

So, you can see how intentional Jesus was in choosing this day to cry out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” notice that the text says that Jesus cried out. He was passionately pleading with people to come to him for their provision. They were crying out for salvation, and he was crying out to tell them that it was right there in front of them. He is trying to show the people that the festival they have been celebrating for hundreds of years is being fulfilled right before their eyes. Jesus is their great provision.

I think it is important for us to understand what Jesus means by thirst. The type of thirst he is referring to is an attitude of brokenness over sin and a longing for peace with God. It is more of a spiritual state than a physical condition.

When was the last time you were really thirsty? For me it was during two a days while practicing football in high school. We practiced two times a day during the hottest part of the summer in late August. I spent all day getting thrown around by guys twice my size, and I was running until I thought I was going to pass out. There were a few moments that offered me a little sliver of hope and kept me going. These moments were when our coach would blow the whistle and let us run to the water cooler. We looked like a bunch of wild animals, all trying to beat one another to the cooler. You could have offered anyone of us 100 dollars, an xbox, or a brand-new truck and I still think we would have turned you down. There was only one thing we knew would quench our thirst, and it was the ice-cold water waiting for us on the sideline.

It is easy for us to think of thirst in physical terms, and wonder how in the world anyone who heard Jesus offer would turn it down. Sadly, we know from people’s reactions to Jesus’ invitation that many people turned away from him. Why would this be the case?

Let’s think about this from the perspective of the religious leaders. Here they are during one of the most important festivals of the year. A festival steeped in tradition. They have an idea of who God is. And Jesus, the man who has claimed equality with God and healed people on the Sabbath, does not fit the bill. How could God be like this? He eats and talks to sinners. Doesn’t he know God is holy? They are blinded by their pride and are only thirsty for selfish gain.

Then we have the crowds who have been following Jesus. We have seen their hearts in the past couple of weeks. A lot of them were just looking to have physical needs met, they were not interested in what Jesus tried to offer.

People today are the same way. We are uncomfortable thinking about a God who doesn’t fit our beliefs and feelings perfectly. We are prideful and find it hard to submit to Jesus who calls us to die to ourselves and love our enemies. Parts of us do not want to extend grace to those who we deem undeserving.

We also settle so easily for things that can never satisfy us. Our hearts long to be fulfilled by something, but the truth is that all the world has to offer cannot provide for us what Jesus provides. No matter how good we are at our jobs, no matter how good of a spouse we are, no matter how many times we go to church. We will never be free from the burden of sin and guilt until we come to Jesus and drink.

If you are here this morning and you feel the weight of your sin, then hear these words of Jesus and know that the offer is being extended. Jesus, God in the flesh, died in the place of sinful man. He took the wrath of God that should have been placed on his people. He defeated sin and death, rose again, and has all authority in heaven and earth and he is offering this morning that people thirsty for pardon and reconciliation would come to him and drink and take the provision he has made.

II. Faith in Jesus overflows to those around us.

38: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

The phrase whoever believes in me is synonymous with coming to Jesus and drinking. Those who are thirsty for Jesus will drink or believe, and as a result Jesus says that out of that persons’ heart will flow rivers of living water. There is not one specific text here that Jesus is referring to, but several prophecies from the Old Testament.

One example of this is from Isaiah 41: 17-20,

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. 19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, 20 that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

The phrase living water here carries a lot of significance to the crowd Jesus is speaking to. They are not living in a society with running water in their homes. They cannot just go turn on the sink when they need to cook or clean. They were dependent on a source of water to be able to do the things they needed every day. I’ve got two pictures of water here. The first one is dead or stagnant water. Let’s say you are living in a society where this is your only source of water for your family. You want to make some spaghetti for dinner. Can you tell me with a straight face that you would boil noodles in water from this pond? I don’t think so. So, let’s look at this next picture of some living or moving water. Now this is more I like it. I wouldn’t mind cooking with some crisp clean water like that.

These two pictures are just a way to illustrate what Jesus is trying to get across to the crowd. Before we believe in Jesus our hearts are spiritually dead in sin. They look like the first pond. But after God gives us a new heart along with the gift of faith in Jesus our hearts are changed into living water. We change from being unhelpful and dead... to people who can bring life and blessing to others through the message of the gospel. This new change is initiated and sustained by the work of the Holy Spirit.

