Resume of a Savior

And turn to John chapter 8. And if you hear a funny sound,
it could be the sound of my knees knocking together, because I’m
going to do this morning something that I I don’t know that I’ve
ever done it. I certainly don’t think that
I’ve ever done it intentionally, where I took a passage of scripture
and I intentionally did not preach it. But that’s what I’m going
to do with the first 11 verses of John’s Gospel. Some of you
have been familiar with this. Most of your Bibles will say
something to the effect that most manuscripts do not include
this passage. Mine just says that later manuscripts
add this story. It’s the story of the woman taken
in adultery, and most people are very familiar with it. And
the issue is that most Ancient manuscripts completely
omit this story. It came in at a much, much later
period, and was probably an edition inserted by a scribe, perhaps
even well-meaning, believing this account to be true and legitimate. And yet, finding it dislocated,
not knowing exactly where to put it, he just appended it to
the end of chapter 7 or what became the beginning of John
chapter 8. As I indicated, a lot of late
manuscripts, and what we have, when I talk about manuscripts,
it’s not like you can go to various old, dusty, musty libraries in
the bottom of some cathedral somewhere and find entire volumes,
entire Bibles intact. What you have in most cases is
fragments or portions of biblical text and what we’re able to do
now through 2,000 years of scholarship is take those pieces and, as
it were, lay one atop the other and compare with other manuscripts. That is the issue. That is essentially
the introductory thought. If I were to get a little more
specific, let me answer the question, what? The bottom line here is
that the number of what we call readings, the various readings
in this section, very large, so large that one said that we
don’t even have enough data to construct a satisfactory text. In other words, you can’t even
really compile from the oldest manuscripts even a basic framework
for this passage. As one wrote, even more significant
is the absence of any commentary on this section by Greek commentators
for a thousand years after Christ. That is significant. It’s as
if early writers knew nothing about this passage. No comment
on the section by Greek commentators who deal with the Gospel verse
by verse. The earliest Greek writer who
comments on it lived about 1118. And even He says that the accurate copies
of the gospel do not contain it. In fact, no English version
of the scriptures, and we realize here you’re only talking about
200 years, no English version prior to the King James of 1611
even recognized this section. And so if that is the what, what’s
the issue? Well, manuscript evidence is
lean, no commentary on the passage. It is a very questionable passage
of scripture that was likely inserted. And so, if I may, let
me answer the question, so what? Well, these 11 passages, or 11 verses,
rather, The question that has to be raised
is whether they were ever really part of John’s gospel as it was
written. As one said, it’s one of the
most difficult and doubtful questions in all of biblical studies. The evidence that we just talked
about is against it, and yet the internal evidence, what we
call the internal evidence, the flavor of this story, style of it, even the tone of
the Pharisees and that of Christ, it sounds like scripture to us. One summarized it simply, on
internal grounds it is historical, it sounds like scripture. On
critical grounds it is not John’s. Who was the author, and how did
it work its way into John’s gospel? Those are very crucial questions. These 11 verses pose one of the
most difficult questions in all of biblical studies. Another
writer wrote simply, of the various questions which arise respecting
the paragraph, one at least may be answered with something like
certainty, that it is no part of the Gospel of John. Both in
tone and style, it is very unlike his writings. It breaks the course
of the narrative by severing the two closely connected declarations,
chapter 7, verse 14 through 52, and chapter 8, verse 12 and following. What you have said another in
a single sentence, is one of the most striking instances of
an undoubted addition to the original text of the Gospel narratives. This, the bottom line here is
that this very fascinating, very interesting, even in some cases
beloved passage Another writer, scholar, stated
it this way. A majority of the best biblical
scholars agree that this narrative, though of apostolic antiquity,
I’ll come back to that in a moment, though of apostolic antiquity,
could scarce have been written by John. There could be no reasonable
doubt of its forming a true part of gospel history. The only questions
are to its authorship and place. What he says is, when he mentions
apostolic antiquity, there is strong evidence to suggest that
