A CRISIS OF IDENTITY
Who is Jesus to us? I am reminded of the question Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” The answer is not as simple as it sounds. We have a variety of responses to that question, some of them bang-on and others that sound good but are kind of fabricated out of our own imaginations. We invent Jesus from our own perceived needs and desires. Who is Jesus to us?
A popular book out on the market today depicts God in an unusual manner. The author, identifying with his character, felt that the traditional view of God and Jesus was inappropriate for his situation. Men had not been particularly kind to him and so God as Father needed alteration. His new image of God was a transformation into something more comfortable, more approachable.
There is nothing wrong with using different metaphors to understand God’s person and role in our lives. Those images do however, need to conform with Scripture. And God in Scripture is never seen as comfortable. Isaiah was struck with the holiness of God and thought he would surely die when he met God. Job was struck dumb when he finally had a chance to ask God his questions. When was God ever seen as comfortable in the Bible?
Who is Jesus to us? Let us not fabricate some image of Jesus that he is our pal. Let us not imagine that he is a divine vending machine that his purpose is to meet all our needs. If we want to come face to face with the Jesus of Scriptures then we will find that he is dangerous, that he threatens to upset your current status. We will find him offensive. And we will find that he is good, and only those who refuse to be broken will find the offense and the danger destructive to themselves.
Take a look at the conversation in John 8. We need to go back to verse 31 and see the larger conversation. We saw Jesus as satisfying (the bread giver); we saw Jesus as penetrating (light); now we will see something else.
1. “Who do you think you are?”
Jesus continues to speak following his “I am the light of the world” revelation. He is speaking to Jews in the temple courts and some are starting to believe in him. But Jesus knows there are some preconceived notions that need to be dismantled. In a way, Jesus asks them, “Do you know who you are?” Observe this progression:
a) A True Disciple – To these Jews who think they are starting to understand Jesus and want to believe in him, Jesus makes this comment: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (31-32).
You would think that if you want someone to follow you and “buy in” to your program for life, you would sign them up as fast as possible. You would encourage them with incentives and bonuses. Jesus didn’t want mental assent; he wanted total commitment. To “hold to” his teaching was to revolutionize your life, to direct your life according to his teaching. Then you will know the truth that sets you free. You may have to give up a lot but you gain so much in return. Jesus, in this way, was asking “Can you be my disciple?”
b) Slaves to sin – The Jews didn’t get it. “Set free?” they said, “but we’ve never been slaves of anyone. We’re not slaves.” Jesus said, “Yes you are.” Over 1500 years prior they had been slaves for a short time in Egypt till Moses led them out, but that was a blip in time. They no idea of their present bondage. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (34). This cuts at our own sense of identity. We don’t like to think of ourselves as sinners - it’s too negative. We like to think that we are people who make mistakes and sometimes fail. Jesus tells us that we sin and we are slaves to sin. We do not become sinners because we commit sins; we commit sins because we are sinners. I was reminded of this fact personally in recent days and was cut to the core by the reality of it. It broke my heart to think that I was still susceptible to sinning. But “Amazing Grace” in that moment I realized I still need my Savior. I am not perfect and that is hard to face. When you do, Jesus can set you free. The Jews were not willing to admit this slavery and so they balked.
c) Children of Abraham – Jesus accuses them of trying to kill him for simply telling the truth that his Father revealed to him. Another misconception is revealed as to who they think they are. The Jews reply, “Abraham is our father” (39). Jesus says, “No he’s not.”
By claiming a family heritage in Abraham the Jews are hanging on to the security of their lineage. Abraham is the father of all Jews. It is through Abraham that God promised great things to the people of Israel. How can they be out of touch with God when they have Abraham as their father?
Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the things Abraham did” (39). What is it that Abraham represents to Jesus? Abraham represents acts of faith. When God called him and told him to leave his land and go to a place he had never seen before, Abraham obeyed. That’s Abraham. Jesus says to the Jews, if you were Abraham’s children you would listen to what I am saying.
d) Children of God – Jesus tells them that in trying to kill him they are listening to their father, but their father is not Abraham. “We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself” (41). Do you see what I mean about Jesus? He knocks down our perceptions about our self, and it is uncomfortable. The Jews say, “We are God’s children.” Jesus says, “No you’re not.” “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here…Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say” (42-43). One translator put it this way: “Why do you not understand my language? Because you cannot understand my thought.” They have nothing of God’s character in them. If they did then they would recognize Jesus for who he was, the Son of God.
This is the crux of the matter: when we are deceived about our own identities it is not comfortable to meet Jesus. When we meet Jesus we find out who we really are, and our reaction is anything but indifference.
2. Who Jesus claimed to be
The Jews are insulted. They were told that they were not children of Abraham, they were not children of God, that they were, in fact, slaves to sin. Jesus even tells them they are children of the devil, because that is how they are acting. They are upset. Out of this hurt they begin to challenge who Jesus thinks he is, as we see in verses 48-59.
a) His claim regarding exaltation – In retaliation for being called illegitimate children, the Jews throw an insult at Jesus. “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” (48). Oooooo, good one! Telling a Jew he is a Samaritan, a half-breed Jew, was a huge insult. Then throw in that he’s demon-possessed – great piece of slander. NOT! They’re grasping…it is said that when that when foes begin to insult you instead of address you, you’ve won the debate.
