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conference and returned and dealt
with a familiar and I think a helpful passage of scripture last Lord’s
Day, but we want to return to the Gospel of John for more and
additional help from this incredible chapter, chapter 10, which we
have been considering for several weeks. It is the articulation
of Christ’s proclamation of identifying himself as the Good Shepherd,
that is the context. And we have seen it in various
weeks that essentially there is a contrast that is played
and flushed out in full, that there was a contrast between
Christ, the Good Shepherd, and the shepherds of his day, and
even the shepherds throughout the history of Israel, indeed
many shepherds throughout the history of religious activity. The first identifying mark that
we saw in this contrast that Jesus puts forth is the very
different characteristics, the very different tactics of these
so-called shepherds who really were no more than thieves and
robbers. Jesus, on the other hand, cares
for his sheep. And he painted this just heartwarming
picture that really was very likely drawn from and certainly
in concert with Psalm 23, which by God’s providence was read
today. Jesus is the good shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd takes
his sheep and places them safely in a pen overnight where they
are overseen by a single shepherd overseeing multiple flocks. He
returns the next day and calls them by name and they follow
him. It’s a beautiful image. Jesus
ultimately says that he is the door of the sheep. He is the
means that those sheep have in access to God. Well, we saw not
only the thieves very different tactics from Christ, coming only
to steal, only to climb over the wall and to steal and kill
and destroy. We saw their evil intentions
come out. Those evil intentions are alluded
to initially in verse 1, but then in verse 10, those evil
intentions are declared in full. The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy. The shepherd’s intentions are
quite different from those. The shepherd’s intentions we
see at the end of verse 10 and into verse 11, I came that they
may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd and the
good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep and he indicates
there by what means that abundant life would be given to the sheep. It is none other than salvation
about which Christ speaks. It is redemption unto salvation,
unto eternal life, redemption from sin, imparting God’s grace. And so it’s not just a better
life. It was sad to see how many throughout
history had articulated what the abundant life is, as if it’s
just a better version of Christianity or a better version of life.
It is life itself. It is salvation. It is life in
Christ. But we see that there was not
one, not two, but three contrasts, not only very different approaches
to the sheep, very different intentions with the sheep, very different devotion to the
sheep. We see the heartless negligence
of these wicked shepherds, the hired hands that merely see a
wolf coming and abandon the flock readily. They really have no
heart concern for the sheep. The sheep, after all, don’t belong
to them. They didn’t pay for them. They
didn’t work for them. They didn’t earn them. They could
care less if the sheep are ultimately lost. Jesus Christ, on the other
hand, the good shepherd, is very different from that. Good Shepherd
knows His own sheep. He knows them intimately and
deeply as well as the Father and Son know one another. What
an amazing thought. I know my own and my own know
me, verse 14, even as the Father knows me and I know the Father.
Jesus Christ knows His sheep and they know Him. What a glorious
thought that is. We know Christ. Well, Jesus ends his very lengthy
metaphor about the shepherd and the sheep and the flock and the
wolves and the lousy shepherds with whom he was in contrast.
