Latest / Scripture Unscripted / John chapter 8

Transcript

John chapter 8 · Scripture Unscripted

0:00
John chapter 8. Let us pray.
0:07
Our Heavenly Father. We thank you God for waking us
0:12
up. We thank you God for life
0:15
abundant. We thank you God that you have
0:17
given us your holy scriptures. We thank you, Father, that you
0:21
love well. We thank you that you are a Good
0:24
Shepherd. We thank you, God, that you have
0:27
placed us with you in heavenly places.
0:30
God, you have seated us there with you.
0:32
God, we thank you that you have gone to prepare a place for us.
0:36
Lord, we thank you that we will be with you at the marriage
0:39
supper of the Lamb, that we will be seated in the presence of our
0:43
enemies. God, I pray that we could put
0:45
the heel on the head of the snake today.
0:47
Crush the opposition today. God, I pray against all the
0:51
strongholds that have trying to take root in our lives.
0:55
God, I pray in the name of Jesus.
0:57
God, for new heights today, I pray in the name of Jesus for
1:01
the mind of Christ. Today I pray God, you'll heal
1:04
our broken bodies and broken marriages.
1:06
God, I pray that you'll bring the prodigals home today.
1:09
Father, I pray in the name of Jesus for law enforcement and
1:13
military. God, I pray in the name of Jesus
1:15
for righteous judges. God, I pray in the name of Jesus
1:19
for teachers. Lord, I pray that we will be
1:21
sold out, lay down lovers of you, Father, and that we will
1:25
see our jobs and we will see our positions as places that you
1:30
have put us, God, to be light and to be salt in those wicked
1:34
and dark places. God, I pray against the occult.
1:37
God, I pray against all the spiritual malice.
1:40
Father, I pray against all the darkness.
1:43
God, in the name of Jesus, we drive that out.
1:45
God, we bind the enemy, God and cast them into the judgment that
1:48
you have a waiting for them in the name of Jesus, Jesus, Lord,
1:52
it is that name that is above all names, God that breaks
1:55
chains. God, it breaks family curses.
1:58
Lord, it breaks all of our childhood trauma.
2:01
It breaks all of our doubts and fears and anxieties.
2:05
God, I pray against the spirit of Mammon in our lives, Lord, I
2:08
pray, Lord, that we will walk in truth and walk in freedom, God,
2:12
and walk in the provision that you give us for today, for this
2:16
day, Lord. And I pray, God, that you will
2:18
help us, help us to see this world all around us the way that
2:22
you do. God, give us the worldview of
2:25
Christ. Lord, I pray in the name of
2:27
Jesus that you will give us power from on high.
2:30
Father, I pray, God, that everywhere that we go today is
2:34
holy ground. Father, I pray that we can be
2:37
peacemakers today. God, I pray that every word that
2:40
we speak is for the edification of the Saints today.
2:44
Lord, I pray that you will be honored and glorified and that
2:48
it's all about you. King Jesus, we love you.
2:50
Holy Spirit, teach us. Holy Spirit, discipline us.
2:54
Holy Spirit, correct us. Holy Spirit, fill us today.
2:59
I decrease as you increase. Yes and Amen.
3:03
We love you, Lord Jesus, and it's all about you.
3:07
Teach us your eternal thoughts and words today.
3:10
Thank you for the full counsel of the Holy Scriptures.
3:13
Thank you that we can have them and own them and live them out.
3:17
Today, Lord, reveal to us what it is that you want from us
3:21
today. Help us to walk in truth and
3:25
walk in our bridal identity today.
3:27
Help us to know that you're near and you're fighting our battles
3:30
and we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
3:33
We love you and it's in your holy and precious name that I
3:36
pray. Amen.
3:41
Well, let's start in verse one. Jesus went unto the Mount of
3:49
Olives. So we know that there's a lot of
3:54
ancient manuscripts who leave out this story that we're about
3:57
to read, and you can speculate as to why.
4:01
But the reality is this is the inspired divine counsel of
4:06
Christ. This is God's word breathed.
