Our worship this Sunday was centered on Jesus' divine nature as the Son of God. In John 10:30, Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” He is one with and sent by the Father and therefore he assures us that we are his forever (John 10:27-29) because his works are the works of God (John 10:32-38).

Our worship this morning was focused on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In John 10:1-21, he contrasts himself with thieves and hired hands, calls his own sheep by name, and lays down his life for them of his own accord. We come to hear his voice and to follow him.

Our worship this Sunday focuses on Jesus as the giver of true sight. In John 9 Jesus heals a blind man who becomes a sign to those who do not believe and reveals that they are the ones who are truly blind.

John 8:39-59

Our sermon text this morning is John 8:39-59. In the provided pew Bibles, you can find that on page 1063.

This is a continuation of Jesus' dialog with the Pharisees. In our verses last week, Jesus told them that true disciples would know the truth and the truth would set them free. Remember, he was speaking about knowing him and being set free from slavery to sin.

Well, the Pharisees did not think they were enslaved to anything. Because they were physical descendants of Abraham, they believed they were in right standing before God.

In response, Jesus made it absolutely clear that they were not true sons but rather slaves. Jesus alluded to the fact that they had a different father.

As I read, be listening for who their father truly was.

Reading of John 8:39-59

Prayer

I'm not proud of this, but when I was in elementary school, I often did not want to listen to my sister. And so, I would plug my ears and sometimes I would also say over and over "I can't hear you. I can't hear you." By the way, that had the side effect of irritating her. Honestly, it was very immature. I'm thankful for the Lord's work in my heart over time.

But it is true that sometimes we just don’t want to listen. We don't literally plug our ears, but we sometimes walk away or just dismiss everything that someone else says.

We see that on display in public. Sometimes, people walk out of speeches on purpose like at college graduations. Other times, people heckle to distract the speaker and prevent other people from hearing. Honestly, those tactics say more about the people protesting than the one speaking.

Well, in our verses today, it's as if the Pharisees had their ears plugged. They did not want to listen to anything that Jesus said. Jesus even pointed that out to them. Look at verse 43. He said, "you cannot bear to hear my words." And at the end of verse 47, Jesus said, "The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

That's pretty intense. Really, this whole dialog, as you heard, is very intense.

In fact, in the narrative arc of John's Gospel, chapter 8 is the climax of the verbal conflict between Jesus and the Jews. It began back in chapter 5 when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. It continued in chapter 6 when Jesus claimed to be the manna from heaven because he is the Son of God. It escalated in chapter 7 when Jesus declared that he was living water bringing eternal life. And now in chapter 8, Jesus and the Pharisees have come to this heated confrontation.

To be sure, I'm not saying that these verses are the climax of the conflict. No, that will happen in the immediate lead-up to the cross. Rather, these verses are the climax of their interaction. And in the back and forth, we learn who is truly driving the Pharisees' anger and hate, and that is the devil himself.

So, let's consider this text. We'll do that in three points this morning.

1. The Fight Over Fatherhood - you know, who is the Pharisees' real father and why?

2. The One Greater than Abraham - Jesus declares that he himself is God

3. The Triumph of Abraham's True Descendants - who are the true descendants of Abraham, and what benefit do they receive?

That's where we are headed.

1. The Fight Over Fatherhood (8:39-50, 52)

Again, #1, the Fight Over Fatherhood

As you heard, Abraham is a central figure in the conflict. According to the Pharisees, because they were Abraham's physical offspring, they considered themselves God's people, with God as their ultimate father.

But, as you heard, Jesus made very clear that they were not acting as true sons of Abraham. Jesus essentially gave them two reasons.

·      First, they were not doing the works that Abraham did. He said that right there in verse 39. Jesus then pointed to the Pharisees' desire to kill him. Their murderous desires betrayed Abraham. Abraham was a man of deep faith and he demonstrated that many times. He lived out his faith. Abraham responded to God's commands. Abraham's true spiritual children would not be acting like the Pharisees.

·      Second, not only were they not doing the works that Abraham did, but they were also not honoring God. The Pharisees were not listening to his word, as I mentioned earlier. They would not even consider that perhaps Jesus was the Messiah. Later in our text, Jesus made it absolutely clear that they were dishonoring God the Father by dishonoring him. That was very different from Abraham. Multiple times in Abraham's life, God spoke to him. Abraham humbled himself and listened to God and his word. Abraham lived out his faith by hearing God and believing. Now, just to be sure, Abraham was a sinner, but he sought the Lord by faith. The Pharisees, on the other hand, had no faith and no desire to seek the Lord.

And for those reasons, Jesus declared that their true father was the devil. The Pharisees demonstrated through their lies and deceit and murderous hearts that they were not of Abraham, they were not of God, but rather, they were of the devil.

In response, the Pharisees lashed out at Jesus. They questioned Jesus' origin. They told Jesus that he was a Samaritan, whom the Pharisees hated, and they accused Jesus of having a demon.

Do you see how the conflict has reached new heights?

A couple of times in the past, we've talked about how the Gospel of John is written like a play. Each chapter is like a new scene. You know, the curtain opens; the audience sees a new setting; we then witness Jesus speaking to different people. In each scene, Jesus reveals who he is in different ways.

Well, for the apostle John's Jewish audience, every new scene challenged their understanding of God and Jesus and the purpose of their Jewish practices and beliefs.

I want you to imagine that you are a Jew in the late first century. Imagine that you are hearing this for the first time. And imagine how shocking this interaction would have been.

I mean, the tension had been escalating, but then Jesus drops the bomb in verse 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 does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him."

Think about how that would have come across. The Pharisees were the Jewish authorities. And yet, Jesus called them out as having the devil as their father.

You see, the Apostle John was pressing against his readers' presuppositions and beliefs. He wanted them to re-evaluate everything. He wanted them to see that the very one at the center of it all is truly the promised One, the Son of God. John wanted them to know that there is no place for neutrality.

Now, you may be sitting here, and you may be thinking, "Ok, but I don’t live in the first century and I'm not Jewish. Why does this matter?"

Let me try to answer that.

In John's Gospel, the unbelieving Pharisees are the main antagonists. Really, they are the antagonists in all the Gospels. But their unbelief is representative of any and all outright rejection of Christ… back then and today.

Not only do they not know God, they are hostile to him. They do not care to listen. Their hearts are full of murder and lies. Jesus is their enemy. They hate him and hate those that love him. On the outside, they are religious, but their religion is driven by the devil whose goal is to undermine the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Their opposition to Jesus is the same opposition to Jesus that we see in different ways today. We see that opposition in false religions. We see a similar rejection in the hearts of those opposed to God and opposed to truth and opposed to his standard of right and wrong. That includes those who present a perversion of who Jesus is or reject his divine or human nature.

And it is all driven by the devil. You see, we are engaged in a cosmic battle of light versus darkness. It's a battle of the truth of God versus the lies and murders of the great enemy of faith.

The hard thing for us is that we live in a time and place where the Christian ethic is still relatively strong. And so, we sometimes don't see the spiritual battle that is raging.

In our culture, the light and darkness can sometimes appear to blend together to produce shades of grey. When that happens, it is harder to see and distinguish the light from the darkness.