this was a well-known story, a well-known narrative, a tradition,
if you will, that was carried forth like all of the rest of
the New Testament. The only issue was that Matthew
didn’t include it in his gospel, nor did Mark, nor did Luke, nor
did John. And so some scholar came along
with this very well-known narrative, very popular, probably told in
congregations frequently, and he inserted it here in John’s
Gospel. One last scholar, if you will,
on this issue of, so what? He said it this way, the textual
evidence makes it impossible to hold that this section is
an authentic part of the gospel. It is not attested in the oldest
manuscripts, and when it does make its appearance, we sometimes
find it in other portions of scripture. One of the frequent
places where this section is placed is in Luke’s gospel in
some manuscripts. it seems clear enough that those
scribes who felt it too important to be lost were not at all sure
where to attach it. And so the what is this very
unsupported passage of scripture. The so what is we have a legitimate
issue on our hands and the only thing left to answer is now what? What do we do with it? As I’ve already indicated, there’s
strong evidence that this passage, chapter 8, verse 1 through 11,
and really, you would have to throw chapter 7, verse 53 in
with that, because it is part of that unit. We definitely believe
that it’s old. We have a strong belief that
it is called the Apostolic Age. And
it preserves an incident in the Lord Jesus Christ’s life that
is important. It is, I think it teaches a great
and solid lesson. But the bottom line, it is not,
as one said, come to us from the pen of the Apostle John. Throughout the history of the
Church, The church has maintained that
whoever wrote this, they don’t know. They do believe, the church
has believed that the story is true and authentic. It rings
true. It is not surprising to find
people behaving as they do. As one concluded, it is thus
worth our while to study, though not as an authentic part of John’s
gospel. A.W. Pink, solid scholar, wrote,
as we study these 11 verses and study their contents, it will
be evident to every spiritual intelligence that no uninspired
pen drew the picture therein described. In other words, A.W.
Pink says, this is scripture, it’s just not scripture. Pastor and scholar said this
passage was most likely not part of John’s gospel, yet it is beyond
doubt an authentic fragment of apostolic tradition. That describes
an actual historical event from Christ’s life. It contains no
teaching that contradicts the rest of Scripture. The picture
it paints is that of a wise, loving, forgiving Savior. Consistent
with the Bible’s portrait of Jesus Christ, the story was most
likely history, a piece of oral tradition circulated in the parts
of the Western Church. And so, the so what comes to
me? And as I’ve already indicated,
I’ve tipped my hand. I will preach this passage. I’m not going to preach it here
in this section. I’m not going to interrupt the
flow of what I believe is John’s gospel. I think what we’ll do,
perhaps on Sunday, where we are at a pause, I may take up John chapter 8, verse 1 through 11,
and I may preach that on another occasion. I do believe that it
is a legitimate story of Christ. I just don’t believe that it’s
part of John’s gospel. And in order to honor John’s
gospel, I’ll honor this passage on another occasion. If you would,
though, I want you to just read with me this passage so that
we can honor it in that sense as we lead into the passage that
we’ll consider this morning. But Jesus went to the Mount of
Olives early in the morning. He came again to the temple.
And all the people were coming to him. And he sat down and began
to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees
brought a woman caught in adultery. And having sent her in the center
of the court, they sent to him a teacher. This woman has been
caught in adultery in the very act. Now in the law, Moses commanded
us to stone such women What then do you say? They were saying
this, testing him, so that they might have grounds for accusing
him. But Jesus stooped down, and his
finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking
him, he straightened up and said to them, he who is without sin
among you, let him be the first to throw a stone. Again, he stooped down and wrote
on the ground. When they heard it, they began
to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones. And he was
left alone. And the woman, where she was,
in the center of the court, straightening up, Jesus said to her, woman,
where are they? Did no one condemn you? She said,
no one, Lord. And Jesus said, I do not condemn
you either. Go. From now on, sin no more. But once that passage is omitted,
really what is preserved is the natural flow of the passage. We have been tracking Jesus during
the Festival of Booths, the Feast of the Tabernacles, where they
