Author: tpdrenoske

THE TRUE SHEPHERD — John 10:1-5

John 10:1-5, shepherd, shepherding the sheep, True Shepherd, Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

To properly understand the message of Christ in John 10, one must first understand the circumstances that lead up to it.  In John 9, Jesus healed the man born blind, but the Pharisees would not accept it.  Instead, they insulted the man, threatened him, and finally excommunicated him from the religious life of Israel.  They cast away one of the sheep of the nation of Israel.  But Jesus, the true Shepherd, found him and lovingly brought him into the fold of God.

I.  THE PRETENSE OF FALSE SHEPHERDS (verse 1)

The Lord sets the stage by describing the false shepherds who showed that they did not care about the welfare of the sheep when they cast out the blind man.  The sheepfold that Jesus referred to in verse 1 was a sheepfold in a town or village, not one in the countryside.  Each village in Palestine had a common sheepfold where each shepherd, returning from the field with his sheep, would lead his flock at night.  The sheepfold was made of rough stones and the walls were ten to twelve feet high.  It had no roof.  This was a place to protect the sheep from wild animals, thieves and robbers that might try to harm them.  After the shepherd led his sheep through the door of the sheepfold, he would entrust his flock to the doorkeeper.  Each sheepfold had a doorkeeper whose job was to protect and care for the sheep while the shepherd went home to sleep.  Once the sheep were led through the door into the sheepfold, the door was locked and guarded by the doorkeeper.  No one but the doorkeeper had the key to unlock the door.

The first thing the Lord Jesus wanted these Pharisees to understand was that they were the false shepherds.  He said in verse 1, “He who does not enter by the door but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.”  The Greek word translated as “thief” refers to a petty thief who steals from people around him, whereas the word “robber” refers to a band of robbers.  Both individually and collectively, His listeners fit His description of them.  Jesus is reminding them of the words of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel who prophesied against the shepherds of His people Israel.  God had not appointed the Pharisees as shepherds over Israel.  They appointed themselves and they only pretended to care about the people.  In Ezekiel 24:2, God said to the shepherds of Israel, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves!  Should not the shepherds feed the flock?”  Time hasn’t changed a thing.  Today, there are still false prophets trying to lead people astray.  False shepherds have only one goal:  to glorify themselves by having others follow them.

II.  THE PROOF OF THE TRUE SHEPHERD (verses 2-5)

In contrast to these Pharisees, Jesus told them in verse 2, “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”  What does the door refer to?  It refers to God’s appointed way of entrance to the nation of Israel, the way in which the Old Testament prophets said that the true Messiah would come.  Jesus came in the exact fulfillment of those Old Testament prophecies.  They foretold where He would be born, who He would be born to, the unusual events surrounding His birth, how He would be introduced to the nation of Israel, where He would live, why He came, and how He would die and then rise from the dead.  Also, Jesus’ life, His miracles, the words spoken by God the Father at His baptism, and many witnesses verified His claim to be the Messiah, Israel’s true Shepherd.

Verse 3 tells us, “To Him, the doorkeeper opens.”  In Israel, after the sheep spent the night in the sheepfold under the care of the doorkeeper, the shepherd would return in the morning to lead his sheep out.  When the doorkeeper heard the shepherd’s voice, he would open the door of the sheepfold for him.  Who is this doorkeeper that Jesus is talking about?  He is John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for the Messiah and introduced Him to Israel.  He publicly proclaimed that Jesus was “the Lamb of God” and “the Son of God” (John 1:23-36).  After John introduced Jesus to Israel, some Jewish people began to follow the true Shepherd.

When a shepherd came to get his sheep in the morning, he would come to the sheepfold filled with the sheep of many shepherds.  In order to lead out the sheep that belonged to him, he would call his own sheep by name and they would come to him and follow him.  This is what Jesus is saying in verses 3 and 4.  Sheep know the voice of their shepherd and will follow him only.  There was a small minority of the Jewish people who followed the Lord Jesus.  You can’t fool these sheep when it comes to recognizing their Shepherd’s voice.  They will not respond to the voice of strangers.  That’s why Jesus said in verse 5, “And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him.”

One day a man in Australia was arrested for stealing a sheep.  However, he claimed that it was his own which had been missing from his flock for many days.  At first, the judge was puzzled, not knowing how to decide the matter.  At last, he asked that the sheep be brought before him.  Then he took one of the men, the man who made the accusation, into the courtyard and told him to call the animal.  The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened as if it dreaded being in that unfamiliar place with strangers.  The officer took the man back to the courtroom.  Then he instructed the officer to bring down the defendant.  The accused man did not wait until he entered the yard, but as he drew near the gate, before the sheep could see him, he began to make his peculiar call.  Overjoyed, the sheep bounded toward the gate and by his actions showed that he recognized the familiar voice of his master.  “His sheep knows him”, said the judge, and so the case was quickly decided.

The point of our Lord’s message to the Pharisees was to explain why a man born blind would follow Him.  It was because He was Israel’s True Shepherd and a true shepherd has sheep.  Why does anyone leave a religious system or a philosophy today?  It’s because we have heard the voice of the True Shepherd calling us through the Bible, and we have chosen to trust Christ and follow Him.

A missionary was once asked to pass through some very unfamiliar territory in the middle of the night.  As we went through the darkness with his guide going on ahead, he looked down at his feet and could see no road.  The guide turned so frequently that the missionary feared the way had been missed.  In his anxiety, he finally cried out, “Where is the way?”  The native turned around and said, “I am the way.  There is no beaten path here; just follow me step by step and you will reach the end of the journey safely.  The missionary did as he was told and soon arrived at his destination.

III.  OBSERVATIONS:

What can we learn from Jesus’ words in this passage of Scripture?  First of all, we learn that Jesus is the true Shepherd of God because He came through the door – the proper entryway to the sheep of Israel in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.  The doorkeeper, John the Baptist, recognized that Jesus was the Messiah and opened the door for Him, proclaiming Him to be the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Secondly, we learn that Jesus knows His own sheep.  “He calls them each by name” and they come to Him because they recognize His voice.  Every encounter with Jesus in the Gospel of John is on a personal basis.  We’ve already studied His encounter with Nicodemus, the woman at the well in Samaria, the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, the man born blind, as well as several others.  Every person comes to Jesus individually and personally.

Thirdly, “He leads them out”.  Jesus is telling these Pharisees that, even though they cast the man who had been born blind out of the synagogue, it wasn’t just their own doing.  Jesus was leading the man out of that place of spiritual blindness.   He was the one behind it.  The once blind man was now His sheep and he came to his true Shepherd.

Fourthly, in verse 4, Jesus said: “He goes before them”. Unlike the Pharisees who were self-centered, the true shepherd of the sheep stays with his sheep and goes in front of them.  He is the first to experience what lies ahead, facing the dangers and obstacles that may be in store for them.  He chooses the best pastures and the safest areas for them to graze.

Lastly, at the end of verse 4 and continuing through verse 5, Jesus said, “the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”  As he leads his sheep, the shepherd talks to them, showing his constant care for them.  Sometimes the shepherd would talk louder and more sharply to get the sheep’s attention and remind them of his presence. The sheep trust in him only and flee from strangers.  I have watched videos on YouTube demonstrating the validity of this passage of Scripture and it was amazing to observe the sheep’s reaction to the stranger’s voice and afterward to the shepherd’s voice.

IV.  APPLICATIONS:

Do you hear Him calling you?  If you will sincerely study the Scriptures as they describe the Person and work of Jesus Christ in His own words and through the testimony of eyewitnesses, you will come to the conclusion that He is the True Shepherd of the sheep.  Spiritually, we are all like sheep – defenseless against the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, directionless in our journey through life, easily led astray, and ignorant of the dangers that lie ahead in this life and the next.  We need a shepherd, and there is only one True Shepherd that you can trust because He loves you and proved it by giving His life for you.  If you’re ready to make that commitment to Christ or want to review what it means to become a child of God and follower of Jesus Christ, please read my sermon entitled “WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RECEIVE CHRIST – John 1:12.  Choose to follow Him and experience the peace and joy that comes from being close to the One who leads the way for you and calls you by name because you have become a member of His flock forever.

If you are already a follower of Jesus Christ, are you walking close to the Shepherd even when it’s hard to understand where He is leading you?   Remember that He sees your tomorrow more clearly than you see your yesterday.  Keep trusting in His guidance and praying for His leading in your life.  He is with you, leading you every step of the way and providing for your needs along the way.

CONSTRUCTION SITE:  COMPLETED

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SPIRITUAL LIGHT AND DARKNESS – John 9:35-41

John 9:35-41 sermon, spiritual darkness, spiritual light, spiritual sight, Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

There are certain living phenomena that can be seen almost anywhere in the world.  They are called lichens and they can be found on rocks, tree trunks, and a variety of other places where they cling and grow in size.  There are many varieties of lichens, having different shapes and colors.  Lichens are not technically plants.  They are composed of a fungus and algae that live together in harmony.  This is not meant to be a biology lesson, but there is something about lichens and their use that relates to the passage of Scripture we are now studying:  John 9:35-41.  From the 16th century to the present day, lichens have been used in scientific experiments to test the pH levels in liquids.  The test is called a litmus test.  A blue dye and a pink dye were extracted from certain lichens.  A particular variety of paper called “litmus paper” was infused with this pink dye or blue dye.  The paper now had the ability to change color under certain conditions, demonstrating whether the solution into which it was dipped was acidic, alkaline, or neutral.

Over a period of time, the term “Litmus test” began to take on a new meaning.  People started using that term to make a judgment about whether or not someone or something was acceptable.  The “litmus test” came to mean the single, most important, and deciding factor that provided the right answer or led to the right decision.  That’s where we are as we study John 9:35-41.  Jesus is about to give a “litmus test” that will clearly define the difference between spiritual blindness and spiritual sight.

I.  THE QUESTIONS (verse 35-36)

Verse 35 contains these words:  “Jesus heard that they had put him out; and finding him, He said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ”  When Jesus learned that the man whom He healed of his blindness had been escorted out of the temple, He went looking for him.  This healed man had been publicly interrogated and then publicly thrown out of the temple area.  The news of those events must have spread quickly throughout the city of Jerusalem.  People everywhere in the city were talking about the healing of the blind man, and the inability of the Pharisees to refute his arguments or deny his testimony.