John helps us understand this truth by including verse 39 in this part of the Scripture. It is kind of like a teaser, a small introduction, into what Jesus expounds on later in John. I think it would be helpful for us to look at two passages where Jesus explains more fully the role of the Spirit in the lives of his people.

John 14: 15-17,

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

The Spirit in this passage is described as a helper. Jesus promises his people the very presence of God dwelling with them forever.

John 16: 4-14,

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

The Spirit in this passage is shown as the one who will bring conviction to the world and guide the people of God as they follow Jesus.

I was trying to think of an example of someone who kind of exemplifies everything that we have learned from the Scripture this morning, and I think Peter is a great example. Peter was one of the disciples that Jesus called during the beginning of his ministry, but Peter was also someone who denied Jesus three times while Jesus was being tried by the high priest. We see that he was truly broken by his sin and wept bitterly over it. Then after Jesus rose from the grave he showed great compassion to Peter by allowing him to profess his love for him three times and charged him with the task of taking care of Jesus’ people. Then on the day of Pentecost the Spirit is finally poured out on the people of God, and Peter, who once denied Christ, gives a bold witness for Christ in front of a large crowd.I want to read you some of his message in Acts 2:22-39,

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[c] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it...Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Know this for sure. If you are a believer here this morning. The same Spirit that convicted Peter of his sin, changed his heart from a stagnant pond to living water, and empowered him to witness for Jesus is living in you. You can have great confidence that Jesus has not left you an orphan. The Holy Spirit is with you so you can tell people with boldness about the one who quenched your thirst when nothing else would do. And if you are here this morning, broken over your sin, and you want to come to Jesus and drink. I pray that you would take his invitation now and not wait any longer.

John 7:25-36

Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”

Two weeks ago, at the start of chapter 7, John tells us an important detail for us in our passage today. In verses 1-2 we saw that Jesus had been walking about in Galilee because the Jews in Jerusalem were seeking to kill Jesus.

Now, given everything Jesus said in chapter 6, he’s not avoiding the Jews out of fear. He’s avoiding them out of obedience to the Father. He’s aware of his pending death on the cross. It’s just simply not his time to die.

Two weeks ago, we also saw that the Feast of Booths was at hand. This was one of three pilgrimage feast. Therefore, Jesus would be required to journey to Jerusalem (the place where his persecutors reside) to observe this feast. This feast was a week long celebration, celebrating God’s complete provision of the harvest; it was a time to pray for a good rainy season; and it was a time to celebrate God’s faithfulness to provide for his people, by dwelling with his people, in the wilderness. While they observed this feast, they would dwell outside in booths. This would have been a nationwide campout.

Well, leading up to this feast his brothers told Jesus to go up to Jerusalem and do his miracles in public. They weren’t submitting to Jesus as Lord here. They wanted Jesus to act on their timing, not God’s timing. They were demanding Jesus to do what they wanted in order to get what they wanted. However, we see Jesus continue to submit to the Father’s will. Jesus submits not to the will of man, but to the will of the Father.

His brothers go up to the feast by themselves, and Jesus sits back and waits. Then, after his brothers go up to the feast, he went up in private.

Well, going back to Jesus’s exchange with his brothers (vs.6-8), he says something interesting. He says, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.”

We saw that statement ring true in our passage last week. While teaching publicly in the temple, none of the religious leaders recognized the source of Jesus’s teaching. They’re asking, “How is this man educated without any formal education? Where did he learn all of this?”

Well, in response to these questions, Jesus testifies against the religious leaders. He tells them that the source of his teaching is the Father, and they do not recognize this because “their will is not to do God’s will.”

He’s saying to the religious leaders, the very people who know God’s law, teach God’s law, and “live out” God’s law, “You do not recognize me because your will is not to do God’s will.”  

What a convicting truth. It’s possible to study and teach God’s word and not know God.

The religious leaders are hypocritical “shell-gazers” and they do not judge with right judgment. Their assessment of Jesus is 100% wrong because their relationship with God is nonexistent.