And as we might imagine, there was a little bit of a bit of
a offense taken at his little illustration. These Pharisees
knew exactly who he was talking about. There was no ambiguity
as Jesus wraps up his story. They knew exactly that he was
pointing the finger at them as he had at the shepherds throughout
Israel’s history. False shepherds, foolish shepherds,
evil, heartless shepherds. There were no shepherds at all. We pick up the new portion beginning
in verse 19. A division occurred again among
the Jews because of these words. Many of them were saying, he
has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to him? Others
were saying, these are not the sayings of one demon possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes
of the blind, can he? At that time, the Feast of the Dedication
took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was
walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews
then gathered around him and were saying to him, How long
will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you do not believe. The works that I do in my father’s
name, these testify of me. But you do not believe because
you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me. And I give eternal life to them. and they will never perish, and
no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” The
Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them,
I showed you many good works from the Father. For which of
them are you stoning me? The Jews answered him, for a
good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy. And because
you, being a man, make yourself out to be God. Jesus answered
them, has it not been written in your law, I said you are gods? If He called them gods to whom
the Word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken, do
you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the
world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not do the works of my
Father, do not believe me. But if I do them, Though you
do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and
understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
Therefore, they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded
their grasp. What an understatement that a
division arose about Christ. A division has always been about
Christ. almost from the earliest moments
of his ministry there was division and there was division unto his
death and following his death down even to this day there is
division as we’ll see in a moment. But Jesus in issuing forth this
incredible story this metaphor about a good shepherd and his
sheep and false shepherds and false ways There’s no doubt that Jesus fully
expected. Part of the reason that he told
the narrative was that there was to be division. When it says that a division
occurred again among the Jews because of these words, it points
back undoubtedly to his metaphor about the good shepherd. the
claim that he had just made, that he had the ability to lay
his life down and to take it up again. No one has that power. Their feeble minds heard the
words of Christ. As they listened to them, they
deemed them to be not merely foolish, but blasphemous. After all, why would a man lay
down his life? Why would he give up his life
only to take his life up again, as if it were some kind of magic
trick? There are many, sadly. Many of
us have known some of these in our day that have laid down their
life, committed suicide. The very intention of committing
suicide is not to return. What is this idea of laying down
one’s life only to take it back up again? It seemed absurd to the natural
mind. It seemed absurd to those who
were monitoring Jesus and critiquing Jesus. Every move, every word,
it seemed absolutely absurd. This idea posed at the end of
his great metaphor that he had the ability to take his life
give His life, sacrifice His life, and then just as quickly
take it up again. When it says that a division
arose again among the people, it basically is characterizing
Jesus’ ministry from the very start, as I said. In 743, John
743, there was division among the people. Everybody who was
listening to Him, there seemed to be a parting of the ways. A division occurred in the crowd
because of him. In the Pharisees there was almost
a chronic division. Just recently in John chapter
9, in the course of the healing of the blind man, it says that
some of the Pharisees were saying, this man is not from God because
he does not keep the Sabbath. But there was division. Not everybody
was critical of Christ’s work, even among the critical Pharisees. And it says that others were
saying, how can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?
The two things don’t make sense. The vision would continue throughout
Jesus’ ministry, ultimately to the cross, and even after the
cross. If you have the means quickly. Tuck something in John chapter
10 and turn back to Acts 28. Not far. To Acts 28. Did I say back? Turn forward
to Acts 28. Division has always attended
Christ. It has always attended Christianity. If you get to Acts 28, jump down
to verse 23. Here’s the Apostle Paul, and
this is essentially the wrap-up of the great ministry of the
book of Acts and all that had transpired, the planting of churches,
the salvation of souls, and here is Paul preaching his heart out
in Rome. Watch this. Verse 23, when they
had set a day for Paul, They came to him at his lodging in
large numbers and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying
about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning
Jesus from both the law of Moses and from the prophets from morning
until evening. Now don’t ever complain about
a one-hour sermon again, right? All day long and into the evening
Paul laid out the scriptures to them and pleaded There’s any
one sermon. I would have loved to have been
on the road to Emmaus to hear what Christ preached. I would
have loved to have been here. To hear Paul lay out God’s plan
of redemption from the Old Testament from start to finish, beginning
in Genesis, coursing through likely Isaiah. Would that have
been rich? Wouldn’t we have been convinced?