But what we learn in John 8 is that the dividing line is still there. Discerning right and wrong is still at the center of pursuing truth. Good and evil are no less real today than they were in the first century. The devil is still breathing his lies and spreading unbelief as he was in the hearts of these Pharisees.

There are plenty of people today who outright reject Jesus, who reject God the Father, and who live a life opposed to him. They are like the Pharisees, unknowingly driven by the father of lies. The devil is at work all throughout the world, some places more than others. As the Scriptures say, he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour.

We need to be aware that there is both God the Father, the father of truth and light and life, who gave his Son; and there is also the father of lies and murder, the devil himself. He hates God and hates the truth and he seeks to undermine Jesus and the Gospel. Now, there is no comparison in who has true authority and who will conquer the other in the end. That is the one true Father, but for now he has given the devil room to lie and deceive the world.

2. The One Greater than Abraham (8:53-59)

Ok. That brings us to point #2 - The One Greater than Abraham. In these verses, Jesus makes absolutely clear who he truly is. It's unmistakable.

Remember, the Pharisees were the ones who originally brought up Abraham. But then Jesus turned the tables on them. Because the Pharisees rejected him, Jesus made it very clear, as we considered, that they were not true descendants of Abraham.

And part of Jesus' argument included his claim that he was the Son of God and that his Father was God the Father.

And so, the Pharisees asked him in verse 53, "Are you greater than our father Abraham?"

Jesus answered them and he said two things. And speaking of shocking statements, these two statements were scandalous.

First, Jesus said to them that "Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad." That's verse 56. And then second, Jesus said, "before Abraham was, I AM."

Let's consider those two statements in order.

First, Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus' day. The question is, what was the apostle John referring to? What was that day? Well, that question has been asked for centuries.

The general consensus, which I agree with, is the day refers to the day that Isaac was born. You see, as we read earlier in Genesis 15, God promised to give Abraham a son. It seemed impossible, though, especially as Sarah aged, but yet God fulfilled his promise to Abraham. Do you remember what happened when Isaac was born? Abraham and Sarah laughed. It wasn't like the laughter before, when they were questioning God. Rather it was a joyful laughter of amazement. In fact, the name Isaac means "to laugh." The semantic range for the word "laugh" in Hebrew includes a joyous laughter.

That's why I think that particular day is the one referred to in verse 56. Abraham saw God fulfill his promise in an amazing way. Abraham then rejoiced when Isaac was born.

And he knew, as God had promised, that through Isaac, his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. He knew, as God also promised, that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him.

You see, the promise that God made to Abraham was the promise of a Messiah. Just like God gave Abraham and Sarah a son according to God's promise, so one of Abraham's descendants would be the promised Messiah.

In that sense, Abraham saw Jesus' day and rejoiced.

But when Jesus said that, it only further enraged the Pharisees. They said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

Which brings us to the second and even more shocking statement. Verse 58. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

"I AM." We've come across that statement multiple times now. Earlier in chapter 8, Jesus twice said, "I am he." In the Greek it is simply "I am" - "Ego Eimi." In the Hebrew it is Yahweh. Jesus was saying that as God the Son, he is the eternal God and he has always existed.

Before Abraham was, I AM. It was yet another claim of divinity. Jesus was indeed greater than Abraham.

Let's take a step back for a moment.

You know, every Sunday, I try to connect our sermon text to some of John's overall themes. Really, it's helpful to see how each passage fits within the book as a whole. Well, one thing that God has been revealing in John is all the ways that Jesus has been fulfilling God's promises of old.

For example, Jesus has been entering into the major Jewish institutions and he has been revealing that he is their ultimate fulfillment.

·      In chapter 2, Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding, revealing that he is the bridegroom who will cleanse his bride the church.

·      In the same chapter during the Passover, Jesus declared that he was the fulfillment of the temple. Do you remember that?

·      Chapter 5's setting was the Sabbath, another institution. Jesus demonstrated he was Lord of the Sabbath.

·      Chapter 7 and earlier in this chapter, Jesus revealed how he has fulfilled the Feast of Tabernacles as the living water and light of the world.

Since most of us don’t have a Jewish background, we don't naturally see those connections. But for John's original audience, each example has been expanding their understanding of who Jesus is and making the case that he is the true Messiah.

Well, besides institutions, Jesus is also greater than the patriarchs and prophets of old. Back in chapter 6, Jesus revealed that he is the prophet that Moses promised. He revealed that he is greater than Moses. He is the true manna from heaven. Moses was held in great regard, but Jesus, as God the Son, is greater.

And when we get to these verses on Abraham, it's similar. Abraham was the preeminent father of the Jewish people. Abraham was the one through whom God promised a people would come, as we already considered. And so, when Jesus said that before Abraham was, I am, it was a remarkable declaration of his preeminence as the God of all creation and over his people.

Do you see how all these fulfillments are working together? They all reveal that Jesus is indeed the One in whom life and light is found. It's all an amazing revelation for us to grasp and believe.

But, for the Pharisees, again, it was scandalous. Jesus had just declared that the devil, not Abraham, was their father, and now, he claimed that he is greater than Abraham.

Look at verse 59. "So they picked up stones to throw at him." Of course, they did. They were enraged and furthermore, in their minds, Jesus had blasphemed God. Their response only confirmed that indeed the devil was their father.

They could not stand for truth. They could only do what was in their nature as sons of the devil. They all the more rejected Jesus and sought to kill him.

As they went to get stones, Jesus then slipped away into the crowd. As he has said before, it was not yet his time.

But Jesus' time would come. You see, Chapter 8 accelerates the path to the cross. The day would soon come when Jesus would bring his fulfillment to completion.

And in God's sovereignty, he would use the Pharisees (and others) to accomplish his plan.

3. The Triumph of Abraham's True Descendants (John 8:47, 51)

Which brings us to #3. Point 3: The Triumph of Abraham's True Descendants. God's true sons and daughters will "not see death," but live.

You know, in the order of the narrative, this point should really be point number 2.

The reason that I put it last is because I wanted to end with encouragement. I did not want to end with the devil or the stones that they picked up. Rather, I wanted to end with the blessing of being a true descendant of Abraham.

Now, I know that a couple of you here have Jewish roots, but the vast majority of us are Gentiles. We are the nations that have been grafted into Christ.

It doesn’t matter where you or your family is from, what nationality or ethnicity. It doesn’t matter if you have some Jewish heritage or not. No, the only thing that matters is whether you are a true spiritual descendant of Abraham by faith.

Look at verse 47. "Whoever is of God hears the words of God." Remember, the question is who their father is. And we learn that those who hear the words of God have God as their father. Those are the ones who are true descendants of Abraham - spiritual descendants by faith.

What matters is believing in the Gospel - it is believing in who Jesus is and what he has accomplished. And when you do, then you are a true descendant of Abraham, a spiritual descendant by faith. In Romans 9, it says "It is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring." Galatians 3 uses similar language. It says, "In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. ...And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."

If that is you, then you can say that Abraham is indeed your spiritual father, through faith… the promise to him of salvation is the promise for you.

Let me say one more thing. You know, as we've gone through John's Gospel, we've come across several "truly, truly" statements. Each of those statements emphasizes an important truth. When Jesus uses the phrase "truly, truly", he is saying, "most assuredly I tell you this important truth" and he goes on.