4:10
And we know that Jesus is just now coming out of this festival
4:15
of booths, and he is proclaiming and crying out to the people
4:20
there that he is the Messiah and that they need to believe in
4:25
him. And we see here that Jesus is
4:28
not finished. He still has a lot to say to
4:31
them. Let's see what he has to say
4:33
during this time that He's in Jerusalem, this time of the
4:38
festival of the Tabernacles too. And early in the morning he came
4:47
again into the Temple, and all the people came unto him, and he
4:52
sat down and taught them. So this was a public spectacle.
4:58
He is not in obscurity at this moment.
5:01
He is bold. He is the Lion of Judah.
5:05
He is going in and He is being loud with His announcement that
5:13
He is the Son of God and that they must put their faith in
5:17
Him. Three.
5:19
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken
5:25
in adultery, and when they had set her in the midst.
5:31
So this was a setup. The man wasn't taken, only the
5:36
woman, and perhaps the man was part of their whole congregation
5:43
of all of the Pharisees there. They had sent him in there to
5:47
set him up, and there was so much legal requirements to make
5:53
any kind of judgement upon this lady.
5:56
But they are wanting to set Christ up as well.
5:59
They're wanting to set him in direct opposition to his
6:04
teachings and He, he is going to outmaneuver and outwit them.
6:10
Let's see how it goes. For they say unto him, Master,
6:14
this woman was taken in adultery in the very act.
6:19
So this is how we know it was a setup.
6:22
They had not taken her suitor, and both of them would have been
6:25
worthy of being stoned to death according to the law of Moses.
6:30
But as time went on, they had relaxed a lot of these standards
6:36
and no one was being put to death for this anymore, perhaps
6:41
because of their perversity. And they enjoyed all of these
6:46
things. And so therefore they had laxed
6:49
up on all of these regulations. But they wanted to come and act
6:53
as if they were pious and act as if they actually cared.
6:58
But they didn't. They just wanted to set Jesus
7:01
up. And this is very similar
7:03
whenever they're trying to ask him about paying taxes to Caesar
7:07
or not. This has the same connotation.
7:10
Friends, let's see how Jesus answers. 5 Now Moses and the law
7:17
commanded us that such should be stoned.
7:19
What do you say? 6 This they said, tempting him,
7:27
that they might have to accuse him.
7:31
But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground
7:37
as though he heard them not. So Jesus takes this low and
7:43
humble position. He does not try to puff out his
7:46
chest, He does not stick his finger in their face.
7:50
He takes a low position and he starts to write on the ground
7:56
and we can speculate as to what is happening in this moment.
8:02
And there are a lot of scholars who have a lot of commentary
8:06
that is in connection with what they think.
8:11
Perhaps Jesus here is listing out the sins that these
8:18
Pharisees thought were hidden and he knew about.
8:23
Perhaps he was writing them out and he started with the oldest
8:28
in the crowd and started listing all of them out and let's see
8:33
how it goes. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted
8:41
up himself and said unto them, he that is without sin among
8:47
you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8:50
Of course this is a famous quote, but we need to have the
8:55
context here friends. We cannot just cherry pick
8:59
verses that try to fit our theology, friends, that justify
9:04
all of our sinful behavior. Jesus here in the context of it
9:09
all. He doesn't excuse the sin,
9:13
friends. The sin must be dealt with, and
9:18
it was all dealt with at the cross.
9:21
If you do not have the blood of Christ covering you from the top
9:26
of your head to the bottom of your feet, then it doesn't
9:29
matter how good of a behavior you do.
9:36
It is worth nothing. But much like this woman, it
9:41
doesn't matter. All of the sinful behavior that
9:45
we have ever done, our doing, or will ever do was covered in the
9:50
blood of Jesus Christ. But it is the love of Christ
9:54
that produces the obedience. Friends, we do not obey to prove
9:59
that we love Him. It is the love of Jesus that
10:04
produces the obedience unto the Scriptures.