Jesus kept searching for this man until He found him.  He took the initiative to seek and find this man.  The blind man didn’t ask Jesus for this miracle of sight, and I’m sure he wasn’t expecting Jesus to make a search for him and find him.  Now comes the “litmus test”.  Jesus asked the man, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  He’s asking him to make a choice – a commitment.  There’s no doubt that this man recognized the voice of Jesus.  How could he forget the voice of the One who put mud on his eyes and said, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.”?  When Jesus used the title “Son of Man”, this healed man knew who Jesus was talking about.  The words of the prophet Daniel came to his mind.  In Daniel 7:13, the prophet Daniel was having dreams and visions from God and he said, “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like the Son of Man was coming.”  and Daniel describes Him as a King who has everlasting dominion and authority.  As he looked at Jesus, this man knew that He was referring to the Messiah, the Son of God, and he responds, in John 9:36, by saying, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”  He wants to believe, and he is ready to believe, but he’s not yet sure who Jesus is referring to.  The word, “Lord” can also be translated as “sir” and, in this case, that would be the proper translation since this man does not yet know who Jesus is.

II.  THE MAN’S RESPONSE (verses 37-38)

In verse 37, when he hears, from Jesus’ lips, the words, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you”, his response is immediate and appropriate.  Verse 38 reads, “And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.’  And he worshiped Him.”  At that moment, this formerly blind man passed the test.  His spiritual eyes were opened and he immediately acknowledged that Jesus Christ was the Messiah by believing in Him and worshiping Him.  This time when he calls Jesus “Lord”, he’s addressing Jesus as his Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  As he said those words, he assumed a position of worship,  prostrating himself at the feet of Jesus and Jesus accepted his worship.  Jesus did not forbid people to worship Him while He was on this earth.  He always accepted worship as an appropriate response to Himself.

President Franklin Roosevelt was a regular church-goer.  It is said that on one gloomy Sunday morning during World War 2, he walked three miles in order to attend worship.  One of his neighbors, noticing this, said to him:  “I can worship in the fields or anywhere else.”  “Yes”, replied Mr. Roosevelt, “but no one will ever suspect you of it.”

This man whom Jesus healed wasn’t concerned about what others thought of him or said about him.  Without hesitation, he fell to his knees in the presence of all of them and worshiped his Lord.  What a contrast to the Scribes and Pharisees!  When Jesus revealed His deity to them, they picked up stones to stone Him!

III.  JUDGMENT (verses 39-41)

While this man is prostrate at his feet, Jesus looks at those standing around Him and says these words in verse 39:  “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”  The word “judgment” is not used here in the sense of condemnation.  Jesus came for judgment in the sense that He was the dividing line.  He was the one who would separate one group from the other.  He was the “litmus test”, defining and separating spiritual light from spiritual darkness.  Those who admitted their spiritual blindness would be given spiritual insight from Jesus, and those who were convinced that they already had spiritual understanding would continue in their spiritual blindness, pronouncing judgment upon themselves.  Someone has said, “There is no one so blind as he who refuses to see!”  Jesus was encouraging the first group of people and warning the second group.

Some of the Pharisees who were close enough to hear those words spoken by Jesus, decide to ask Him a question.  They phrase their question in such a way as to let Jesus know what answer they expect Him to give them.  Here is their question in verse 40:  “We are not blind too, are we?”  They were expecting Jesus to give them the answer “No”.  After all, they were very religious people.  No one would dare to accuse them of errors concerning spiritual matters!  I think they are trying to “twist His arm”, so to speak — to make Jesus say something that He really doesn’t want to say.  Have you ever tried to do that to someone else?  Were you successful?

These Pharisees are living in a state of denial.  They have chosen to forget all the other times when Jesus made them face the facts about their sinful actions and exposed them to the truth of God’s Word.  They preferred to close their eyes and pretend that it didn’t happen.  That form of denial in the face of the obvious still takes place in our world today.

A race-car driver by the name of Scott Goodyear had these words to say about race-car drivers who have been killed in crashes at the Indianapolis 500.  “You don’t go look at where it happened.  You don’t watch films of it on television.  You don’t deal with it.  You pretend it never happened.”  Through the years, a driver has never been pronounced dead at the racetrack.  If you were to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Racing Museum, located inside the 2.5-mile oval, you would find that it has no memorial to the 40 drivers who have lost their lives here.  Nowhere is there even a mention.”  [The total number is now 42]

The Pharisees, in verse 40, are waiting for Jesus to exonerate them so that the discussion can be closed, covered up, and not mentioned again.  However, the response they receive from Jesus is not what they expected to hear and not what they wanted to hear.  In verse 41, Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”  What does He mean by that statement?  Jesus is saying, here in verse 41, that if the Pharisees would admit to their ignorance of the truth and were willing to confess that ignorance and seek instruction from Him, they would be forgiven and set free from their sin.  People are not condemned for what they cannot do or cannot understand.  However, if these Pharisees are so proud and confident in their own wisdom that they shut their eyes to the truth, their sin will remain unpardoned, and they will be to blame.  In a spiritual sense, there is a big difference between the one who is blind and knows it and the one who simply shuts his eyes.  Only the person who realizes his own blindness can learn to see.  Only the one who realizes his own sin can be forgiven.

CONCLUSION:

There are times when an illustration doesn’t completely fit the topic of conversation or the passage of scripture that is being studied.  In this case, there is a sense in which the “litmus test”, used in my opening illustration, doesn’t fit the topic of spiritual sight, and doesn’t completely align with the words of Jesus in verse 35, where He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”   A litmus test shows one of three results after being dipped into a liquid:  “alkaline”, “acidic”, or “neutral”.  However, when it comes to belief in Jesus Christ, there is no neutral ground.  You are either making a decision for Christ or you’re making a decision against Christ.  Evangelist Billy Graham said, “If you make no decision for Christ, you’re making a decision against Christ.”  There’s no sitting on the fence, and God doesn’t honor good intentions.

Which side of the fence are you on at this moment?  If you’re unsure, wouldn’t this be a good time to make sure?  How you respond to Jesus Christ is the greatest decision in your life.  It will determine the quality of your life on this earth as well as your eternal destiny.  The Bible says that there are only two eternal destinations – heaven and hell, and each of us is going to one or the other.  Please make the right decision and see what a difference it makes to be a true child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Fellow Christians, it is our privilege and responsibility to lead others out of the darkness of sin and into His marvelous light.  I hope we are ready, willing, and able to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world around us.  That is what He has called us to be.  2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you, on Christ’s behalf:  Be reconciled to God.”

CONSTRUCTION SITE:  COMPLETED

PHARISEES VS. BLIND MAN (Round 3) – John 9:24-34

fear, fear of consequences, Messianic miracles, Proverbs 1:7, spiritual blindness, Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

Quantum Physicist Arthur Zajonc wrote a book entitled, “Catching the Light”.  He describes various studies that investigated recovery from congenital blindness.  Thanks to cornea transplants, people who had been blind from birth would suddenly have functional use of their eyes.  However, in most cases, the patient could see light but could make out no colors or shapes after the surgery.  Light and eyes were not enough to give the person sight.  One surgeon concluded, “To give sight to a congenitally blind person is more the work of an educator than a surgeon.”

From both the animal and human studies, they found that there are critical developmental “windows” in the first years of life.  Sensory and motor skills are formed, and if this early opportunity is lost, trying to play catch up is very frustrating and usually unsuccessful.  Professor Sajonc adds, “The sober truth remains that vision requires far more than a functioning physical organ.  Without an inner light, without a formative visual imagination, we are blind.”

The blind man that we have been studying in John’s gospel, chapter 9, is no doctor and he is no physicist, but he will be making a statement that goes along with these statements and adds to them.  Let’s find out what he has to say.

I.  FURTHER INTERROGATION (verse 24)

The verbal battle between the Pharisees and the blind man that Jesus healed isn’t over yet.  It’s now round three, the final and deciding round of this verbal boxing match.  The blind man outscored his opponents in round one, his parents out-maneuvered them in round two, and now, after a change of strategy, the Pharisees have come back for more.

Verse 24 begins with a command:  “Give God the glory”.  What’s the purpose of that statement?  Shouldn’t that be understood?  Isn’t that part of the rules?  I think they are trying to be the referees in this match.  That expression was used in the Old Testament scriptures as an oath.  Joshua used those words when speaking to Achan after he was chosen by lot as the one guilty of the defeat at Ai (Joshua 7:19).  Joshua was saying, “Give the glory to God by telling us the truth about your guilty actions.”  The Pharisees are saying, “Give glory to God, not Jesus.”  They are no longer denying the miracle, but are urging him to deny that Jesus was the miracle worker.  When they say, “We know that this man is a sinner” they are implying, “sinners can’t perform miracles.”  They are hoping this man might share more information that might prove that Jesus is an impostor.

II.  BACK TO THE FACTS (verse 25)

I admire the tenacity of this healed man.  He sticks to the facts and dodges their theories when he says “Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know; but one thing I know, that though I was blind now I see.”  In one sense, this man was still in the dark. He didn’t know very much about Jesus, but he knew that Jesus had changed his life in a miraculous way.  There was no doubt about that!  His testimony is undeniable!  Based upon the illustration in my introduction, this man was not only given light, but also sight.  The Lord Jesus performed a miracle, not only on this man’s eyes but also in his brain.  The sensory and motor skills, and the visual imagination which took years to develop, were programmed into this man’s brain by Jesus before he opened his eyes.  A man who had been blind from birth now had perfect vision!  Those critics standing around him were no match for that testimony!  Their world was enveloped in a spiritual blindness of their own making.

His response to them must have also surprised them.  Normally when the leaders of the Jews made a statement, it wasn’t questioned.  Most people kept quiet and accepted what they had to say.  This was an exception to the rule.  I can imagine that a thought entered the minds of these Pharisees:  “Who are you to question us?”  They are so dumbfounded by his response that they don’t know what to say.  They know they have to say something.  They can’t let him have the last word, and there are people around them watching and waiting to see how they are going to respond.

III.  A SECOND INTERACTION (verses 26-29)

In desperation, the Pharisees go back to the “tried and failed”, asking the man once again, “What did He do to you?  How did he open your eyes?”  If you or I had been that blind man and heard the rerun, we would probably have been short on patience if we had any patience left at all.  This healed man is no exception and he gives these Pharisees a piece of his mind.  They may outnumber him but he’s not at a loss for words.  In verse 27, he relieves some of his tension by scolding them and following that up with a sarcastic remark.  He sounds like a school teacher responding to a dumb question asked by one of his pupils.  Here are his words:  “I told you already and you didn’t listen; why do you want to hear it again?”  He’s treating these Pharisees like delinquent children who aren’t paying attention.  As scathing as that remark is, it gets even worse.  Now he adds a bit of sarcastic humor when he says, “You don’t want to become His disciples too, do you?”  By using the little word “too”, he’s proclaiming himself to be a follower of Jesus Christ, even though he had yet to see Him.  I envision a smile on his face as he said those words.  He knew those words were going to come back and hit him in the face but he said them anyway.  I also think that some of the people who are standing around the “ringside” and watching this confrontation take place are silently rooting for him.  He’s saying things to these Pharisees that they would like to say, but would never consider saying because of their fear of the consequences.