Well, in our verses today there are two "truly, truly" statements. One of them we've already considered. "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." The other one is in verse 51. Look at it. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

Those who truly hear Jesus, and truly believe in him, and demonstrate their faith by abiding in his word, "will never see death." No, the true descendants of Abraham will triumph with Jesus forever. As we've read over and over in John's Gospel, we will receive eternal life in him.

You see, in the middle of this chapter of conflict, there is hope. At the very heart of these verses - where the Pharisees are called out as sons of the devil, and by the way, who are also destined to spend eternity apart from God - at the heart of these verses, there is a promise.

And the promise is this: Those who believe in Jesus' word will overcome death. They will be with God forever. It is a hope and promise reserved for those truly of God, who are spiritual descendants of Abraham.

It's for those who believe in Jesus as the I AM of God, the eternal God of the universe, the Son of God, who is greater than Abraham.

So, may we not plug our ears like the Pharisees, but instead hear Jesus' words, for they are words of life. May we also see the reality of the devil… and know that he is the father of lies who sows darkness and opposes the truth of God. BUT, may we know that as true descendants of Abraham, we will be with Jesus forever.

Turn in your Bibles to John 8:31-38. If you are using a pew Bible, you can find that on page 1063

Really verses 31 to the end of the chapter is one unified narrative. It is a very intense interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees. There's a lot in there, so rather than taking the entire section, we are going to start with the first 8 verses. As I read, you'll hear that the Pharisees reminded Jesus that they were offspring of Abraham. This morning, we'll briefly consider their misunderstanding of what that means. Next week, we'll get into who the descendants of Abraham truly are.

Let's now come to God's very word.

Reading of John 8:31-38

Prayer

If I were to ask what the most well-known verse is in John, you would probably agree: John 3:16. We covered it a few months ago. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not what? perish, but… what? have everlasting life. You know it well.

But what would be the second most well-known verse in John? I suspect it would be John 8:32. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free."

Not only is it very well known, but it is the motto of at least 30 universities. That is, if you can trust Wikipedia. John 8:32 is furthermore inscribed on countless courthouses and public libraries. The most famous inscription is found in the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The King James version is etched in stone in the main lobby, "And Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

I would say, John 8:32 is not only one of the most well-known verses, it is also one of the most misinterpreted verses. Some verses in the Bible like John 3:16 can pretty much stand on their own, but other verses like John 8:32 can easily be misapplied. That is because some words have multiple meanings based on their context. Other words are pretty straightforward, so it depends on the verse.

And I suspect if you asked 100 people who attend a university with this motto, you would get 100 different answers as to its meaning. And I bet none of them would correctly explain what Jesus meant in John 8.

Now, I am not saying that truth in a general sense does not bring freedom. Certainly, it can in a court case when someone who's innocent is charged with a crime. The truth can bring freedom. I'm just saying that this specific verse is often used in a way that Jesus did not intend.

The problem is really three-fold.

·      First, who is the verse referring to? Who is the "you" of "you shall know the truth." Most people would probably say that the "you" refers to themselves. However, Jesus had a very specific group of people in mind.

·      Second, what is the word "truth" referring to? Talk about a word that is used in a variety of different ways, "truth" can mean many things, but what does it mean here?

·      And third, and probably the most misunderstood, what does it mean that the truth will set you free? We all want to be free, but the freedom that most people think of when they hear or read John 8:32, it is not the kind of freedom that Jesus was referring to. No, the freedom to which Jesus was referring is far more freeing than what comes to people's minds.

So, there is a big problem in the use of this verse, but the good news is that the answers are pretty straight forward.

My goal by this morning is that you will not only walk away with a clear understanding of verse 32, but also that you leave compelled in your heart about what it really means.

Now, I want to say something else before we begin. If you forget everything else about this sermon, I want you to remember this. Implied in everything I just said is that passages in the Bible have meaning. They have a meaning that God intended for his inspired Word.

We cannot just take a verse or passage out of context and come up with our own understanding of what it means. No, as we read the Bible, we are seeking to understand why it was originally written, how and why specific words are used, and how it all ties into the broader Scriptural context. Once we do that work, then we can seek to best apply it to our lives and the church today. In fact, that is our goal in all our sermons and all our Bible studies. I'm bringing that up today because John 8:32 is a case study of how to and how not to interpret the Bible.

With that said, let's get into it. We'll cover these verses with two simple points this morning:

1. You will know the truth

2. The truth will set you free

Basically, we're going to unpack verse 32 and use the rest of our verses to understand it.

1. You will know the truth

As we get into point #1, let me say that the definition of "you" is right there in verse 31. The you is referring to those who are truly Jesus' disciples. Listen to it again, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, etc."

Let me put it this way. Verses 31 and 32 are for everyone, but they are not about everyone. They refer to people who are truly seeking to follow Jesus.

And the reason that Jesus brought this up is that a very interesting thing was happening in Jerusalem. A lot of people were captivated by Jesus. He caused a stir and people wanted to see him and hear him and perhaps witness one of his miracles. If you go back to the end of verse 30, it says that many believed in him. However, there was a problem. Not everyone who believed was truly a believer. They were not truly his disciples.

Do you remember when the Atlanta Falcons were in the Super Bowl? Can you believe that was 10 years ago? Will the Falcons ever get back there? But 10 years ago, it was exciting. All of a sudden there were Falcons fans coming out of the woodwork. It was like the whole metro Atlanta area became fans. Everyone was getting on the bandwagon. That is, until it all came crashing down. And if you remember, it was really bad. And what happened next? Well, those fair-weather fans suddenly were no longer fans at all. Their interest died just as quickly as it rose. They weren't truly Falcons fans.

That's kind of like what was going on here. Many of the people were initially wowed by Jesus, but they quickly turned on him.

In verse 31, it says that Jesus was speaking with Jews who had believed him. But look what happened in verse 33. They rejected what Jesus said. They said to him, "We… have never been enslaved to anyone." Even though they initially believed, they quickly rejected what he said. By the way, what they said is not even true! Their history was full of enslavement including to Egypt and Assyria and Babylon and to the Medo-Persians and the Greeks and now the Romans.

They were clearly not Jesus' disciples. They were not part of the "you" of verse 32.

Which brings us to an important question. What qualifies someone to be a true disciple? How is someone included in the "you" of verse 32? Well, we already read it. True disciples are those who abide in Jesus' word.

This is not the first time that we have come across the word "abide." And it definitely won't be the last. Chapter 15 gives a full description of abiding in Jesus and him in you. It speaks of Jesus being the vine and us as the branches.

Furthermore, when we are abiding in him, it is more than just believing, it is drawing from him as our source of life. It is taking hold of and embracing God's word in your life as true and as your guide. In fact, the word for "word" in verse 31 is the word logos. Do you remember that from chapter 1? In the beginning was the "logos" - the word. And the word was with God, the word was God… and do you remember how the apostle revealed who he was referring to? Chapter 1 verse 14, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…"

So, when we are abiding in Jesus' word, we are abiding in him.

The problem for the Jews was that they were not abiding in him or his word. Look at what Jesus said to them in verse 37. Even though Jesus agreed that they were the offspring of Abraham, he said, "my word [my logos] finds no place in you."

You see, they thought they were safe. They thought that because they were descendants of Abraham, that they therefore were good with God. But they had a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to know God and follow him.