10:07
And that is a hard saying for some, because they have not yet
10:11
made the connection. But for those of us who truly
10:14
love the Lord Jesus Christ, who cared nothing for the things of
10:18
this world, and we are bondservants of him, and we love
10:22
him, and we see that He is our everything, it is easy to obey
10:28
Him. 8 And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
10:36
So here he is. They kept pressing him, saying,
10:40
What do you say, What do you say, What do you say?
10:44
They wouldn't take his ignoring them.
10:49
But here he stands, and he says, Whoever has no sin, let him be
10:54
the first to cast the stone. And this was convicting unto
11:00
them. And he took another low position
11:03
as he stooped down to the ground. 9 And they which heard
11:08
it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one,
11:17
beginning at the oldest even unto the last.
11:21
And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
11:27
What a scene. I pray that you can see it.
11:31
I pray that you can see the whole thing unfold as these men
11:35
try to trap Jesus and they're despicable in their approach, as
11:40
they grab this woman that they have set up.
11:44
And here she is standing in Jesus's midst, the Son of God,
11:49
God Incarnate, all perfection and purity wrapped up and here
11:56
standing with this sinful woman. Let's see how Jesus treats her.
12:03
And he treats us the same friends we are, but unprofitable
12:09
servants we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior.
12:15
Let's see what he says. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself and
12:19
saw none but the woman, he said to her, Woman, where are those
12:25
your accusers? Has no man condemned you?
12:29
So he had given them permission. He said any of you who have no
12:33
sin, you'd be the first to cast the stone.
12:37
And of course we know that as a very popular verse, and we think
12:40
of it as saying, hey, we all are sinners and so we don't need to
12:44
go around casting stones at each other.
12:47
But in actuality, Jesus had given them permission.
12:52
If they like him, we're sinless. But of course they were not, and
12:58
they were convicted in their conscience.
13:00
And just so you know, friends, even those who do not know Jesus
13:06
Christ, He has given them a conscience, and their conscience
13:10
bears witness against them. God has placed eternity into the
13:15
hearts of men and all of creation proclaims his name so
13:20
that man is without excuse. And so therefore no one is going
13:23
to stand before a holy God and say, I did not know.
13:29
We do not get that, privileged friends.
13:33
Our conscience bears witness that there is a God that created
13:38
everything seen and unseen, because He placed eternity into
13:43
our hearts. But we are hostile towards Him
13:46
and we want to be our own gods and we do not want to have to
13:51
listen to all the rules that are in this book.
13:54
And it is not until we can see the Bible as a book of promises
14:05
that God promises us all of the things inside of this book Is
14:11
not until then that we can fall madly and deeply in love with
14:16
Jesus Christ. He promises us life and abundant
14:22
life. He gives us peace, but not as
14:25
the world gives. He gives us eternity, but more
14:30
than anything we get fellowship with Him, we get to be with Him,
14:36
and that should be our end goal. Friends, is Jesus Christ enough?
14:46
11 She said, No man, Lord, and Jesus said unto her, Neither do
14:53
I condemn you, go and sin no more.
14:57
So you can see here that she acknowledges His deity.
15:02
She acknowledges that He is Master.
15:05
She acknowledges that He is the Son of God.
15:09
Right here. This is the same as the thief on
15:12
the cross. Whenever he acknowledged Jesus
15:17
as God, she is saying No man Lord.
15:25
And what did he say? Go and sin no more.
15:28
He forgives you of all of your sins, but He loves you too much
15:33
to leave you in that sin. And we're going to go from glory
15:37
to glory. And God highlights the most
15:41
obvious things when we first come to Him.
15:44
He will highlight the most obvious things that we need to
15:48
get rid of. And as time goes on and the
15:50
process of sanctification happens, He gives you even the
15:55
nuances, the things that you're not even aware of, the hidden
15:58
things in the subconscious, friends your character defects
16:03
that you're not even aware of yet, He will work on and He will
16:07
perfect you because He is the author of your faith.