So, ironically and tragically, during a feast that celebrates the presence of God in their midst, they were unable to recognize God in their midst. 

Well, we will see that unfortunate reality ring true once again in our passage today. One rejects Jesus because they reject God. The issue for the crowd today is not a lack of information. Their issue resides deep in the depths of their hard hearts. 

Let’s dive into our passage for today. 

“25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

Now, if you’re closely reading through John 7, you may be a little discombobulated over the apparent confusion of the crowd in verse 25. 

In last weeks passage we saw that part of Jesus’s audience was oblivious to the religious leaders plan to kill Jesus. In verse 20 the crowd exclaims, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?”

But, now we see a group of people aware of the religious leaders plan to kill Jesus. “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?”

So, on a surface level it seems like the crowd is confused and suffering from some type of memory loss. Their actions seem to resemble the actions of a blue fish name Dori. At one moment the crowd is unaware of the religious leaders plan to kill Jesus, and the next moment they’ve been aware of it the whole time.

What’s going on here?

Well, when you begin to dig into who it is that’s speaking, you will notice that this is two different groups of people here in the crowd. The crowd speaking in last weeks passage would likely be the large crowd who traveled into Jerusalem from out of town for the feast of booths. Since they didn’t live in Jerusalem, they would be unaware of the religious leaders plan to kill Jesus. We come to this conclusion because those speaking in this weeks passage are from Jerusalem. 

“Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, ‘Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?’”

This is therefore a group of people who live in close proximity to the religious leaders. They remember seeing Jesus heal the invalid man on the Sabbath (5:1-9). They remember watching the religious leaders get frustrated with Jesus (5:10-17). They remember hearing about their plans to kill Jesus (5:18). They’re aware of the fact that the religious leaders are now actively seeking (7:1) to kill him.

 Which leads the crowd to say,

“Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 

So, again, they remember Jesus heal the invalid on the Sabbath. They remember the religious leaders getting frustrated because Jesus claimed to be God. They remember the plan to kill Jesus.

But, now, strangely enough, Jesus has returned and he’s teaching publicly, throwing more jabs at the religious leaders, and claiming all the more to be one with the Father. And the religious leaders aren’t doing anything.

So, the crowd is scratching their head trying to reconcile everything that’s transpiring before their eyes. This math equation isn’t adding up.

On one hand, death threats have a way of weeding out falsehood. But, rather than shrink back, Jesus continues to speak openly. The threats of death do not deter the faithfulness of Jesus. 

But, on the other hand, more specifically, the crowd can’t comprehend why the religious leaders aren’t doing anything. If Jesus is lying, why aren’t they doing anything? If Jesus is falsely claiming to be God, then he must be punished. If there’s an arrest warrant out for the guy, why aren’t they arresting him? Why are they letting him preach openly? Take this man’s microphone! What’s the reason for their idleness?

Maybe the religious leaders know something that the crowd doesn’t know. Maybe Jesus is telling the truth. Maybe Jesus is the Christ. 

“Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?” 

The question they ask here is one of the most important questions anyone could ever ask. Is Jesus the Christ?

Now, I want us to stop here for a moment, because I don’t want to assume that we all know what the term “Christ” means. In fact, I would be willing to bet that some of us are thinking, “Isn’t Christ Jesus’s last name?”

The term Christ isn’t Jesus’s last name. Rather, it’s a proper title. Matthew uses the title Christ 17 times; Mark uses it 7 times; Luke uses it 12 times; and John uses it 19 times. 

So, the title “Christ” is foundational to the gospel of John. If you remember, the purpose of this gospel is given to us in chapter 20. John tells us that he’s writing this so that we might “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in his name.” John is seeking to show us that the answer to the crowds question here is, “Yes.” Could Jesus be the Christ? YES! Jesus is the Christ.

But, what does the title Christ mean? 

Well, the Hebrew word Messiah is translated Christ in the Greek and it means anointed one. Anointed one means to be set apart and empowered by God for a specific task.

In the OT you would see God anoint (set apart for himself) prophets, priests, and kings. Well, there’s prophecy after prophecy in the OT speaking to this coming Messiah who would be greater than all of the prophets, priests, and kings in the past. This would be an eternal king, one who would rule for all eternity. This would be an eternal prophet, the true word of God. This would be the eternal priest, who would be set apart by God to purify and redeem his people for all eternity.