Just because someone lives in the Atlanta area, and watches one game, does not a Falcons fan one makes! No, it requires faith, and depending on the year, a lot of it!

By the way, we've already, in a sense, considered the word "truth." If you abide in my "logos," you will know the truth. The "truth" in verse 32 is the truth of Jesus as the Son of God and the word of God. In other words, it is a very focused use of the word "truth." It centers itself on the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

So, when Jesus said, "you will know the truth," he was saying "you who abide in me and my word will know the truth of who I am as God the Son. You will know me."

That is a definition of a true disciple. In fact, let me add this. One of the apostle John's goals in this book has been to reveal what a true disciple looks like. The picture of a true disciple has been on display all throughout, for example, chapter 1 when Jesus called his first disciples. They saw him, they heard him, they believed in him, they followed him, and they brought others to come and see him. Do you remember that? Furthermore, a true disciple is someone born again (chapter 3), someone who's given new life and washed by the water of the Spirit and Word. A true disciple believes by faith that Jesus is the living water who brings eternal life (chapter 4) and the spiritual bread from heaven (chapter 6).

Do you see how John has been giving his readers an unfolding picture of true discipleship? And part of revealing who a true disciple is, includes revealing who are not disciples. They don't believe. They don’t abide. And it doesn’t matter that they are physical descendants of Abraham. If they are not abiding in him, they are not disciples.

Let me briefly speak to the children here. You receive many blessings being part of a family that loves the Lord and belongs to his church. You are learning the Bible and you are learning about God and Jesus. You are learning about your need for him. You are learning how to love others well and how to forgive. You are receiving the benefits of friendship in the church and are participating in worship.

Those things are all great, but going to church and growing up in a Christian family does not make you a true disciple of Jesus. No, you need to believe and embrace what you are being taught. You need to abide in Jesus. Your parents' faith needs to become your faith. Many of you have already become true disciples yourselves.

But why is that important? Why do we all need to be true disciples?

Well, the answer is found in the second half of verse 32. When you are a true disciple, you know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

2. The truth will set you free

So, let's consider that. Point #2, the truth will set you free.

We've already covered what the word "truth" is referring to here. It's referring to the truth of God in Christ.

The next question is this: what does it mean for the truth to set you free?

When you hear the word free, or even hear the phrase that you will be set free, what do you think most people think of? What do you think comes to people's minds when they think about freedom? Well, when most people think of freedom, they think about the ability to do whatever they want. They want to be free to have their own agency and make their own decisions and not have to answer to someone else or be controlled by others or some organization. Right?

It's like the state of New Hampshire. Did you know their state motto is "live free or die?" It goes all the way back to the colonial days. One of the Revolutionary War heroes from New Hampshire said that living under the tyrannical English rule was worse than death. No, they wouldn't have it. They would rather die than not live free, in that sense of the word "freedom."

The irony is that recently some New Hampshire residents didn’t like the second half of the motto. So, on their license plates, they put tape over the "or die" part. Well, guess what? They got fined for it. Apparently, the freedom that the state was referring to did not include the freedom to disagree with the state's motto.

Regardless, that is not the freedom that Jesus was referring to. The freedom that Jesus was referring to is not the kind of freedom that we think of today. No, the freedom mentioned here is a freedom far greater.

And to understand the freedom that comes from knowing the truth of Christ, we have to first understand what the freedom is from. The question is, what are we enslaved to that we need to be freed from?

And the answer is right there in verse 34. It's another one of Jesus' "truly, truly" statements. He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin."

Notice the subject, "everyone." "everyone who practices sin." Jesus used the word "everyone" because the Jews just expressed that they were not enslaved to anyone. Jesus wanted to make absolutely clear that they were also enslaved. "Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." There are no free passes for anyone.

Not only that, but they demonstrated their enslavement. They wanted to kill Jesus. They didn’t abide in his word; there was no room in their hearts for Jesus or his word. They didn’t believe him or follow him. They were indeed mired in the slavery of sin.

Romans 6 teaches about our slavery to sin. It speaks of how without Christ, we deserve the penalty of sin and we are under the power of sin. We deserve the wages of sin, which is death. Without Christ, we are bound by sins controlling power over us. We are slaves without Christ.

You know, the irony of New Hampshire's motto is that in one sense, it's true. Live free or die. We need to be free from the power of sin in our lives, or we will indeed endure its eternal consequences.

But you ask, how do we become free from our enslavement to sin? The answer is in verse 36. "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

We need to be freed by the Son of God.

Jesus was saying to them that their only path to become freed from their slavery to sin was to know the truth of his word… to know that he truly is the Son of God and that when they come to truly know him and truly become his disciples, then they will become sons with him and freed. As a true son, as it says, they would remain in the house forever.

There's an Old Testament allusion here. Jesus was alluding to Abraham's two sons. Let me remind you about them. God gave Abraham a promise that he would have a son and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. But God didn't appear to be fulfilling that promise, so, what happened? Well, in his sin, Abraham took matters into his own hands.

His wife's maidservant, Hagar, bore Abraham a son. His name was Ishmael. But Ishmael was not the son that God promised. However, God still fulfilled his promise. God miraculously enabled Sarah, Abraham's wife, to bear Abraham a son… even in her old age. Her son, Isaac, was the true son. Ishmael was not. Hagar and Ishmael for a time experienced the benefits of being in Abraham's house, but eventually they could not remain because Isaac was the true heir, not Ishmael.

That is what verse 35 alludes to. "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever."

You see, the Pharisees were the ones to bring up Abraham. But Jesus turned it around on them. He was saying that they were slaves like Ishmael. They would not remain.

On the contrary, a true son, who believes in Jesus as God the Son, will remain forever. True sons (and daughters) will be set free by the Son. The power and penalty of sin will be broken for them, forever.

Beloved, this is the freedom that we need. We need to be freed from the slavery of sin. And that freedom comes through the cross. In his death, Jesus overcame the power and penalty of sin. Jesus endured the penalty of sin for us, and broke the power of sin forever. He set it all aside by nailing it to the cross. In him we have been freed from the law of sin and death. As we sang earlier,  He breaks the pow'r of reigning sin, he sets the pris'ner free. his blood can make the foulest clean, his blood availed for me

You see, when verse 32 says that "the truth will set you free," it is referring to the freedom that true sons possess. It is freedom from the slavery of sin. When you know the Son, he will make you one of God's sons and you will be free as his son or daughter, forever.

Indeed, it is a freedom far greater and deeper and wider than any kind of freedom that you can imagine. It is the eternal freedom of God in Christ Jesus.

So, the next time that you're at the CIA headquarters, or enter a public library with the motto "the truth will set you free," you should ask someone, "Do you know what that really means?"

Likely they will say, "Yeah, it means that, you know, the truth will bring a liberty of conscience and action." And if they do, you can say, "Did you know that when Jesus said that, he was saying something very specific." Oh, what's that? "Jesus was saying that a true disciple of his will know him and his Word. That is what the word truth is referring to. And when you come to truly know and believe in him, you will be given a freedom beyond what you can imagine. You will be free from the slavery that all humanity endures - the slavery of sin. Do you know this freedom?"

May we all truly know this truth and be set free forever. Amen

John 8:12-30 - I AM the Light

Our sermon text this morning is John 8:12-30. But before we get there, let me make a few comments.