would make these tents, and Jesus knew that he was walking in a
hostile environment, We have traced and tracked His every
step during the course of that very striking scene, confronted
by those who He knows are already plotting and planning His death,
and yet with great courage and tremendous mercy, Christ continues
to preach and proclaim the Gospel. If you stand back and just remember
back as we course through chapters five through seven, you have
an intensifying, or rather an intensifying flavor to the conflict
that is taking place. Even that initial conflict, the
healing of a man by the well, it started as really just irritation,
then it grew into plot for a murder. Chapters 5 and 6, there’s grumbling
that takes place. But now the grumbles grow into
a routine and regular interruption, a flat-out hostile takeover of
the conversation and the nature of it. If you would, I want to
pick up just the last few verses of John chapter 7 and I want
to glide more naturally into John chapter 8 beginning in verse
12. Now the last thing that Jesus
says in John chapter 7 is essentially the gospel. Look at verse 37
of chapter 7. Now on the last Jesus stood and cried out, saying,
if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who
believes in me, as the scripture said, from his innermost being
will flow rivers of living water. Well, that produces a great conflict. And ultimately, that culminates
with Nicodemus coming to his defense, so to speak, half-heartedly,
mind you. would pick it up in verse 50
and then glide right into chapter 8. Nicodemus, he who came to
him before, being one of them, said to them, Our law does not
judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is
doing, does it? They answered him, You are not
also from Galilee, are you? Search and see that no prophet
arises out of Galilee. Everyone went to his own home. Then Jesus again spoke to them,
saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will
not walk into darkness, but will have the light of life. So the
Pharisees said to him, You are testifying about yourself. Your
testimony is not true. Jesus answered and said to them,
Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know
where I come from and where I am going. But you do not know where
I am coming from. come from, or where I am going,
you judge according to the flesh. I am not judging anyone, but
even if I do judge, my judgment is true. For I am not alone in
it, but I am the Father who sent me. Even in your law it has been
written that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who
testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies
about me. So they were saying to him, where
is your father? Jesus answered, you neither know
me nor my father. If you knew me, you would know
my father also. These words he spoke in the treasury
as he taught in the temple, and no one sees him, because his
hour had not yet come. Then he said again to them, I
go away, and you will seek me and will die in your sin, where
I am going you cannot come. So the Jews were saying, surely
he will not kill himself, will he? Since he says where I am
going you cannot come. And he was saying to them, you
are from below, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not
of this world. Therefore I said to you that
you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I
am he, you will So they were saying to Him, Who
are You? Jesus said to them, What have I been saying to you
from the beginning? I have many things to teach and
to judge concerning you. But He who sent Me is true, and
the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world. They did not realize that He
had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, When
you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He. And
I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the
Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me.
He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are
pleasing to Him. As He spoke these things, many
came to believe in Him. So Jesus was saying to those
Jews who had believed in Him, If you continue in My Word, then
you are truly disciples of mine. And you will know the truth,
and the truth will make you free. Now at that particular juncture,
it’s where the proverbial wheels come off the bus, because from
that point, the conversation is hijacked, and it really turns
into more of an inquisition. Up to this point, Jesus is on
offense. Jesus is making a series of statements,
some of which are challenged, but Jesus is on the offense. Beginning in verse 33, though,
everything changes. And Jesus is being questioned
and queried. He’s on the defense, as it were.
He still takes hold of the opportunity that is before him, but not like
these first verses, verse 12 through 32. In these particular
verses, Jesus is, as I said, He’s on the offense, and what
He’s doing is making a series of statements about Himself.