16:11
And whenever we enter into His presence, we will be ready,
16:15
friends, we will be known by Him, Praise God. 12 Then spoke
16:21
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world.
16:28
He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
16:33
the light of life. So here we know that we must
16:37
dwell in the light, because He is the light, friends, and the
16:40
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
16:44
overwhelm it. Whenever you cut the light on in
16:49
a room, the darkness expels. It cannot remain friends.
16:56
And that is what he's telling us, is that if we are connected
17:00
to Him, then we are the light of the world, and darkness has no
17:04
place there, friends, He exposes it. 13 The Pharisees therefore
17:11
said unto him, You, you bear record of yourself, so your
17:15
record is not true. So they're trying to say, you
17:19
are a self promoter. 14 Jesus answered and said unto them,
17:26
Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true, for I
17:33
know where I came and where I go, but you cannot tell where I
17:38
come and where I go. So here they thought they had
17:41
them cornered. Here is this son of Joseph the
17:44
Carpenter. Here they are trying to tell him
17:49
that they know where he is from this little town of Galilee,
17:54
Nazareth. Here Jesus is going to tell them
17:59
that he is from everlasting. He is the creator of everything,
18:05
seen and unseen. 15 You judge after the flesh, and I judge no
18:14
man. So here he's saying that they
18:20
are wrong in their approach to who he is and that Jesus Christ,
18:28
he doesn't even have to say a word, that they're already self
18:31
condemned because Moses and the law and all the prophets spoke
18:37
of him. And here he is.
18:39
He doesn't even have to try to bring them into any kind of
18:44
judgment, because they have already pronounced judgment upon
18:48
themselves by not believing in Him. 16 And yet if I judge, my
18:55
judgment is true, for I'm not alone, but I and the Father that
18:59
sent me, they are of 1 accord, they are congruent, they are the
19:04
same. 17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of
19:10
two men is true. 18 I am one that bears witness of myself,
19:16
and the Father that sent me bears witness of me.
19:19
So we know that whenever Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist
19:24
that God Almighty spoke from heaven and said, This is my son
19:28
whom I am well pleased. And then we know on the Mount of
19:32
Transfiguration God spoke and he said that we need to listen to
19:38
him. And so therefore you can see
19:41
that God bore witness of Jesus Christ and that is what he's
19:45
telling them, that if they would pay attention that he's already
19:50
been confirmed that he is the Son of God and has all authority
19:54
and everything he says is of paramount importance and we must
19:59
hang on every syllable. Friends 19 Then said they unto
20:04
him, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, You neither know
20:08
me nor my father. If you had known me, you should
20:13
have known my father also. So here they're going to try to
20:16
corner him to say that we actually know that you're the
20:19
son of Joseph the Carpenter. 20 These words spoke Jesus in the
20:26
treasury as he taught in the temple, and no man laid hands on
20:32
him, for his hour was not yet come.
20:34
They would have loved to lay hands on him, but they could
20:38
not. Jesus had all authority, and he
20:42
was on a divine timeline, and he was bulletproof until he gave
20:48
his life up. No one took it from him. 21 Then
20:54
said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and you shall seek me,
20:59
and shall die in your sins. And where I go, you cannot come.
21:04
He's talking about life everlasting.
21:06
He's talking about eternity, and he knows that they will not be
21:11
there with us in all of eternity, forever in the
21:15
presence of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, Amen.
21:19
We love you, God Almighty. And here the Jews, at this time,
21:24
they would have thought because of their lineage to Abraham,
21:27
that they were automatically going to be there.
21:30
And at this time they had thought that anybody who
21:34
committed suicide would have been banished to the lowest part
21:38
of hell. Let's see what they're going to
21:40
say to them. 22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself?
21:46
Because he says, where I go, you cannot come.
21:49
So they're trying to put words in his mouth.
21:52
They're trying to act like he's out of his mind, but he knows
21:56
exactly what he's saying. And anyone else who could ever
22:00
say these words, it would be an absurdity.