You may have noticed that we are skipping the last verse of chapter 7 through verse 11 of chapter 8. Your Bibles likely have a bracketed note that those are not in the earliest manuscripts.

That is true, but rather than just quickly move on, let me provide a little more explanation.

And I'll do that with 3 reasons why we're skipping them. And then 3 reasons not to be concerned about the New Testament's reliability.

1. The main reason we are skipping them is because those verses did not appear in manuscripts until the 5th century. In fact, in one branch of manuscripts found, they didn't appear until the 8th and 9th centuries. None of the earliest manuscripts of John's Gospel have them.

2. The story interrupts the flow of chapter 7 and 8. We've already seen that chapter 7 has been about evaluating Jesus' teaching and self-identity as the Son of God. We'll see that theme continue in our verses this morning. The verses in question are a little out of place. Furthermore, our verses today continue the context of the Feast of Booths, so they line up very well with chapter 7, but this interim passage does not.

3. And I think the most compelling. There are about 14 words or phrases that are not found anywhere else in John's Gospel or his letters. So, there are some significant stylistic differences in the disputed passage. It's likely not written by the apostle John.

Now, I do believe that the account of the woman caught in adultery actually happened. I think it's likely a story that John or other disciples recounted. It's just that it is very unlikely to be a part of God's inspired Word.

But let me say, if this is causing you to be concerned about the rest of the New Testament, let me put you at ease.

1. First, there are only 2 major sections of verses in the New Testament that are disputed. This one and a few paragraphs at the end of Mark's Gospel for similar reasons.

2. Second, it is amazing how consistent the rest of the New Testament manuscripts are. At Easter, I spent several minutes discussing the 5,800 manuscripts and just how consistent they are. 99.9 percent of the differences are minor - word order and spelling and none affect a core doctrine of faith. Also, a couple of years ago during our apologetics Sunday school class, we had a whole class talking through the veracity of the manuscripts. Our website has the recordings of those if you are interested.

3. Third, there is a big misconception that the New Testament was orally passed down. That is simply not true. In 2 Timothy 4:13, Paul requests his books and "above all" his parchments. They are very valuable to him. Many believe the parchments were copies of his letters. New Testament letters were copied at the time they were written. Similarly, the four Gospels were also copied almost immediately for the express purposes of distributing them.

And let me say one more thing. Many of the New Testament manuscripts are in book form rather than a scroll. That book form is called a codex. And interestingly, some codexes were clearly transcribed for the public reading of Scripture. They were bigger with bigger writing. Other codexes were in a smaller personal form, like for a family or individual. Early Christians loved their books and preserved them well.

So, be encouraged.

Ok, let's now get into chapter 8 verses 12-30. You can find that on page 1062? of the pew Bible. Our reading includes the second of seven "I am" statements in the book of John. The first was in chapter 6. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." And here he says, "I am the light of the world." As I read, listen for the phrase "I am." You'll hear it several times.

Reading of John 8:12-30 and prayer.

Last week, we considered how some aspects of the Feast of Tabernacles emphasized water. Remember that? Part of the ceremonies included recalling how God miraculously gave them water in the wilderness. We saw how Jesus keyed off of the theme of water when he called out for the people to come to him and drink.

Well, water was only one aspect of the Feast. Light was another. This annual festival happened somewhere between late-September and mid-October. Just like we experience, the daylight hours were getting shorter and shorter. And at the end of every day of the feast, the priests would light four massive oil filled candelabra. These were elaborate bowls which had about 27 gallons of oil and had dozens of cloth wicks drawing from the oil. The four candelabra were elevated on very tall pedestals and spread out in the largest courtyard of the temple. The pedestals towered above the temple walls.

After sunset, young Levites would climb ladders and light every single wick in each of the bowl. For the boys here, can you imagine how fun that would be? I'm sure it was the highlight of the year for them. Well, all the flames produced a massive amount of light. Remember, the temple area was elevated. And furthermore, the city of Jerusalem sloped up the western hill from the temple. So, from much of the city you could see these tall pedestals. The light was cast all throughout the city. Let me read a short description from the Jewish Mishna about this. It says "The light from the candelabra was so bright that there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated from the light." Even thought it was night, it was bright.

Now, look at verse 20. We learn that Jesus was speaking in part of the temple area called the treasury. Well, the treasury was right there. The treasury was where alms were donated, and it was in the same large courtyard with these elevated bowls of fire.

So, Jesus was right there, teaching. We're not told what time of day it was when he spoke these words, but think about the context and listen again. Verse 12, "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

It was clear and it was understandable. And the people could visualize it based on what they were experiencing that week.

And really, I think everything in this passage in some way ties back to those opening words in verse 12. "I AM the light of the world"

So, let's get into what Jesus says here. We'll do that in three points.

1. I AM the Light of Life

2. I AM the True Witness and Judge

3. I AM the Savior

(repeat)

1. I AM the Light of Life

As we get into #1, let me make one more connection to the feast of Tabernacles. As you may recall, this festival was a remembrance of what God had done for the Israelites in the wilderness. That is why God directed them to make temporary booths and live in them for the week. God had provided for them as they journeyed. Similarly, the water ceremony recalled God's provision of water from the rock that Moses was commanded to strike. Well, the light ceremony was a reminder of God leading them in the wilderness through a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. The lights at the festival symbolized God and how he miraculously led them.

So when Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World," he was claiming that he was the very God whose presence was with them in the wilderness and who led them. That's why he said, "whoever follows me will not walk in darkness." You see, it was all connected to the light of Yahweh, the Covenant God. He guided the people and protected the people. He was the light of life for them. Jesus was saying, I am he.

Isaiah 60 would also have come to mind to them. It's where Yahweh declares that he is the light. Much of that chapter is about the light, and in verse 19, the prophet Isaiah wrote, "the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."

So, not only was Jesus saying he was the light, but in doing so, he was claiming to be the God himself.

Another shocking thing about Jesus' statement was that not only is he a light for the Jews, but he is the light for the entire world.

As you can imagine, Jesus' claim in verse 12 deeply disturbed the Pharisees. But as Jesus dialoged with them, it got even more disturbing. Jesus continued making unmistakable claims that he is God.

In fact, right after saying he is the light of life, he also said, "I am from above." And he goes on to claim that he will return there, you know, to heaven.

Now, the Pharisees at first didn’t understand. It didn't make sense to them. They could not grasp what Jesus meant. But if he wasn't clear enough, Jesus then made absolutely clear what he meant. And it is captured in Jesus' "I AM statements."  

Before we read, I asked you to listen for the phrase "I am." Did you hear it all throughout? Jesus said, I am the light of the world. I am the light of life. I am the one. I am from above. I am not of this world. Well, there are two "I AM" statements that I want to especially point out. Look at verse 24. Jesus said, "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." I am He. That same phrase is also there in verse 28. "I am he."

In the Greek, however, there is no pronoun. It's just "I am." It's "Ego Eimi." We've come across this now in John, I think, 3 times. We're going to come across it again in a couple of weeks. It is a direct reference to the Hebrew "Yahweh." Jesus could not have been clearer with them. I am the light of the world because I am Yahweh. I am God. I am the creator God, the redeemer God, the God of Israel and indeed the God of the world.

You know, as we have made our way through the Gospel of John, we have been given an increasingly clear description of Jesus in his divine nature.