Israel was anxiously waiting for this Christ to come and establish an eternal kingdom. So, their question here is monumental! 

They’re asking, “Could the authorities know that Jesus is the one that the OT spoke about? Could Jesus be the anointed one who was set apart by God to redeem and purify us, his people? Is he, Jesus, the one we’ve been waiting for?”

This is one of those moments as a reader that you want to scream with a resounding, “YES!”

Jesus is the greater set apart, anointed prophet, who came to proclaim good news to the poor. He has come to those who have been bankrupt by their sin and he extends to them a hope of being reconciled with God.

How can this be? How can one be reconciled with God?

One can be reconciled with God because Jesus is also the greater set apart, anointed priest. He is the only sufficient mediator between man and God, and he was anointed “to offer a (once for all) sacrifice to remove the guilt of sin.”

But, how could he do this? How was his death on the cross sufficient to remove the guilt of our sin?

His death was sufficient because Jesus is the set apart king, the supreme LORD over all, the one that all things were created by, through, and for, the one that in him all things hold together. He is the one who has been anointed with all authority and all power to defeat our greatest foes: sin and death. And we, as readers, are certain of this because of the empty tomb.

You’re on the right track, crowd! 

But, unfortunately, this hopeful moment for the crowd is short lived. The idea of Jesus being the Christ was short lived because, “…we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”

So, we see in verse 27, they quickly dismissed the idea of Jesus being the Christ because they knew where he came from. Now, I was honestly confused when I first read this because I thought, “Well, aren’t there OT prophecies stating that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is where Jesus was born?” 

The answer to that question is, “Yes, there are OT prophecies stating that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem.” Micah 5:2 says,

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days (Micah 5:2).”

So, that led me to ask, “Wouldn’t knowing where Jesus came from give you more evidence to believe that Jesus is the Christ?” 

Why do they write Jesus off here? Why do they dismiss the idea of Jesus being the Christ because “no one will know where the Christ comes from?”

Well, during this time there was an idea that the Messiah would be born of flesh and blood in Bethlehem, yes. But there was also an idea that he would remain unknown until it was time for him to act and rule as king.   

They came to this conclusion from passages like Malachi 3:1, which says, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple…”

They therefore believed that the Christ was going to remain unknown and then supernaturally arrive at the temple ready to reign as king. This was going to happen instantly.

So, this crowd is looking to Jesus and they’re saying, “He’s far too human to be the Christ. I know his mom and dad. I watched him grow up. Sure, he’s said and done some miraculous things, but the son of a carpenter can’t suddenly arrive as king in the temple.”

Jesus didn’t fit the mold of what they thought the Christ would look like. Therefore, they wrote him off. 

I think there’s some application for us here. Have you, like the crowd here, written off Jesus because he doesn’t fit into the mold of what you think he should be like? Or have you humbly come to God’s word, allowing God to teach you who Jesus is?

Now, Jesus could easily correct their false interpretation of passages like Malachi 3:1. He could easily walk them through the OT, showing them how “knowing where he comes from” should affirm the idea of him being the Christ. But, he doesn’t correct their false understanding. Rather, as we see in verse 28, he proclaims (yells, shouts, exclaims, he gives a public announcement), as he taught in the temple, 

“You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”

So, sure, they possess an understanding of where Jesus came from. They’re aware of his hometown. They know his mom and dad. But, that’s all they know. They’re blinded to the truth about Jesus because they do not know God, the one who sent him. Jesus personally and intimately knows the Father, and he came not on his own accord. 

These have been points that have been continually reiterated throughout the gospel of John. The Father and the Son are one. The Father sent the Son. If the world knew the Father, then they would know the Son. But, they are unable to recognize Jesus as the Christ because they do not know God.

Now, again, Jesus could have easily corrected their misinterpretations of the Scriptures, but he doesn’t.  He could have easily said, “Hey, Micah 5:2, the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. I was born in Bethlehem. The Christ was to be a descendent from David. I’m a descendent of David.” But, he doesn't. 