22:04
But because they're coming from Jesus Christ, he has all
22:08
authority to tell them these things. 23 He said unto them,
22:14
You are from beneath, I am from above, you are of this world.
22:18
I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that
22:23
you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am
22:29
he, you shall die in your sins. Listen, guys, this is the most
22:33
important thing that you need to know that if you woke up this
22:36
morning, God's not done with you and you get another chance and
22:39
you can turn it all around and you could give your life to him
22:43
today. And for these Pharisees who were
22:46
steeped in tradition, for these Pharisees who were heretical in
22:50
their teachings, for these Pharisees, they had another
22:53
chance. And he's saying, if you will not
22:56
believe and you die in those sins, you will be eternally
23:00
banished into hell. And that is not a very popular
23:06
thought today, friends, but it is the reality and it is the
23:10
gravity of what we must wrestle with.
23:13
But if you have breath in your lungs, it's not too late for
23:17
you. It's only those who have taken
23:19
their last breath that their fate is sealed forever.
23:23
And by the way, forever is a long time.
23:27
We cannot even measure it, friends.
23:30
And are you willing to play games with God?
23:34
Surrender to Him today. Every single thing, every
23:39
thought, everything that is plaguing you, surrender it unto
23:44
Him today. Don't hold on to this world.
23:48
Let go of this world and step into the light.
23:52
Friends 25 Then said they unto him, Who are you?
24:02
And Jesus said unto them, even the same that I said unto you,
24:06
from the beginning. He's saying, I have not minced
24:09
words, I have not stuttered. I've told you from the beginning
24:13
that I am the Son of God, and you will see me coming on the
24:18
clouds of glory with all the angelic oaths. 26 I have many
24:24
things to say and to judge of you, but he that sent me is
24:30
true, and I speak to the world those things which I have heard
24:34
of him. So he's saying I have many more
24:36
things to say to you, but you are ignorant, and you have
24:41
seared your conscience, and you are not willing that I should go
24:47
deeper with you. 27 They understood not that he spoke to
24:53
them of the Father, who's talking about God Almighty
24:57
Yahweh. 28 Then said Jesus unto them, When you have lifted up
25:04
the Son of Man, then shall you know that I am he, and that I do
25:08
nothing of myself. But as my Father has taught me,
25:12
I speak these things. He's talking about his
25:14
crucifixion, He's talking about the cross of Christ, He's
25:18
talking about Golgotha and Calvary.
25:20
He's talking about your salvation and mine.
25:23
And he's saying that after you have put him and nailed him to
25:27
the cross, and he is resurrected and ascended to the right hand
25:31
of God, 2000 years later we'll still be talking about him.
25:36
Praise God, Hallelujah, we love you Jesus. 29 and he that sent
25:41
me is with me. The Father has not left me
25:45
alone, for I do always those things that please Him.
25:49
Can you say that today? Is He with you?
25:53
Are you one with him? Are you united with Christ?
25:56
Are you abiding in Him, friends? And he and you, friends.
26:00
And are you doing the things that pleases him?
26:03
I pray that you are 30. As he spoke these words, many
26:07
believed on Him. Do you believe on Him today,
26:11
friends? I pray that you do. 31 Then said
26:17
Jesus to those Jews which believed on him.
26:20
If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. 32
26:27
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
26:31
free. We are free and we are free
26:33
indeed, friends, when we stand on the truth and Jesus is the
26:39
truth, friends. But when we stand on the truth
26:42
and we live the right way, and we have the gospel shoes of
26:45
peace, and we have the helmet of salvation, friends, and we have
26:49
the shield of faith, friends, and the sword of the spirit,
26:53
friends, and we go out and we do war.
26:56
I pray that the truth has set you free.
26:59
I pray that you know Him. And if you know Him, then you
27:03
are not in bondage to Mammon. If you know him, you are not in
27:10
bondage to fear. If you know him, you are not in
27:13
bondage. Friends, you are free.
27:15
But you have to walk in that bridal identity.