He is the light of the world and the light of life, because he is the eternal God of heaven and earth. He came from heaven to be a light of life, and he will return to heaven calling the world to follow him out of darkness and sin.

He is THE light.

2. I AM the True Witness and Judge

Point 2. I AM the True Witness and Judge. As the I AM of God, the eternal light, Jesus is true in his witness and true in his judgment.

As you think about the analogy of light, one of the things light does is it exposes. It exposes what is false. It reveals what is right and true. When a bright light is shining, the darkness cannot overcome it. The light of God reveals truth in the darkness.

These Pharisees who were dialoging with Jesus hated him. They wanted to kill him. Why? Because Jesus was exposing them.

One of the things they did was to try to corner him by undermining his credibility. We saw a similar thing a couple of chapters ago. In the law, two witnesses were required for any testimony. That's what they were referring to in verse 17. But Jesus was only one and added to that, he was a self-witness.

In response, Jesus pointed out that they were judging according to the flesh. They were blind to the light. They could not see or judge correctly. Jesus, on the other hand, does not judge like them. Jesus said, "I judge no one." Do you see that phrase in verse 15? I believe the best understanding is to see his statement as saying he does not judge according to the flesh, unlike them. No, his judgments are true. Why? Because he and God the Father judge rightly. The Father is the second witness that confirms Jesus' testimony.

In fact, all throughout these verses, Jesus makes very clear theological statements about his relationship with and unity with God the Father.

Let me just very briefly highlight them:

·      First, Jesus as God the Son shares the same true judgment with the Father (verse 16).

·      Second, the Father bears witness that Jesus is his Son (verse 18).

·      Third, Jesus shares the truth and authority of the Father as God the Son (verses 26 and 28).

·      And fourth, they are one together. The Father is with Jesus (verse 29).

The summary is that Jesus is the true light because he shares the truth and authority of God. He is united with the Father. They are indeed one.

Not only are their judgments right and true, but they are truth. That is part of the point of the I AM statements all throughout. I AM the light. Jesus does not say, "I display the light." No, "I AM the light." Jesus embodies truth and righteous judgment because he is the I AM of God, united with the Father.

Really, the contrast in these verses is between the truth of Jesus as God and the rejection of that truth by the Pharisees.

Even though they were asking for more witnesses, they were not really looking for a reason to believe. No, they just want to undermine the truth and light of Jesus. Really, they want to arrest him and have him killed.

I think this is our fourth sermon in a row that has included something about judgment. You know, how do we judge Jesus and ourselves rightly? So, I don’t want to belabor the point. Clearly, John's target audience struggled with judging Jesus correctly. For us, we have all the Gospel accounts, and we have the witness of the apostles in their letters. We have the testimony of the early church and their unity on Jesus' identity as divine and human.

The question, I think for us, is, will we bear witness about Jesus' testimony and identity? Will we defend the truth of who Jesus is and his unity with the Father?

We are to be true witnesses to the true witness and judge, Jesus Christ. He IS the truth and he IS the light of the world. So, may we reveal his light.

3. I AM the Savior

Which bring us to #3. I AM the Savior.

Jesus makes very clear that the consequences of not following and believing in him are dire. In fact, Jesus tells the Pharisees multiple times that they will not be going to where he is going. Why? Because they know neither him nor the Father. They are from below and not above, verse 23. They are of this world, caught in the lies of darkness and the self-deception of sin.

They do not believe in the light. They are not walking in the light. No, they are bound by their sin and unbelief.

Let me illustrate where they're at with a very familiar experience in the south. This time of year is the season for roaches. We sometimes try to be polite and call them palmetto bugs, but we all know what they really are. The worst ones are the flying ones, right. Well, what happens at night when you suddenly turn on your deck lights? All the roaches scatter away. They cannot stand the light. They hate it. They hide in the shadows until the light turns off.

The Pharisees who were there hated the light.

And Jesus was clear about the consequence of rejecting the light. Verse 21. "He said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin."

They were blind to their darkened hearts.

[Slower]

Ephesians 2 describes their state, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…" and one verse later… "and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

As Romans 3 reveals, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

You see, our sin separates us from God. And the consequence of sin is death. Even more, the consequence of our sin is the eternal punishment of hell. To be sure, Jesus does not refer to hell in these verses, but make no mistake, he speaks of hell often and clearly. Many times, referring to it as the lake of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Well, the Pharisees were not listening, and so in John 8:24, Jesus again reiterated what he said… but this time he gave them hope. Look at verse 24. "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe [believe what?] that I am he [ego eimi] you will die in your sins."

You see, God's grace and mercy were freely offered to them. So, were they to believe, they would not die in their sins.

When Jesus said, "I am the light of life," he was revealing that he not only shines his light on the darkness out there, but he shines his light on our hearts so that we can see him and turn believe.

Let me go back to Ephesians 2. It continues, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—[for] by grace you have been saved— [and listen to this] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"

When Jesus told the Pharisees that they could not go with him because of their unbelief, implied is that those who do believe and come to the light will be brought with Jesus to where he is going. And where will he take us? As Ephesians says, those who are saved will be raised up with him and seated with him in the heavenly places.

You know, these verses are full of contrasts. That is one of the hallmarks of John. Light and darkness. Life and death. Above and below. So, let me summarize our passage this way:

Those who follow the light, will have the light of life, and will join the light of the world forever. But those who reject the light, will walk in darkness and will die in their sins apart from the light forever.

Conclusion

As we come to a close, let's look at one more thing in these verses, and it is a foreshadowing of what is to come. In fact, it foreshadows the Pharisees' role in Jesus' death. It's there in verse 28. Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he."

They will partake in Jesus' crucifixion on the cross. He will be lifted up. That's another one of John's favorite phrases. He will be lifted up on the cross. He will be lifted up from the grave and then lifted up as he returns to heaven displaying his full glory as God the Son. And when that happens, then they will know, as it says, that he is truly the I AM of God. Yahweh.

And beloved, that has happened. Jesus has been lifted up. He has returned to where he came from.

And now his light, the light of the Gospel, is shining all over the world. It is exposing sin and evil and revealing truth. It is turning darkened hearts to hearts of light. It is shining to the ends of the earth. Jesus is the light of the world. And his light will continue to shine for eternity.

We read from Revelation 21 earlier in the service. The new Jerusalem that is to come has no need for the light of the sun or moon. The light in the new Jerusalem will not be like the lights at the Feast of Tabernacles.

As illuminating as those candelabra were to the people in Jerusalem, it will be nothing like the light in the new Jerusalem to come. And what is that light? It is the light of the glory of God, as Revelation says, and "its lamp IS the Lamb. By [his] light will the nations walk….. and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there." No night. No sin, no darkness, no evil. For the light of the world, the I AM of God, Jesus Christ himself, will be its light.

May we all believe and follow Christ, the light of life.

John 7:37-52

Please turn to John chapter 7. We'll be considering verses 37-52 this morning. You can find that on page 1062. The context of chapter 7 has been the Feast of Booths - also called the Feast of Tabernacles. It was one of the three major festivals in the Jewish calendar, so there were lots of people in Jerusalem.

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus appeared at the temple in the middle of the festival and began teaching. That caused a crowd to gather around him. And most of the crowd was amazed. They had heard of or seen Jesus' signs (or miracles)  but now they witnessed his teaching.