He’s introducing Himself, if you will. He is laying out to
those who would listen the resume of a Savior. And He really presents to us
five statements. The first of which is, that Jesus
Christ is the light of the world. The second statement comes in
verse 14 through 18, that Jesus Christ is backed by the Heavenly
Father. Down in verse 21, Jesus makes
another statement about himself, that Jesus Christ’s home is in
heaven. Then in verse 28 Jesus makes
another statement that Jesus Christ fulfills God’s plan of
redemption. Then in verse 31 Jesus makes
his last uncontested statement before really chaos ensues and
his detractors begin to just heifer him with questions at
every turn. mark of a Savior, His resume,
if you will, is that Jesus Christ came to set men free. Well, that’s the outline for
the next couple of weeks. We want to look first at the
offense. Jesus Christ is on offense. Jesus Christ is proclaiming to
all who would listen His resume, why they should listen to Him,
why it’s important to attend to Him, where Jesus Christ declares that
He is the light of the world. Look at verse 12, Then Jesus
again spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have
the light of life. And Jesus says that I am the
light of the world. He is echoing what John, in his
opening of this Gospel, has already declared to us. John was telling
people about Himself. There came a man sent from God
whose name was John, John the Baptist. He came as a witness,
verse 7, to testify about the Light, the Lord Jesus Christ,
so that all might believe through Him. He was not the Light, but
He came to testify about the Light, There was the true light
which coming into the world enlightens every man. Jesus Christ was the
light and life of the world. He came in to teach the world,
and that would address the light element, but He also came as
light. He came to address the issue
of sin in the world. Some have wondered, really fit in the Feast of the
Tabernacles. One of the characteristic features
of the Feast of the Tabernacles was that on several of the early
nights of that week-long feast, they would light these series
of candelabras that were in the Court of the Women. They were
very large, made of gold, And they illuminated not only the
court, but for any who were outside of the temple region, they could
see this very bright glow from the temple. There are those who
believe, and I think it’s a very, I don’t see any reason not to
believe, that that is the image that Jesus is seizing upon. These golden, lampstands had
been ceremonially lit in the course of observing this feast.
The whole purpose of these lights was to serve as a reminder. A
reminder of the pillar of fire that God had used in the wilderness
to guide the nation of Israel. And so these candelabra were
really meant to be symbolic. They were meant to symbolize
God’s light and His guidance over the centuries. The candelabra
represented the light that was given by the pillar of fire,
and Jesus exclaims that He is even a better representation
of that truth. In fact, He is the true fulfillment
of that guiding light. The Jews had for centuries believed giving them light. It’s a very
common theme in the Psalms. Psalm 21. The Lord is my light
and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Isaiah 60. No longer will you have the sun
for light by day, nor for brightness. Will the moon give you light?
But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light and for
your God. landed upon those ideas and essentially
came to the conclusion that even the word light was to be one
of the names of the Messiah. Isaiah 42.6, I am the Lord, I
called you in righteousness, I will hold you by the hand.
and watch over you. I will appoint you as a covenant
to the people, as a light to the nation. So Israel itself
was to be a light, but they were also to host the one who was
the light. Isaiah 49.6 is a too small a
thing, that you should be my servant to raise up tribes of
Jacob. I will also make you a light
of the nation, so that my salvation shall reach to the end of the
earth. The Messiah himself was to emanate
light throughout the nation to the other nations. And so light
was one of the names of the Messiah. So when Jesus Christ declares,
I am the light of the world, He was really telling them that
He was, in very fact, deity. I am the light of the world.
He who walks in Me will not walk in the darkness. Now, that seems
like a very evident metaphor. light and darkness. That darkness representing moral
evil, it’s a very common theme in John’s Gospel, we’ll come
to that in a moment. But the way to avoid that moral
darkness, that realm of Satan, is to follow Christ. He who follows me will not Following Christ isn’t just having
a good idea about Christ, a friendly thought of Him. It is believing
in who He is. It is placing one’s entire faith. Following is the same as believing
here in this passage. It is a trusting. It is placing
one’s entire faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a following
of the Savior in every way shape and form. Jesus says, I am the light of
the world. He who follows me will not walk
in darkness. To follow Jesus is to walk in
the light. And the figurative metaphor there
of walking is meant to speak of our conduct in general. that
everything we do, everything that we’re about is about Christ. It’s about the Lord Jesus. It’s
about following Him and obeying Him and honoring Him and glorifying
Him. As one said, because the believer
follows the One who is light, the Lord Jesus. He does not grow. his way in doubt and uncertainty,
but he sees where he’s going. He enjoys the light of God’s
countenance. I am the light of the world,
Jesus said. He who follows me will not walk
in darkness, but will have the light of life. In other words,
this life is a spiritual, life-giving force To come to Christ is not
just to be enlightened, but it is to come to Christ for life
itself. J.C. Ryle, faithful preacher
and commentator, said here, the spiritual light that Christ gives
is independent of time or place. It is not affected by sickness
or death. It burns on forever. It cannot
be quenched. He that has it shall feel light
within his mind, his heart, his conscience. He will have light
before him, light shining around him, guiding him on his journey
through life, and shall reflect by his conduct, ways, and conversation.”
