Thank God for the Freedom We Have in Jesus Christ!
The Gospel of John
John 8:21-36
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - January 4, 2017
(Revised September 8, 2019)
BACKGROUND:
*Here in John 8, the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles had just ended in Jerusalem. And Jesus was boldly preaching to a crowd of people in the Temple. This was about 6 months before the Lord died on the cross for our sins.
*But the hard-hearted, unbelieving Pharisees had already been trying to kill Jesus for months, so the Lord was also confronting these religious leaders who despised and strongly opposed Him. Jesus was trying to warn them about the judgment they would surely face if they continued to reject Him as the true and promised Messiah.
*In tonight's Scripture, the Lord began to talk about freedom, the freedom people can only find in Jesus Christ. And as we read vs. 21-36, please think about the freedom God wants to give to all people.
INTRODUCTION:
*All true freedom comes from God. This statement is especially true of spiritual freedom, but it is also true of political freedom. All true freedom comes from God. And this truth is embedded in the foundational documents that established our nation. The Declaration of Independence is the first foundation on which our government stands, and it begins with these words:
"IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . ."
*Our Declaration of Independence says governments are responsible to the people. That's because one of the main reasons God instituted government was to secure our God-given rights. So, all true freedom comes from God.
*That's our foundation as a nation. And though there are many who would like to steal our freedom away, by God's grace we still have the greatest political freedom in the world.
*But in the land of the free, it's safe to say that over 100 million people aren't really free, because they don't know Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can truly set them free.
*Christians, thank God for the freedom we have in Jesus Christ!
1. THANK HIM FIRST FOR BEING THE SOURCE OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM.
*Our spiritual freedom comes from Jesus Christ alone. This means our freedom is both Heaven sent and Heaven bound.
*The Lord reminded us of this great truth in vs. 21-23:
21. Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.''
22. So the Jews said, (i.e. the unbelieving Jewish leaders) said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?''
23. And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world."
*Jesus came into this world from His home in Heaven. And after He rose again from the dead, He went back home to Heaven, so the freedom Jesus gives is both Heaven sent and Heaven bound. This truth makes Christ's freedom unique. The world can't give it, and the world can't take it away.
*Down in vs. 35-36, we hear Jesus say:
35. "A slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
36. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
*"Free indeed" -- This means Christ's freedom is both ever present and everlasting! It is both eternal and internal. The world can't give it, and the world can't take it away!
*I can be trapped in a paralyzed body for 50 years like Joni Eareckson Tada, and still be free in Christ. I can be locked up in chains and thrown in the deepest dungeon like the Apostle Paul, but still have the Heaven-sent, Heaven-bound freedom of Jesus Christ.
2. THANK GOD FOR BEING THE SOURCE OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. AND THANK HIM FOR THE SAFETY OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM.
*God's freedom safely delivers us from the greatest danger we ever have to face in life. And Jesus showed us this danger in vs. 24. There He gave this strong warning to those unbelieving Jews: "I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
*Die in your sins: That is the worst way to die, cut-off from God's mercy, sent to a place called hell, and suffering forever with no hope of escape.
*"You will die in your sins." -- That is a terrifying warning. But Jesus wants the world to know the horrible fate ahead for everyone who doesn't receive Him as Lord and Savior.
*Christians: We need to hear this warning to have more urgency about leading people to Christ. Lost people need to hear this warning, so they will turn to Jesus before it's too late.
*What good does it do to live in this great, free country, if you only wind up in hell? And that is where you will surely wind up, if you don't trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You will die in your sins, if you do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah who died for you and rose again from the dead.
*Francis Newport lived in England from 1620 to 1708. He was a soldier and politician who served in many offices, including Parliament. He was part of English nobility with the title, First Earl of Bradford.
*Newport was also a well-known atheist. He even served as the head of an English club for atheists. But on his deathbed, Sir Francis Newport said, "You need not tell me there is no hell, for I already feel my soul slipping into its fires! Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever."
*He also wailed in anguish, "Oh, that I could lie for a thousand years upon the fire that is never quenched, to purchase the favor of God and be united to Him again. But it is a fruitless wish. Millions and millions of years will bring me no nearer the end of my torments than one poor hour. Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!" (1)
*This is the greatest danger people will ever face, but it is not God's perfect will for people. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord "is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
*People don't have to die in their sins. And if you will put your trust in Jesus Christ, He will surely save you. Jesus will deliver you from the greatest danger! Thank God!
3. THANK GOD FOR THE SAFETY OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. AND THANK HIM FOR THE SECURITY OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM.
*God's freedom is totally secure because it is protected by a perfect leader, our Savior Jesus Christ. In vs. 25-29, God's Word shows us that Jesus is a perfect leader:
25. Then they said to Him, "Who are You?'' And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.''
27. They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
28. Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
29. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.
*What an amazing thing for any person to say: "I always do the things that please My Heavenly Father." The only person who could ever say that is Jesus Christ. What a man! What a leader!
*Many people in our country are greatly concerned about the leadership we have in Washington today, and I am certainly one of those people. In fact, I am more concerned about our country right now than in any time in my life.
*But even a quick look back at our history reveals scandals galore:
-In 1777, Silas Deane was accused of mismanagement and treason while ambassador to France. That same year a group called the Conway Cabal conspired to remove George Washington as commander of the Continental Army.
-In 1804, Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Burr was later tried for conspiracy and treason.
-In 1831, a sex scandal called the Petticoat Affair resulted in the resignation of much of Andrew Jackson's cabinet.