In our text this morning, we will hear that it is now the end of the feast. Jesus called for people to come to him but, as you will hear, he received a mixed response. Some were intrigued but others all the more wanted to kill him.

Reading of John 7:37-52

Prayer

There's no doubt that water is THE foundation to our physical existence. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Without water, we cannot survive for more than a few days. Without water, crops cannot grow and animals cannot survive.

But for us in our day and age, water is readily available. Even in drought situations, we manage pretty well. Farmers can pump water from the underground water table to water their crops. We can clean and store water from storm runoff. We can dam rivers and we can pump water from one region to another. The worst it gets here, is that we're told to only water our lawns on certain days.

But if you lived in Jerusalem back in the first century, it was very different. They didn't have all the modern technologies to drill or store significant amounts of water. Given its geography high up in the mountains, Jerusalem didn't have any nearby rivers. The Kidron valley and brook were dry for most of the year. And so, the people really did rely on the seasons. They hoped and prayed for rain at certain times of the year.

It's no wonder that Jesus used the concept of water to symbolize spiritual realities. Remember, we saw that first back in chapter 2 when Jesus turned water into wine, symbolizing his cleansing ministry. And again, we saw that in chapter 4, when Jesus told the woman at the well that she needed his living water and that when she drank it, she would never be thirsty again. He was speaking of the eternal life that she would receive through believing in him.

Well, this morning we have a new spiritual reality symbolized by water. And that is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He will be like rivers of living water flowing forth from our hearts.

So, this morning we'll begin our time with that… with Jesus' teaching about the giving of the Spirit. That's verses 37-39. As we'll see in a minute, his analogy of water directly connects to what was happening at the Feast.

And then second, we'll survey the responses to Jesus' teaching. That's verses 40-52. As you heard, out of people's hearts flowed very different responses to Jesus.

That's where we are headed.

#1 The Holy Spirit - the River of Living Water

As we get into the verses about the Holy Spirit, let me first note that the Feast of Tabernacles was at the very end of the dry season. In fact, most years, it had not rained for months in the leadup to the festival.

To be sure, Jerusalem did have a source of water. Their main source of water at the time was the Gihon Spring which they diverted into the Pool of Siloam. It was on the south side of the city about a third of a mile down from the temple. It was King Hezekiah about 700 years earlier who had a tunnel dug through the rock to reach the spring and divert the water to inside the city. Just a few years after he finished that, Assyria surrounded Jerusalem and attempted to cut off the supply lines, including water, but they did not know of the hidden water channel. And so, Jerusalem was able to endure.

By the way, if you go to Jerusalem today, you can actually walk through Hezekiah's water tunnel. I did that several years ago with a friend. It's about 1/4 mile long and pretty narrow and the water is maybe 1-2 feet deep. At one point my friend snuck ahead, turned off his little flashlight and then, when I rounded a corner, he jumped out at me. I may or may not have been momentarily scared.

Anyway, you end up at the Pool of Siloam - or a small portion of what remains.

I'm telling you this because at the Feast of Booths, every day one of the priests would make his way down to the Pool of Siloam. Jewish literature records that he would dip a golden vessel into the pool, and he would make his way back to the Temple. The crowds would follow him as he passed through the lower gates into the temple area. Trumpets would sound as he ascended the temple steps. They would read from passages like Isaiah 12:3 which says, "with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." That was our call to worship this morning. And then with great pomp, when the festival branches described in Leviticus 23 were waved, the priest would pour the fresh water onto the altar. A channel was made for that purpose, and it would drain to the base. The purpose of the water was a remembrance of God's provision of water in the wilderness. Remember, the Feast of Booths was about celebrating God's provision in the wilderness. That included water from the rock. God called Moses to strike a rock, and when he did, water flowed forth.

Well, on the seventh day of the feast, Jewish literature also records that the water ceremony happened 7 times. 7 times the priest would fill the golden vessel from Siloam and return to the temple, and pour it onto the altar. By the seventh time, the water would have overflowed from the altar onto the temple floor.

And while this was happening, the people were rejoicing, waving various branches while the trumpets sounded and the water flowed.

It was on this day, the 7th day, called the great day, that Jesus stood up and cried out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

We don’t know what time of day Jesus proclaimed these words, but the people would have had water on their minds. It was hot and dry. Likely it had not rained. Furthermore, they either anticipated the priests carrying the water to the altar or they just witnessed that event. They were thirsty - physically and spiritually. And Jesus cried out to them, calling them to come to him and drink.

And not only would their spiritual thirst be quenched, but if they came and drank, rivers of living water, he said, would flow from them.

The apostle John then adds a brief commentary that Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit. Those who came to him would receive his Spirit, once he was glorified.

Now, before we consider what that means for you and me, let me note 4 brief things.

#1. Jesus quotes a Scripture which says, "Out of his heart [the one who believes] will flow rivers of living water." There's actually no single Old Testament passage directly matching the quote. However, several Old Testament texts parallel this idea. We read from Isaiah 44 earlier in the service. Verse 3 says, "I will pour water on a thirsty land" and then "I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring." Zechariah 14:8 was another one. It was also read during the Feast of Booths. It speaks of living water flowing out of Jerusalem. There are other passages like Ezekiel 47 and Isaiah 55 which are similar. In other words, the idea of living water connected to the Holy Spirit and salvation is very prevalent in the Old Testament.

#2. Some Greek translators believe that the "rivers of living water" referenced here is the Holy Spirit being given out of Jesus' heart, not ours. They argue that phrase "whoever believes in me" is actually part of the invitation to drink and does not describe the one who has a river flowing from his heart. Honestly, there are some good arguments for that. Personally, I lean toward the translation we use. But I also think that even if this alternative is true, those who believe are still the recipients of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Spirit, then our hearts will display forth the Spirit's ministry in us. So, in the end, I don’t think it really changes the impact.

#3. The third thing I want to point out. The fact that verse 39 says that the Spirit would be given after Jesus was glorified does not minimize the Holy Spirit's work in the Old Testament. No. From the very beginning in Genesis 1, the Spirit was present. He was hovering over the waters. He was at work in the hearts and minds of the remnant of God's people - true Israel. The Spirit directed people to look forward to the Messiah who would come. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1 tells us that the Spirit of Christ was at work in the prophets who testified beforehand about Christ's sufferings and glory.

What is the difference, then?

The giving of the Holy Spirit mentioned in verse 39 is the outpouring of the Spirit to all peoples, not just Israel, but every tribe, tongue, and nation. Furthermore, as the Spirit dwells in his people, he now applies the finished work of Christ to us. So, the difference is in the scope of the Holy Spirit's work and the fulness of salvation being applied.

I think that's important to understand.

#4 - the last brief comment. And this is related. When verse 39 speaks of Jesus' glorification, I'm guessing you have in mind Jesus' ascension to heaven where he now reigns. That's true. However, John's Gospel includes Jesus' death and resurrection as part of his glorification. We're going to see this very clearly when we get to chapter 12. We will see that Jesus finally tells his disciples that his hour HAS come. And what is that hour? Jesus tells them it is the hour of his glorification. He must die in order to be raised. So, as we think of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we need to understand that he is applying Jesus' full ministry including his atonement for our sin through his sacrifice and the hope and new life we have in his resurrection and ascension to glory. It is out of that fulness as the inaugurated King, that Jesus sends his Spirit to continue his ministry to the ends of the earth.

