Jesus, the I AM

Jonathan Bradley

The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

John 8:48–59

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Regardless of what people think about Jesus, He is God and only those who believe in Him will not taste death.

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Sermon Title: Jesus, the I AM.

Hopewell Baptist Church

November 3, 2019

Opening Illustration:

There’s an old adage that goes something like this, “If someone is mad at you, then you’re probably doing something right.”

While there is truth to that, a lot of the time those who are mad or upset will hurl baseless accusations at you for it. A lot of the time, you don’t have to respond, but you do for some as a teaching moment, to make a greater point.

We are going to see just this in our passage from today.

, pray

Here, Jesus had already laid down truth, solid Biblical truth, directed at the Jews, and they don’t like it. For Jesus even said, “because my word finds no place in you.” And, “you cannot bear to hear my word.” (v.37, 43).

It is precisely Jesus’s Words of truth that cause the Jews to make those accusations in verses 48 and 58 about Jesus. All throughout , Jesus reveals to them that they:

1. Are sinners – v.1-11

2. Don’t know God the Father – v.19, 27

3. From below and not of heaven – v.23

4. Slaves to their sin – v.34-35

5. Of their father the devil – v.44

6. Not of God – v.47

So of course a group of self-righteous people are going to get upset and hurl slander towards anyone who speaks such things, even if that person is the Son of God, God the Son.

So, we are going to address those accusations. Is Jeuss a Samaritan? Is Jesus demond possessed? And Is Jesus a blasphemer?

1. The first question is: Is Jesus a Samaritan? (v.48) – No!

a. We know that Jesus is not a Samaritan just by the fact that He came to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths () and other feasts, from the time He was a child () until His his death.

i. Samaritans, while Jewish in origin, differ in what they believe as the holy place to worship. They would never travel to Jerusalem because they believe that Mount Gerizim.

ii. Samaritans are geographically located between Jerusalem/Judea and Galilee.

b. However, Jesus ignores this insult because it is patently obvious that it comes from a baseless accusation.

2. The Second Question Is: Is Jesus demon possessed? (v.48, 52) -No!

a. This is the accusation that Jesus addresses in 49-51!

b. In these versus, He brings up the issue of Selflessness versus Selfishness.

i. I honor my father –

1. Jesus honors His father through His obedience to the will of God the Father, even unto death on a cross! ().

ii. You dishonor me –

1. The Jews dishonor Jesus in that they are trying to arrest, discredit, and ultimately kill Him, despite everything that points to Him being the Messiah.

iii. I do not seek my own Glory; there is One who seeks it…

1. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many ()

2. Jesus receives His glory from God the Father, yet He does not seek it.

3. Jesus tells them that it is His Father who glorifies Him (v.54), but they won’t be able to understand that, because they don’t know God (v.55) as He knows God.

iv. Earlier in John, , Jesus told the Jews that they seek their own glory, and not from God, but form one another.

c. Truly, truly, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

i. Quite the hefty promise here, and we must remember .

ii. Will talk about this more in a few.

d. So, No, Jesus is NOT possessed by a demon, despite the Jew’s insistence that He is one (v.52.).

3. The Third Question Is: Is Jesus a blasphemer? (v.59) – No!

a. The Jews want to stone Jesus to death. Why? Because they see His statement in verse 58 as blasphemy, saying, “before Abraham was, I am.”

i. Here, Jesus equates Himself with God.

b. They could not stone Him because:

i. Jesus is God

ii. It was not His hour

What we have to realize is this, our Big Idea for : Regardless of what people think about Jesus, He is God and only those who believe in Him will not taste death.

Jesus, however, made a promise in v. 51. “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

Now, So what?

(Questions 4, 5, and 6 are the application points)

4. What does this promise mean? (v.51)

a. Eternal life (spiritual life) for those who “keep” His Word.

i. Keep – g: tereo -> to conform one’s actions or practice to…

ii. Word – g:logos -> the Word (, ).

b. He who trusts in Jesus, who becomes a follower, a disciple of Jesus, will not experience spiritual death, i.e. the eternal separation from the fellowship of God.

5. Who is this promise for? (v.51)

a. Believers. – “if anyone keeps my word,…”

i. But no one can seek after God ().

ii. But if you are of God, you have been drawn (6:44), given to the Son (6:37), taught by God (6:45), and chosen by Jesus (6:70).

1. It is these who Keep Jesus’ Word, i.e. the Word of God (). These are the ones who, through the lifelong process of sanctification, become more and more like Jesus as a matter of joy and obedience to God the Father.

6. Why should I believe this promise? (v.54, 58)

a. Because Jesus IS the Great I Am.

b. “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

i. , “I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.”

ii. – The burning bush, I AM the I AM.

c. – As Christians, we have God the Holy Spirit living within us.

d. Because of Jesus’ qualifications

i. Witnesses –

ii. Teaching with authority – ; (as a child!);

e. Because of Jesus’ experience

i. 2,000 years ago, because of His statement of “before Abraham was, I am.”

1. Jesus is eternal, He is God, and has been there for everything.

ii. Today, because Jesus has triumphed over death, both physically and spiritually. He purchased us on the Cross!

Invitation:

A. If you’re here and you realize that you’ve made excuses, and even some insults, regarding faith in Christ because you feel you have it all together, I urge you to remember what the Psalmist wrote, that no one seeks after God, except those that feel that call of the Gospel on their lives, for faith comes through hearing, and hearing the word of Christ ().

B. If you’re here and you’ve responded to the Gospel in your life, but you’ve never taken that step of obedience of Believer’s Baptism….

C. If you feel that burning desire in your heart to serve God in ministry, I urge you to surrender your life to that call.

However it is you are responding to the Gospel, whether it be to the ministry or serving within Hopewell Baptist Church as a volunteer, for baptism, or you are responding to the Gospel as a new child of God, I will be in front here as they sing the final hymn…

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