The Pharisees give him the response that he was expecting to receive.  Verse 28 says, “And they reviled Him, and said, ‘You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.’ ”  These Pharisees don’t realize it, but they have just paid this man a compliment.  He has already identified himself as a follower of Jesus and they have confirmed it!  Now they are really angry, and their pride takes over when they say “we are disciples of Moses.”  They lingered on the words “We” and “Moses” for the sake of emphasis because this is their prideful boasting.  At the same time, they put Jesus down by referring to Him as “that man” – that “nobody”.  That’s “hitting below the belt!”  Their actions are described by the wisest person in the Old Testament.  King Solomon said, in Proverbs 1:7, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  An unknown person said these words:  “A wise man learns by the experience of others.  An ordinary man learns by his own experience.  A fool learns by nobody’s experience.”  The once-blind man learned by his own experience.  He was an ordinary man.  Where do the Pharisees fit into that illustration?  They certainly didn’t learn from the experience of others, in this case, the healed man.  They also didn’t learn from their own experiences in their conversations with the healed man and his parents.  That puts the Pharisees in the remaining category – “the fool who learns by nobody’s experience” because they have “despised wisdom and instruction”.

IV.  THE FINAL AND DECISIVE BLOW (verses 30-33)

It’s the end of the final round and God continues to give this healed man wisdom as he makes sarcastic remarks about their conclusions and expresses amazement at their lack of faith.  In verse 30, he begins his response by saying these words:  “Well, here is an amazing thing”.  He’s not referring to the miracle performed on his eyes but to their lack of faith.  He’s implying that their lack of faith is even more amazing than the miracle itself.  “You don’t know where He came from, and yet He opened my eyes.”  How can they refuse to believe in spite of all the evidence?  He knows why they are refusing to believe, but he decides to give them a basic course in logic to show them just how foolish they are.  In verse 31, the healed man presents the Pharisees with a concise summary of their own argument when he says, “We know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing, and does His will, He hears him.”  I imagine that many of these Pharisees were nodding their heads in agreement thinking, “This man has finally come to his senses and is agreeing with us!”  However, he has set them up for the final and deciding blow.  This time it’s in the form of a history lesson – the history of medical treatments for the blind.  He says, in verse 32, “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.”  It makes me shudder to think of all the experimental treatments and surgeries that were done throughout the centuries in an attempt to restore sight.  I don’t even want to think about the drastic consequences to those patients.  The success rate was zero in every case.  We also find no cases in the Old Testament scriptures where a blind person was healed.  That’s because the miracle of restoring sight to the blind was a miracle that was reserved for the coming Messiah.  Only He could perform such a miracle.  The Pharisees knew that information.  They were familiar with the prophecy in Isaiah 35 which says, “Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.  Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.”  In Matthew 11, John the Baptist sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus this question:  “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?  Jesus immediately replies to them saying, “Go and report to John what you hear and see; the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.”  That was sufficient information to convince John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah because He fulfilled the prophecies that were written about Him in the Scriptures.  These were prophecies that no one else had fulfilled nor could fulfill.

In verse 33, the healed man brings this controversy to its only logical conclusion when he says, “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing”. That was the decisive blow!  How do you respond to an argument that is so sound and logical?  How do you react to a statement that is so firmly rooted in the history and prophecies of the Old Testament scriptures?  The bout is over!  The winner hasn’t been announced, but everyone there knows who the winner is, especially the Pharisees who are still reeling from this TKO [Technical Knock-Out].

V.  THE PHARISEES’ RESPONSE (verse 34)

In their agony and shame, these Pharisees want this healed man out of their sight immediately and permanently.  Verse 34 says, “They answered and said to him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?’  And they put him out.”  He taught them alright!  He taught them a lesson they will never forget, even though they refused to believe it.  His battered opponents decided to make themselves the referees of this match.  However, they couldn’t declare themselves the winners because their viewing audience knew they were the losers.  They couldn’t ask for a rematch because everyone there knew he beat them “fair and square”.  They didn’t want to take the “walk of shame” again, as they and the scribes did in John 8:1-11, quietly leaving the synagogue with their heads bowed after losing the match with Jesus.  Their only other choice, in their minds, was to remove the evidence as quickly as possible  They couldn’t refute his arguments so they degraded him with their words and whisked him out of the synagogue.  Their last words to him may have been:  “Get out of here and don’t ever come back!”

CONCLUSION:

It’s easy to miss or overlook the greatest miracle in this passage of Scripture.  The most amazing miracle was not the unbelief of the Pharisees in spite of the obvious gift of sight to this congenitally blind man, nor was it the physical healing of this man’s eyes, nor the reprogramming of his brain so that he could see clearly.  The greatest miracle was the gift of spiritual sight or insight that caused this man to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and to commit his life to follow Jesus.  The rest of the passage of Scripture bears witness to the fact that this miracle of the new birth was real in his life.  He was ready and willing to testify on behalf of Christ in spite of the opposition and the potential consequences of his words.  It was obvious that he was a changed man and God gave him wisdom and empowered his testimony.

Do you have a personal testimony of a point in time when you responded to the truths in God’s Word, repented of your sins, asked Jesus Christ to come into your life and reign as King in your life, and began to follow Him?  Did you experience a new joy and peace in your life as a new child of God and a desire to share the source of that joy and peace with others?  Is God changing your life as you walk in obedience to His Word?  If your answer is “yes”, then you have experienced a miracle that never ends.  You will enjoy its effects during the rest of your life on this earth and throughout eternity.  I hope you are following the example of this man who received his sight and is delighted and unashamed to share his testimony of what Jesus Christ did in his life.

If this has not yet been your personal experience, please reconsider the claims of Christ written here in John’s gospel, and the miracles that substantiate those claims.  Ask God to open the spiritual eyes of your soul and give you a willing mind to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord and follow Him with all your heart.  He will give you a new life and will direct your steps as you yield to His control and His abiding presence in your life (John 10:27-30; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

CONSTRUCTION SITE:  COMPLETED

Thanks for stopping by this site.  There are over 150 completed sermons on my blog site and you are welcome to visit them all and use them for His glory.

 

 

 

TRADITION MEETS CONVICTION — John 9:13-23

John 9:13-23, Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

As you think of people in the Bible who were bullies, what names come to your mind?  I immediately thought of Goliath, the Philistine giant who defied the army of Israel, challenging them to send a man out to fight against him.  As he shouted at them and taunted them day after day, I Samuel 17:11 says, “Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”  Verse 24 says, “they ran from him in fear.”  Have you ever been bullied by a person or by a group of people?  Maybe you acted like a bully yourself at some point in your life.

In the previous sermon on John 9:1-12, we studied the healing of the man who was born blind and the negative reaction he received from his neighbors.  They refused to believe what had happened to him but they couldn’t deny or refute his testimony.  One of the major sources of frustration in people is limited resources.  The man’s neighbors didn’t have the theological training or experience to enable them to handle this situation.  In their pride, they were unwilling to give up the fight so they decided to take it to the next level.  This court case isn’t over yet!  They are taking it to the “Court of Appeals”.

I.  ADVANCE TO A HIGHER COURT (verse 13)

Verse 13 says, “They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.”  By doing so, these Jews disobeyed the Law that God gave to Moses.  Deuteronomy 17:9-11 and Deuteronomy 19:17 states that it is the responsibility of the priests to interpret the law and settle disputes.  Instead, they went to the Pharisees, a sect of “separatists” that wasn’t even in existence when the Law of Moses was written.   The power structure in Jerusalem had changed over the years and the Scriptures were no longer the standard by which people were judged and instructed.

From a human standpoint, this healed man’s escort service was taking him to the ones who might fight for their cause and eliminate their frustrations.  The Pharisees were the “theological bullies” of that day, and when push comes to shove, they had the arguments, the interrogation tactics and the public status to get the job done.  Let’s see what happens next.

II.  THE SESSION BEGINS (verse 14-15)

Before the questioning begins, the apostle John reminds his readers of an important fact that is going to be the major focus of their questions.  He says in verse 14, “Now the day on which Jesus made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was the Sabbath.”  Jesus had broken “their Sabbath laws”, not God’s when He performed that miracle.

The “court” is now in session and the healed man has been placed on the witness stand.  The first question the Pharisees ask this man is the same question his neighbors asked him.  Verse 15 says, “Therefore, the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight.”  How?  They are asking him for an explanation?  This was a miracle!  You can’t explain a miracle!  It’s an impossible event — something that only God could do!  By using the word “how”, the neighbors and the Pharisees were saying, We don’t believe you.  There’s got to be a logical explanation for this, so tell us what really happened.”

I have a personal, true story of a physical healing miracle that God performed in my life and there was an appropriate response to it.  Many years ago an echocardiogram showed that I had a leaking heart valve [mitral valve prolapse] and a regurgitating aortic valve.  The cardiologist put me on a medication to help relieve the symptoms and said that I would probably need a valve replacement within 10 years.  Fifteen years had passed and the leak did not become worse.  He told me that this happens in less than one-in-a-thousand cases.  One day, while driving home from work, I fainted with no warning other than the sound of a car horn.  When I opened my eyes, there were two paramedics looking through the windshield at me.  My blood pressure was 70/40.  No wonder I fainted!  Another echocardiogram was taken, and at the consult afterward, my cardiologist said the following words to me:  “I am not a believer in miracles but I can’t explain this in any other way.  Your heart valve is no longer leaking.  It’s completely healed.  The medication you take also lowers blood pressure.  When your heart valve suddenly stopped leaking, the medicine caused your blood pressure to drop quickly.  I know of no case where this has ever happened before.  There will be an article written about your case for a medical journal.”  That’s a doctor who now believes in miracles!  It’s been almost 25 years since that day and I have had no issues with my heart.  A miracle doesn’t require an explanation!  It just needs confirmation and a celebration!

The man who was healed gave the Pharisees a description of what happened, not an explanation, saying, “He put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I see.”  It’s basically the same answer he gave to his neighbors, presented clearly and simply.  That should have been the end of the discussion; but as it turns out, it’s only the beginning.

III.  A DISAGREEMENT TAKES PLACE (verses 16-17a)

What follows is a completely new experience for this formerly blind man.  During all those years of sitting and begging at the gate to the temple, he must have listened to many discussions and disagreements among the priests, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees.  Now, for the first time in his life, he gets to watch and listen to a disagreement among the Pharisees.  He gazes intently at the expressions on their faces and the gestures they make.  Even the slightest movement of their bodies is noticeable to him.

