THAT’S A DEVIL OF A PROBLEM
John 8:37-47
S: Discipleship (spiritual heritage)
Th: “Who is your daddy?”
Pr: WE WILL LEAVE EVIDENCE REGARDING WHO WE FOLLOW.
?: Inductive
KW: Problems
TS: We will find in our study of John 8:37-47 three problems that the leaders revealed about themselves when they confronted Jesus.
The _____ problem is…
I. INCONSISTENCY (37-40)
II. ILLEGITIMACY (41-44)
III. INCRIMINATION (45-47)
Version: ESV
RMBC 25 May 03 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1. Have you ever noticed that our families have something to do with the way we turn out?
ILL Notebook: Inheritance (dad drove)
Kathleen O’Neill’s two daughters were having a discussion about family resemblance.
“I look like Mom,” said the nine-year-old, “but I have Dad’s eyes and Dad’s lips.”
The six-year-old said, “And I look just like Dad, but I have light hair.”
Then the six-year-old turned to Kathleen. “Mom,” she asked, “what does Dad have to do with us being born anyway?”
The old sister jumped right in. “Don’t be stupid, Christina. Dad is the one who drove Mom to the hospital.”
Well, it is true.
Our fathers do have something to do with the way we turn out.
Today we are going to discuss the relationship and the impact fathers have, but it is on a much different level than we normally think.
In our study today, the relationship is observed on the spiritual level.
First, though, let’s review the context of today’s text…
2. In our previous studies in John 8, we have noted conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.
First, there was the…
2.1 “Woman caught in adultery”
It was quite the scene when we started this chapter.
The Jewish leaders have been seeking to pit Jesus against the Law of Moses.
So they create a set-up with a woman that is caught in the act of adultery (we know this is a set-up because the man is nowhere to be seen).
If Jesus chooses to let her go, they will charge Him with going against the Law.
If He goes along with them, then they can get Him in trouble with Rome.
Their trap was flawed, though.
They were the ones that ended up being caught for they were confronted about who they were.
They were the ones that were guilty.
Jesus had made sure that they all walked away, convicted of their own sin.
In the next study, we studied the familiar proclamation by Jesus…
2.2 “I am the Light of the world”
This was a truth that the Jewish leaders certainly had difficulty facing.
When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he insinuated that they were lost.
They were in darkness.
Therefore, they needed Jesus.
Not only that, and even more importantly, when He said, “I am,” they were confronted with His very exclusive claim of deity.
It was the truth, however, they did not want to hear.
In last week’s study, we considered another familiar saying of Jesus…
2.3 “The truth will set you free.”
When Jesus spoke about the truth that is so freeing, He was speaking about more than just knowing what was true and what was not.
He was talking about the true freedom that comes in knowing the One that embodies truth.
Just knowing facts wasn’t enough.
What really matters is that you know the One who is the truth.
This was another point of conflict that the Jewish leaders found absolutely unacceptable and leads to the conflict we come to today.
So…
3. We will find in our study of John 8:37-47 three problems that the leaders revealed about themselves when they confronted Jesus.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first problem is INCONSISTENCY (37-40).
[37] “I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. [38] I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” [39] They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, [40] but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.”
I think we all realize that…
1. A godly spiritual heritage can be a powerful influence in our lives.
When in this continuing debate with the Jewish leaders, Jesus willingly concedes this point.
They are physically of Abraham’s line.
The leaders thought that directing Jesus to this holy heritage would be a convincing response.
But it hardly ended the argument.
ILL Notebook: Consistent (ivory chopsticks)
Ann and her friend were eating at a Chinese restaurant.
When an elderly waiter set chopsticks at their places, Ann made a point of reaching into her purse and pulling out her own pair.
"As an environmentalist," she declared, "I do not approve of destroying bamboo forests for throwaway utensils."
The waiter inspected her chopsticks.
"Very beautiful," he said politely. "Ivory."
Point made…Ann lacked consistency.
And so did these leaders.
They may have been the heirs of Abraham, they may have a holy heritage, but they had not fulfilled the promise.
They were to be a light of revelation to the Gentiles.
But it was so hard to be a light, when you live in darkness.
They had no vision, because they were children of darkness.
You see…
2. A godly spiritual heritage does not guarantee righteousness.
Jesus makes it clear that their actions do not line up with Abraham’s.
They were not consistent with Abraham.
They desired to kill Jesus.
This was not an Abraham thing.
But, it was a line of thinking at that time that the eternal kingdom would be given to those who were the seed of Abraham, even if they were sinners and unbelievers, even if they were disobedient to God.
Whether these leaders believed that, we don’t know.
But we do know that Jesus points a different direction.
He lets them know that religious privilege does not guarantee a way in.
They were not automatically in.
They were not automatically righteous.
Their deeds would count for more than their impressive ancestry.
So their claim to be the heirs of Abraham falls flat.
They were fundamentally hostile to what God was doing, and that was not Abraham.
II. The second problem is ILLEGITIMACY (41-44).
[41] “You are doing what your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” [42] Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. [43] Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. [44] You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Now, it is plain that Jesus is thinking of some other father than Abraham.
There was a father involved here, but it was not Father Abraham.
Nevertheless, there is a family likeness.
Their evil deeds are a result of paternity.