This tells us that the crowds biggest issue isn’t found in a lack of information. Their biggest issue is found in not knowing God. 

Jesus is crying out, “You think you know and understand what the Christ is going to be like, and you think you know and understand me, but you don’t rightly understand either because you don’t know God.”

Regardless of what the crowd thinks, Jesus really was the one who was sent down from heaven by the Father. And, similar to the religious leaders, they don’t recognize this truth because they do not know God. 

There would be no confusion over who Jesus was if they knew God. But, they don’t. They don’t know the one who sent him.

So, similar to what he’s previously said to the religious leaders, he’s now saying to the crowd. You don’t recognize me as the Christ because you do not know God. 

This is a strong rebuke against the crowd. Jesus is taking his flashlight and shining it into the dark depths of their corrupt hearts, exposing their true need of the Messiah. 

Where the crowd believed that the Messiah was going to come as a militant king with a sword drawn, ready to redeem his people from Roman domination, Jesus came with his sword drawn, ready to defeat sin and death, setting sinful hearts free from sin. 

Well, as a result of this rebuke, you see two different responses from the crowd. You see part of the crowd stiffening their neck to his words, responding in hatred and hostility. Then, you see another part of the crowd responding in trust and belief. 

Look at verses 30-31, 

“So, they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs that this man has done?’”

So, in response to Jesus’s words, part of the crowd sought to arrest him. The exposure of sin is never pleasurable. Rather than reflect on Jesus’s words, confessing their need for a savior, they stiffen their necks and reject his message. They say, “Who are you to say that I don’t know God? And who are you to say that you are God? Arrest this fool!” As Jesus told his brothers, "The word hates Jesus because he proclaims that their works are evil.”

So, they sought “to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” Their malicious attempt to arrest Jesus fell short of being effective.

The first question I asked here was, “How?” How does Jesus escape a crowd that’s made up its mind to arrest him? Well, John doesn’t tell us how. Which means the “how” isn’t important. 

John does, however, tell us “why.” When the hostile crowd made up their mind to arrest him, no one laid a hand on him. Why? “Because his hour had not yet come.” 

What does this tells us?

It tells us that no persecution falls outside of the sovereign hand of God. The crowd didn’t lay a hand on him because it wasn’t in God’s timing for them to do so. Yes, Jesus would eventually be arrested. But, not yet. Jesus was not to be arrested and crucified during the Feast of Booths. It was God’s plan for him to be arrested and crucified as the passover lamb, six months later during passover. 

Church, I hope and pray that this somehow offers us comfort and spurs us on to be bold in our faith.

Let me be transparent for a moment. One of my greatest fears as a young father is that pain or harm will come on my children or wife. So, being bold in my faith is crippled sometimes by a fear of my family being harmed or put in danger. Another fear of mine is just rejection in general. The simple thought of people not liking me is paralyzing. Therefore, the fear of man will lead me to shrink back from sharing my faith.

But, here’s the deal: if we’re faithfully sharing the gospel, persecution and rejection will come. 

May this verse therefore comfort and embolden us! No one was able to lay a single finger on Jesus because it was not his time to die. In this instance God protected Jesus from harm.

I think we could safely conclude that no persecution or harm that we face falls outside of God’s sovereign hand. We should never seek out harm or persecution. But, if and when we do encounter persecution for our faith may we delight in knowing that a good and gracious God allowed it to happen and he will use it for his glory! The enemies greatest attack against the church will fall under God’s sovereignty and will be used for his glory. “The crowd was seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.”

So, on one hand the crowd responds to Jesus’s message with fire and pitch forks. But, on the other hand, part of the crowd responds in belief. 

Look at verse 31,

“Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’”

They’re looking at Jesus, remembering the OT prophecies, remembering the works he’s done, and they respond in belief. They’re saying, “If Jesus isn’t the Messiah, then what more could the Messiah do? Where else would we go? We believe that Jesus is the Christ.”

This is what we long for and pray for. We long to see men and women see Jesus for who he truly is. We long to see men and women come to Jesus in faith. And for this we will endure persecution. 

Now, before we move on, let me ask this: What does this crowd do following their belief?