The apostle John describes this event in verse 16.  “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’  But others asked, ‘How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?’  So they were divided.”  As he watches and listens, this formerly blind man realizes which group holds the majority view and which has the minority view.  The first group is committed to their own traditions and laws.  They speak of Jesus as “this man” [this carpenter from Nazareth, this uneducated “nobody”].  It’s an expression of contempt and rejection.  Jesus’ miracles can’t be denied so they decide to ignore and reject them.  The second group of Pharisees responds by asking a question.  They are looking at the evidence of Jesus’ miracles and questioning whether their own beliefs and traditions about the Sabbath day are correct.  The evidence is obviously on the side of the second group, but experts say that the best way to win an argument is to shout louder than your opponent or opponents.   The Pharisees who raised that question are trying to be realistic and look at the situation objectively.  The other group must have been yelling as loudly as they could in order to defend their own interpretation of the law in spite of the evidence.  These Pharisees were demonstrating a second major cause of frustration:  not being able to have their own way.  As the saying goes, “If you want to be in the game, you have to play by our rules.”  They must have won the argument because we don’t read anything more about that argument in the verses that follow.  The minority must have joined the majority.

After having won that argument, the strict traditionalists among the Pharisees do something uncharacteristic of them:  they ask this beggar for his opinion about the matter.  Verse 17 says, “Finally, they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about him?  It was your eyes he opened’.”  These Pharisees wouldn’t ask advice from a beggar concerning religious issues.  If we had been there, standing next to that beggar, and had heard those words being spoken and watched the expressions on the faces of those Pharisees, I think we would have immediately realized that this was not a question but a challenge.  With an air of victory in their tone of voice, they said to him, “Are you going to give in as the others did, or do you want to try to take us on?”  They’re acting like bullies again!

IV.  A COURAGEOUS RESPONSE (verse 17b)

The man who received his sight is up to the challenge.  Based upon his limited understanding and his personal experience, he gives them a clear and immediate answer by saying, “He is a prophet”.  Notice what this man did not say.  He didn’t say, “I think he’s a prophet”, nor did he say, “He might be a prophet”.  There was no doubt in his mind and there’s no argument about his words.  Moses, Elijah, and Elisha were prophets, and they performed miracles as proof that they were sent by God.  This man is growing in his understanding of who Jesus is, and he’s not afraid to proclaim it out loud to these Pharisees, in spite of what they might do to him.

The man’s claim leaves them speechless.  They can’t deny that Jesus’ miracles are proof that He has the qualifications of a prophet sent from God.  There was also a popular saying and belief among the Jews in those days that a prophet could break the law of the sabbath, and be guiltless.  The Pharisees have traveled down another dead-end street.  Are they ready to give in and accept reality?  Not in your life! They are still struggling to maintain outward control of this situation.  They continue to give the impression that they know what they are doing.  In reality, however, they are at their wit’s end.  I can hear them saying to themselves, “What do we do now?”

V.  INTERROGATION OF THE PARENTS (verses 18-23)

Verse 18 begins with the words:  “The Jews still did not believe that he had been born blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.”  They refuse to believe the evidence and the testimony of the blind man, so they seek some other way to discredit the man and the miracle. A thought comes to their minds:  “Why don’t we bring his parents in for questioning.  Maybe we can exert enough pressure on them and instill enough fear in them to cause them to deny that he is their son, or to state that he was not born blind.  Maybe we can compel them to say that his sight improved in some other way than a miracle by Jesus.  If we succeed, we might turn the people against Jesus by declaring this miracle to be a hoax and Jesus to be a false prophet.  It’s worth a try.”  The little word “until”, in verse 18, informs us that this idea is also doomed for failure. 

The parents are asked three questions:  “Is this your son?”, “Was he born blind?”, and “How does he now see?”.  The parents answered the first two questions without hesitation.  They knew that he was their son and they knew that he was born blind.  The parents of the blind man didn’t answer the third question for two reasons.  First, they were not eye-witnesses.  Therefore they could not give legal evidence.  The second reason is given in verse 22.  The man’s parents “were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.”  That’s a terrible thought and a dreadful experience.  The phrase, “put out of the synagogue”  is similar to that of excommunication but the consequences are even worse.  The person was excluded from the synagogue worship services and treated like a leper.  He was excluded from all contact with other Jews and had to keep a distance of at least 4 cubits (6 feet) from one’s spouse and friends.  When such people died, they were given no funeral.  It was a social, economic and religious disgrace.  Depending upon the degree of the offense, this punishment could be temporary (30 days) or permanent over a person’s lifetime.  In this case, it appears that the Jewish leaders were threatening the followers of Jesus Christ with a permanent excommunication.

So the man’s parents responded by saying, “But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know.  Ask him.  He is of age; he will speak for himself.”  End of discussion.  By reminding these Pharisees of the laws of testimony and evidence, his parents just closed the door of opportunity.  “Plan B” failed.  In the next message, we are going to discover that the Jews follow the parents’ advice and set up another interview with the blind man.  It’s the end of round two but the fight isn’t over yet.  There’s one more round to go.  “Plan C” is on the drawing board.  We’ll see how the fight ends and determine the winner as we study John 9:24-41.

CONCLUSION: 

In Exodus 34:8, Moses is speaking to God and he calls the people of Israel a “stiff-necked people”.  The Hebrew word literally means “hard-necked”.  It was used in the Old Testament and the New Testament to refer to an ox which stubbornly refused to respond to its owner’s prodding with the ox-goad that was in his hand.  An ox-goad is a long, light-weight pole with an iron spike at the end of it.  The farmer would hit the ox on one side of the neck or the other to get the ox to turn in that direction.  Some oxen would stubbornly refuse to do so.  You’ve probably heard the phrase, “As stubborn as an ox”.  Like the stiff-necked ox, these Pharisees were determined to go in their own direction in spite of the evidence and the prodding of Jesus to follow the way of the Father who sent Him. 

I hope that’s not a description of you at this moment.  If so, please ask God to open your eyes to the truths in His Word and respond in faith and obedience to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will turn your stubbornness into enthusiasm and wholehearted obedience to Him.   

CONSTRUCTION SITE: COMPLETED

May God open your eyes to new truths in His Word and new applications to your own life.

HERE’S MUD IN YOUR EYES! — John 9:6-12

Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

There’s a feeling of excitement and suspense in the air – like that of a little child waiting for his parents’ permission to blow out the candles and open the presents on his birthday.  Here in John chapter 9, the main event is about to happen.  This blind man is anxiously waiting to hear this Rabbi’s words spoken directly to him.  So far, neither of them has said a word to each other.  The suspense is growing.  “When is this Rabbi going to say the words and perform the miracle that brings sight to my eyes?”

I.  MUD PIES FOR THE EYES (verse 6)

What he hears isn’t a voice but some movement.  This Rabbi is now seated on the ground in front of him, close enough for this blind man to reach out and touch Him.  Can you imagine the thoughts that must be going through this man’s mind?  “Is He going to ask me a question?”  “Is He going to tell me what He is about to do?”  This beggar still hasn’t heard a word from the Rabbi, but he continues to wait in silence.  Then he hears some unusual sounds.  Verse 6 tells us, “He [Jesus] spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle”.  These were not the sounds that this beggar expected to hear.  It’s been one surprise after another.  He has to exercise faith, believing that all that’s been happening, that all the sounds he is hearing are for his benefit.  We may all agree with the words, “Don’t you love pleasant surprises?”, but most of us don’t like to wait very long for those surprises to happen, do we?

At least this beggar has not had to wait in complete silence.  There are sounds being made.  As he listens to the spitting and the movement of dirt, he must have come to the conclusion that Jesus was making mud.  Does that sound repulsive to you?  Would it have any significance to the blind man?  Possibly.  Human spittle was considered to have healing properties.  His parents or a doctor might have applied some sort of a poultice to his eyes when he was a child, but not one made from mud.  Dirt was considered to be harmful to the eyes.  Once again, this is going to be a unique miracle.  Jesus used His spittle on two other occasions in the Bible: the healing of a different blind man in Mark 8:22-26 and the healing of a deaf man who couldn’t speak well (Mark 7:33-37). However, there was no dirt added in those cases.

Are you wondering why Jesus is going through all this effort to heal the man?  He could easily have said “be opened” or “receive your sight”.  It would have saved a lot of time, effort, and mess, and He’s done that sort of thing before in previous miracles.  That’s true, but Jesus has a reason for everything He does.  Here are a few possibilities.  He may be attracting the attention of people nearby and giving them time to come closer and watch what He is doing.  It is also the Sabbath day, and Jesus may once again be making it very clear to them that He is the Lord of the Sabbath by violating “their Sabbath laws” concerning work.  These are all possibilities but I think there is an overriding reason.  The Lord Jesus can heal a person any way He chooses because He is God.  He is not limited to certain “magic” words or formulas, and He wants to make that obvious to His onlookers.  So far, each of His miracles has been performed in a unique way.

II.  PACKED UP AND SENT ON HIS WAY (verse 6b-7)

Meanwhile, this blind man’s sense of hearing is now on overload, having taken in every sound that has been made.  Now his sense of touch is going to be activated.  Verse 6 says, “and [Jesus] made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes.”  He feels a gob of warm, sticky mud being smeared over each of his eyes and pressed into place by the fingers of Jesus, and he hears Jesus’ words spoken to him for the first time.  “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.”  The word Siloam means “Sent”, so Jesus is sending him to the pool named “sent”.  That pool is almost half a mile away from the temple.  Why is Jesus sending him on a journey when he could have washed his face in the temple area where there were several cisterns and pools?  There are a number of possibilities and all of them might be intended.  For one, this was probably a lesson in obedience.  The story is similar to the account of Naaman the leper and Elisha the prophet (2 Kings 5:9-14).  In both cases, a washing was required, the healer did not accompany the needy person to the water, and the healing took place after the person obeyed.

A second potential reason was to draw a following.  There were a number of people who watched Jesus put the clay on this man’s eyes and decided to follow him.  Meanwhile, the mud was drying.  Others along the route recognized this blind man, saw the mud on his eyes, and decided to join the crowd out of curiosity.  The road to the pool of Siloam had now become a parade route and the blind man was the leader of the band.  Another potential reason for the mud was its irritation.  Have you ever gotten dirt in your eyes?  How did it feel?  Awful isn’t a strong enough word, is it?  What did you do about it?  You hurried to find water to splash on your eyes until the irritation went away, didn’t you.    I believe that this blind man was setting a quick pace, not only because of excitement but also because of the irritation.