In other words, he becomes an emanating source of that light,
does the believer. This is exactly what Paul had
in mind in 2 Corinthians 4. God who says, ìLight shall shine
out of darknessî is the One who has shown in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of the Gospel in the
face of Christ. And so true for Him. Just as
they had when Christ beckoned sinners to come to Him, to come
to Him and drink to come to Him and receive forgiveness. In the
face of this incredible proclamation, I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life. You would have thought that everybody
in His hearing would have fallen down in recognition of the fact
that Jesus Christ’s teaching is interrupted
once again. It’s not chaos. Not yet. But chaos is coming, as we said
in verse 33. But look at verse 13, where we
have this just almost uncouth challenge to Jesus’ testimony. So the Pharisees said to Him,
You are testifying about Yourself. Your testimony is not true. They
completely miss the whole subject of light and darkness. They don’t
even comment on that. And instead, they go to a legal
technicality. The Pharisees, they wanted to do
away with this gospel preaching, just as they had before, where
they tried and in various measures in vain,
to interrupt Christ and to sidetrack Christ off of preaching the Gospel. And what they’ve done, too, is
that same attempt that they had made before, that if Jesus Christ
testified alone to His claims, His testimony was not to be believed. It was supposed to be could even
be disregarded in a court of law. Doesn’t mean that what he
was saying wasn’t true. It just means that it wasn’t
acceptable. It wasn’t legitimate. It was subjective. We have relatively
the same standard in our day, that if you’re going to stand
and testify of something in a court of law, you better have supporting
witnesses. One commentator said, no man
can bear testimony of himself. He knew His Father. He knew His
origin. He knew His destiny. He knew
the relation which is life and death sustain the world. Jesus enters in. What we’ve already
identified is the second element on His resume. He’s already told
us that He is the light of the world. And now in verse 14, Jesus
says that He is backed, fully supported by the Heavenly Father.
After all, he was sent by him. Look at verse 14. Jesus answered
and said to them, even if I testify about myself, my testimony is
true, for I know where I came from, and I know where I’m going,
but you do not know where I come from or where I’m going. Earlier, in chapter five, he
even He agreed that one witness standing
alone has no credibility, but he goes on to say that he
is divine, he is of divine origin. It’s not that the rules don’t
apply, but it’s not that Jesus Christ is without mark of His own deity. But He came before them, stood
before them as God, declaring Himself to be the Messiah. And
He knew exactly what His origins were, like no one else did except
the Father. He knew exactly where He was
going. He knew exactly where this would end. And Jesus Christ
stands as God before them and declares that. Even if I testify
about myself, my testimony is true. Look at verse 15. You judge according to flesh. You look and you see, or at least
you think that you see, because all you really see is the physical
realm. You’re judging according to outward
appearance. sinful flesh, as you assume, and you’re judging me as another
mere man, and it doesn’t apply. You’re judging according to the
flesh. I am not judging anyone. Now, don’t get hung up on that.
It’s not that Jesus Christ will not ever judge. He just is really
indicating what John has already reported. God did not send the
Son into the world to judge the world, John 3, 17, but that the
world might be saved through Him. His purpose here on this
particular mission is one of salvation, not judgment. But
in their case, their judgment was so limited. It’s limited
to all that they see before their noses. They don’t know about
eternity past. They don’t know about eternity
future. They don’t know about the nature of the One standing
before them. As I said, Jesus Christ will
judge one day. It even indicates that in verse
16. Even if I do judge, my judgment
is true, for I am not alone in it, but I am the Father who sent
me. He goes back to that same idea
that we’ve looked at so many times. Jesus says, I’m not here
to judge. I don’t judge. But if I do, when
I do, His judgment is absolutely perfect. It is righteous judgment. And
it is totally in concert with that of the Heavenly Father. God is acting in exact and perfect
union with Almighty God Himself. And so they look at Him. And
they see that He is just, as it were, a man standing before
them, but the fact is, God Almighty, God His Father, is behind Him. He is with Him. He is fully backed
by Almighty God, and that validates the testimony before His enemies,
even as He speaks. Look at verse 17. Even in your
law, it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. So that was their standard, right? Deuteronomy 19, Deuteronomy 17.