Wouldn’t we have been excited to sit at the feet of Paul and
hear this? Weren’t they thrilled that the
Apostle Paul, the greatest pastor, the greatest preacher and teacher
that the church had ever known? What was the response? Division. Some were being persuaded by
the things spoken, but others would not believe. And that’s
the key. There was division. Jesus was prophesied to be the
cause and causer of division, a stone of stumbling, a rock
of offense. He had been foretold as that
by many. Isaiah 8, He shall become a sanctuary
to both houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble
over. Even the Gospel of Luke, as it
articulates the coming of the Savior in that birth account,
records in verse 24 of chapter… 34 of chapter 2, Simeon, as he
beheld the Christ child, said, Behold, this child is appointed
for the fall and rise of many in Israel and for a sign to be
opposed. There’s always been division
over Christ and there always will be. Some of those who were present
back, if you will, to John chapter 10, some of those that were present
and listening to Christ brushed him off, judged him really as being nothing
short of insane or even demon possessed. The bottom line is they did not
and could not hear the shepherd’s call in their own heart. They
would not hear a call to repentance. They would not consider their
own sin and sinfulness. They would not fall on their
knees in reverence of God’s provided Messiah. But not everyone. And that is a pleasant part of
this story. Other people heard some of the
division. Other people heard some of the
criticisms of Christ and they listened to it and discovered
that the points that were being made didn’t add up. These things were inadequate
in their minds to ultimately explain away what was transpiring. That this individual before them
was saying some remarkable things Astounding things, shocking things. But he had done some equally
amazing things. And those two things were irreconcilable
in their minds. How could a person cure the blindness
of a man who had been born blind his whole life? How could he
cure that blindness and not be legitimate? They wondered. So that division continues down
to this day. A savor of life to some and a
savor of death to others, says Paul in 2 Corinthians. I love the way one commentator
put it, one line. He said, the same fire which
melts wax hardens clay. Amazing, isn’t it? You can read
the same tract two people reading the same tract. One of them will
reason and consider the things that are being uncovered to them. One will brush it off out of
hand. That’s exactly what’s transpiring
right before our eyes. Many of them are saying he has
a demon. That wasn’t the first time that they had alleged this
either. He’s a demon and he’s insane. Why do you listen to
him? They were wanting to secure the crowd. They were wanting
basically to seal Christ’s fate. They had alleged this already. John 7.20, you have a demon who
seeks to kill you. John 8.48, do we not rightly
say you are a Samaritan and have a demon? But even there, Perhaps some
people were standing back trying to reason away these miracles
that Christ had done because ultimately even a demon could
perform some kind of magical act, some alleged miracle. You think back to the Old Testament
and some of those fantastic things that were done in Egypt by some of the magicians. Well, demons can do a work and
so perhaps there were some that were ready to dismiss these things
out of hand as being none other than demonic and the words were
just confirming. But others looked at him and
they said, these are not the sayings of one demon possessed.
A demon cannot open the eyes of a blind man, can he? They began to look at the works.
They begin to look at what Jesus had did, not just listening to
His words, but also evaluating those amazing works, many works,
works that had been done in their midst. And they begin to defend Him.
And they argue that it just didn’t add up to criticize Jesus’ words
and discount these amazing miracles that He had done. As one said,
The devil and his agents do not desire to do good to man or glorify
God as his works did. In other words, Jesus had done some
amazing things, but there were good things, inherently good
things as we’ll see. Opening the eyes of a blind man
wasn’t a bad thing. That wasn’t indicative of an
evil man. And so John lays this context. He’s already told us about the
context of the shepherd. Now he’s told us at the end of
John chapter 10, the middle of John chapter 10, where there
is this division beginning to unfold over Jesus’ astounding
words about laying down his life, taking up his life for the sake
of his flock. And John wants to add one other
little short note. of context look at verse 22 at
that time the feast of dedication took place at Jerusalem it was
winter and Jesus was walking on in the temple in the portico
of Solomon now I don’t know the entirety of what John had in
mind why he inserts this note why he found that it was important
to include this note I think what he does at the very minimum
is say that there have been almost two months time elapsed Because
when we left off at the Feast of Tabernacles, that would be
about October, and now the Feast of Dedication is clearly tied
to the month of December. This Feast of Tabernacles was
not implemented by Moses. It was a feast that kind of occurred
like many of our things. It happened, a bit of a celebration. in the rebuilding, the restoration
of the temple after it was destroyed by Antiochus Epiphanes. And exactly three years later,
they had a celebration. And the celebration was so great
that not unlike what happens so often, it became an annual
event, a perpetual event that continues even to our own day.