Probably the most important reason for Jesus’ command was to give Himself time to leave the area and put Himself out of the picture for a while.  Verse 7 describes this blind man’s act of obedience and the result:  “And so he went away and washed, and came back seeing.”  That’s a brief and concise statement!  Do you think he made the return trip in less time?  I should say so!  He probably ran the whole distance, not only because he could now see where he was going but also because of his exuberance to meet the Rabbi who healed him and to see his parents for the first time.

III.  SEEING ISN’T BELIEVING (verses 8-12)

When he arrived in town, this formerly blind man didn’t receive the joyous welcome he expected to receive.  He didn’t see happy faces.  He didn’t hear words of congratulation from his neighbors.  He didn’t see or hear them praising God for the miracle of his sight.  He didn’t hear words of apology from those who falsely accused him and his parents for his blindness.  Instead of welcoming him with joy and thanksgiving to God, he finds them arguing about his true identity.  Verses 8 and 9 say, “The neighbors, therefore, and those who previously saw him as a beggar were saying, ‘Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?’  Some were saying, ‘This is he,’ and others were saying, ‘No, but he is like him.’  He kept saying, ‘I am the one.’ ”  Do you see the irony in this conversation?  Here is a man who has never seen himself before, telling these neighbors who have seen him almost every day of his life, that he is the one they are looking at!  He has to keep saying it over and over again:  “I am the one! . . .  I am the one!” in answer to responses such as:  “You’re an imposter” and “You just look like him.”

Total blindness from birth is a very rare condition.  He was probably the only person in that city who had been born completely blind. There should have been no question and no argument concerning his identity.  This formerly blind man is coming to the realization that there is another form of blindness that has afflicted many people in his neighborhood.  It’s called “spiritual blindness” and he has yet to see the worst cases of it!

Finally, they stop arguing among themselves and demand an explanation from Him saying, “How then were your eyes opened?”  Since they couldn’t refute his identity, they decide to set up their own court of law on the spot and demand that he give testimony about the details of this “miracle”.  I think they are hoping to find some holes in his argument.  Oh, the lengths to which some people will go in order to justify their own beliefs in the face of what is obviously true!

The man cooperates and gives them a clear and concise answer to their question.  In verse 11 he replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes.  He told me to go to Siloam and wash.  So I went and washed, and then I could see.”  It was as simple as that.  There were no holes in his argument.

Did you know that we can find no stories about blind people who received their sight in the Old Testament Scriptures?  However, we do find many prophecies about the blind receiving their sight.  Let’s take a look at some of them.  The prophet Isaiah prophesies in Isaiah 29:18, saying, “And on that day the deaf shall hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.”  Later, in chapter 35 and verse 5, Isaiah gives that prophecy again when he says, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.”  Once again, in Isaiah 42:6-7, the prophet Isaiah speaks on God’s behalf saying, “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

All of those prophecies are pointing ahead to the Messiah.  There were no such miracles of blind eyes being opened until 700 years later when Jesus began His public ministry.  Only He is the light of the world.  This miracle was obvious proof that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.  The people knew those scriptures, and they knew that they were referring to the Messiah, yet they refused to believe what their eyes had seen.  Spiritual blindness prevailed.

The man’s neighbors couldn’t argue with the man’s testimony, so in verse 12 they change the focus of their conversation to the miracle-worker by saying, “Where is He?”  I think they mean, “Why didn’t you bring Him along with you so that we could compare His story to yours.”  I like the attitude of this healed man.  He’s not backing down one inch.  He knows what happened to him and he’s not going to let his neighbors intimidate him.  His answer is:  “I don’t know.”  End of conversation.  They have nothing more to say but they aren’t ready to give up yet.  In the next passage of Scripture, they are going to be escorting him to the Pharisees where another conversation will ensue.  This man’s full experience of the joy of his healing and the gift of sight is being postponed once again.

CONCLUSION:

What did you learn from this miracle and from the conversation that followed?  If we look at this miracle and what followed in John 9:6-12, we can’t help but admire the patience of this man both before the miracle and after receiving his sight.  It’s easy to leave this passage of Scripture with our focus on the blind man and how well he demonstrated patience with Jesus and with his neighbors.  He certainly sets us an example, but we miss the bigger picture.  Let’s look at it from God’s point of view.  Who knows, after all the verbal abuse this man has received all his life, he may have been very angry and bitter inside.  The Lord Jesus may have arranged this miracle and the events that followed in order to teach him patience, trust in God, and a commitment to the truth of his healing in spite of opposition.  We don’t know for sure in this case. but how many times has God used circumstances and people to deal with wrong attitudes in our own lives and encourage us to live for Him?  God, in His providence, might be teaching this man how to stand for the truth and defend the One who healed him, even though he has never seen Him and has not yet been told His true identity.

In our study of this passage of Scripture, as we look at the words, actions, and attitudes of the apostles, this blind man, and his neighbors, I have three questions to ask myself and you:  “What do I really believe inside?”  Why do I believe it?” How do I demonstrate it (or try to hide it)?”   Belief is meant to be a learning and growing experience, drawing closer to the Light of the world [Jesus Christ] through a growing understanding of Him in His Word, and a commitment to following Him in obedience.  The neighbors of the formerly blind man demonstrated their lack of belief and unwillingness to believe what they had seen and heard in spite of the evidence.  The unbelief and the intimidation are going to get worse as we study the next passage of Scripture.

Are your spiritual eyes open to the truth concerning the Person and work of Jesus Christ or have you chosen to close them?  It’s your choice, but keep in mind that choosing spiritual blindness in this life leads to eternal darkness in the next life (Matthew 22:13; Jude 10-13).  God is calling you to come out of your present spiritual darkness and into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9).  Turn to the Light – the Lord Jesus Christ, and live in obedience to the Light for the rest of your days in this life.  You’ll enjoy the light of God’s presence for eternity.

CONSTRUCTION SITE: COMPLETED

Welcome to this construction site.  You are welcome to do some “sight-seeing” while you’re in the neighborhood.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2017, Uncategorized

                                     TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Click a title and link below it.  That sermon should appear on your screen.)
A GOD WITH SKIN – John 14:7-11
A GLORIOUS DESTINY – John 14:1-6
JESUS PREDICTS HIS BETRAYAL – John 13:18-30
A LESSON IN HUMILITY – John 13:1-17
WHY DON’T PEOPLE BELIEVE? – John 12:37-50
GLORIFY THY NAME– John 12:27-36

THE PARADOX OF LIFE FROM DEATH – John 12:20-26
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM – John 12:9-19
AN OBJECTION IS CORRECTED – John 12:4-8
MARY ANNOINTS JESUS – John 12:1-3
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH JESUS – John 11:45-57
LAZARUS!  COME FORTH! – John 11:28-44

NO EXCUSE GIVEN – John 11:17-27
THE DEATH OF LAZARUS – John 11:1-17
JESUS THE SON OF GOD – John 10:31-42
SAY IT!  WE DARE YOU! – John 10:22-30
THE GOOD SHEPHERD – John 10:11-21
THE DOOR TO THE SHEEPFOLD – John 10:6-10
THE TRUE SHEPHERD – John 10:1-5                                                      SPIRITUAL LIGHT AND DARKNESS – John 9:35-41
PHARISEES VS. BLIND MAN (Round 3) – John 9:24-34

Continue reading →

WHO SINNED? — John 9:1-5

john 9:1-5, Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever come in contact with a blind person?  Can you remember the thoughts that came to your mind?  Have you ever been introduced to a blind person?  What did you say, or were you at a loss for words?   A famous blind lady named Helen Keller said, “The chief handicap of the blind is not blindness, but the attitude of seeing people towards them.”  When I was a hospital chaplain, I learned that one of the psychologists who counseled patients in the psychiatric ward was blind.  When I first saw him, I felt uneasy.  A thought that came to my mind almost immediately was:  “Since he can’t see me, I can ignore him and get away with it.”  I felt ashamed of myself for entertaining that thought and I introduced myself to him.  As a result, I learned two things about him:  how kind and gracious he was and how fast he walked.  I could hardly keep up with him!

I.  THE SETTING (verse 1)

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus and His disciples are about to have an encounter with a blind man.  The Feast of Tabernacles was now over.  The last event was the trip to the pool of Siloam by the priests to fill the golden pitcher with water and return to pour it on the steps of the temple.  This water would flow down to the world outside the temple, signifying that the Jewish faith would satisfy the deepest needs of the world.  It was the Sabbath day.  Jesus and His disciples were leaving the temple.  The Jewish leaders had just tried to kill Him in the temple but He walked through their midst unharmed. 

Verse 1 says, “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.”  That’s a significant statement.  Jesus and His disciples may have been passing through the gate of the temple at that moment.  That’s where many beggars lined up to beg for money.  This blind man may have been assigned a place to beg that was not in the flow of traffic.  Maybe he was in the shadows where the uncaring majority didn’t have to see him.   But the Lord Jesus looked upon this blind beggar and He saw the need.  Jesus had compassion for people.  We see that over and over again in the Gospels.  Even though He had just left the temple to get away from those who wanted to stone Him to death, Jesus still took the time to stop and look at someone in need.  Most people would look away, ignore this blind man, or pretend that he didn’t exist.  Most people don’t like to look at someone who is in misery and without hope.  It’s painful to look at the other side of life, isn’t it?  It’s uncomfortable to think about what could have happened to us or what might happen to us in the future.

II.  THE QUESTION ASKED (verse 2)

Now that they have come to a stop in front of this blind man, Jesus’ disciples take this opportunity to ask Him a deep, theological question.  They offer Him two alternatives to choose from and only one of them can be correct, in their opinion.  Here is their question:  “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  In their minds, his blindness was a punishment for sin, but whose sin?

If you’re familiar with the game of baseball, you will understand this anonymous quote:  “Most of us are umpires at heart.  We like to call balls and strikes on somebody else.”  They didn’t have the game of baseball back in that day, but they certainly had the umpires!

The question asked by the disciples tells us that they were familiar with this man because they knew that he had been born blind.  How did they come up with that question:  “Who sinned “?  Do they have scriptures to back it up?  Actually, this was the teaching of many of the Rabbis during that period of time and the disciples probably heard it explained during the times of instruction in the synagogue.  Some of those rabbis taught that a child could sin while in the womb, and would have to pay for those sins for the rest of his life.  One of the verses the rabbis would use as proof was Genesis 25:22-23, where Jacob and Esau “jostled each other in Rebecca’s womb”.  They interpreted it as fighting and proclaimed that fighting is a sin, even if it occurs in the mother’s womb.  I doubt that any mother in the first century or the twenty-first century would call her unborn child a “sinner” when the child kicked inside her womb.  Many of you mothers may remember times when the child in your womb seemed to be trying to assert control over your body or was getting even for something you did or didn’t do.  After all, the fourth commandment does say, “Honor your father and your mother”! 

