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John 8:48-59 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Amen and good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 8.
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! We're back in John. It's been a minute. Our text for today is verses 48 through 59. I'm very grateful this morning to be back in our study of John's Gospel.
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In fact, I'm so happy to be back in this book that I'm going to skip introductory comments and just get right to the text.
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So let's read it beginning in verse 48, ending at the end of the chapter, and then I'll remind us a little bit where we are and set us up for our study.
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But first, let's pray for God's favor on our time in His Word.
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Father, as we take up Your Word together this morning, we do so humbly.
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We want to rightly understand it. We want it to have its proper effect on our hearts.
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And we recognize that we cannot do this apart from the help of Your Spirit.
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We recognize that Your Word was written for Your glory and for our good.
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And so we ask that You would help us to believe its promises and obey its commands and have affection for You, its author.
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And we pray that You'll help us to this end. Amen.
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John chapter 8, beginning in verse 48 and following.
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The Jews answered Him,
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Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?
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Jesus answered,
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I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father and You dishonor me.
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Yet I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and He is the judge.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.
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The Jews said to Him,
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Now we know that you have a demon.
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Abraham died, as did the prophets.
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Yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.
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Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died, and the prophets died?
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Who do you make yourself out to be?
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Jesus answered,
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If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.
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It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say He is our God.
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But you have not known Him.
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I know Him.
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If I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you.
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But I do know Him, and I keep His word.
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Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.
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He saw it and was glad.
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So the Jews said to Him,
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You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?
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Jesus said to them,
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Truly, truly, I say to you,
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Before Abraham was, I am.
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So they picked up stones to throw at him,
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but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
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There are passages in Scripture where the temperature rises.
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You can feel it even across the centuries.
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I try to read text well for you.
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Of course, I wasn't there.
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I don't know the tone in the voice.
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But you could read this so flatly and miss that there's a tension growing here.
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John chapter 8, the whole chapter,
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it's a chapter where it's just the tension is building and building and building.
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The conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders,
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that's who this term, the Jews, is referring to,
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has been building layer upon layer,
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until what we see here is not a polite disagreement,
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but it's open hostility.
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The tension is white hot at this point.
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And if you have any doubt of that,
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the last verse affirms what I just said, right?
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Murderous intent comes to play at the very end of the chapter.
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But our text begins,
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The Jews answered him.
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Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?
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Don't let your familiarity with the text
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dull the shock of this moment.
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These are not fringe skeptics.
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These are the religious leaders.
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They're significant men.
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These are men who know the scriptures,
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who claim to represent God.
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And yet, when the Son of God stands before them,
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they do not recognize him.
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And even worse, they slander him.
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They don't just disagree with Jesus.
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They despise Jesus.
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They call him a Samaritan,
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questioning his ethnic purity,
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his orthodoxy,
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his place among God's people.
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They don't know this at all.
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Jesus is not a Samaritan.
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And they have no clue,
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but they are using it pejoratively.
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And if that isn't enough,
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they go further.
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They say that he has a demon,
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that he is possessed.
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They attribute the works and words
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of the Son of God
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to the powers of darkness.
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To me, all of this
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just seems to be taking stabs at him.
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It's ad hominem attacks at this point.
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Not considering his arguments any longer.
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They're listening,
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but it seems like they're half listening
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to what he has to say.
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And then just going after the man.
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You're a Samaritan.
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You're demon-possessed.
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And what we see here
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is not just a historical moment,
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although it is that.
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It's a record of what happened.
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But it's also a mirror
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held up to the human heart.
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Because, apart from grace,
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this is how we all respond to Christ.
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And yet,
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in the face of this hostility,
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Jesus responds with clarity,
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with dignity,
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and with truth.
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And in just a few words,
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he reveals two realities
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that every one of us
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must reckon with this morning.
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Those two are,
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to be our outline for today.
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Number one,
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that Jesus is the eternal God.
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And that number two,
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Jesus offers eternal life in himself.
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So if you like even simpler outlines,
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eternal God,
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eternal life.
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Jesus is clearly presented in this text
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as the eternal God.
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And I don't want to rush into it
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without at least taking a little moment
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to define the word eternal.
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It's an adjective that describes time.
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To say that something is eternal
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is to say that time
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has no bearing on it.
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It will go on forever.
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Jesus is eternal.
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He has existed in eternity past
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and will exist in eternity future.
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No beginning and no end.
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And this is true
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because Jesus is the eternal God.
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God is not merely a God,
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but the eternal God.
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God has been presenting us
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with a dilemma
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all throughout his writing.
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I've lamented a couple of times
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this morning with a few of you
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about how the way we preach,
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which I commend,
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otherwise I would just stop doing it,
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taking bits of text at a time,
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often leads us to forget
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the total narrative,
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what's going on in the totality of the text.
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The sermon would be way too long
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if I preached the entire book of John
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on a Sunday morning.
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We need to break it down
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and consider things bit by bit
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and piece by piece,
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but let's not lose sight
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of the larger themes being developed.
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John's been doing this work
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of presenting this dilemma.
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What will you do with Jesus?
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We see receiving him
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and we see rejecting him.
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We find ourselves in a chapter
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that is all about rejection.
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Jesus is too audacious
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to just be a good teacher.
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You must think him a liar,
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just inventing falsehood,
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or a lunatic.
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Perhaps he actually believed
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what he said about himself
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and was absolutely crazy.
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Or, and what I posit to you,
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that what he said is true
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and therefore you must worship him
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as Lord.
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Maybe you've heard that trilemma structure
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before, liar, lunatic, or Lord.
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In verses 39 through 47,
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just preceding our text,
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Jesus has exposed false devotion to God.
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That's what they're responding to here
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in verse 48.
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He says in verse 46,
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Which one of you convicts me of sin?
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If I tell the truth,
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why do you not believe me?
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Whoever is of God,
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verse 47,
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hears the words of God.
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The reason why you do not hear them
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is that you are not of God.
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And it's in response to that
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that our text begins,
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The Jews answered him.
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I mentioned it really briefly earlier,
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but this little phrase,
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the Jews,
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most regularly in the book of John
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is referring to these religious leaders.
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And there's some contextual evidence
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that that is the case.
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That's who he's speaking to right now
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in the temple.
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Are we not right in saying
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that you are Samaritan
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and have a demon?
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Notice their confidence.
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They're not really asking questions.