Jesus takes off on their insult and says this, “I am not possessed by a demon…but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge” (49-50). Jesus is fully aware that his Father sent him. As the messenger he seeks no glory or attention for himself but comes to glorify the Father who sent him.
In fact, we know that Jesus humbled himself to become God’s messenger. Philippians 2 reminds us “…being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” This self-humiliation for the Father’s sake led to this: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place” (Phil 2:8-9).
In light of this we must ask ourselves, why did Christ go to the cross? To save us poor sinners, yes. But primarily, Jesus died on the cross to glorify the Father. His obedience brought glory to God and through that glory we have received mercy.
Our tendency is to see Jesus on the cross for “ME” which is not far off. But God’s plan is much bigger than my egocentrism. Christ’s example in Philippians 2 for us to follow is to stop looking at ourselves and fall down in humility before God and worship him.
b) His claim regarding eternity – Then Jesus tells them, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death” (51). Here again we have the challenge to obedience. But the Jews pick up on something else. They respond, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” (52-53).
Come on, now! If Abraham heard from God and received promises, he still died. The prophets received the word of the Lord and they died. Are you telling us that you heard from God? And if we listen to you, we won’t die? Get real, the Jews reply, he must be deluded.
What Jesus is saying is incredible. He is saying that he is superior to death. He is timeless. He is eternal. The implications for those who believe are astounding.
The believer takes little notice of death. That is why we have a different attitude towards funerals. It may sound crazy to a world that has no definite concept of life after death, but we see a funeral as a celebration. It is a transition from this temporary life to a never-ending life. It is the ultimate graduation. That is why, if we don’t see it that way already, funerals need to be part grief and a huge part celebration. The teaching of Jesus is the truth that will set you free from the fear of death. Jesus is the truth.
c) His claim regarding expectation – Is Jesus greater than Abraham? Who do you think you are, Jesus?
To answer the Jews, Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (54-56).
My immediate thought when studying this passage was, “when did this happen?” When did Abraham see Jesus? Take note that Jesus does not say Abraham saw “the messianic age” or “the day of Christ”; he says Abraham saw “my day.”
We need to think back to Abraham’s story. Back in Genesis 12 when God called Abraham to leave his country and people to go to a new land, God promised to make him a great nation and to be his God. Abraham replies that he has no son and that he is too old to have a son. No matter, God says, and in their old age, Abraham and Sarah have a son, Isaac. That settles that. But then God says in Genesis 22, “Abraham? Go and sacrifice your only son to me on an altar”
Isaac is unsure of what is going on. The wood is there. The fire is there. But where is the lamb for the burnt offering? This is Abraham’s answer: “God himself will provide the lamb…” (Gen 22:8). Isn’t that awesome? I mean “awesome” in the true sense of the word. This is the faith that Abraham had. He was willing to go all the way and sacrifice his son because God told him to. And even in that painful but unwavering moment, Abraham saw Jesus. God will provide the lamb.
Ray Stedman said, “He can be seen in every king of Israel; he is prefigured in every prophet who spoke; he is spoken of in every sacrifice on every Jewish altar; he is described in every ritual which they performed; he is foreseen in the Tabernacle and the Temple; he is anticipated by every longing and yearning expressed in the Old Testament for something better than men already had.”
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. The promise spoken by God to Abraham is Jesus.
d) His claim regarding essence – The alarm bells are going off. They are so loud that the Jews can hardly think. Their rage is challenging the very limits of their blood pressure pills. “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” (57).
Even if he were 50, so what? In terms of all reason it makes no sense for this young thirty-something man to claim that he had seen Abraham. But Jesus did not say he saw Abraham; Abraham saw Jesus’ day and rejoiced in it. Their minds were whirling and trying to figure out just how blasphemous Jesus was being when he said this:
“I tell you the truth…before Abraham was born, I am!” (59).
This is one of the strongest statements ever made by Jesus. First, Jesus claims that he existed before Abraham, a proclamation of divinity. He claims to be eternal. Then he applies to himself the holy name of God revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This Name was also disclosed to the prophet Isaiah: “I AM the Lord, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:18). No one in history has ever made that claim.
The Jews pushed the issue and this is what they got. They cried, “Who do you think you are? God?” And Jesus replied, “Yes – I AM!” And they picked up stones to stone him. But he slipped away.
Our Response
There is no room for indifference to the person of Jesus. You have heard his claims here this morning. People who come face to face with this Jesus will either turn away in fury or turn to him and worship him.
Historian Philip Schaff described the overwhelming influence which Jesus had on subsequent history and culture of the world:
“This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science…he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.”
Here are our choices concerning Jesus:
1) He was a liar – If Jesus knew his claim to be God was not true, then he was a liar. History will crown him as the greatest con-man and deceiver that ever lived.
2) He was a lunatic – If Jesus did not know that his claim to be God was not true, then he was a lunatic. He was a deluded and crazed man who should have been locked away.
3) He is Lord – If Jesus claim to be God is true, then he is nothing less than Lord, the Lord of life. “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God” (C. S. Lewis).
If we recognize him as Lord then we need to worship him; we need to do away with the idea of God as our pal; we must reflect on the cross and all that we owe to Jesus; and we must live a life of discipleship where we love him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.
This is who Jesus is….
AMEN