27:19
You have to take off those chains and quit putting them
27:22
back on, and quit letting the tears and the snares choke you
27:27
out. You are free already.
27:30
It is not a place that we're going.
27:32
We can have it now. Friends, walk in that freedom.
27:37
33 They answered him. We be Abraham's seed, and we're
27:42
never in bondage to any man. How do you say you shall be made
27:46
free? How did they air grievously?
27:49
By trying to pretend as if they had never been in bondage to
27:53
Egypt, to the Philistines, Had they never been in bondage?
27:58
They were. They had Roman rule in the midst
28:03
of Jerusalem. Friends, how pathetic.
28:06
And they're trying to still hang on to the temple of the Lord.
28:10
This is an old tactic of them. They're trying to hang on to
28:13
their heritage of Abraham. And Jesus here is showing them
28:19
that they cannot come in by that way.
28:23
They must enter in the straight and the narrow way.
28:26
And He is the Good Shepherd, and he is the door, and he's going
28:29
to be the one to let us end, friends.
28:32
But we must be covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ
28:36
and be holy because he is holy. Friends. 34 Jesus answered them,
28:43
Truly, truly. I say unto you, Whosoever
28:49
commits sin is the servant of sin, and we know that sin leads
28:55
to death, friends, and we are a slave to whatever we allow to
29:01
occupy our minds and our hearts and our emotions, friends, we
29:07
are a slave to that. And if you do not have Jesus
29:12
Christ as your all sufficient sacrifice, as the atonement for
29:18
all of your sin, then you are in bondage to IT, friends.
29:24
But whom the sun sets free is free indeed. 35 And the servant
29:32
abides not in the house forever, but the sun abides ever.
29:39
So we know here that if you are a slave, then your destination
29:46
is what the what? The whole tactic of our enemy is
29:52
to steal, kill and destroy. That is our end.
29:56
If you are a slave to sin, it is death, friends.
30:00
It is bondage, friends, and you see it all around you.
30:04
So many people are caught up in bondage to themselves and to
30:10
their thoughts and to anxiety and to fear and to depression,
30:15
and they're in bondage and to addiction, friends.
30:19
And they're in bondage to Mammon, and they're in bondage
30:24
to all of the things that plague us, friends.
30:27
And they're not walking in freedom.
30:29
They're not walking in the light, friends. 36 If the Son
30:35
therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
30:40
This is the whole caveat, friends.
30:42
Are you walking in the freedom that he wrought for us on
30:47
Calvary? If he has set you free, then we
30:51
must walk in that. We cannot keep going back to
30:55
sin. He loves you too much to leave
30:58
you in that. 37 I know that you are Abraham's seed, but you seek
31:03
to kill me because my word has no place in you.
31:07
So Jesus here is calling them out.
31:10
Abraham was the father of faith, and it was imputed to him as
31:14
righteousness, friends, because he believed and he moved in
31:18
obedience. And they're trying to seek to
31:20
kill Jesus Christ, the Son of God, And he's saying you're
31:24
trying to rely on your lineage to Abraham, but it shows that
31:28
you are children of the devil. 38 I speak that which I have
31:40
seen with my father, and you do that which you have seen with
31:44
your father. They're talking about Satan.
31:46
He's saying that they are the children of the devil. 39 They
31:53
answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father.
31:57
Jesus said unto them, If you were Abrahams children, you
32:01
would do the works of Abraham. So we know that he was the
32:04
father of faith, and they would increase their faith, and they
32:07
would believe on him. Friends 41 You do the deeds of
32:12
your father then said they to him, We be not born of
32:17
fornication. We have one father, and even
32:20
God. So here was the ignorance of the
32:23
Jews. And we can be ignorant to
32:25
friends. When we think that all the
32:27
Bibles in our houses is what saves us.
32:30
When we think that our church attendance is what saves us.
32:33
When we think that the suit and tie is what saves us.
32:37
When we think that the pulpit in the stained glass window and the
32:40
steeple is what saves us, friends, we must be connected to
32:44
Jesus Christ. We must be steeped in truth.