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This is rhetorical to be sure.
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Our punctuation puts it as a question.
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They're not really asking Jesus
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to bring clarity to their thoughts about him.
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They're convinced that they are correct.
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And yet,
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they're completely wrong.
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This is one of the sobering realities
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that the Bible presents to us.
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Sincerity does not equal belief.
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These men are confident
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and they are deaf
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to the words of Christ.
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Verse 47,
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whoever is of God
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hears the words of God.
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The reason why you do not hear them
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is that you are not of God.
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Jesus has just said this to them.
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And instead of humbling themselves,
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hearing this difficult thing,
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asking for clarifying questions,
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what you've said is hard to hear.
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Help us understand what you mean.
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Instead,
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they harden themselves against him.
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This is exactly what Scripture
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tells us to expect
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apart from the work of the Spirit
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in our lives.
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It comes in
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and softens our hearts.
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1 Corinthians 2,
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in verse 14,
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Paul says,
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The natural person does not accept
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the things of the Spirit of God,
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for they are folly to him.
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Left to ourselves,
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we do not drift toward Christ.
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We drift away.
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We resist him.
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We do not naturally submit.
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We naturally push back.
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We sang a song just a moment ago.
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First line,
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My Lord, I did not choose you,
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for that could never be.
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My heart would still refuse you
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had you not chosen me.
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If you felt any objection
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to that song,
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it's derived directly from Scripture,
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from John chapter 15,
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in verse 16,
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where Jesus says,
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You did not choose me,
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but I chose you
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and appointed you
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that you should go
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and bear fruit.
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And the emphasis of that song
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is that we would be humble
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and recognize
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that it's the loving kindness
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of God to us in Christ
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that has saved our souls.
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The doctrine of divine election
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in no way mitigates
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human responsibility.
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The Bible teaches both.
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And you can say,
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Nathan, that is not logical,
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and I will just go,
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Well, then, okay.
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The Bible says both things,
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and we want to hold both honestly.
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The sovereignty of God's salvation,
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divine election,
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and human responsibility.
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We see this laced
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all throughout John's gospel.
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The doctrine of divine election
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is not meant to make us
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proud and condemning.
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What it's meant to do
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is rightly humble us
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and work gratitude
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in our hearts.
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Jesus isn't pulling punches
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in chapter 8.
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Young people,
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I don't know if you know
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what pulling a punch is.
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You pull a punch when you swing
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and you don't quite deliver the punch.
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It's like you resist
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the full impact.
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Maybe you've pretend
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hit somebody before
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and you don't quite make contact.
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That's what that phrase means.
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Jesus isn't doing that.
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He is fully indicting
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these men
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for their rejection
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of the truth.
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While I hold
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the divine election,
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I hold it firmly
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in my closed fist.
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We cannot miss this.
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These men
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are responsible
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for the rejection
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of the Lord Jesus
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as the Christ.
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Notice Jesus' response.
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He answers them.
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Verse 49,
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I do not have a demon,
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but I honor my father
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and you dishonor me.
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He doesn't say,
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well, of course you don't believe me.
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Their actions are held culpable
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for their actions.
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He deals with the demonic accusation plainly.
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I do not have a demon.
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And the Samaritan accusation
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by restating
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that God is his father.
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They're trying to diminish his purity
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and he is raising the bar
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on who he is.
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The inciting incident
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between Jesus
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and these men
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was recorded in chapter 5
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where Jesus heals a man
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on the Sabbath
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and then states
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in John 5, 17,
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my father is working
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until now
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and I am working.
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So again,
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big picture contextually.
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Go back to the beginning
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of 5, 17.
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And we know
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when he says this,
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my father is working
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until now
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and I am working,
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exactly what he meant
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because John records
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their response
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with an explanation.
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Verse 18 of chapter 5,
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John says,
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this was why the Jews
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were seeking
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all the more
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to kill him
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because not only
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was he breaking the Sabbath,
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but he was even calling God
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his own father,
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making himself
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equal with
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God.
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He was claiming
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to be God
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in doing this.
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He will continue
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to make these claims
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right up to today's text
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and beyond it.
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Now,
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if you are not God,
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then it is a grave evil
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to call yourself
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God.
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No one in this room
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can make this claim.
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No one should claim
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that we are
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little g gods.
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This is a great heresy,
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a grave,
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grave evil.
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If Jesus was a liar
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or a lunatic,
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they had every right
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to be angry at him.
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It would have been proper
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for them to think him
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blasphemous,
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evil,
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punishment should come,
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stoning was the punishment
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for blasphemy.
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We should be angered.
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It would be righteous
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to be angered
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by a person
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claiming to be
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God.
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However,
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Jesus is God.
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It is good and proper
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for God
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to call himself
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God.
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And John is laboring
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to make this
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point.
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He begins
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this great work
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with these words,
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John chapter 1,
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beginning in verse 1
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and following.
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In the beginning
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was the Word,
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and the Word
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was with God,
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and the Word
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was God.
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He was in the beginning
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with God.
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All things
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were made
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through him,
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and without him
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was not anything
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made that was made.
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Now bring the next
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verses into our context.
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In him
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was life,
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and the life
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was the light
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of men.
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The light
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shines in the darkness,
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and the darkness
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has not
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overcome it.
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The introductory
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words to this
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gospel account
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are presenting
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Jesus
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as the Christ,
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as God
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himself.
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self.
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Like,
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come into the world
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as light
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to conquer
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darkness.
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Then we can jump
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down just a bit
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after a bit of
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language about
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John the Baptist
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to verse 9
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of chapter 1.
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There John writes,
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the true light,
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which gives light
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to everyone,
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was coming
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into the world.
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He was in the world,
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and the world
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was made through him,
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yet the world
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did not know him.
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He came to his own.
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And his own people
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did not
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receive him.
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This is what we're
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looking at right now.
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It's playing out.
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But to all who did
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receive him,
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who believed in his name,
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he gave the right
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to become
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children
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of God,
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who were born
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not of blood,
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not because they
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are ethnically Jewish,
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nor of the will
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of the flesh,
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not because they
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just hoped enough,
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did enough,
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nor of the will
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of man,
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but of God.
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These men,
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his own people,
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did not receive him.
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Rather,
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they call him
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demon-possessed.
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Isaiah chapter 5,
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verse 20,
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says,
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woe to those
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who call evil good
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and good evil.