No doubt, the leaders don’t like the direction of what Jesus is saying at this point.
Therefore, it is time to get personal.
So…
1. The leaders point to Jesus’ unusual birth to cause doubt.
Apparently, for thirty years that rumors have abounded.
The strange circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus have been reported over and over.
And no matter what Mary and Joseph may have testified to throughout the years, most would not believe.
Besides, the whispers were more tantalizing.
Either Joseph and Mary had been messing around before they were supposed to or Mary had a fling with someone else.
As far as the leaders were concerned, either way, Jesus was the product of sexual immorality.
But, you have to appreciate Jesus’ reaction to this nasty accusation of illegitimacy.
He doesn’t even blink.
He knows it is not true.
Instead, He just hammers home the message.
He was not on a self-originated mission.
He came from God.
And if you love God, you were going to love Him too.
No matter what is said, or what is argued, Jesus just will not deviate from this message.
It is here that Jesus strips away all the veils.
There is an invisible kingdom under which we all live.
There are invisible realities that we are all subject to.
And it is clear that they just don’t get it.
Their spiritual comprehension is quite limited.
And here is why…
2. They are really caught in their own “parent trap.”
They claimed to belong to God.
It was untrue.
Their claim was illegitimate.
But they could make a legitimate claim.
They did have a father – the father of lies.
Since they were seeking to murder Jesus, they belonged to one that was a murderer from the beginning.
They belonged to the one that directed Adam and Eve toward a spiritual death.
They belonged to the one that directed the heart of Cain to physically murder his brother Abel.
But where does this desire from murder come from?
Well, it finds its origination from deceit.
Just like Adam and Eve, the Jewish leaders have been deceived.
And now they are living it out, living in the habitat of falsehood.
They have listened to the lies that have spoken to their pride and ego, and they have believed.
This is why they don’t understand.
Now, we come to…
III. The third problem is INCRIMINATION (45-47).
[45] “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. [46] Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? [47] Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
They were being who they were.
They would not respond to the truth, either that was heard or in the person of Jesus.
You see, they were believing the lie instead.
ILL Notebook: Accusation (lasagna)
Two women walked into the auto dealership and one complained to the service manager about a foul odor emanating from her car. The mechanic who had worked on the vehicle two weeks before accompanied them to check it out. When he opened the door, the smell nearly knocked him over. Taking a deep breath, he examined the interior. From under a seat he pulled out a baking pan with decaying food in it.
"See," said the other woman. "I told you the mechanic didn’t steal your lasagna."
How easy it is to believe the accusation!
In the same way…
1. Jesus asks for a legitimate charge against Him.
He said, “You accuse me of sin…name it!”
“Who have I cheated?”
“Whom have I stolen from?”
“Whom have I lied to?”
“Who have I deceived?”
“Can you demonstrate anytime that I have lived selfishly and not cared for others?”
The response…utter silence.
Jesus has revealed them.
Their inability to point to any sin at all in Him is their continuing failure.
For…
2. The issue of truth continues to expose their predicament.
They are not the good and decent men they profess to be.
Instead, they are slaves to sin.
For, since Jesus was speaking the truth, they should have believed.
But since they don’t have the right relationship with heaven, they do not heed the things that God says.
And they are guilty.
APPLICATION:
ILL Notebook: Evidence (guilty of murder)
A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse.
In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom."
He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened.
Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I, therefore, put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty."
The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty.
"But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door."
Answered the jury foreman: "Oh, we did look. But your client didn’t."
Do you know what that story teaches us?
No matter who we are, we leave evidence about the truth about us.
And what we must especially note today is that…
1. WE WILL LEAVE EVIDENCE REGARDING WHO WE FOLLOW.
Jesus made it quite clear that the evidence was there.
And as a result, the Jewish leaders were constantly bumbling out more responses.
You see…
As they show us…
You have a devil of a problem if you have got the wrong evidence.
A devil of a problem it is, for…
2. We have two clear alternatives: Jesus or the devil.
There is no middle ground!
None of us are standing still.
We are either moving God’s direction or Satan’s.
We have a choice…
We have a choice to live for the will of God or for the lusts of men.
We can either be led by the Spirit or led by the flesh.
We can either love the Father or love the world.
So…
3. Are you living the lie of self-will, or the truth of the will of God?
When you live the lie of self-will, you live the life of deception.
You deceive yourself about your own heart.
You deceive yourself about your own life.
You deceive yourself about God.
You deceive yourself about the way of salvation.
Thus, self-will results in darkness of mind and disobedience.
You think that you can beat the system.
You think that your situation is different.
You think that the consequences won’t hurt you in the long run.
You think that you are not vulnerable.
But it is not true.
And yet, it is all so different when we live in obedience to the will of God.
We understand!
The truth sets us free!
So, what kind of evidence are you leaving behind?
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Leave the right evidence about your belief…be consistent, live consistently according to in the words of Jesus, for when you do so, you give irrefutable indication about who you belong to.
Leave the right evidence about your belief… make sure that there is “parent trap” for you, leave no doubt that you are an heir of God the Father.
Leave the right evidence about your belief…give no evidence that one could use to accuse you, refuse to give in to the lie of self-will and live the truth of the will of God.
Now…May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Amen.