Other rabbis taught that such misfortunes were the result of the sin of the parents.  A scripture that was used to defend their argument is Exodus 20:5.  It says, “. . . for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.”  The rabbis were misusing that verse by taking it out of its context of idol worship.  God is speaking of the nation of Israel as His wife, and she is pursuing other gods.  He will continue to pursue and punish His wife from generation to generation until she (the nation of Israel) comes back to Him.  Verse 6 tells us what will happen when she does return to Him.  It says, “but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”  These rabbis have butchered that passage of scripture and caused untold agony, guilt, and sorrow to this blind man and his parents.  Jesus sees those years of guilt and shame as He looks at the face of this man, and He is ready to give an answer to the question raised by His disciples.

III.  THE ANSWER GIVEN (verse 3)

Jesus begins by saying, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents”.  This answer doesn’t fit within the bounds of their question, so Jesus goes on to give an explanation saying, “but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in Him.”  Jesus is looking ahead to what He is about to do.  God doesn’t make mistakes.  He always knows what He is doing and His ultimate purposes are always good.

Francis I. Anderson, in His commentary on Job, makes an observation based on this verse of Scripture.  He says, “Men seek an explanation of suffering in cause and effect.  They look backward for a connection between prior sin and present suffering.  The Bible looks forward in hope and seeks explanations, not so much in origins as in goals.  The purpose of suffering is seen, not in its cause, but in its results.”

III.  THE URGENT COMMAND (verse 4)

Jesus continues His answer, applying His words, not only to Himself but also to His disciples and to us as well when He says, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day.”  He didn’t say “we should” but “we must”.  There is a sense of urgency in His statement.  He and they are called to do the works that the Father has called Him to do

IV.  A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE (verses 1-4)

Before we go any further, let’s consider this situation and this conversation from the perspective of the ears of this blind man.  Having been born blind, this man would have a very keen sense of hearing.  He has no visual images in his mind to distract him from what is going on around him at this moment.  He would also have a very good memory of activities and conversations that go on around him in the temple area.  Let’s review what He is hearing and consider what he is thinking.  He hears a group of people stop directly in front of him, and he’s wondering, “Are they going to give me some money or are they going to ridicule me?”  The first word he hears is “Rabbi”.  Immediately he realizes that a rabbi and his talmudim (or disciples) have stopped to look at him.  His thoughts:  “you can look but please don’t say anything.”  Because of his blindness, he can’t see them, but he also can’t keep from hearing them.  Then he hears the horrible words that he has heard so many times before:  “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind?”  The tears begin to well up as he waits for the derogatory remarks to come from this rabbi and be echoed by his disciples.  To his surprise, He hears an answer that he has never heard before.  This Rabbi says, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.”  He thinks, “This man speaks with the authority of God.”  “Could this be Jesus, the one I’ve heard so much about – the one who performs miracles and claims to be the Messiah?”  “Is He going to display His works in me by healing me?”  Jesus’ words that follow confirm this hope.

In verse 4, Jesus says, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming when no man can work.”  Jesus’ death wasn’t very many days away, and none of us know which day will be our last.  There is work to be done for the kingdom of God and we should be pursuing it as if today was the last opportunity to get it done.  Who knows, it may be our last opportunity to meet a need or to share our faith in Jesus Christ with someone we know.  Thomas Obadiah Chisholm was a songwriter who wrote hymns during the late 1800s through the mid-1900s.  One of the hymns he wrote is entitled “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”.  I’m sure we’ve all sung that hymn many times.  I found a poem written by him about this verse of Scripture, John 9:4.  I don’t know whether or not this poem was put to music, but the words are certainly motivational and inspirational.  Here are the words to that poem.  It’s entitled “I Must”.

To every life, it seems to me,
There should be found a single key;
One central purpose there should be,
One all-controlling aim.
Of Jesus this was surely true;
One passionate delight He knew
And that, His Father’s will to do
And glorify His name.

“I must!  I must!” we hear Him say;
For Him there was no other way
But swiftly, wholly to obey
And do the work assigned.
“I must!”  He counted not the cost,
The raging rivers to be crossed;
He must go seek and save the lost,
His “other sheep” must find.

“I must!”  And on and on He went,
Upon His mighty mission bent;
That whereunto He had been sent.
They crucified Him, as He said,
A cruel crown upon His head,
Accursed, forsaken–in our stead.
At last His work was done.

“I must!”  Oh, may that fervent word
Upon our lips as well be heard.
By nothing may we be deterred
From following “in His train!”
Our meat and drink, to do His will,
Though steep the climb, to follow still
Till death o’ertake us, or until
His coming back again.

Have you ever missed out on an opportunity to be used by God because you waited too long?  It’s discouraging, isn’t it?  We should be saying to ourselves, “God has work for me to do today so I won’t put off doing God’s will any longer.

V.  THE REMINDER IS GIVEN (verse 5)

After stating His compulsion, Jesus reminds His disciples and Himself of what the Father has called Him to be in the eyes of the world.  He has said the following words before and He says them again in verse 5:  “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  Jesus’ words are a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy.  The prophet Isaiah described the coming of the Messiah with these words:  “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them”  (Isaiah 9:2).  He also prophesied in Isaiah 49:6 saying, “I will also make You a light to the nations so that My salvation will reach to the ends of the earth”.  The Lord Jesus is determined to complete those works and fulfill the calling that the Father has given to Him.  Those prophecies refer to the spiritual blindness of unbelief.  As this blind man listens to those words of Jesus, he may have come to the conclusion that he is not only physically blind but he is spiritually blind as well.  Notice that he hasn’t said a word to Jesus.  He is “all ears” right now, focusing his attention on every word that Jesus says.  Has he come to the conclusion that Jesus is the Messiah?  Does he believe that Jesus can and will heal Him of his physical blindness and remove his spiritual blindness?  I think so.  The veil over his heart is already being lifted, and the stage has been set for what’s to come.  As we begin to study the miracle itself, we are going to see some of the evidence for that persuasion.

CONCLUSION:

There are several lessons that can be learned from this discussion between Jesus and His disciples.  First, we need to be careful not to jump to conclusions about people based upon limited or questionable information.  In this case, it is the relationship between sin and suffering.  Even though suffering is often the consequence of sin, it is not always the consequence of sin.  There was no direct connection between sin and suffering in the case of this blind man.  Therefore, let’s resist the temptation to make negative judgments when we don’t have all the facts.

Secondly, God wants to glorify Himself through the lives of those who have disabilities whether He heals them or not.  God will use anyone who belongs to Him and is devoted to Him.  Our heavenly Father often gives HIs children with disabilities an even greater ministry than they could have had without that disability.  People are watching Christians, especially those Christians who have the most to overcome.  When they see that God has given them the power to overcome and the joy of knowing and serving Him, many will become convinced that Jesus Christ is the One who can meet their deepest needs.  When God gave the apostle Paul a “thorn in the flesh” – a “messenger of Satan to buffet him”, he asked God three times to remove it.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  Paul responded by saying, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. . . . for when I am weak, then I am strong.”  

Thirdly, let’s follow Jesus’ example. Let’s treat those who are disabled with dignity, respect, and kindness.  Let’s be busy doing the work of the Lord each day while we still have the opportunity, and let’s be a shining light to the world around us.

If you are personally living in spiritual darkness, with no real peace of mind or joyful heart, and no real hope after death, only Jesus and His Word can bring your life into proper focus and add the brightness of true peace and joy into your life.  Please, don’t close your eyes to the truth any longer.  Open them wide and see what life is like as a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

CONSTRUCTION SITE:  COMPLETED

 

ANSWERS TO INSULTS — John 8:48-59

John 8:48-59, Uncategorized

Two little boys got into an argument and started hurling insults at one another.  The insults kept getting longer and longer.  These two children were new at this sort of thing.  Usually, this name-calling ended up in a fist fight, but one of the boys came up with an insult that was so long and so ridiculous that there was a moment of silence.  The boys looked at each other, started laughing, and then went back to playing with each other again.  I guess he won by an insult and the other boy conceded!  It’s too bad that many little children continue to practice insulting one another and become very good at it by the time they’ve grown to adulthood.

Have you ever been insulted?  Can you remember what it was like and the way you responded to it?  Can you remember hearing a person say something sarcastic and then realized that it was directed at you?  How did you react?  The children’s saying:  “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” isn’t really true, is it?  I recently overheard someone make an insulting remark in the hearing of that person and in the hearing of those around her.  Later, when he tried to apologize, she wouldn’t accept it.  The hurt and embarrassment were too deep and his apology was too shallow.

An insult is defined as an offensive remark meant to hurt the feelings of another person.  Sarcasm is a mocking remark using statements that are usually the opposite of what the person really means.  The word “insult” comes from two Latin words meaning “to leap on”.  “Sarcasm” is derived from two Greek words meaning “to tear flesh”.  Those are good descriptions of what it feels like inside when you’re on the receiving end of an insult or of sarcasm, aren’t they?

In this passage of Scripture, John 8:48-59, Jesus is under verbal attack because of His claims and the statements He made to the Jewish leaders.  Their attitude seems to be:  “If we can’t come up with any winning arguments, then let’s attack His character”.  As we take a look at the words that are said to Jesus by the Jewish leaders, let’s seek to understand His responses to them.  To prepare your mind for what is about to be said, think about and answer for yourself the following two questions.  “What is the worst insult you can ever remember hearing or reading?”  Secondly, what is the most painful insult you have ever personally received from someone else?”  Have you answered both of those questions in your mind?  If so, you are better prepared to understand and identify with the sequence of events in this passage of Scripture.

I.  THEIR INSULTS (verse 48)

The Jewish leaders find themselves on the losing end of their conversation with Jesus.  Their self-glorification, calling themselves “children of Abraham” and “children of God” got them nowhere because they didn’t fit the description.  There was no spiritual resemblance between them and Abraham or God.  They also could not find Jesus guilty of any sin.  In their frustration, they resort to name-calling, and they are very good at it.  In verse 48, the Jews say to Jesus, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon.”  That statement may not mean much in this day and age but in first-century Palestine, it was probably the worst thing a Jew could say to another Jew.  Either one of those descriptions is bad enough, but to put the two together is the ultimate slam.  This is the only place in all four of the Gospels where the words “a Samaritan and have a demon” are used together.