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I think it's important
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at this point
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to note
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that sometimes
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resistance to the
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words of God
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looks religious.
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Now,
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notice what Jesus
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says next
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in verse 50.
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He says,
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yet I do not
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seek my own
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glory.
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There is one
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who seeks it
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and he
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is
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the judge.
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Jesus has
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no real
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need
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to defend
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himself.
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His father
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seeks
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his glory
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and will
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be
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the judge.
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So he's
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communicating here.
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This is where
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the indictment
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language
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really
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hits.
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I think
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our minds
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might just
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bounce right
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past this
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declaration
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that God
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is
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the judge.
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This rejection
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of Jesus
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as the Christ,
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this malicious
20:39
name-calling
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will be
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judged.
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And this
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audience would
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have had a
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clear picture
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of what Jesus
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meant
20:47
by this
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language.
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Perhaps
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a text
20:51
like Isaiah
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66,
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verse 15
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and 16
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would have
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come into
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their minds.
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These men
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knew
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their Old
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Testament
20:58
Bible.
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Perhaps
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this is
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what jumped
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in their
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mind.
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He says,
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my father
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is the
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judge.
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Listen to
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it.
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For behold,
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the Lord
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will come
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in fire
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and his
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chariots
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like the
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whirlwind
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to render
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his anger
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in fury
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and his
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rebuke
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with flames
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of fire.
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For by
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fire
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will the
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Lord
21:17
enter into
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judgment
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and by
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his sword
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with all
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flesh
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and those
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slain by
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the Lord
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shall be
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many.
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Jesus
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calls
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his
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father
21:28
the
21:29
judge.
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These
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men
21:30
are
21:30
getting
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whipped
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into
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a
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fervor.
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This is
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indicting
21:36
language.
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They're
21:38
opposing
21:39
Jesus
21:39
and Jesus
21:40
is stating
21:40
that they
21:41
will be
21:41
judged
21:42
for their
21:42
opposition.
21:45
Now,
21:47
this
21:47
warning is
21:47
not just
21:48
for them.
21:50
Heed
21:50
this
21:51
warning.
21:54
Do not
21:54
reject the
21:55
claims
21:56
of Jesus
21:57
Christ.
21:59
A warning
22:00
like this
22:00
isn't
22:01
pleasant.
22:02
It's not
22:03
fun to
22:03
talk about
22:04
the wrath
22:05
of God.
22:06
Proper,
22:07
just,
22:07
but it's
22:07
not fun
22:08
to talk
22:09
about.
22:10
But a
22:11
warning for
22:11
your good
22:12
is a
22:13
warning that
22:14
should be
22:15
embraced.
22:17
If a
22:18
child is
22:18
about to
22:19
grab the
22:19
handle of
22:20
a pot of
22:20
boiling water
22:21
and pull
22:22
it down
22:22
onto
22:22
themselves,
22:23
picture that
22:24
reaching up,
22:25
the handle
22:25
got left
22:26
sticking out
22:27
on the
22:27
stove,
22:27
and they're
22:28
about to
22:28
dump boiling
22:29
water all
22:30
over
22:31
themselves,
22:32
a loud
22:33
or exasperated
22:35
warning is
22:35
absolutely
22:36
appropriate.
22:39
Isn't that
22:39
what we
22:40
would all
22:40
do?
22:41
It
22:42
wouldn't
22:42
be calm.
22:44
It
22:45
wouldn't,
22:45
frankly,
22:45
be kind
22:46
in its
22:47
tone.
22:49
We would
22:49
yell out,
22:50
stop,
22:51
no,
22:52
don't touch
22:53
that,
22:54
it's not
22:54
good for
22:55
you.
22:57
A harsh
22:58
warning when
22:59
there is
22:59
grave danger
23:00
is warranted.
23:02
It's
23:03
loving.
23:06
So listen
23:06
to me.
23:07
If you
23:08
reject Jesus
23:09
as the
23:10
Christ,
23:11
if you do
23:12
not flee to
23:13
him for the
23:13
salvation of
23:14
your soul,
23:15
you will
23:16
stand in the
23:17
judgment of
23:17
God and
23:18
be justly
23:19
condemned
23:20
for your
23:21
sin.
23:23
You know
23:24
you are
23:24
guilty,
23:25
and God
23:26
certainly
23:26
will not
23:27
be deceived.
23:29
He is
23:30
infinitely
23:31
offended,
23:32
and he
23:32
will judge
23:34
justly.
23:36
We want
23:37
God to
23:38
be just.
23:38
He will
23:39
judge
23:40
justly.
23:42
So embrace
23:43
the warning.
23:43
understand the
23:45
reality of
23:46
the state of
23:47
your soul
23:48
if you're
23:49
not in
23:51
Christ.
23:54
But don't
23:55
stop there.
23:56
We want to
23:57
believe the
23:58
promise that
23:58
also comes
23:59
with this
24:00
text.
24:01
And so let's
24:01
work through
24:02
verse 51,
24:03
and we're
24:03
actually going
24:03
to go down
24:03
through 58,
24:04
and I'm
24:05
going to
24:05
get into
24:05
the eternal
24:06
life part
24:07
of the
24:08
text,
24:08
because it's
24:09
here in
24:09
verse 51
24:10
that the
24:11
offer is
24:11
made.
24:12
He says,
24:12
truly,
24:13
truly,
24:14
really,
24:15
really,
24:15
this is a
24:16
true thing
24:16
you should
24:17
listen to.
24:18
I say to
24:19
you,
24:19
if anyone
24:20
keeps my
24:20
word,
24:21
he will
24:21
never see
24:23
death.
24:25
Right?
24:25
This is on
24:26
the heels
24:26
of this
24:27
God as
24:28
judge
24:28
language.
24:31
But look
24:31
at their
24:32
response.
24:34
The Jews
24:34
said to
24:35
him,
24:36
now we
24:36
know that
24:37
you have
24:37
a demon.
24:39
Abraham
24:40
died,
24:41
as did
24:41
the
24:41
prophets,
24:42
if anyone's
24:44
not going
24:44
to die,
24:45
it'd be
24:45
them,
24:45
but they
24:46
died,
24:46
yet you
24:47
say,
24:47
if anyone
24:47
keeps my
24:48
word,
24:49
he will
24:49
never
24:50
taste
24:51
death.