We looked at these several weeks ago. Deuteronomy 17.6. On the
evidence of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to
die should be put to death. So you need it. If you’re going
to go to a capital crime, you really need a multiplicity of
witnesses. Deuteronomy 19. A single witness
shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or
any sin which he has committed. If you’re going to make a really
severe charge, you better have some supporting witnesses. Jesus
acknowledges that that is a legal principle. Here’s his point. If that applies to men, In other words, if two men are
able to stand up, utter the same testimony, and their testimony
is received as being factual, what would it mean if there were
two members of the Godhead testifying the same thing? That’s the point
that Jesus is making. The law of standard was that
the testimony of two individuals was required, and if two individuals,
two humans, could testify legitimately, then how about two members of
the Godhead, Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father? That’s essentially
what He says in verse 18, I am He who testifies about myself,
there’s my witness, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.
In fact, the Heavenly Father could
testify to things that no human ever could. Not even John the
Baptist. Unless the Lord gave him a particular
message, only the Heavenly Father could testify about eternity
past. Only the Heavenly Father could
talk about Christ’s origin. Only the Heavenly Father could
talk about Christ’s heavenly destiny. Only the Heavenly Father
could talk about Jesus Christ ordained mission of redemption. Only the Heavenly Father could
really speak to Christ’s divine nature. Do you remember the other
witnesses, the supporting witnesses that Jesus has already detailed? Flip back if you would to John
chapter 5. Jesus was facing the same question
there. And he basically said, look,
if all I did was testify of myself, I realize that my testimony would
not be admissible in a court of law. I realize that. But I’m not alone in my testimony.
First of all, look at verse 31. It’s a continuation of the answer
which really began all the way back in verse 19. If I alone
testify about myself, my testimony is not true. not admissible in
a court of law. There is another who testifies.
I do have witnesses. In fact, I have a line of them
waiting just outside the door of the courtroom. There is another
who testifies of me, and I know the testimony which he gives
about me is true. And he goes on to list them.
First of all, John the Baptist. You said to John he testified
to the truth. In fact, remember, they even
sought out John because they found him to be a truthful witness.
The other element that Jesus says are a testimony to him is
the works that he did, the miracles that he performed. Look at verse
36. The testimony which I have is greater than the testimony
of John for the works which the Father has given me to accomplish.
The very works that I do testify about me. Jesus has supporting
witnesses. And as if He needed any further,
He points to the very same witness that He points to here in John
chapter 8. The Father. Look at verse 37. The Father who sent Me, He has
testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice
at any time nor seen His form. Up to that point. Well, the Heavenly
Father testified of Christ back, if you would, to John chapter
8. Matthew 3.17, at His baptism,
this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. That was the occasion of His
baptism, but also through the centuries, the testimony of the
prophets that foretold of Christ, the testimony of the apostles
that spoke for Him, especially that of John the Baptist. Just
listen. to John chapter 1 verse 32, John
testified, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove
out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize
Him, but He who sent Me to baptize in water said to Me, He upon
whom You see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this
is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. I Myself have seen
and without corroborating witness.
