I AM series #4 Castle Hills Christian Ch. 07-11-04
I AM the Son of God
John 10:19-42
INTRODUCTION:
Of all the “I am” statements Jesus made, which one do you suppose was the most controversial of all? Which one was most responsible for his arrest? Which one caused the Jewish leaders to conspire together to end his life? Jesus flat out stated that he is the son of God and the Christ (The Messiah). That is the “I am” statement we will study today.
This summer we’re looking at the “I AM” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. In John chapter 10, the Jewish leaders questioned Jesus about his identity. But the truth is they had no reason to wonder who Jesus was. Jesus fed 5,000 people and then announced, I AM the Bread of Life. He declared I AM the Light of the World, and then healed a blind man. He explained I AM the Good Shepherd --- which was a reference to a prophecy about the coming Messiah. Besides that, John recorded many other statement where Jesus made it clear that He is the Son of God.
• To Nicodemus he called himself the “Son of Man” and “God’s one and only Son” (3:13-18) (We need to understand the title “Son of Man” the way the Jews understood it. This phrase is used in Old Testament prophecy to refer to God’s Anointed One, the promised Messiah.)
• To the Woman at the Well he called himself “Messiah (called Christ)” (4:25-26) (Messiah was the Jewish term, while Christ was the term used by the Greeks)
• To the Jews who opposed him he called himself the “Son of God” (5:25)
• To the crowds on the day he preached the “bread of life” sermon he called himself the “Son of Man” (6:27)
• When Jesus preached the “light of the world” sermon to the crowds he called himself “Son of Man” (8:28)
• To the man born blind who Jesus healed he called himself the “Son of Man” (9:35-37)
In spite of all this, the Jewish leaders acted like Jesus was trying to hide his identity. They confronted him with this blunt question: "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered them just as bluntly: "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me.” John 10:24-25
Just a few verses later, Jesus told them once again: “I AM the Son of God.” John 10:36
Jesus had nothing to hide. And He was not hard to find. He made a practice of attending the Temple Feasts in Jerusalem. In fact, on this occasion, Jesus had come to observe the Feast of Dedication (now called Hanukah.)
Just a couple of months earlier Jesus had healed a man who had been born blind. The Religious leaders had witnessed that healing. They even interrogated the man after Jesus gave him his sight. But far from believing, they tried even harder to get rid of Jesus.
Jesus had every reason to give up on these men. They were obviously out to get him. They were his sworn enemies. They deserved a scathing rebuke, but instead, Jesus --- once again --- offered them God’s Grace. He said, Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." John 10:37-38
Notice the reaction of the Religious Leaders. They couldn’t trap Jesus with their clever arguments. They couldn’t explain away his miracles. They couldn’t poke holes in his teachings. So they tried one more approach. They tried to ruin his reputation with SLANDER.
1. Slander Him
At these words the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?" But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" John 10:19-21
Look at the three slanderous statements from the unbelievers. First they said he is demon-possessed. Then they said he is raving mad. Then they simply asked Why listen to him?
Unfortunately, we see the same reactions today from people who reject Jesus.
• He is demon-possessed.
Most people won’t say it so bluntly, but many unbelievers try to identify Jesus with the occult, or with other Religions. I remember one particular home in India where I saw pictures of the Hindu god’s lining the walls. There, mixed in with Krishna and Vishnu --- lined up between Ganesh, an elephant-headed god, and another god with multiple arms --- was a picture of Jesus Christ.
But you don’t have to travel to India to see people trying to fit Jesus in with false religions. We have a proliferation of cults and “New-Age” kinds of religions right here in the USA. (Actually, New Age is just an updated term for Old Witchcraft and paganism.)
o We see a revival of the ancient religion of Earth-Worship (usually with an Environmental focus)
o A cleaned-up kind of Witchcraft (sometimes called Wicca or “white magic”) is growing in popularity.
o Many people have gravitated toward some kind of vague belief that involves using Crystals and Magnets and harnessing cosmic energy.
o More and more people are consulting Astrologers or calling the Psychic Hotline
Leaders of cults or new age religions, often try to include Jesus in the mix. They may present him as a great Guru or a powerful Spirit Guide. People with all sorts of false beliefs like to throw in some misquoted scriptures and attempt to remake Jesus in their own image. It’s the same kind of SLANDER Jesus suffered when the unbelieving Jews said He is demon-possessed.
The next statement they made was:
• He is raving mad.
You may not hear those exact words, but if you watch TV or go to Movies, you’ve seen Jesus and His followers made to look like a bunch of kooks. Christians are an easy target for ridicule.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know Church people offer plenty to laugh at. But I’m not referring to good-natured humor. I’m referring to media that depicts Jesus and His Church in the most negative way possible.