24:53
I spent
24:54
too much
24:54
time this
24:55
week trying
24:55
to figure
24:55
out why
24:56
Jesus says
24:57
never see
24:57
death,
24:57
and they
24:58
say never
24:58
taste
24:58
death,
24:59
thinking
24:59
there'd
24:59
be
24:59
something
24:59
amazing
25:01
there.
25:02
Nope.
25:04
These
25:05
are both
25:06
common
25:06
phrases used
25:07
all throughout
25:08
the scripture
25:08
to speak
25:09
about
25:09
experiencing
25:11
death.
25:12
Why
25:13
different
25:13
phrases?
25:14
I don't
25:14
know.
25:15
I don't
25:15
know.
25:18
Maybe they
25:19
weren't
25:19
listening as
25:20
well as
25:20
they should
25:20
have.
25:22
Maybe this
25:22
is to the
25:23
half-listening
25:24
point.
25:25
They couldn't
25:25
even repeat
25:26
what he
25:26
said properly.
25:28
Perhaps.
25:28
That's my
25:29
imagination.
25:31
Verse 53,
25:32
are you
25:33
greater than
25:34
our father
25:35
Abraham who
25:35
died and
25:36
the prophets
25:37
died?
25:38
Who do
25:39
you make
25:40
yourself out
25:41
to be?
25:43
You hear
25:44
that dripping
25:44
condemnation in
25:46
that question.
25:47
Who do you
25:47
think you
25:48
are?
25:51
Jesus
25:51
answers them,
25:53
if I glorify
25:54
myself, my
25:55
glory is
25:56
nothing.
25:57
You hear
25:58
what he's
25:58
saying.
25:58
He's responding
25:59
humbly.
26:00
God.
26:01
He is
26:01
God.
26:02
He in this
26:03
moment can
26:04
call down
26:04
heaven,
26:06
condemn them
26:06
immediately in
26:07
the moment.
26:08
He says,
26:09
if I glorify
26:09
myself, my
26:10
glory is
26:10
nothing.
26:11
It is my
26:11
father who
26:12
glorifies me
26:13
of whom you
26:14
say he
26:15
is our
26:17
God.
26:18
But you
26:18
have not
26:19
known him.
26:20
But you
26:21
have not
26:21
known him.
26:22
These men's
26:23
lives were
26:23
devoted to
26:25
the worship
26:25
of Yahweh.
26:27
And Jesus
26:27
says, he is
26:29
not your
26:29
God.
26:30
You say
26:30
he is, but
26:31
he is
26:32
not.
26:33
And he
26:34
says, I
26:34
know him.
26:35
If I
26:36
were to
26:36
say that I
26:37
do not
26:37
know him,
26:37
I would
26:38
be a
26:38
liar like
26:39
you.
26:39
But I
26:40
do know
26:40
him, and
26:42
I keep
26:42
his word.
26:44
Your
26:45
father
26:45
Abraham
26:46
rejoiced
26:47
that he
26:48
would see
26:48
my day.
26:50
He saw
26:51
it and
26:52
was
26:52
glad.
26:55
Now, once
26:56
again, here's
26:56
a verse to
26:57
think about.
26:57
what does
27:00
this mean?
27:02
And really, I
27:03
don't know that
27:04
we can derive
27:05
exactly what
27:06
is meant
27:06
here.
27:08
What does
27:08
it mean that
27:08
Abraham saw
27:11
Jesus' might
27:12
be meant
27:13
by this?
27:15
But clearly,
27:16
what Jesus is
27:17
expressing is
27:18
that Abraham
27:18
understands
27:20
Jesus is
27:21
the Christ.
27:23
He gets
27:23
this.
27:24
perhaps in
27:26
some glorified
27:27
state.
27:28
Perhaps he
27:28
has some
27:29
theophany that
27:30
we're not
27:31
aware of.
27:32
Perhaps we
27:33
got to be
27:33
better at our
27:34
biblical theology
27:35
and understand
27:35
how he beheld
27:36
Christ and
27:38
the promises.
27:38
I'm not
27:39
sure.
27:41
But nonetheless,
27:43
Abraham
27:43
rejoiced
27:45
to see the
27:46
day of
27:47
Christ.
27:48
We read
27:48
previously from
27:49
Hebrews chapter
27:50
11,
27:51
expressed that
27:52
Abraham was
27:53
looking forward
27:54
to a city
27:55
with foundations.
27:57
He saw it
27:58
and he was
28:00
glad.
28:02
And once again,
28:03
this just feels
28:03
like such a
28:04
moment where
28:05
they ought to
28:05
go, what do
28:06
you mean?
28:07
What are you
28:07
talking about?
28:09
Abraham, our
28:10
father, rejoiced
28:11
to see your day?
28:12
He saw it?
28:13
Like, tell us
28:14
more.
28:15
And that we
28:15
would get this
28:15
beautiful explanation
28:16
of how it was
28:17
that Abraham
28:18
saw the day
28:19
of Christ,
28:20
but they
28:20
respond instead,
28:23
you are not
28:23
yet 50 years
28:24
old.
28:25
And have you
28:25
seen Abraham?
28:27
You're not
28:28
old enough
28:29
to have seen
28:30
Abraham or
28:31
him to
28:31
see you.
28:34
And Jesus
28:35
says to them,
28:37
truly, truly,
28:38
I say to you
28:39
again, really,
28:40
really true,
28:42
before Abraham
28:43
was,
28:44
I
28:45
am.
28:46
This is a
28:48
significant
28:49
statement.
28:51
He could
28:51
have said,
28:52
grammatically he
28:53
could have
28:53
said,
28:53
before Abraham
28:54
was, I
28:55
was.
28:56
I predate
28:58
Abraham.
28:59
Isn't that
28:59
kind of a
29:00
question?
29:00
You're not
29:01
that old.
29:01
How is it
29:02
possible?
29:03
Jesus flips
29:04
the question
29:05
on its head
29:06
to say
29:06
something much
29:07
more significant
29:07
about himself.
29:11
Now, in the
29:11
book of John,
29:12
there are seven
29:12
metaphorical I
29:14
am's.
29:15
I am the
29:16
bread of
29:17
life, as
29:18
an example
29:18
from a
29:18
previous
29:19
chapter.
29:20
This one
29:21
is not a
29:22
metaphorical I
29:23
am.
29:25
This is
29:25
Jesus accessing
29:26
the language
29:27
of Exodus
29:27
chapter 3
29:28
and verse 14.