Now, I know that's a lot of theology packed into those comments. Let me summarize it this way. Jesus' promise of his Spirit is an amazing promise and reality for you and me. Every single one of us is spiritually thirsty. Every single person in the entire world is spiritually thirsty. Not everyone recognizes it but we all long for meaning and purpose. We all experience pain and suffering. We all know the toil of work as a consequence of the fall. Those thing weigh on us every single day.

And Jesus promises that when you come to him in belief, out of your heart will flow rivers of living waters. Through the ministry of the Spirit in you, the abounding grace of God in Christ will flow to you and from you. Your heart will display to others the transforming ministry of the Spirit. And others who likewise are given the Spirit will minister to you through him.

To be sure, that does not minimize the impact of our remaining sin, nor does it minimize the realities of our suffering and grief in life. But what it does is give us an unshakeable foundation. Repentance from sin.  Hope in grief. Joy in suffering. Perseverance in trials.

Through the Holy Spirit in us, we can live, not only with our eyes fixed on the cross and the redemption we have from our sin, but we can fix our eyes on our resurrected and glorified Lord. Through his Spirit, rivers of living water will flow. His ultimate sender is the Son, but the blessings of his ministry will flow from you to me and from me to you. It will flow between us and overflow to our community around us.

An old song came to mind this week. A 1970's children's song. "I've got a river of life flowing out of me." Some of you are old enough to remember it. Do you remember the chorus? "Spring up, O well, within my soul; Spring up, O well, and make me whole; Spring up, O well, and give to me; That life abundantly"

May that river of life, God's Spirit, abundantly minister in us and through us as we drink of the living waters of Christ. Amen?

Divided Responses

Now, we're not done. Here's where we are. Jesus made an astonishing offer. For those who come to him and drink, out of their hearts will flow the living water of God's Spirit.

The question now is, how did the people respond? What did flow out of their hearts? Well for some it was curiosity, for another, it was an honest search. But for the priests and Pharisees, it was the exact opposite. Instead of rivers of living water, out of their hearts flowed hatred and bitterness.

Let's consider those three categories in verse 40-52. (1) those intrigued by Jesus, (2) those who outright reject him, and (3) those honestly evaluating.

That first group, those who are intrigued, find Jesus very interesting. He has interesting things to say. He's some kind of prophet. In verse 40, some said that he is THE prophet. That's a reference to Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy that a Prophet would come after him. Others said, "This is the Christ." That may include some who truly believed. But we get the sense that it's just an external observation. After all, the apostle John does not use his favorite word, believe. He just notes that some "said" he was the Christ.

I think we should also put the temple officers into this first category. Last week, we read that the chief priests and Pharisees sent the temple officers to arrest Jesus. These were Levites assigned to temple security. But notice that they did not arrest Jesus. And what was their reason? Verse 46, "No one ever spoke like this man!" They could not do what they were commanded to do because they were amazed by his teaching and authority.

This first group is marked by an external recognition that Jesus is unique. He plays some important role in God's purposes. But they had yet to take the next step toward belief. I suspect some will.

That brings us to the second group mentioned here - the chief priests and Pharisees. They are not intrigued by Jesus one bit. There is no possibility in their minds that he may truly be the Son of God. Their hearts are hard. Multiple times in these verses they react to even the suggestion that Jesus may be legitimate or the desire to consider his claims. And think about this: these were the very men who presided over the water ceremony at the feast. Some even participated in the water being poured out on the altar day after day, but they could not recognize the living water standing in their own temple courts

Look at what they said to the officers that did not arrest Jesus. They said, "Have you also been deceived?" They then appealed to their own authority and they literally cursed the crowd. Verse 49, they said, "this crowd that does not know the law [you know, like they do] is accursed.”

Think about the contrast between the hearts of the Pharisees and the hearts of those who would come to Jesus. Those who believe in Jesus are promised rivers of living water flowing from their hearts. Yet, out of the hearts of the Pharisees and chief priests came deceit and anger.

And look how they responded to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was one of them. All Nicodemus wanted to do was judge fairly. But the Pharisees responded, "Are you from Galilee, too?" That's a classic ad hominem. They attacked Nicodemus for merely suggesting that Jesus deserved a fair hearing. They just wanted to kill Jesus. Rather than rivers of living water, out of their hearts flowed rivers of hate and self-serving unbelief.

Out of some hearts will flow love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those fruits of the Spirit, identified in Galatians 5, will flow forth from those who have been given the Spirit - those who believe.

But out of the hearts of these so-called leaders of Israel flow self-idolatry, enmity, strife, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy.

Out of one flows fresh, clean water, spiritual water, that is life giving and quenches the soul, yet out of the other, stagnant, poisoned water that accuses and kills.

Which brings us to the third response. I've already mentioned Nicodemus, but let's consider his response more thoroughly. In fact, I think Nicodemus was originally in that first category. He was intrigued. Back in chapter 3, as Coleman reminded us last week, Nicodemus had sought Jesus out at night. Something compelled Nicodemus to want to know more. But he didn't understand when Jesus told him he needed to be born again. He had yet to believe. But in these verses Nicodemus has moved from being intrigued to honestly desiring to evaluate Jesus' claims. He even defended Jesus, asking that he be given a fair hearing.

We get the clear sense that Nicodemus was a man of integrity. Even though he was a teacher of Israel and part of the Sanhedrin, he wanted to know the truth. In verse 51, look what he says to his fellow Pharisees, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" Do you hear his honest desire to know the truth?

I want to remind you that John wrote his Gospel primarily for Jews of the later first century. John has been revealing who Jesus is as the Messiah. And he wants his readers to have an open heart and mind like Nicodemus. John wants his readers to give Jesus a hearing, as verse 51 says. Really, John wants them to believe, but at this point in the book, he just wants them to take a step forward and truly evaluate Jesus for who he is. As Coleman pointed out last week, some of you here are like Nicodemus and have an honest heart and seek to live a life of integrity. But you've yet to respond to Jesus calling to come to him and drink. Will you evaluate Jesus' claims and calling?

You know, as we move forward in the Gospel of John, one thing that we'll see is that the two neutral responses to Jesus will go away - both the intrigued by Jesus' response and the honest search response. The temple officers will be forced to choose. And Nicodemus himself will be called to account. What will they decide? We'll find out in chapters 18 and 19. What will you decide?

So where does that leave us? Well, Jesus is still standing and calling out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink." The water that he gives will never run dry, because it is nothing less than the Holy Spirit, poured out from our risen and glorified Lord, applying all the riches of his death and resurrection to thirsty souls.

And so, will you stand at a distance, intrigued but uncommitted? Will you be like Nicodemus, honestly seeking him out, but not yet willing to come to him and drink. Or will you drink of his life-giving stream? For those of you who have, the promise is yours: out of your heart will flow rivers of living water. The Spirit of truth and grace will flow in you and through you, forever. Amen.

This sermon focuses on the perfect judgment of God in his Word and through his works. In John 7:14–24, Jesus rebukes the Jewish leaders for judging his words (teaching) and works (healing) by self-serving and hypocritical motives rather than by judging from a pure heart with "right judgment" (John 7:24).