They proclaim, they speak. They go to those who do not believe and say, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

They immediately become apologist. They go to their peers, those who do not believe, and they seek to persuade them to Christ. They’re saying, “Guys, what are you waiting on? Think logically about who this is standing before you. Jesus is the One we’ve been waiting on!”

Church, proclamation is a natural response to belief. When you taste and see that the Lord is good, you then long for others to taste his goodness, as well. May we not shrink back from sharing the hope of the gospel with our neighbors.

Let’s continue reading,

“The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priest and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.”

John does an exceptional job of building suspense here. The Pharisees hear the crowd begin to speak positively about Jesus. They hear the crowd’s belief.  So, they send the officers to arrest him. And, rather than run, Jesus continues to preach.

“I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”

Once again, we see this reality that Jesus is aware of his pending death. But, he knows that his death on the cross is not the end of the story.I will be with you for a little longer, but then I will be crucified; I will rise from the grave; and I will ascend back to the one who sent me. Through his death on the cross, Jesus will be returning to where he came from. He will be returning to the Father. He will be going to a place that they cannot go to or find because of their disbelief. 

In John 6 we see Jesus allude to his ascension by asking his disciples,  “…What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” Well, now, we see for the first time Jesus explicitly say to the crowd that he will be returning to where he came from. 

Death is not the end for Jesus. Their efforts to arrest, kill, stop, and destroy Jesus’s ministry will fall short.  And, tragically, there will come a point in time where some will seek him for salvation but it will be too late because they have died in their sins (8:21). he warning here by Jesus is crystal clear. Do not tarry. Come to Jesus before it’s too late. 

His audience will die in their sins without believing in Jesus, and at that point it will be too late. They will seek him, but they will not be able to find him. Hell will be where they reside for all eternity. And there will be no second chance at this point to make things right. Where Jesus is, they will not be able to come. There is an urgency that comes with the gospel.

But, the Jews sarcastically and bitterly say to one another, 

“Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

You sense a bit of sarcasm here. Where’s this guy gonna go that we can’t go? Is he going to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? In other words, is Jesus going to go to the cities outside of our country where the Gentiles live and teach them?

The only place they could fathom not going is to the nations. Heaven? No, they were not concerned about not being able to make it there. He has to be talking about the Gentile nations because there I will not go.

As gentile believers in a land far from Jerusalem, I hope we see the irony in their question here. Jesus is speaking to his returning to the Father in heaven after his death, resurrection, and ascension. His audience is mockingly thinking of a physical location that is so repulsive that they would never go to. 

But, ironically, following Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension, this message that Jesus is proclaiming, by the power of the Holy Spirit, will spread to those very people. 

Through belief, the whole world will be blessed by the faithful work of Christ on the cross. May our hearts, therefore, long to take this hopeful message into all places. May there not be a single place or group of people in Mobile that we are repulsed to go to. May we long to see the thirsty “come to Jesus and drink.”

In returning to the crowds initial question, Jesus is the greater set apart, anointed prophet. He came to proclaim good news to the poor. He has come to those who have been bankrupt by their sin and he extends to them a hope of being reconciled with God.

How is that possible? How can sinners be reconciled with God?

Sinners can be reconciled with God because Jesus is also the greater set apart, anointed priest. As the book of Hebrews tell us, he is the only sufficient mediator between us and God, and he was anointed “to offer a (once for all) sacrifice to remove the guilt of sin.”

But, how is that possible? How was his death on the cross sufficient to remove the guilt of our sin?

His death was sufficient because Jesus is the set apart king, the supreme LORD over all, the one that all things were created by, through, and fo. He is the one that in him all things hold together. He is the one who has been anointed with all authority and all power to defeat our greatest foes: sin and death. And we’re certain of this because of the empty tomb.

So, church, if you have trusted in the Christ as your LORD and Savior, then this hopeful reality should catapult you into imitating Christ in all that you do. May we day in, day out, cast our eyes on Jesus. May we cling to the hope of the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah. May we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, glorifying God is everything that we do. May we, like Jesus, humbly serve others in both our words and actions, proclaiming good news of the gospel.

Who are you sharing the gospel with?