29:30
When Moses
29:30
meets with
29:31
God on the
29:31
mountain,
29:32
he's commissioned
29:33
to go lead
29:34
God's people
29:35
out of
29:35
captivity,
29:36
and he
29:37
asks,
29:37
who should
29:37
I tell
29:38
them sent
29:38
me?
29:39
God
29:40
says,
29:40
tell them
29:41
I am
29:42
has sent
29:43
you.
29:43
Right?
29:44
This is the
29:45
Hebrew word
29:45
Yahweh.
29:46
The self-existent
29:49
one.
29:50
Jesus'
29:51
listeners
29:51
would have
29:53
entirely
29:54
understood
29:55
what he
29:55
was communicating
29:56
to them
29:56
when he
29:57
says,
29:58
before Abraham
29:58
was,
30:00
I'm going
30:00
to say
30:00
something
30:00
grammatically
30:01
clunky,
30:02
before Abraham
30:03
was,
30:03
I am.
30:06
And we
30:07
know this
30:07
is true
30:07
because they
30:09
picked up
30:09
stones.
30:09
this was
30:11
the ultimate
30:12
blasphemy
30:13
in their
30:14
eyes.
30:15
And it
30:15
would be
30:15
if Jesus
30:16
is not
30:17
in fact
30:18
the eternal
30:19
God.
30:21
So that's
30:22
point one.
30:23
Point two.
30:25
Jesus offers
30:26
eternal life
30:27
in himself.
30:30
In himself.
30:31
Verse 51.
30:32
Truly,
30:32
truly,
30:32
I say to
30:33
you,
30:33
if anyone
30:34
keeps my
30:35
word,
30:36
he will
30:36
never see
30:36
death.
30:37
Now,
30:39
if Jesus
30:39
is not
30:40
God,
30:40
these words
30:41
are absurd.
30:44
This is
30:44
crazy talk.
30:45
If he
30:46
is God,
30:47
and he
30:48
is,
30:49
then they're
30:49
everything.
30:52
John Piper
30:53
brought to my
30:53
attention a
30:54
book written
30:54
in the early
30:55
70s.
30:56
I've not
30:56
read it.
30:57
By a man
30:58
named
30:58
Ernest
30:58
Becker.
31:00
It won
31:00
the Pulitzer
31:01
Prize in
31:02
1974.
31:03
The book
31:03
was entitled
31:04
The Denial
31:05
of Death.
31:06
in which
31:07
he argues,
31:08
this is the
31:09
thesis statement,
31:11
the idea
31:12
of death,
31:13
the fear
31:14
of it,
31:14
haunts the
31:15
human animal
31:16
like nothing
31:17
else.
31:18
It is a
31:19
mainspring
31:20
of human
31:20
activity.
31:22
Activity
31:23
designed largely
31:24
to avoid
31:24
the fatality
31:25
of death,
31:25
to overcome
31:26
it by denying
31:27
in some way
31:28
that it is
31:30
the final
31:31
destiny
31:32
for man.
31:34
His argument
31:35
is that all
31:35
human activity
31:36
is fueled
31:37
by,
31:38
it's the
31:39
mainspring
31:40
of a fear
31:41
of death.
31:43
Interesting
31:44
thing to
31:45
think about.
31:47
We see this
31:47
reality expressed
31:49
whether consciously
31:50
or unconsciously
31:52
in all kinds
31:52
of forms.
31:53
Some good
31:54
things,
31:55
some that
31:55
aren't so
31:56
good.
31:57
We do lots
31:57
of life
31:57
preserving
31:58
things,
31:59
don't we?
32:00
I will
32:00
certainly
32:01
put my
32:02
seatbelt
32:02
on and
32:03
drive
32:03
carefully
32:03
when I
32:04
go home
32:04
at the
32:04
end of
32:05
today.
32:07
I hope
32:08
that's not
32:08
feared by
32:09
fear of
32:10
death,
32:10
but perhaps
32:11
it is
32:11
somewhere
32:12
down
32:12
inside.
32:15
Our
32:15
culture
32:15
has an
32:16
obsession
32:17
with youth.
32:18
It suggests
32:19
that we
32:19
worship
32:20
youth,
32:22
all kinds
32:22
of health
32:23
crazes,
32:24
diet fads,
32:26
cosmetic
32:26
surgery,
32:27
idolatry
32:29
of
32:29
celebrities.
32:30
Think about
32:30
the kinds
32:31
of celebrities
32:31
that are
32:32
worshipped.
32:32
They're so
32:33
young.
32:34
Even the
32:35
young people
32:35
in our
32:36
church are
32:36
becoming
32:36
older than
32:37
the people
32:37
who are
32:38
worshipped
32:39
these days.
32:41
The drowning
32:42
and medicating
32:43
of sorrow,
32:45
the seize
32:46
the day
32:46
mantra
32:47
that's so
32:48
prevalent,
32:49
the way we
32:50
spend our
32:50
leisure
32:51
activity,
32:52
the numbing
32:53
of entertainment,
32:54
the gathering
32:56
up of
32:56
toys.
32:58
Most of
32:58
you know
32:59
right now
32:59
my family
33:01
is living
33:01
in Buford
33:02
on Linear
33:03
Islands Parkway
33:04
and I
33:05
just watch
33:06
men
33:09
pushing
33:10
back
33:11
age
33:12
go up
33:12
and down
33:13
the road
33:13
in big
33:14
dumb
33:15
lifted
33:15
trucks
33:15
and boats.
33:17
It is
33:17
just
33:18
sad.
33:20
Sad
33:21
the way
33:21
time and
33:23
energy is
33:23
being spent
33:24
and I
33:25
think there's
33:25
something to
33:26
this
33:26
underneath
33:27
that.
33:28
We want
33:28
to feel
33:29
young.
33:30
We want
33:30
to feel
33:31
like death
33:31
is not
33:32
impending.
33:33
But despite
33:33
all the
33:34
efforts to
33:35
extend our
33:35
life or
33:36
ignore
33:37
death
33:38
coming,
33:39
you and
33:40
I will
33:41
die bodily
33:42
deaths.
33:44
It's inevitable
33:44
and unavoidable.
33:45
It's going
33:46
to happen.