It’ll begin to become clear when I tell you that it was an eight-day
festival, a joyous festival. in which the houses and buildings
were illuminated with candles and lights. And it always began
on the month of Kislev, December 25th, essentially their December
25th. And it’s still observed by Jewish
people today. We know it as Hanukkah. So the Jews take this occasion
to confront Christ again now months later. Look at verse 24.
The Jews gathered around him and were saying to him, how long
will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us
plainly. They literally circled around
him, almost like in gang fashion. They ganged up on him. Remember,
I mean, it’s understandable Jesus had already slipped out of their
midst on several occasions. And so they literally surround
him and confront him. And they put to him this straight
forward question. If you are the Christ, tell us
right now. Tell us plainly. Don’t keep us
hanging. Don’t tell us any more stories.
Don’t unfold any more narratives. Don’t do any more works. We want
to know right now, right here from your own lips, are you the
Messiah? We want to know. Essentially what they told Christ
in so many words is we just don’t have enough information. You
haven’t given us enough factual data. You haven’t unpacked it
for us and we haven’t heard it from your lips. I am the Christ. I am the Messiah. Tell us. And instead of doing that, Jesus
is going to prove Himself, He’s going to remind them of the proof
that He has already offered in the works that He has performed.
And in considering these, we will see three absolute validations
of Christ in the works that He has performed. First of all,
Jesus’ works absolutely represent the Father as a testimony. They represent the Father. Look
at verse 25. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you do not believe the works that I do in my Father’s name,
these testify of me. God had given Christ works to
do. He did them, represented or representing
rather, His Father. He did them on behalf of His
Father as a testimony of Himself and His own legitimacy. They
demand this clear pronouncement and Jesus basically tells them,
I’ve already told you. I’ve told you on many occasions.
And what they are is, what they’re doing here is they’re pretending,
feigning doubt. But Jesus knows their hearts,
remember? Jesus knows exactly where they are and He identifies
it as a complete lack of faith. A hardened heart. I told you
and you do not believe. You will not believe. Jesus had already told them.
He told them, if you remember in John chapter 5, when He declared
His equality with the Father. They didn’t appreciate that sermon
either. He told them in John chapter 6 when he proclaimed
that he was the true bread coming down out of heaven. He told them
when in John chapter 7 he testified that he was the living water. He told them when he introduced
himself in John chapter 8 as the light of the world. He told
them plainly just now as he articulated that he was the Good Shepherd.
He told them. But he also said he performed
works. I told you, and you do not believe,
the works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify of me. When
you talk about works, it really goes to all of what Jesus Christ
would do on earth, not just miracles, but certainly his crucifixion,
his death, burial, resurrection, all of the things that Jesus
accomplished as the Messiah. But he points here, certainly
including the miracles that he performed. And he says that they
were proof, proof enough that Jesus was the Christ standing
before them. In a sense, as one man once said,
what you do should speak so loudly that people don’t have to hear
what you say. He says, what I did was words enough. What I did
with my life, what I did, if you watched, was testimony enough. It is as if Jesus said the miracles
that he had already performed were enough to prove his messianic
nature. There would be no explaining
away some of the things that Jesus had done except that He
was the Messiah. But note, look at the works.