Why is that expression so demeaning?  They have already told Jesus that He had a demon in a previous conversation with Him in John 7.  True, but this time they are saying, “You are a demon-possessed Samaritan”.  The Samaritans were odious to the Jews, who considered them to be heretics because they were of mixed blood and worshiped at a different place and in different ways.  The Jews looked upon them as God’s “rejects” so they despised them and would have nothing to do with them.  To get the full picture, these Jews are saying to Jesus, “You’re not only rejected by God but you’re also controlled by demons!  Only a demon-possessed Samaritan would dare to question our relationship to Abraham and to God!”  After hurling this “mega-insult” at Jesus, I can envision the “victory-smiles” on their faces as they wait for Jesus to respond.

II.  JESUS’ RESPONSE (verses 49-51)

Once again their plan failed.  They expected to see Jesus lose His temper and lash out at them as they did to Him, but they were mistaken.  What Jesus doesn’t say in His response to them is as noteworthy as what He says.  Observe His opening words in verse 49:  “Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon’.”  He doesn’t say anything about the word “Samaritan”.  He ignores the word or intentionally overlooks it.  Why would He do such a thing?  Unlike His accusers, Jesus had no hatred toward the Samaritans.  He had no prejudices.

In the rest of verse 49, Jesus says, “but I honor My Father, but you dishonor Me.”  His purpose for coming to this earth was not self-promotion but the salvation of all who believed in Him.  Jesus was here to honor the Father, not Himself.  By trying to disgrace Him, these Jews were also dishonoring the Father whom they just claimed as their own.  He amplifies those words in verse 50 where He says, “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.”  The Father’s glory and approval meant everything to the Lord Jesus Christ.  What others thought of Him was immaterial.  His Father would take care of His reputation and execute judgment.  Based upon what we read in the rest of the New Testament, His Father certainly has and He certainly will take care of those concerns.

In verse 51, the Lord Jesus makes a confusing claim and promise.  He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he shall never see death.”  That statement must have raised some eyebrows on the faces of His listeners.  It opened some mouths also, as we’ll see in the next verse.  What does Jesus mean by that fantastic, illogical statement?  He’s not saying that those who keep His word won’t die physically.  He is saying what the apostle Paul later said in II Corinthians 5:8.  The person who follows the Lord and keeps His word, when he dies is “absent from the body  . . . present with the Lord.”  He does not see the consequences of unbelief – a spiritual death described as a separation from God in Hell for eternity (John 5:24; Hebrews 9:27).  Rather, a believer closes his eyes for the last time on earth and opens them in the presence of the Lord in heaven.  He does not see death.  He sees the Lord Jesus and enjoys Him for eternity.  Isn’t that a wonderful thought!

III.  THEIR SARCASM (verses 52-53)

It wasn’t a wonderful thought in the minds of His listeners.  They are still interpreting His words from the wrong point of view.  However, those words became the fuel for more criticism on their part.  This time it’s in the form of sarcasm.  They respond to Jesus by saying, “Now we know that you have a demon.”  He has removed all doubt in their minds.  They are saying, “Now we KNOOOOW that you are mentally deranged.”  That sort of thing was attributed to demons.  The sarcasm has begun!  Now they explain their reason for making that statement.  “Abraham died, and the prophets also; and yet You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he shall never taste of death.’ ”  They are rudely throwing Jesus’ words back in His face, loudly making fun of Him for making such a ridiculous statement.  “Abraham and the prophets died, and yet YOOOUUU say . . . “.  If someone has ever done that to you, then you know how it hurts inside!

In verse 53 we see that Jesus’ words have also triggered a defense mechanism among these Jews.  They say, “Surely You are not greater than our father, Abraham, who died?  The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?”  Once again they are defending Abraham and the prophets.  Jesus can’t be better than them.   So in our vernacular, they are saying, “Who do You think You are, anyway!  How can You dare to make such statements!”

IV.  JESUS’ REBUTTAL (verses 54-55)

Jesus is calm and clear in His response, saying, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing.  It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our Father’.”  Once again He tells them that He is not seeking His own glory.  Whatever earthly glory He might have was a gift from His Father.  Did you catch the irony in the last half of his statement?  They claimed that God was their Father yet they display no knowledge of Him or commitment to Him.  The Father desires to glorify His Son, not them.  They seek only to glorify themselves.  In verse 55, Jesus continues to give them a taste of their own medicine.  He says, “and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him, and keep His word.”  The apostle, John, uses two different Greek words for the English word “know”, which means that Jesus must have used two different Aramaic words when speaking to them.  The word that Jesus applies to them means “to begin to know” or “to make progress in knowledge”, whereas the word He applies to Himself means “complete and intimate knowledge”.  He is saying to these leaders, “You haven’t even begun to know the Father, whereas I know Him personally and completely, and I obey His words.”  True knowledge of the Father cannot be separated from obedience.

Can you imagine the anger that’s building up inside these Jews as they listen to Him?  Jesus’ words were meant to be taken as an insult, and there is sarcasm in the wording, but every word of it is true.  They have been calling Him names and now Jesus is calling them by their true name.  They are liars and the Old Testament prophets would have called them by the same name.  Those prophets were used by God to point out the sinfulness of the people of Israel.  Here Jesus, in one of His roles as a Prophet, is being used by the Father to do the very same thing.  By confronting them with their evil desires and actions, Jesus is once again giving them an opportunity to acknowledge their sin, repent, and follow Him.

V.  COMPARISON WITH ABRAHAM (verses 56-58)

Now the Lord Jesus says something very mysterious in verse 56.  He says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”  When did Abraham see Jesus?  There are many possibilities.  Let me give you three of them.  The first time may have been when he met Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God.  He gave Abram an offering of bread and wine, and Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all he had (Genesis 14:17-20).  Hebrews 5:6 speaks of Jesus as a ” priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”  It must have been a very moving and joyous experience for Abram to respond with such generosity.  In Genesis 15 the Lord appeared to Abraham in a vision.  Later, in Genesis 18, three men came to Abraham to tell him that his wife, Sarah, will have a son by next year.  They also told him about what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah.  But in chapter 19 only two angels came to Lot in Sodom.  That third person may have been Jesus.

As we return to the conversation, the Jewish leaders are still reasoning from a physical perspective only.  In verse 57 they ask, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”  In their minds, they are thinking, “that’s impossible; You’re insane!”  Jesus immediately responds with an amazing proclamation.  In verse 58, “Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am’.”   He uses God’s covenant name:  Jehovah.  This was God’s great name, and it was treated with the utmost reverence by the Jews.  They would not speak it.  Historians tell us that when a scribe was copying the Scriptures and came to that name for God, he would take a new pen just to write that name.  It is also said that when a public reader in the synagogue came to that name in the sacred text, he would not read it.  He would bow his head in worship and the congregation, knowing that he had come to God’s special name, would bow in worship also.  Jesus was saying in this verse that there had never been a time when He had not existed.  He was claiming to be God.

VI.  AN ATTEMPTED STONING (verse 59)

The Jews were so enraged by that statement that they ended the argument.  In their minds, there was only one thing to do.  They must stone Him to death.  Verse 59 says, “they picked up stones to stone Him”.  The word “stones” means “heavy stones”.  This was taking place in the temple, and it’s not surprising that large stones were lying around on the ground.  This temple of Herod the Great was not yet completed and construction was still going on inside the building.  How fortunate for them!  Jesus just offered them another opportunity to turn to Him but they rejected it by preparing to stone Him to death inside the temple without even holding a trial.

It would take a miracle for Jesus to escape and that’s just what happened.  Verse 59 says, “Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.”  The Greek text says that Jesus “was hidden”   We don’t know whether Jesus became invisible or just walked through their midst undetected.  Either way, He escaped from them again.  It was not yet His time to die, and His heavenly Father overruled their plans again.

CONCLUSION:

As it was in that day, so it is today.  There are many who refuse to acknowledge the claims of Christ and refuse to follow Him.  Many use insults and sarcasm when they speak of Him, and use His name as a swear word.  Nevertheless, knowing all the things that people would say about Him then and now, Jesus willingly chose to die on that cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins out of love for each one of us.  Would you be willing to reconsider the things you think and say about the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to give you a change of mind and heart?  He has never stopped loving you in spite of your thoughts, your words, and your actions directed against Him.  Don’t continue to deprive yourself of the love, the joy, the peace, the purpose, and the freedom from the fear of death that only He can and will give you if you put your trust in Him.  Ask any committed Christians whether or not this is so from their own experience.

If you are a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, here is a question for you to consider and answer for yourself.  This past year, if someone had paid you ten dollars for every kind word you ever spoke about other people, and also collected five dollars for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor today?  Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

CONSTRUCTION SITE:  COMPLETED

Welcome to this completed project:  John 8:48-59.  I hope you will visit this neighborhood again.

WHO’S YOUR DADDY? — John 8:37-47

Bible sermons, John 8:37-47, Uncategorized

INTRODUCTION:

In 1976, a book written by Alex Haley was published and it became a best seller.  The book was 900 pages long and was entitled “Roots”.  The following year a mini-series based on the book was aired on TV to a huge viewing audience.  Did you read the book and see the films?

That was the beginning of a genealogy craze that swept our nation.  Over 40 years have passed since that book was written but the quest to find one’s ancestors goes on.  With the dawn of DNA testing and organizations such as Ancestry.com, millions of families and individuals are actively researching their family trees.  This preoccupation with who we are and where we came from has obsessed humanity since the dawn of creation.  The first-century Jews were no exception.  They prided themselves in their ancestry and often used it as a reason for boasting or as an excuse to justify their sinful actions.

In the previous passage of Scripture, John 8:31-36, Jesus told the Jews that a true disciple of His was a person who believed in Him and obeyed His words, resulting in freedom.  He stated that only He could give them true freedom.  They responded by saying, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been enslaved to anyone.”  Then they challenged Jesus to prove His point.  The Lord Jesus made it clear to them again, in verse 34, that He was talking about spiritual slavery to sin and, once again, offered them freedom from that slavery.

Jesus hasn’t finished His conversation with them yet.  Let’s see what else He has to say and observe their responses.

I.  A CONTRADICTION IS EXPRESSED (verses 37-38)

I continue to be amazed at the patience of Jesus toward those who are intentionally slow to learn, or who refuse to learn.  He begins by admitting that they are the physical descendants of Abraham, but they bear no spiritual resemblance to Abraham.  Verse 37 says, “I know that you are Abraham’s offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.”  Abraham wouldn’t try to kill Him.  On the contrary, Abraham welcomed the messengers that God sent to him in Genesis 18, showing them respect and hospitality.  He also gave a tenth of his possessions to Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God, after receiving a blessing from him (Genesis 14:18-21; Hebrews 7:1-3).  The Jews standing before Jesus bear no spiritual resemblance to that description of Abraham.  Instead of welcoming the One whom God has sent, they are trying to kill Him.  Several attempts have already been made to arrest Him (John 7:30, 32, 44).  Abraham was also called “a friend of God” (2 Chronicles 20:7).  Friends don’t murder one another.  That’s the work of enemies.