33:48
One of the
33:49
great benefits
33:49
of old church
33:50
properties was
33:51
that when you
33:51
pulled on the
33:52
property,
33:52
you had to
33:53
think about
33:53
eternity
33:53
because there
33:54
was a
33:54
graveyard
33:54
staring at
33:55
you as
33:56
you came
33:57
in.
33:59
Maybe as
34:01
we age,
34:02
we should
34:02
start one.
34:04
So is
34:05
Becker right?
34:05
Does the
34:06
idea of
34:07
death,
34:07
the fear
34:08
of it,
34:08
haunt the
34:09
human animal
34:10
like nothing
34:10
else?
34:12
Becker,
34:13
to my
34:13
understanding,
34:13
not a
34:14
Christian,
34:14
and his
34:14
book offers
34:15
no solutions,
34:16
just observations,
34:18
but is he
34:18
right?
34:20
the author
34:22
of Hebrews
34:23
certainly
34:24
thinks so.
34:26
Wrote this
34:27
way before
34:27
Becker was
34:28
around.
34:29
Hebrews
34:29
chapter 2,
34:30
verse 14
34:30
and 15,
34:31
listen to
34:31
this,
34:31
since therefore
34:32
the children
34:32
share in
34:33
flesh and
34:33
blood,
34:34
he himself,
34:35
Christ,
34:35
likewise,
34:36
partook of
34:37
the same
34:37
things,
34:38
that through
34:39
death he
34:40
might destroy
34:41
the one who
34:42
has the
34:42
power of
34:43
death,
34:43
that is,
34:45
the devil,
34:45
right?
34:46
So Jesus,
34:47
incarnate,
34:47
became alive
34:48
so that he
34:49
could die,
34:50
and destroy
34:50
the one who
34:51
has the
34:51
power of
34:52
death,
34:52
that is,
34:53
the devil,
34:54
verse 15,
34:55
and deliver
34:56
all those
34:57
who through
34:58
fear of
34:59
death were
35:00
subject to
35:02
lifelong
35:03
slavery.
35:05
Deliver from
35:07
death those
35:07
who through
35:08
fear of
35:09
death were
35:09
subject to
35:11
lifelong
35:12
slavery.
35:15
Certainly,
35:16
Becker agrees
35:17
with the
35:18
author of
35:18
Hebrews.
35:20
death.
35:21
The fear
35:21
of death
35:22
controls
35:23
those who
35:24
have reason
35:25
to fear
35:27
death.
35:30
Let's go
35:30
back to the
35:31
promise offered
35:32
in verse 51.
35:33
Truly,
35:33
truly,
35:33
I say to
35:34
you,
35:34
if anyone
35:35
keeps my
35:36
word,
35:37
he will
35:37
never see
35:39
death.
35:42
Now,
35:42
we're obviously
35:43
not talking
35:43
about a
35:44
physical death
35:44
here.
35:45
We are
35:45
talking about
35:45
spiritual
35:46
death.
35:48
death.
35:49
Here,
35:49
stated in the
35:50
negative,
35:50
we'll never
35:51
see death,
35:52
is the
35:52
offer of
35:53
eternal
35:54
life.
35:55
If we're
35:55
never going
35:55
to see
35:55
death,
35:55
then we're
35:56
going to
35:56
have life
35:56
forever.
35:59
This is a
35:59
theme developed
36:00
in the
36:00
teaching of
36:00
Jesus and
36:01
highlighted all
36:02
throughout
36:02
John's
36:03
gospel.
36:05
Let me
36:05
show you a
36:06
couple of
36:06
places
36:06
quickly to
36:07
round out
36:08
this offering
36:09
being made
36:09
to us
36:10
here.
36:10
Let's
36:12
start with
36:12
the stated
36:12
purpose of
36:13
John's
36:14
writing.
36:14
Turn with
36:15
me to
36:15
John
36:15
chapter
36:15
20.
36:16
I'll
36:16
read
36:17
verse
36:17
30
36:17
and
36:17
31.
36:19
John
36:19
says,
36:19
Now Jesus
36:20
did many
36:20
other signs
36:21
in the
36:21
presence
36:21
of the
36:22
disciples
36:22
which are
36:23
not
36:23
written
36:24
in this
36:24
book.
36:25
Jesus
36:25
did lots
36:26
of things.
36:27
He says,
36:27
But these
36:28
are written
36:29
so that you
36:30
may believe
36:31
that Jesus
36:32
is the
36:33
Christ,
36:34
the Son
36:35
of God,
36:36
and that
36:38
by believing
36:39
you may
36:40
have life
36:41
in His
36:42
name.
36:43
The total
36:43
purpose of
36:44
the book.
36:45
So here's
36:46
this theme.
36:47
It's
36:47
continuing to
36:48
work itself
36:49
out to
36:50
the very
36:50
end of
36:52
John's
36:52
writing.
36:53
John
36:54
chapter 11.
36:55
Turn back
36:55
a couple
36:55
pages to
36:56
verse 25.
36:58
Here Jesus
36:59
is speaking
36:59
to Martha
37:01
whose brother
37:01
Lazarus is
37:02
at the time
37:04
of speaking
37:04
to her
37:05
presently
37:06
dead
37:06
and
37:07
entombed.
37:08
And there
37:09
Jesus says,
37:10
John 11
37:10
verse 25,
37:12
I am
37:13
the resurrection
37:14
and the
37:15
life.
37:17
Whoever
37:17
believes in
37:18
me,
37:19
though he
37:19
die,
37:20
yet shall
37:21
he live.
37:23
And everyone
37:23
who lives
37:24
and believes
37:25
in me
37:25
shall never
37:26
die.
37:28
You see the
37:28
way he's
37:29
using this
37:29
language?
37:30
The physical
37:30
death and
37:31
the metaphorical
37:31
death or
37:33
the spiritual
37:33
death.
37:35
Do you
37:36
believe this?
37:39
He asked
37:39
Martha.
37:40
And John
37:41
17,
37:42
verse 3.
37:43
This is the
37:43
high priestly
37:44
prayer.
37:45
Jesus prays,
37:46
and this
37:47
is eternal
37:48
life.
37:50
Oh,
37:51
tell me.
37:51
Tell me
37:52
more.
37:53
Mansions and
37:53
gold streets
37:54
and sea of
37:54
glad,
37:55
these things.
37:56
No.
37:57
Somebody
37:57
says,
37:59
that they
38:00
know
38:01
you,
38:03
the only
38:03
true God
38:04
and Jesus
38:04
Christ,
38:05
whom you
38:06
have sent.