There were works that were done in His Father’s name. He says,
the works that I do in my Father’s name. God had sent Him. God had commissioned
Him. God had equipped Him. Jesus Christ
came as a representative of the Father, and His works were those
representation. As one pastor said, he was constantly
doing works in the name of his Father by His direction, in cooperation
with Him, with the purpose of revealing His power and love
and glory. These works had an evidentiary
value, clearly indicating that Jesus is the one commissioned
by the Father to carry out the plan of salvation. That was their
purpose. I mean, look at it again. He
said, these, these miracles, these works testify of me. They were as so many good witnesses
in a courtroom testifying, proclaiming that Jesus was indeed the Christ,
the Messiah. That was their purpose. That’s
why God gave them to Christ. God wanted people to believe.
He wants the people, even standing before Christ, ready to take
up stones to kill Him, He wants them to believe. He wants them
to consider the works, be drawn to faith, and repent, and place
their faith in Christ. That was the very purpose of
the works. They were to prove the existence,
the presence of the Messiah. But the sad truth was they didn’t
believe, they didn’t really consider these. Look at verse 26, you
do not believe because you are not my sheep. J.C. Ryle points out very clearly,
it’s not that being Christ’s sheep was not the cause of the
unbelief of the Jews. He says, but their unbelief was
the evidence that they were not Christ’s sheep. They were not
Christ’s sheep, and the fact that they didn’t believe is proof. Look at verse 27. That’s because
my sheep hear my voice. He’d already made that point.
Verses 3 through 5 of chapter 10, verse 16. Jesus Christ’s
sheep, when Jesus calls, they listen. And not only do they
listen, they respond, they answer, and they follow. These evil-hearted
Pharisees, they didn’t listen. They didn’t know the voice of
the shepherd and when the shepherd called, they did not respond. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they know me. They listened to his call to
salvation. They listened to his call to
repent and believe on Christ. They listened to Jesus Christ,
when He appeals to their heart and woos them to Himself for
the purpose of taking them to the Father. They hear His voice. As one pastor said, when Christ
speaks, they hear. Grace begins the work. Isn’t that a beautiful thought?
Grace begins the work. They, through grace, obeying
His calling and willingly do as He bids them to do, repent
and believe. The ears of unconverted people
are deaf to Christ’s call, but true Christians hear and obey. They can’t not obey. They know
their shepherd’s voice. They must respond. They follow Christ joyfully in
their heart. They follow Him striving to be
as He would have them to be. They follow Him and do what He
wants them to do, but first and foremost, they respond in faith. Look at verse 28, and I give
eternal life to them, just another articulation of what He’s already
told them in verses 3 and 9 and 10. Eternal life, abundant life
He gives them, and they will never perish. That’s that abundant
life about which He’d already told them. No one will snatch
them out of my hand. That is that security that the
believer has in the Lord Jesus. If we place our faith in there,
we are literally impervious to any outside attack. No thief,
no robber, no wolf, no false teacher can ever come in and
take us out of the Father’s hand. Ever. And it’s because God has given
life to them. God has given them eternal life.
It is the pardoning grace of God that He’s given to them.
If they come to Christ for that, it’s exactly what Christ bestows. It’s not a bait and switch. That’s
what Jesus promised. That’s what Jesus gives. And
when He says eternal life, that means forever. Look at this. Look at verse 29. My Father, He’s talked much about His Father.