Except for Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Christ in THE PASSION, most big-budget Jesus movies present him as confused, conflicted, inconsistent, and immoral (like the Last Temptation of Christ). And if a movie or TV show includes a token Christian character, you can bet he will either be the villain or the buffoon. (Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame had a bishop who was evil incarnate)
Maybe that’s because it’s easier to reject the claims of Christ if you laugh it off. Paul put it this way in Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
After calling Jesus demon-possessed and a mad man the unbelievers asked this arrogant question.
• Why listen to him?
Think about it. The Son of God was standing right there, willing to talk personally with any one of them. But they had better things to do. They had seen him feed over 5,000 people and heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind. He had promised that he would lay down his life for them. He had opened his heart to them … the very heart of God. But all they could say was, “Why listen to him?”
Sadly, many people today respond the same way. You won’t find them sitting in church this morning. They flip past the station on Christian radio or TV. If they own a Bible, it gathers dust on a shelf. Why should they listen to Jesus? They have better things to do.
As bad as it is to turn away from the Son of God, the Religious Leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to do more than ignore him. They wanted to destroy him. In our TEXT today, Jesus told the Jews, I and the Father are one. John 10:30 In response, they took up rocks to STONE HIM.
2. Stone Him
Once again, Jesus was facing enemies who wanted to kill him then and there. The power of his character really shines through in the way he faced them down. He said, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" John 10:32
The answer these men gave is chilling. "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:33 That is a very telling statement. These men did not want to kill Jesus because of a misunderstanding. They understood that Jesus was claiming to be God in the flesh. And they rejected His claim. In fact, they were determined to kill him for claiming to be the Son of God.
All across the world there are people who clearly understand the message of Christianity but who have chosen to reject Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Just like in the days when Jesus was on earth, some people will do anything to silence His message. In our country, we have to deal with people who want to slander the name of Jesus. But in many other parts of the world, people face death for believing his message.
EXAMPLE: Sudan. We hear about the genocide going on in Southern Sudan on the news. What is not usually emphasized is that the attacks are largely aimed at Christians. It is estimated that 70% of this country’s people are Sunni Muslims. 9.9% belong to tribal religions and 19% are Christians.
The Muslim population is concentrated in the north, while the Christians and animists live in the south or in the Nuba mountain range in central Sudan. For the past 14 years, factions within the government have been attempting to Islamicize the country by ridding it of all non-Muslims.
Listen to this news report from June 4, 2003 At least 59 people were killed, 15 were injured, and ten children and six women abducted when armed Sudanese government forces simultaneously attacked ten villages in Southern Sudan on May 22. The attacks happened in violation of internationally agreed ceasefire provisions.
Government militia attacked the village of Longchok in eastern Upper Nile using a combination of rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and assault rifles. The troops were under the command of Second Lieutenant Mohammed Idris of the Sudanese regular army.
Huts were set ablaze and many villagers were burned to death in their homes, including Presbyterian minister Jacob Gadet Manyiel, the region’s only Christian pastor. He was burned to death along with his wife and four children as government troops surrounded their home, threatening to shoot any family member attempting to escape the flames.
We need to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. They know what it is to face death because of their faith. Jesus also knew what it was like to face death.
We also need to realize that is happening in Sudan so openly is what is beginning to happen right here in the US. Dennis Prager, in an article submitted to Town Hall.com explained that Christians are doing battle on two important fronts right here in the US. Here is his quote:
“America is engaged in two wars for the survival of its civilization. The war over same sex marriage and the war against Islamic totalitarianism are actually two fronts in the same war – a war for the preservation of the unique American creation known as Judeo Christian civilization.
One enemy is religious extremism. The other is secular extremism. One enemy is led from abroad. The other is directed from home. The first was is against the Islamic attempt to crush whoever stands in the way of the spread of violent Islamic theocracies. The other war is against the secular nihilism that manifests itself in much of Western Europe, and parts of America like in San Francisco, and in many of our universities.
America leads the battle against both religious and secular nihilism and is hated by both because it rejects both equally. …Most of the activists in the movement to redefine marriage wish to overthrow the prominence of Judeo-Christian values in American life. Those who oppose same-sex marriage understand that redefining the central human institution (of marriage) marks the beginning of the end of Judeo-Christian civilization.”
3. Seek Him
This time, when the Jews took up rocks to stone him, Jesus left Jerusalem. He would not return again until the Passover when he would be betrayed and crucified. John 10:40 says Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days.
Then we see some words of hope. Not everyone rejected Jesus. Some people were willing to go out of their way to SEEK Him. Look at the last verses of John chapter 10:
Here he stayed and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." And in that place many believed in Jesus. John 10:40-42
CONCLUSION:
When the Son of God came to earth, some people wanted to SLANDER him. Some people wanted to STONE him. But others were willing to go out of their way to SEEK HIM. Which group would you have joined if you had been there?
More important, what is your response to the Son of God today?
When people come to confess belief in Jesus and be baptized, or when people come forward to join our congregation, we have a statement of faith that we say together. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and my Lord and Savior.
That statement is based on what Jesus said about himself. Jesus announced that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And he has offered to be your Lord and Savior. What is our response to Him?