38:09
Eternal
38:10
life is not
38:10
just about
38:11
duration,
38:13
it will go
38:13
on forever,
38:14
but it is
38:14
about a
38:15
relationship.
38:16
It's about
38:16
being restored
38:17
to our
38:19
creator,
38:19
God.
38:20
Knowing him
38:21
and being
38:22
known by
38:23
him now
38:24
and forever
38:25
more.
38:27
So don't
38:28
miss that.
38:29
If you're not
38:30
found in
38:30
Christ this
38:30
morning,
38:31
you're living
38:32
in a state
38:32
of death,
38:33
if you
38:34
don't repent
38:34
and believe
38:35
in Christ,
38:35
that will
38:35
be an
38:36
eternal
38:36
death,
38:37
cut off
38:37
from God
38:38
for forever.
38:39
But if you
38:39
are in
38:40
Christ this
38:40
morning,
38:40
how encouraging
38:41
we have
38:42
life now,
38:43
spiritual
38:44
life now,
38:45
and we'll
38:45
have that
38:46
life now
38:47
and
38:48
forevermore.
38:51
How great.
38:53
How great.
38:54
If anyone
38:55
keeps my
38:55
word,
38:57
he will
38:57
never
38:57
see death.
39:00
They accuse
39:01
him,
39:01
he offers
39:03
life.
39:05
They
39:05
dishonor
39:06
him,
39:07
he speaks
39:08
words,
39:10
salvation.
39:12
Paul says
39:12
in Romans
39:13
5, 8,
39:13
God shows
39:14
his love
39:14
for us
39:15
in that
39:15
while we
39:16
were still
39:17
sinners,
39:18
Christ
39:18
died
39:19
for us.
39:22
So if we
39:22
want to
39:23
receive this
39:23
offer of
39:24
eternal life,
39:25
what must
39:26
we do?
39:28
Jesus
39:29
says,
39:29
if anyone
39:30
keeps my
39:30
word,
39:31
he will
39:31
never
39:31
see
39:32
death.
39:34
One could
39:35
easily think
39:36
that Jesus
39:36
means that
39:36
we,
39:37
by our
39:37
own
39:37
effort,
39:38
must obey
39:38
everything that
39:39
the Bible
39:40
commands,
39:41
that we
39:41
must earn
39:42
this offer
39:43
of eternal
39:44
life,
39:45
but this
39:45
is not
39:47
so.
39:49
That was the
39:50
danger of
39:51
breaking text
39:51
down to
39:52
tiny little
39:52
things.
39:52
You could
39:53
just take
39:54
this single
39:54
verse and
39:55
think,
39:55
okay,
39:56
I've got to
39:56
obey everything
39:57
Jesus said
39:58
and that's
39:59
how it
39:59
is,
39:59
that I'll
40:00
have
40:00
eternal
40:01
life,
40:01
but we
40:02
want to
40:02
be students
40:02
of the
40:03
whole
40:03
Bible.
40:04
And you
40:04
don't even
40:05
have to
40:05
do that,
40:06
you could
40:07
just be a
40:07
student of
40:08
the book
40:08
of John.
40:09
John does
40:10
not allow us
40:10
to misunderstand
40:11
what is being
40:12
said here.
40:14
I read a
40:15
couple of
40:15
texts to you
40:16
already that
40:17
talked about
40:18
belief,
40:19
right,
40:20
that we would
40:20
believe that
40:21
Jesus is the
40:22
Christ,
40:22
and that by
40:23
believing we
40:23
may have
40:24
life in
40:24
his name.
40:25
That's
40:25
John 20
40:26
and verse
40:26
31.
40:29
John 11
40:29
verse 25,
40:31
I am the
40:32
resurrection
40:32
of life.
40:32
Whoever
40:32
believes in
40:33
me,
40:34
though he
40:34
die,
40:35
yet shall
40:35
he live.
40:37
And whoever
40:37
lives and
40:38
believes in
40:39
me shall
40:39
never die.
40:43
John chapter
40:44
1 verse 12
40:45
and 13,
40:45
but to all
40:45
who did
40:46
receive him,
40:46
who believed
40:47
in his name,
40:48
he gave the
40:48
right to
40:49
become children
40:50
of God,
40:51
who were
40:51
born,
40:51
not of
40:52
blood,
40:52
nor the
40:53
will of
40:53
the flesh,
40:54
nor the
40:54
will of
40:55
man,
40:55
but of
40:57
God.
40:59
John 3
41:00
and verse 36,
41:01
whoever believes
41:02
in the Son
41:02
has eternal
41:04
life.
41:06
Whoever does
41:06
not obey
41:07
the Son
41:07
shall not
41:08
see life,
41:09
but the wrath
41:10
of God
41:10
remains on
41:12
him.
41:13
And I
41:13
think John
41:14
3,
41:14
36 makes
41:15
it most
41:16
clear that
41:17
the obedience
41:18
being talked
41:18
about in
41:19
our text
41:19
is to
41:20
believe
41:21
in the
41:22
Son,
41:23
to believe
41:24
that the
41:24
promises
41:25
he made,
41:26
the things
41:26
he said
41:26
about himself
41:27
and the
41:27
things he
41:28
said would
41:28
accomplish
41:28
are in
41:29
fact
41:30
true.
41:33
Becker
41:33
may not
41:33
offer us
41:34
any solution
41:35
to the
41:35
problem of
41:35
death,
41:36
but Jesus
41:37
certainly
41:38
does.
41:41
Jesus,
41:42
God
41:43
himself,
41:45
became
41:45
a man,
41:48
put on
41:48
human flesh,
41:50
flesh,
41:51
we call
41:51
this the
41:52
incarnation,
41:53
dwelt
41:53
both as
41:54
God and
41:55
man,
41:56
fully at
41:56
the same
41:57
time.
41:58
If you
41:58
want to
41:59
pocket up
42:00
a great
42:00
theological
42:01
term,
42:01
this is
42:01
called the
42:02
hypostatic
42:02
union,
42:04
God and
42:05
man at
42:05
the same
42:06
time,
42:07
so that
42:08
he could
42:09
live a
42:10
perfect
42:11
life,
42:12
never without
42:13
any sin.