The miracles that He wrought, as we just saw a moment ago,
Jesus had all kinds of witnesses. And then just the divine presence. The people who were around Him
so often knew that they were in God’s presence, that He was
with them. Now you would think, I am He who testifies about Myself,
and the Father who sent Me testifies of Me.” You would think there
would be just utter quiet, right? You know what, Jesus? At least we need to examine,
step back, examine the witnesses as You’ve laid them out before
us. They can’t do it. They will not do it. Look at
verse 19. They were saying to him, where
is your father? Now, some of you are so sweet
that even the reading of that, you want to read into it, you
can’t even put yourself in their shoes. And the question, you
just have to know, was almost certainly not asked with a mild
tone. Oh, Jesus. Please, show us your
Heavenly Father. Could we meet Him? We’d love
to talk with Him. The tone is probably just a harsh,
distrustful, hateful, sarcastic tone. Where is your Father as
they looked around? Where is He if you say that you
have this witness? They know already. They know
that Jesus claims about the Father sending them. Jesus has reiterated
that fact from the start. They know that He claims to be
of heavenly origin. And so this question is just
one of utter mockery. You say that you have another
witness. Where is he? Jesus answered at the end of
verse 19, You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me,
you would know My Father also. Jesus points to the fact that
He came to reveal the Heavenly Father. He came to let the world
know about the nature of God. One Puritan said that ignorance
of Christ and ignorance of God are inseparably connected. Do you realize that? Ignorance
of Christ and ignorance of God are inseparably connected. The man who thinks he knows anything
rightly of God while he is ignorant of Christ is completely deceived. Christ is the way by which we
must come to the knowledge of God. And you know what this does? It destroys not only the idea
of deism, well I believe in God, as if that’s going to do anything
for you upon your death. It destroys anything outside
of an absolute confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
and in Him alone. Faith alone in Christ alone. It destroys everything else outside
of Christianity. And then John, the apostle John,
enters in just this brief little piece of information in verse
20. Important. These words he spoke
in the treasure, Chapter 7, doesn’t it? These
words he spoke in the treasuries he taught in the temple, and
no one sees them because his hour had not yet come. In the
court of the women, same place where the candelabra were, and
all against the walls were placed these metal chests. And they had these openings that
were almost trumpet-shaped, as they are described. They were
receptacles for the offering. And we’ve talked about this before,
in these bronze chests, to place a coin into the trumpet would
make quite a racket. And that’s why Jesus rebukes
the Pharisees in their grandiose show of bringing their offering.
That’s not our point here. The point is, that’s where they
are. They’re really near the offering
area. Nine of these casks or trunks
where worshipers would bring their offering and then four
of them were for what was referred to as free will offerings. And
they were placed there so that those could bring their offerings.
Mark 12 points to this specifically when he says that Jesus sat down
opposite the treasury, same place. and began observing how the people
were putting money into the treasury, and how many rich people were
putting in large sums. You know, you’d go cash it in
and get all pennies, so they would make lots of money. That’s where he is. He’s teaching
in the temple, just as he was in John chapter 7. And no one
sees him. We know they have motive. We
know that they have a desire. They have a plot, all made ready. No one sees them. Here he is
in the temple. If there was ever cause to arrest
a heretic, if there was ever cause to arrest somebody who
was claiming things that were improper, this was not only the
cause but the place. No one sees them. As one said, this plainly intimates
that the Pharisees were greatly incensed at what Christ had said.
And had it been possible, they would have at once subjected
it to violence. But it was not possible. And
it never would have been possible unless God had withdrawn His
restraining hand. See, there was a particular fixed
moment in God’s timetable where God would remove that restraining
grace, and would allow Christ to be seized, there would be
an hour for Christ, and His time is coming. And until then, He wants to tell
everyone, including even those who are so contrary to Him. He
wants to tell them who He is. He wants to tell them, and give
them, and present to them the resume of a Savior. We’ll take
up the third next Wednesday. Let’s examine our hearts. O merciful God, we humble ourselves
before our Lord Jesus Christ. And for those who have already
placed their faith in Him, we know that He is the light. We
know that we no longer walk in darkness. As you drew us near
to Yourself in our deadness and sin. We saw it for the first
time, how ugly, how horrific it was. Lord, and then we discovered
that that very sin had sent our Lord Jesus to the cross to pay
for our sin while we were yet sinners. Oh Lord God, we thank
You and we praise You for this truth that we’ve come to know
that Jesus Christ is light and in Him there is no darkness at
all. Jesus Christ is perfectly pure. And He came to shine that light
in our own hearts and minds. But then as we’ve come to know
Him, You have begun to shine Your light through us. You’ve
begun to eradicate that sinful pattern that we manifested and
you begun to shine your light to others who do not know Christ.
Father, are there any outside of Christ today? Deism is no answer. A basic belief
in God is no help. If we have not placed our faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in unsavable darkness, and
it is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we are
ever rescued. Lord, if there are any who do
not know Christ, we pray that You would seize upon them, take
hold of their hearts, bring them to knees of repentance for their
sin and their sinfulness, As we close, if you would take
your bulletins and let’s stand together as we sing the perfect
hymn.