32:47
Friends, we must be covered in the blood of Jesus Christ.
32:51
We must have fellowship with Him in His suffering.
32:55
We must be connected to the vine to produce the fruit which is
32:59
the natural overflow. Friends, that is the whole point
33:03
of the whole matter. And we will be able to see that
33:07
He is or everything, and that we can do nothing good apart from
33:12
him. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would
33:21
love me. For I proceeded forth and came
33:24
from God. Neither came I of myself, but he
33:29
sent me. So we know when you study the
33:31
life of Jesus Christ, that he was perfect and sinless in all
33:35
of his ways. And they sought to destroy and
33:38
to murder him because he lived in opposition to all of their
33:44
ways of how they liked to do life, their greedy life, their
33:53
look at me kind of life there. We like to wield over the masses
34:02
life there. We just want this life and
34:09
whatever is to come kind of life.
34:13
And they were not willing to believe on the Son of God.
34:18
And it stood as their condemnation.
34:21
It stood in direct opposition of everything that was holy and
34:27
good and pure and lovely. 43 Why do you not understand my speech?
34:39
Even because you cannot hear my word?
34:42
So it was that they had seared their consciences, and they
34:45
refused to love the truth. 44 You are of your father, the
34:51
devil. In the lust of your father you
34:54
will do. He was a murderer from the
34:56
beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth
35:00
in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
35:04
of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.
35:08
So here we can see so many of the characteristics of our
35:12
adversary, and we can be on guard against it.
35:15
Friends, highlight it. Make sure that you are always on
35:19
guard. Guard because this is the
35:21
deception here friends. And Jesus gives us his resume
35:26
and he shows us what we need to be on guard for friends.
35:30
And he was telling them that this is the Spirit that is
35:35
behind what they are doing. And we can see it alive in our
35:39
day and our our friends. We see it all around us. 45 And
35:46
because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.
35:49
They delighted themselves in evil.
35:52
They were delusional friends. 46 Which of you convinces me of
35:59
sin? And if I say the truth, why do
36:02
you not believe me? No one could attach any sin to
36:07
Jesus Christ. He was sinless.
36:10
He was perfect. He is perfect and He was the
36:15
only spotless lamb that was worthy to take away the sin of
36:20
the world. No one could attach any sin to
36:27
Him and He never had to apologize for a single word.
36:33
He meant what He said, He said what He meant, and we must take
36:37
His word at face value and believe it, Friends. 47 He that
36:47
is of God hears God's words. You therefore hear them not
36:51
because you are not of God. Don't be surprised friends,
36:55
whenever you are trying to share the good news with somebody and
36:59
they outright reject it and they don't want to hear it and they
37:05
are hostile towards it because they have made a love decision
37:09
for this world and they are blindfolded and they are being
37:13
LED off into bondage and into destruction. 48 Then answered
37:21
the Jews and said unto him, say we not well, that you are a
37:27
Samaritan and has a devil. So they're saying you're just a
37:32
Samaritan and you're demon possessed.
37:36
Here they are. They are trying to make
37:40
themselves feel better about how they are treating him.
37:46
They're trying to push him into a camp.
37:48
They're trying to break Him down to make themselves feel better
37:53
about their sinful behavior whenever what they really need
37:57
to do is fall upon that stone and be completely broken before
38:06
that stone falls on them and pulverizes them.
38:11
That is the reality that we live in.
38:13
We must fall on Jesus and let Him heal you and be repentant
38:17
and confess everything that you've done and let Him make you
38:21
whole friends. 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil,
38:29
but I honor my Father, and you do dishonor me.
38:33
And he's saying in connection that you are dishonouring Yahweh
38:37
by not believing on me. 50 And I seek not my own glory.
38:43
There is one that seeks and judges.
38:48
He's talking about God Almighty and the great white throne that
38:51
we all are going to have to stand before judgment, and every
38:58
knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord
39:04
and God Almighty is going to make sure of it. 51 Truth.