At the end of verse 37, Jesus states the underlying cause of their actions when He says, “My word has no place in you.” The Greek words might be more clearly translated as, “You have no room for My word” or “My word isn’t making any headway” in your minds and hearts.  To put it into modern-day English, they were “tuning Him out”.  They were unreceptive to Jesus and to His words to them.

Once again Jesus states His source of authority, in verse 38, when He says, “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father”.  Now Jesus is claiming to be with the Father from all eternity.  He was there with the Father when Abraham walked this earth.  His knowledge of Abraham is firsthand.  With that said, Jesus gives them some food for thought.  He makes an incomplete statement, leaving them with the opportunity to think it over and fill in the blank.  Here are His words:  “therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”  Notice what Jesus didn’t say.  He didn’t say “fathers”.  Jesus said “father”,  They are all children of the same father.  Who is their father?  That’s the question Jesus wants them to answer for themselves by process of elimination.  They’ve heard the answer to that question before.  They heard it from John the Baptist.  Let’s see if they remember it and apply it to themselves.

II.  THEIR EXCUSE IS REPEATED (verse 39a)

What do you say when you don’t know what to say?  One option is to say the same thing over again and hold your ground, right?  Have you ever done that?  You may have done so to give yourself some time to collect your thoughts and come up with a better answer.  Jesus just took the wind out of their sails with His reply so “They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father’.”  They must have said it loudly and in anger in order to maintain their sense of control over the conversation.  It’s been said that a person who has nothing to brag about but his ancestors is like a potato plant.  The best part of him is underground (buried, like the potatoes).  After the reminders they were given by Jesus, I’m convinced that His listeners knew what He was talking about, and what He was implying concerning their spiritual parentage.  With some honest reflection on their part, the “mystery” father would no longer be a mystery to them.

III.  JESUS REPEATS HIMSELF (verses 39b-41a)

Jesus responds to their short answer by saying, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.  But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.  You are doing the deeds of your father.”  Jesus made that statement earlier, in verses 37 and 38.  Why is He repeating Himself?  Is this a teaching technique?  It may be much more than that.  For example, the repeating of a person’s name is a Hebrew expression of intimacy.  We find that occurring many times in the Scriptures.  God said, “Abraham, Abraham” (Genesis 22:11), “Jacob, Jacob” (Genesis 46:2); “Moses, Moses” (Exodus 3:4).  David cried out in agony saying, “Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son” (2 Samuel 18:33).  Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem” as He wept over the city and those living in it.  There are many other instances where names are repeated.  I suggest that Jesus is repeating Himself here and elsewhere out of love for them.  He’s been giving them opportunity after opportunity to repent of their sins and acknowledge Him as their Messiah, in spite of their continuing hostility and rejection.  He yearns to draw close to them and keeps giving them reasons to respond to Him the way Abraham responded.

IV.  A SARCASTIC REACTION (verse 41)

The Jews react by saying, “We were not born of fornication”.  There are two possible meanings to that statement and both possibilities might be implied.  First, they may have been saying, “Our parents were not idolaters, worshipping other gods.  Secondly, they may have been saying, “we are pure in our lineage, but  we’re not so sure about you.”  This meaning would imply that they were calling Jesus an illegitimate son of Mary and Joseph, born outside of wedlock.  It’s also possible that both of those meanings were intended by their statement.  In any case, their words were intended to be derogatory and offensive.

I think these leaders are beginning to realize that calling Abraham their father wasn’t getting them anywhere.  What do they do now?  The words of the prophet Malachi must have come to their minds.  Malachi asked the question, “Have we not all one Father?  Did not one God create us?” (Malachi 2:10). The Jews may have thought to themselves, “That’s a good idea!  Let’s take our paternity case all the way to the top!”  So they say to Jesus, “We have one Father, even God.”  They thought that, by saying those words, they would get themselves off the hook, and avoid further embarrassment.  However, they are not out of trouble yet!  Further embarrassment is on the way!

V.  WORDS OF CORRECTION (verse 42-45)

The Lord Jesus looks around at them and says, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and now am here.  I have not come on My own; but He sent Me.”  Once again, the Jews are mistaken.  The practice of their religious observances doesn’t make them children of the Father.  If they truly loved the Father, they would love His Son whom He sent, and who was standing before them at that moment.  The Lord Jesus has proven Himself to be the Son of God by His miracles and they have not been able to refute His claims.  In verse 43, Jesus asks them a question and immediately gives them the answer.  He says, “Why do you not understand what I am saying?  It is because you cannot hear My word.”  I think Jesus asked His question in the form of a plea.  When He looks around at each of them after making that plea, He sees the reason by the expressions on their faces and makes it known to them saying, “you cannot hear My word”.  He’s not implying that they are deaf, hard of hearing or stupid.  On the contrary, they have chosen to ignore His words, refusing to listen to Him or to seek to understand what He is saying. 

The Jews still haven’t asked the question that Jesus prodded them to ask in verse 38 – “Who is our father?”  Since they didn’t ask, Jesus gives them a detailed answer in verse 44, where He says, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  That rebuke by Jesus should have reminded them of the words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:7, where he said, “You brood of vipers”,  implying that they possessed character qualities similar to the devil.  The words of Jesus in verse 44 are the clearest statement that Jesus makes about the existence and the personality of Satan.  His listeners don’t resemble Abraham, and they don’t resemble God, but they do resemble the devil like a child resembles his father.  Satan lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden, convincing her to disobey God and entice Adam to do the same.  He tempted Cain to murder his brother Abel.  Those standing before Jesus have chosen to believe Satan’s lies about Him and are intent on murdering Him.  The truth can be embarrassing, especially when it is said publicly in the Temple for all to hear!

VI.  A CHALLENGE TO THEM (verses 46-47)

After giving that stinging rebuke to His critics, Jesus establishes His authority by giving them a challenge.  In verse 46, Jesus says, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?  If I tell you the truth, why do you not believe Me?”  His enemies are given an opportunity to find errors in what He just said but He doesn’t get an answer from any of them.  None of His enemies could prove Him wrong.  Everything Jesus said to them was absolutely true.  That question must have really frustrated and angered them.

Jesus concludes in verse 47 by reviewing their spiritual parentage and summarizing it.  He says, “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” The way they act is going to determine their destiny.

CONCLUSION:

Here are several principles I’ve gained from my study of John 8:37-47:

  1.  Spiritually, all people are children of one of two fathers:  either God or the Devil.  Which one is yours?  If in doubt, your spiritual father is the one you obey.
  2. There are only two groups of people on earth:  the children of wrath and the children of God.  If your actions indicate that you are a child of wrath, please reconsider before it’s too late.
  3. There may come a time when you may need to be brutally honest with someone.  Let’s follow Jesus’ example and make sure that it’s our last resort.

The following illustration is an appropriate conclusion to this passage of Scripture.  A preacher had delivered a powerful sermon about the Devil, warning his listeners about his wiles.  Two rude, young ruffians heckled the preacher, shouting, “Don’t you know, Mr. Preacher, that the Devil died last night?”  The old preacher came down and, putting his arms on their shoulders said, “You poor fatherless orphans!  What will become of you?”  And then he said, “Let me introduce you to my Father who has promised, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ ”

CONSTRUCTION SITE: COMPLETED

THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN – Mark 14:26-42

Mark 14:26-42, the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Uncategorized

Does the word “Gethsemane” bring any thoughts or images to your mind?  One Bible scholar made this statement: “In a very real sense, Calvary began in the Garden of Gethsemane.”  We will find that statement to be true as we look at what the Bible says.

THE AGONY:

Verse 26 says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”   They were heading for the Garden of Gethsemane, which was called the “place of the olive press”.  The symbolism is pretty gruesome. In Isaiah 53, the prophet Isaiah prophecies about Christ’s death, and in verse five he says, “He was crushed for our iniquities”, just as the olives were crushed in the olive press each year.  That olive oil was used both for food and medicine. Jesus was about to have His life crushed out of Him so that he might be food and medicine for our souls.

Verses 33-35 describe Jesus’ emotional condition.  He took Peter, James, and John with Him and told them that He was “troubled and distressed”, and described Himself as “exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death”.  Then He went “a little beyond them and began to pray.”  Luke’s Gospel says that “He withdrew from them a stone’s throw.”  I’m guessing that Jesus was close enough for Peter, James, and John to see Him but too far away for them to hear Jesus as He prayed.  Verse 36 tells us the words Jesus said in His prayer to the Father.  He said, “Abba!  Father!  All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.”  What is this “cup” that He is referring to?  When the psalmist and the prophets used that word, they were referring to the cup of God’s wrath for the sins of the people.  There are almost eight billion people living in the world today.    Add to that the number of people from each generation going back to Adam and Eve and going forward until the end of the world. That’s a lot of people and a lot of sins committed by them.  That cup must have been enormous and our own sins are in that cup.  No wonder Jesus is so troubled and distressed!  We are told in verses 36 to 41 that Jesus repeats that same prayer three times. 

Luke 22:43-44 gives some extra details concerning Christ’s agony.  It says, “Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”  This phenomenon has only been documented a few times.  The person was undergoing extreme mental, emotional and spiritual trauma.  Small blood vessels underneath the skin of Jesus were breaking. That blood came through the pores of His skin along with His sweat.  The sweating and the bleeding must have been profuse as it fell to the ground in large, red drops.

THE SUBMISSION:

By sending that angel, I believe the Father was saying to His Son, “There is no other way to be the Savior of the world except the path of suffering and death.” Jesus would have to bear the sins of the world upon Himself and accept the cup of the Father’s wrath for sin.  In verses 41 and 42 of John chapter 12, we see a change in Christ’s attitude and His actions were proof of that change.   Once Jesus understood the Father’s will, He submitted Himself to it and was ready to pay the price.  The agony turned into victory.

LESSONS:

There are many lessons that can be learned from this experience in the life of Jesus.  The following are a few of them for our consideration and instruction.

First, as we experience the trials, struggles, and temptations of life, remember that we are not alone.   In Isaiah 41:10, God says, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be anxious for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.”

Secondly, God is all-powerful, but He is also sovereign.  Jesus said to His Father, “All things are possible with You”, but He also said, “Not what I will but what You will.”

Thirdly, trials come that we might learn obedience and gain victory over them by God’s power.    Hebrews 5:8 says,  “Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered.”  Therefore He is qualified to be our High Priest.  Hebrews 2:18 says, “For because He Himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.  

Let’s follow the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ, experience the joy and victory that only He can give, and be used by Him to help and encourage others.