42:14
he fulfilled
42:16
all the
42:16
requirements of
42:17
the law,
42:18
all of the
42:19
things that
42:19
are expected
42:20
of us,
42:22
if we're to
42:22
be found
42:22
perfect before
42:23
God,
42:24
an undestroyed
42:25
relationship
42:25
before God,
42:26
he accomplished
42:28
it.
42:29
Perfect
42:29
life.
42:31
But not
42:31
only that,
42:33
he died
42:34
a sacrificial
42:36
death,
42:36
a death that
42:37
he did not
42:38
deserve,
42:38
he had
42:38
committed
42:39
no sin,
42:41
and yet,
42:41
for all who
42:42
believe in
42:42
him,
42:42
he took
42:42
on
42:43
their sin
42:45
on the
42:45
cross.
42:46
God poured
42:47
out his
42:47
wrath
42:48
for us
42:49
onto
42:50
him.
42:53
This is
42:54
why at
42:54
the end,
42:55
verse 59,
42:56
we see them
42:56
picking up
42:57
stones to
42:57
throw at
42:58
him.
42:58
Jesus is
42:59
not being
42:59
cowardly
43:00
at this
43:01
point.
43:01
Oh no,
43:02
I better
43:03
avoid the
43:03
stone
43:04
throwing.
43:05
He hides
43:06
himself and
43:07
goes out
43:07
of the
43:07
temple because
43:08
that was
43:08
not how
43:09
he was
43:09
meant to
43:09
die.
43:10
He knew
43:10
this,
43:11
he knew
43:11
there was
43:11
a divine
43:12
timeline,
43:12
it wasn't
43:13
time yet,
43:14
and so
43:14
he avoids
43:15
being stoned
43:17
to death.
43:18
Why?
43:19
So that he
43:20
would be
43:20
lifted up
43:20
on a
43:20
cross.
43:24
So,
43:25
we have
43:25
Jesus'
43:26
perfect life
43:27
and his
43:28
sacrificial
43:29
death,
43:31
so that
43:31
by faith,
43:32
by believing
43:33
he is who
43:34
he says
43:34
he is,
43:34
and he
43:35
accomplished
43:35
what he
43:35
said he
43:36
accomplished,
43:36
his
43:37
righteousness,
43:37
his
43:37
perfect
43:38
law-keeping
43:38
would be
43:39
given to
43:39
us,
43:40
and our
43:40
sin would
43:42
be given
43:42
to him.
43:44
Those two
43:44
things,
43:45
double
43:46
imputation,
43:47
get a
43:48
bonus
43:48
theological
43:49
phrase to
43:50
put in
43:50
your pocket,
43:51
the great
43:52
exchange.
43:54
But it
43:55
doesn't stop
43:56
there.
43:58
It would
43:58
be really
43:58
tragic if it
43:59
stopped there,
44:00
in fact you
44:00
shouldn't
44:00
believe it if
44:01
it stops
44:01
there,
44:03
because the
44:03
next step,
44:04
Jesus'
44:05
solution for
44:06
the problem
44:06
of death,
44:07
is that he
44:08
was raised.
44:08
He defeats
44:11
death.
44:12
He declares
44:12
victory over
44:14
death,
44:14
because he
44:15
is alive,
44:17
that we
44:18
might have
44:18
life in
44:20
him.
44:21
Righteousness
44:21
is given
44:21
to us,
44:22
sacrificial
44:23
death on
44:24
our behalf,
44:25
he is raised,
44:26
he is alive,
44:28
and he's
44:28
ascended,
44:30
he's gone to
44:31
the Father,
44:31
and he's
44:31
seated at his
44:32
right hand,
44:33
and he
44:33
intercedes for
44:34
us,
44:34
and he's
44:34
sent to
44:34
us a
44:35
helper.
44:36
He has
44:36
given to
44:36
us the
44:37
church,
44:37
he works
44:38
mightily
44:39
through
44:39
his
44:40
people,
44:40
even
44:41
now on
44:42
your
44:42
behalf.
44:45
Like,
44:45
how does
44:45
this text
44:46
connect to
44:46
us today?
44:47
Is that
44:48
Jesus did
44:48
all of
44:49
this,
44:49
and is
44:50
now still
44:50
doing it?
44:52
Seated at
44:53
the right
44:53
hand,
44:54
building his
44:54
church,
44:55
none of
44:56
you are
44:56
here by
44:56
accident.
44:57
If you
44:58
found
44:58
yourself
44:58
sitting
44:58
here,
44:59
listening
44:59
to me,
45:00
at all,
45:01
it's
45:01
because God
45:01
has
45:02
intentions
45:02
for your
45:03
life.
45:06
Don't
45:06
reject
45:06
Jesus as
45:08
the
45:08
Christ.
45:10
John
45:11
8,
45:11
verse
45:12
48-49
45:13
shows us
45:14
something
45:14
deeply
45:15
sobering
45:16
and
45:16
deeply
45:17
hopeful.
45:20
The
45:20
eternal
45:21
son of
45:21
God
45:21
stood
45:22
before
45:22
men
45:22
and
45:23
they
45:23
called
45:23
him
45:23
a
45:24
demon.
45:25
And
45:26
yet,
45:27
that
45:27
same
45:28
son
45:28
would
45:28
go to
45:29
the
45:29
cross.
45:30
He
45:30
would
45:30
be
45:31
mocked,
45:32
beaten,
45:33
crucified.
45:34
Not
45:35
because he
45:35
deserved it,
45:36
but because
45:37
we did.
45:38
He was
45:39
dishonored so
45:39
that we
45:40
might be
45:40
forgiven.
45:41
He was
45:41
rejected so
45:42
that we
45:42
might be
45:43
received.
45:44
He died
45:44
so that
45:45
we might
45:45
live.
45:48
So the
45:49
question is
45:49
not merely
45:50
what
45:51
happened
45:51
then.
45:52
The
45:53
question is
45:53
for us
45:54
now.
45:56
What
45:56
will you
45:57
do
45:58
with
45:59
Jesus?
46:00
Because
46:01
his promise
46:01
still
46:02
stands.
46:04
Truly,
46:04
truly,
46:05
I say
46:06
to you,
46:07
if
46:07
anyone
46:07
keeps
46:08
my
46:08
word,
46:08
he
46:08
will
46:09
never
46:09
see
46:10
death.
46:11
Let's
46:12
pray
46:12
together.
46:12
Let's
46:13
pray
46:12
together.