Fellowship with the Father through the Son

John  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  50:46
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John 8:20-31 Fellowship with the Father through the Son Introduction: What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set for ourselves in life? To know God. What is the “eternal life” that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God. “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me.” (Jeremiah 9:23:24) Once we become aware that the main purpose that we are here is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord. It’s no wonder then that at the end of our passage Jesus tells us that his main message from God the Father is how we can have fellowship with the Father through his Son…How we can Know God! This was the heart of Jesus’ mission. This is the message that he heard from the Father. Jesus is saying, “My Father with you through me” - is what the Father wants you to know more than he wants you to know any single reality in the world… WOW!! 1. The Threat or Warning (You are dying, and you’re gonna die) 1. “So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 2. Something that we might not have picked up on before in our reading of this passage is the grave seriousness of the content of this section. The whole setting is one of urgency, it has a tone of finality to it. 3. “I am going away,” Jesus says, “You cannot come.” “You will die in your sins.” Even if these Jews do not sense it Jesus knows the danger that they are in physically and spiritually. 4. (This is crazy, it’s as if Jesus has just told them that they need to get out, run for their lives, because the house is on fire, and instead of running for their lives they are debating whether fire feels more like burning or more like a freezing sensation.) 5. Jesus imminent death, resurrection and ascension will remove Jesus from their physical presence. Jesus language here describes the loss people feel when they realize only too late that something amazing has transpired and they missed it (looking frantically), they missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean that they will look for him, but that they will continually search for the messiah, and not be able to find him because he already came and went. 1. What does Jesus mean by “you will die in your sin”? In the context in which Jesus is speaking it means to die separated from the Father, it means to be in a state of Judgment, estranged from God, living in the realm of sin and death, not the realm of life in God… 2. “So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 1. Jesus has in fact spoken of his death but more particularly the focus is on their perishing, and they totally miss it. 2. It’s no wonder Jesus tone and the whole mood is so serious. There is nothing more serious than perishing apart from God. Jesus is God’s one and only Savior, and the religious leaders are ignoring him and his grave warning. 2. The Offer (Believe that I Am) 1. “He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I Am you will die in your sins.”25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” 2. Jesus makes it very clear that he and his Jewish listeners are worlds apart - They are from below, he is from above, they are from earth, he is from heaven, later he again identifies God as his Father and their father as the Devil… 3. The reason Jesus knows that they are “from below”, earthly, fleshly people is because of their rejection of him. This is the “sins” that he speaks of here, - their continual rejection of his revelation of himself, rejecting his many offers to trust in him. 1. To Trust in Jesus’ I Am is the door to the One God and to deep, lasting life- which is the most persistent claim of the Gospel of John. 4. Is Jesus of Nazareth really that ultimate? Yes, It is the high claim of the fourfold gospel that Jesus is as ultimate as God’s Single Personal Representative on Earth. Rejection of this claim is the decision for death. -That is the repeated warning of the gospel. and this why Jesus tone is so intense! 1. Scripture testifies that all sin is forgivable except one sin… it is the continual rejection of the testimony of Christ. The failure to receive him, to believe and trust in him is the penultimate sin… 5. Jesus says, ”Unless you believe that I Am." and the Jews respond, “Who are you?” Jesus responds, Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” - When we read these words we assume that Jesus is saying the same thing that he says at the end of this chapter which is “Before Abraham was I Am, and we just assume that the Jews are ignoring this claim from the beginning. But for whatever reason it isn’t clear to the Jews until he identifies himself as being before Abraham, that they are ready to stone him, for blasphemy. 6. First what has Jesus said about himself in this Gospel? 1. He claims to be “the Son of Man” a messianic title for the king of the world found in Daniel 7 (John 1:51) 2. He claimed to be the true temple (the dwelling place of God) the place where God can meet with man and man with God) (John 2:13-21) 3. He claims to have descended from heaven (John 3:13) 4. He claims to be the messiah to the woman at the well (John 4:26) 5. He called God his OWN Father (making himself equal with God )(John 5:17) 6. He claims to be the one who will judge all people at the end of time (John 5:22) 7. He claims to have the authority to pardon and to condemn (John 5:19-29) 8. He claims to have power to raise the dead and give them life (John 5:19-29 9. He claims to be the one that the Scriptures, the Law and Moses look to for their fulfillment (John 5:30-47) 10. He claims to be the bread of Life, satisfying the hunger of every living soul (John 6:35) 11. He claims to Have the words of life and words that bring the life giving Spirit of God (John 6:63) 12. He claims to be able to satisfy the insatiable soul thirst of every living person (John 7:37-39) 13. He claims to be the Light of the World, the light of true life. (John 8:12) 7. Secondly, what is Jesus claiming to be here in our passage and why don’t they understand? 1. Jesus’ self identifying claim, “Unless you believe I Am” is rooted in the book of Isaiah, particularly in what is know as the Servant Song. (Isaiah 43-55) 2. “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he. Isaiah 41:4 3. “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 11 I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. 12 I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God. 13 Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” Isaiah 43:10-13 4. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25 1. You see this statement of Jesus identity here as the “I Am” is meant to be taken with all that he has said of himself before. 1. Q: Who are you? A: “Have you not been listening? I am exactly what I’ve been telling you. My words are my identity” 2. So, if we want to know who Jesus is we must come to his words, and there we find that every one breathes ultimacy, deity, and finality..” -Bruner 5. So what’s the deal with the Jews not understanding? What it really comes down to with this Jewish audience is that they don’t think they need saving. They think they are light, they think they know God, they think they are free, they think that they are rich, spiritually prosperous and need nothing, but their true state is that they are poor, miserable, blind and naked…. 6. As Jesus says in Luke’s Gospel, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” 1. This is one of the most dangerous places to be in, spiritually speaking, a place where you feel no need for God, for his help, for his light…. so now Jesus makes his final appeal.. 3. The Ultimate Appeal (Eternal life with the Father through Me) 1. “I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.” 1. “And I have so many other things to say about you and to you by way of judgment….” - I not only want to talk to you about me and so about God; I have so many things I am literally dying to talk with you about, particularly about how you can avert the great judgment now in your lives and at the end of history. You cannot imagine all that I yearn to say to you because of my honest conviction that you are in real danger of losing your life.” -Bruner interpretation.. 2. Jesus says here that he has much to say but his greatest message is this: fellowship with the Father through his Son… This is the message that he heard from the Father… 1. My Father with you through me -is what the Father wants you to know more than he wants you to know any single reality in the world… WOW!! 2. So how is this relationship with the Father through the Son possible? 1. Now Jesus reveals to them the single most accessible place the Father will ever be found in the future. “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” -A most unlikely place to find the king of the universe.. 2. “The Cross will be God’s greatest single meeting place with the human race, his one great hour of sharing. There in this strange “lifting up” or “hoisting”, God has made himself most accessible to the world. What is God like? Look there. How much does God love the world? Look There. What of God’s Justice? Look There. How can I come to know God? Look There! 3. “Jesus whole vocabulary is deciphered by the dictionary of the cross: The high God makes himself known in the low Jesus, and most particularly in God’s being with and for Jesus in the utter lowliness of Jesus degradation in Crucifixion. This hoisting onto a tree is the revelation of the majestic I Am. The burning bush was only the preview; the bleeding Tree is the feature itself of God’s self-revelation in Jesus self-sacrifice…..” - Bruner
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