39:08
Truly I say unto you, if a man keeps my saying, he shall never
39:13
see death. So here we know that if we will
39:17
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that the second destruction,
39:24
that the second death, we will never taste this eternal
39:32
damnation and separation from God Almighty, where the worm
39:37
never dies and the fire is never quenched.
39:41
We do not have to go there. And that is what is referenced
39:44
here. We can have abundant life, and
39:48
we can have it now, and we will have it then, and we will be
39:51
ushered into paradise, friends, and we do not need to fear
39:55
death. He has the keys to death and
39:59
Hades, and there is no sting left for us who know him and who
40:04
believe on him. 52 Then said the Jews unto him.
40:10
Now we know that you have a devil.
40:14
Abraham is dead. In the prophets and you say, if
40:18
a man keeps my saying, he shall never taste of death.
40:22
So here they're trying to back him up into a corner, they're
40:26
trying to twist his words, and they're looking at the natural.
40:30
And we err in that. And we try to take this word and
40:40
to use it for our own advantage, friends, whenever the advantage
40:47
that we will have is in the life to come.
40:50
In this life, you will have troubles.
40:53
But take heart. He has overcome the world and He
40:57
doesn't promise us freedom from all of the troubles.
41:02
He just promises us that He's going to be there with us
41:05
through them. And we will not see the fullness
41:10
of it all until we take our last breaths, or until He wraps us to
41:15
be with him in the clouds, to see Him and to know Him, and to
41:20
be there with him forevermore. 53 Are you greater than our
41:29
father Abraham, which is dead, and the prophets are dead?
41:32
Whom maketh you yourself? So they're asking him, Do you
41:38
think you're greater than Father Abraham?
41:41
54 Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing.
41:45
It is my Father that honors me, of whom you say that he is your
41:49
God. 55 Yet you have not known him.
41:54
But I know him. And if I should say I know him
41:57
not, I shall be a liar like you. But I know him, and I keep his
42:02
saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he
42:09
saw it and was glad. So here we know that Abraham was
42:15
the father of faith, and we know that faith is believing in the
42:20
things that we can't yet see. And we know that he was willing
42:24
to sacrifice his only son. And we know that this was a
42:28
mirror of what God was to do with Jesus.
42:31
And Jesus gives us a little hint and a little snapshot and a
42:35
little hope that Abraham actually got to see what was
42:39
going to happen. And God was pleased to show him
42:43
these things. And Jesus is showing us that
42:46
here. And he's telling them that they
42:51
are in grave danger of hell fire, because they are trusting
42:58
in their own natural thoughts, and they are not walking in
43:04
faith like Abraham did. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, You are
43:11
not yet. 50 and you have seen Abraham. 58 Jesus said unto
43:17
them, Truly, truly I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.
43:29
This is one of Jesus's I am moments in the book of John, and
43:36
we know exactly what he's doing here.
43:37
He's calling them back to the burning Bush when Moses said,
43:42
who shall I say sent me? And God Almighty says I am.
43:50
And so the Jews here would have known that this was a claim to
43:56
deity and let's see how they react to it.
44:02
We'll end on 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him.
44:08
But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through
44:12
the midst of them, and so passed by.
44:15
He was on this divine timeline, and He was bulletproof until He
44:20
offered up His own life. No one took it from Him.
44:24
And here we can see that they thought that he was blaspheming
44:30
God because He called himself I am.
44:34
Somebody had every right to. And we need to make sure that
44:37
we're paying attention that Jesus Christ is claiming to be
44:41
God. And what do you say about it?
44:46
Who is Jesus Christ? Is he just the moral teacher?
44:51
Is he just a prophet? Did he have a lot of ethical
44:56
things to say about morality, or is he God?
45:04
Because if he is God, then we must hang on every syllable.
45:13
I hope you've been blessed by this chapter.
45:17
Now I sure have. Praying for every single one of
45:23
you. I love you and so does God, and
45:29
we'll see you back here tomorrow.
45:31
God bless you.