-Grant's administration was filled with scandal. The first major scandal in 1869 involved two men trying to corner the market on gold. Another scandal during Grant's presidency was the Whiskey Ring. In 1875, many government employees were discovered pocketing whiskey taxes.
-Warren Harding's presidency was struck by many scandals, including The Teapot Dome. In 1922 Harding's Secretary of the Interior was convicted of taking kick-backs for oil rights in Wyoming.
*Add to that Watergate, the Monica Lewinsky affair, plus one of our former governors having to go to prison, plus many more. With all of this, I am just skimming the surface. (2)
*The truth is that God surely brought together a group of extraordinary men to help give birth to the United States, men like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
*The truth is that down through the years we have always had some good leaders and some very bad leaders. The truth is that there are many thousands of good, godly men and women serving our country today -- especially in our military.
*But the United States never has had, and never will have a perfect leader. There is only one: Jesus Christ! And if you are a Christian, Jesus is your perfect leader.
*Jesus is the only man who could ever say, "I always do those things that please My Heavenly Father." Think about that: never sinning even once in thought or word or deed. No one could ever convict Jesus of sin.
[1] JAMES MERRITT POINTED OUT: "HIS BEST FRIENDS COULD NOT CONVICT JESUS OF SIN.
-The Apostle John said this about the Lord Jesus, 'You know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.' (1 John 3:5)
-And critical, negative Peter said that Jesus was 'a Lamb without blemish, and without spot, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.' (1 Peter 1:19; 2:22)
[2] JESUS' BEST FRIENDS COULD NOT CONVICT HIM OF SIN, AND HIS BITTER FOES COULD NOT CONVICT HIM OF SIN.
*Pilate's wife said, 'Have nothing to do with that just Man.' (Matthew 27:19) Pilate himself said, 'I find no fault in Him at all.' (John 18:38) Judas said, 'I have betrayed innocent blood.' (Matthew 27:4)
*The thief on the cross, who had previously blasphemed and cursed Jesus, said, 'This man has done nothing wrong.' (Luke 23:41) And the centurion who oversaw Christ's crucifixion, said, 'Certainly this was a righteous Man!' (Luke 23:47)
[3] BUT MUCH BETTER THAN THESE WITNESSES IS THE WITNESS OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
*Both at the beginning of Jesus' ministry and at the end, God the Father said, 'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.'" (3)
*Christians, our real freedom is protected by a perfect leader!
4. SO THANK GOD FOR THE SECURITY OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. AND THANK GOD FOR THE SACRIFICE OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM.
*God's freedom came at the highest cost. The Lord reminds us of this truth in vs. 28, where "Jesus said to them, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.'"
*"When you lift up the Son of Man." -- Of course, the Lord was talking about dying on the cross for our sins. A. T. Robertson explained that Jesus used this phrase four times in John's Gospel, and every time "lifted up" was talking about the cross.
*That's true here in John 8:28, but also listen to what happened just a few days before the cross. Starting in John 12:26, Jesus said:
26. "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
27. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
28. Father, glorify Your name.'' Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.''
29. Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him.''
30. Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
31. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
32. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.''
33. This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
*The first times Jesus used the phrase "lifted up" was when He was talking to Nicodemus about being born again. Back in John 3:14-16, Jesus said:
14. . . "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (4)
*Nicodemus was totally familiar with the Lord's comparison in John 3:14. As a Pharisee, he knew all about Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. This Old Testament story in found in Numbers 21:4-9. There the Word of God is talking about Moses and the Children of Israel.
*After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, it was almost time for the Children of Israel to go into the Promised Land. But the Children of Israel were still mumbling and grumbling against Moses, and against God.
*Listen to what happened starting in Numbers 21:4:
4. Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.
5. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.''
6. So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.'' So Moses prayed for the people.
8. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.''
9. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
*Look and live! -- That was the only hope for the Children of Israel who had been bitten by those fiery serpents. And that is the only hope for people today!
*Fourteen hundred years before Jesus was born, God gave an Old Testament picture of what Jesus Christ was going to do when He was lifted up on the cross for us. The holy, holy, holy Son of God was going to become like a hated, dead snake on a pole for our sins.
*And Jesus said:
14. . . "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
*Look and live! It's all about believing in Jesus. It's all about trusting in the Lord for salvation, trusting that the Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross for us! And trusting that His death on the cross took all of the punishment for our sins. This is the sacrifice our Risen Savior made for us!
*Countless other people have sacrificed their lives for their loved ones, for their nation, and even for strangers. But the death of Jesus Christ stands alone. God the Son became a man to die on the cross for our sins. No one else could have died to take away the eternal death we deserved.
*That's why Hebrews 2 says:
9. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
14. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15. and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
*Our freedom came at the highest cost!
CONCLUSION:
*Christians: Thank God that Jesus was willing to become a man and die on the cross for us! Thank God for the freedom we have in Jesus Christ!
*And if you have never trusted in our crucified and risen Savior, let Jesus give you the freedom that only He can give. Trust in the Lord to save you right now and start following the only perfect leader you will ever find.
(1) Sources:
-Sermonilllustrations.com - Topic: Hell
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Newport,_1st_Earl_of_Bradford
(2) Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_scandals_of_the_United_States
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/tp/presidential_scandals.htm
(3) Sermons.com sermon "Nobody's Perfect -- Except Jesus" by James Merritt - Hebrews 4:15-16
(4) WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas (A. T.) Robertson - Published in 1930-1933 - John 3:14