I told you that last, or two weeks ago, Lord’s Day. How much
He talks about His Father in John chapter 10. This is the
Father that in chapter 15, or verse 15, knows Him. This is the Father, in verse
17, who loves Him. This is the Father who, in verse
18, empowered Him. My Father, who has given them
to Me. This amazing, almighty God who
has known me and loved me and empowered me, my Father, is greater than all. And no one
can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. No man, no matter how wily,
no matter how shrewd, no man can take them. No wolf, No false
teacher, not even the devil himself. If a child has been drawn to
Christ, he is absolutely secure, eternally secure. Not just in
his ability, that’s a strange way that we consider it, hanging
on to God’s hand. It’s God hanging on to us. And then Jesus says, I and the
Father are one. It’s both of them. And really,
if we think of it completely, it’s all the members of the Godhead
here too are articulated specifically that they are absolutely in concert
on this idea of retaining what they have secured. If we come
to Christ and we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation, Our salvation is eternally secure because of God. John Calvin said it this way,
our salvation is certain because it is in the hand of God. Our
faith is weak and we are prone to waver, but God who has taken
us under his protection is sufficiently powerful to scatter with a breath
all the power of our adversaries. You see, when He says that He’s
greater, He’s greater in power, He’s greater in knowledge, He’s
greater in mercy, greater in grace. God is ultimately and
infinitely greater than anyone or anything. He’s almighty God. When Jesus says, I and the Father
are one, He offers that to explain Why is it that you’re bringing
up the Father once again? He wanted to remind the Jews
that He and the Father were in absolute unison on this issue
of the salvation of souls. There weren’t any that Jesus
was going to draft in without the Father’s knowledge. There
weren’t any that the Father was going to bring without Jesus’
full consent. When they move, they move together
as one. Not one person but one in substance.
They were one. They were in absolute unison. John 17 declares this same truth. The glory which you have given
me I’ve given to them that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you in me that
they may be perfected in unity so that the world may know that
you sent me and love them even as you have loved me. Jesus Christ
and the Heavenly Father are absolutely one. They are one in essence,
they are one in nature, they are one in their plan of redemption,
they are one in their will, they are one in their power, they
are absolutely one. But Jesus is articulating the
works that he has done. And I told you that there were
three absolute validations that these works provide of Christ
in the works that he had performed. Not only did the works represent
the Father as a testimony of himself, Jesus Christ’s works
absolutely come from the Father in supreme measure. I’ll tell
you what I mean by that. When I say that they come from
the Father supremely, here in this passage, they come not only
in infinite measure, but they are inherently good, perfect
works, perfect miracles in an infinite measure. Look at verse
31. The Jews picked up stones to
stone him. They thought that they would just go ahead and
fulfill Leviticus 24 and other passages. They had tried this
stunt before. They regarded his words as nothing
short of blasphemy and they thought that they were doing God a favor
in killing him. And so they begin to take the
law into their own hands and they would have had to do that
because they did not have the prerogative of taking human life,
inflicting capital punishment on anyone. They were under Roman
authority and so what they’re literally proposing to do is
to commit murder. They had no right, no authority,
no privilege of taking anyone’s life regardless of what their
law said. It was no longer a theocracy.
But note here, it isn’t so much that they picked up stones, but
they carried them. Some suggested that it was a
possibility that they brought them, you know, tucked under
their cloaks. they carry them from afar I don’t know that it’s
necessary but they had stones in their hands for a season for
a while just in case they might need it they carry these stones
they either came prepared or they remained prepared so Jesus
poses this question to them look at verse 32 I showed you many
good works from the Father Which, for which of them are you stoning
me? Some commentators suggested that perhaps somebody had already
taken aim. We don’t know that. It’s not
recorded of Christ anywhere that they did so on this particular
occasion, attempt his murder. But these works that he had done,
Jesus asks, which one of these works, which of these miracles
For which one of these are you stoning me? But note that I,
as I’ve already told you, these works are supreme. They are infinite in quantity
and they are inherently good. They are good in their nature.
That’s what he articulates here when he says that they are good. They were morally beautiful.
They were good. They were noble. They were excellent.
You think of the healing at Cana and the healing of the crippled
man by the pool of Bethesda, the healing, the most recent
healing of the man born blind, the feeding of the 5,000. These
works were inherently good. They weren’t evil works. They
weren’t magic tricks. He says, look, I’ve done not
only good works, inherently good works, but I’ve done many of
them. The interesting thing about that
statement is it comes in the context of John’s gospel itself. In John’s gospel at the very
end, John chapter 20, therefore many other signs Jesus also performed
in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this
book. John says there were a lot of them. There were many, many
other miracles even in this particular context that weren’t even recorded.
Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that something that we
have to look forward to in heaven, to learn all the ways that Christ
worked? But get this, at the very conclusion
of John’s Gospel, John says this, there are many other things which
Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose
that not even the world itself would contain the books that
could be written. In other words, they were of infinite measure.
They were not only perfectly good, they were infinite in measure.
Not only good, but plentiful. They had enough. They had enough
data, enough information, and Jesus says, I showed you. It wasn’t just hearsay that He
was suggesting. It wasn’t a report that He wanted
them to go and read or listen to. These were public miracles
in full view of His enemies. He says, I showed you. The Jews
answered, for good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy.
They accused Christ of lying about God and blaspheming about
God. They said that basically, look,
Jesus, we know that we can’t prove that any of the works that
you’ve done are inherently evil. We’re not stoning you for your
works. We’re stoning you for your words, your blasphemous
words. Look at verse 34. They tell him
exactly why. Here’s the charge. And when it
says, and, don’t be misled. They’re not adding charges here. This is the charge. This is why
they were going to stone him. It’s as if they could say, even.
You even said this. because you being a man make
yourself out to be God. See, the Jews knew that when
Jesus Christ used the kind of language that he did about God
being his father’s, that kind of goes right over some people’s
heads in our day and age. If you were to discuss that with
people at work or people that you know,
It wouldn’t bother them in the least. But these Jews, they knew what
it meant. They knew that it meant that Jesus was claiming to be
nothing other than equal to God Almighty. And this charge, by
the way, it wouldn’t just be brushed aside here on this occasion.
This is the charge that sent Jesus to the cross. John 19 says,
Jesus answered, the Jews answered rather, we have a law and by
that law he ought to die because he made himself out to be the
son of God. Jesus’ answer is short and simple. It seems to us and to our ear,
it seems very deep, obtuse. We read this and this is a head-scratcher. Jesus answered, verse 34, Has
it not been written in your law, I said you are gods, if he called
them gods, to whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot
be broken? Do you say of him whom the Father
sanctified and sent into the world, you are blaspheming, because
I said I am the Son of God? Here’s what Jesus points to.
Turn, if you would, to Psalm 82. Psalm 82. You’re going to wear the gold
off of all of your pages today. Psalm 82, and jump down to verse
5. Basically what Jesus says is,
I want to appeal to your sacred writings. As your Bible tells
you, the law tells you. Psalm 82. Verse 5, they do not
know, nor do they understand. They walk about in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, you are gods,
and all of you are sons of the Most High. Nevertheless, you
will die like men and fall like any one of the princes. Arise,
O judge of the earth, for it is you who possess the nations.
That’s the verse that Jesus quotes to defend the fact that he was
called the Son of God. Essentially, he says, let’s not
get caught up in this absurd thing. Let’s deal with truth
here. Your own Bibles tell you that
that word, God, is used frequently even to talk about princes or
magistrates or such. They are so many little gods,
but even here in Psalm 82, they too will die. God’s with a lowercase
g, right? And Jesus’ argument is simple.
If your own Bible calls mere men God’s, lowercase g, why is
it blasphemous that I would be called the son of God when the
proof is so much greater? One Puritan said princes and
magistrates are ordained by God. They derive their power from
God. They act for God. They stand between the people
and God. If those who have received this honor are not found fault
with calling themselves gods, how can he deserve to be rebuked
who is such by nature? That’s Jesus’ argument. Well, they were stunned. They didn’t
know what to say to that argument. They had no answer. There is
no answer to that argument. Jesus Christ is far greater.
Jesus Christ was, as Jesus points out right here, He was sanctified
by the Father. That doesn’t mean that He ever
had sin. It doesn’t mean that He was never
holy, that God had to sanctify Him in the sense that you and
I are sanctified. Jesus Christ was set apart for
the task by God Himself. Jesus Christ was sent into the
world to serve as the Messiah. He was sanctified, set apart
by God for that purpose. Hebrews 3 says the same thing. Holy brethren, partakers of heavenly
calling, consider Jesus the apostle and high priest of our confession.
God put him there. John 3.17, God did not send the
Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might
be saved through Him. It was God’s intention. It was
God’s sanctifying of Christ for a holy purpose. And so the works of Christ, they
come from the Father in this infinite measure and inherent
goodness. But there is a third absolute
validation of Christ in the works that He performed. The works
that Jesus Christ performed absolutely validate Him as the Messiah.
Not only do they represent the Father as a testimony of Christ,
they come from the Father in infinite measure and inherent
goodness, but thirdly, Jesus Christ’s work are absolutely
of the Father to engender faith. That was their purpose. Look
at verse 37. If I do not do the works of my
Father, do not believe me. That’s an amazing statement.
Jesus is just saying, hypothetically, let’s just pretend that it came
to the world and I did not do any miraculous sign, I showed
you nothing, I just talked.” Don’t believe. But verse 38 says,
but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe
the works. Do you hear the merciful heart
of our Savior even still pleading with those who were His worst
enemies ready right then to kill Him? He’s pleading with them
to repent. He’s pleading with them to put
down their rocks and to fall on their knees. If I do these works, though you
do not believe me, believe the works so that you may know and
understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
He says, basically, consider the facts. If I didn’t do any miracles,
if I never performed a sign, You would be justified in rejecting
me as the alleged Messiah. You would be justified in stoning
me. But he says, it’s not justified. You’re not justified in this
attitude that you have, not only towards me, but towards Almighty
God, because He sent me for this purpose and I’ve proven myself
over and over again. These works were given by His
Father for Jesus to do. And you can stand all you want
with your eyes covered and your fingers in your ears and pretend
that you haven’t seen these and do not interact with them. But
the proof has been given. The proof that I am the Messiah
has been offered. And you now stand before God
without excuse. It’s a powerful moment. But I
want you to notice the mercy in that moment. He basically
says that there are… He articulates here that there
are essentially phases in faith. That he says that we
could, first of all, believe in the works that God has done.
And that then we are led to believe in Him because of the works.
And then we are led to believing in Him, and then we are led to
walk with Him in an abiding faith. That’s what Jesus Christ articulates. And many of us, many of us heard
and read, we can’t even necessarily identify any kind of a dividing
line of which came first. Did we just hear of Jesus, the
Messiah? having paid for our sins and
that was enough? For some of us, lengthy seasons
considering Christ, hearing of these fantastic miracles, knowing
that He was somebody, He was different, the date on our newspaper
tells that He was very important. Bottom line, Jesus Christ here
says, these works were given for a set and specific purpose.
The Father gave them ultimately to engender, to cultivate faith. We don’t need to shy away from
articulating the great stories of Christ’s miracles. We don’t
need to shy away from them for those who do not believe in the
miraculous. They were given for a purpose.
That purpose has been worked out in many of our lives sitting
here. Others of us came to faith just
purely and simply. We heard about Christ, we placed
our faith in Him, and then we followed up. All these miracles
were just added proof. Regardless of how, proclaim Christ,
proclaim His works, proclaim His miracles testify boldly about
the Christ who did and performed all these things. Let’s humble
ourselves before Him. Our merciful King, we thank You
for Christ our Savior. We thank You for the works that
You gave Him to do, good works. wholesome works, works that were
inherently good and so plentiful that even your own gospel writers
said they couldn’t even begin to chronicle them all. Lord God,
in many cases, they’ve led us to faith. In many cases, they’ve
emboldened our faith and strengthened our faith. Father, we thank you
for our Messiah, proven by these works. We thank you for Jesus
Christ, our Savior, and for any who do not know Him. If you reject Him, if you will
not place your faith in Him, consider for a moment His works.
Consider for a moment the amazing miracles that Jesus Christ worked. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray.