Your Father, the Devil

Our sovereign God planned the Savior’s entry into humanity at the time in history that nations under the domination of the Roman Empire experienced Pax Romana, the stability which was enforced by Rome. During that time, the Greco-Roman world communicated through Koine Greek, which is a precise language. That is the language in which the Holy Spirit chose to record the entire New Testament. Because of that, there is very little guesswork involved in the meanings of NT words, for those who are trained in the original languages of the Bible. I thank God for scholars who have that training and are gifted to teach.

Some of the Jews who were watching and listening to Jesus did believe Him. Most were hostile. Some were intrigued, but not convinced. He knew who they were.

 John 8:32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,”

In New Testament Greek grammar, the word “if” is understood in 4 different classes, called conditions:
1^st class condition – “if” and it is true (If Jesus Christ is really God)
2^nd class condition – “if” and it is not true (If everyone believed in Him)
3^rd class condition – “if” maybe it is true, maybe not (If each believer were positive to doctrine)
4^th class condition – “if” I wish it were true, but it isn’t (If all were thinking with the mind of Christ)

The “if” in verse 32 is in the 3^rd class condition, meaning that after believing in Jesus Christ for salvation, the individual’s volition is still active in his soul. He will still make daily decisions to “continue in My Word,” or not. If not, he’s eternally saved because of his faith in Jesus’ perfect atonement, but not free from the slavery of the world system. Continual intake and application of Bible doctrine (“My Word”) is necessary to achieve true spiritual freedom. Some will continue in it, some will not. If they do....

"...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” John 8:32-38

They thought their Jewish pedigree exempted them from spiritual slavery. Being Abraham’s offspring didn’t remove their Old Sin Natures (inherited from Adam), or nullify the penalty for their personal sins. Racial and religious heritage does absolutely nothing about our inborn and volitional sin. Those attributes will do them no good at the Great White Throne.  God’s uniquely born Son, however, has the power to make them spiritually alive and free them from the slavery to their own sin of unbelief. His mission and message are directly from His Father, God. They are practicing the lifestyle of their father, Satan.

They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” John 8:39-41

“If” you were (2^nd class condition – and you are not). Abraham believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness  (as +R – the Righteousness of God - Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23). Abraham demonstrated his faith by obedience to the Plan of God. Those Jews were plotting to kill God’s perfect Son. That is the work of Satan, not of Abraham.

“What, you’re calling us bastards? “

They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 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. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?  Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:41-47

“If” God were (2^nd class condition – but He’s not) your father....!  Uh-oh. What about the universal Fatherhood of God….what about the universal brotherhood of man….we’re all God’s children, aren’t we? Not according to Jesus.

Pay attention to Who is making these statements. Jesus Christ, God the Son just told these descendants of Abraham that they are NOT sons of God, but of Satan. What evidence does He present? Their hostility toward Him. God’s children would love Him and would understand His teaching. These sons of the devil do not and cannot. Satan, the father of lies, the murderer, has no truth in his character. Jesus was telling them pure truth and they did not believe Him. They could not recognize the truth because they were NOT of God.

As is usually the case with unbelievers, when they ran out of logical arguments, they resorted to insult. They did acknowledge that Jesus was much too knowledgeable and too powerful to be just an ordinary human.

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. John 8:48-51

The Father had eternal purpose in sending the Son to the earth, and He would see that His Son would be glorified in that purpose.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. John 8:51-55

Those who believe in Jesus Christ (keep His Word) are born anew into eternal life. The body will die, but the soul and spirit of the believer will live forever, from the moment of salvation. The unbelieving Jews couldn’t grasp this, because they did not know God.

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:56-58

Jesus Christ is eternal God. He knew Abraham personally, and Abraham knew Him. It was because of Abraham’s faith in the Lord that he was made the father of many nations and given the promise of an endless future with God. This man standing before those Jews was just barely thirty, physically. And He claimed to have seen Abraham? Well, yes.

“….before Abraham was, I AM.”

…..the name that He gave to Moses, when pressed for identification in Exodus 3:14. Those unregenerated  Pharisees knew exactly what that meant. He was identifying Himself as God.

Verse 59 - So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

You Will Die in Your Sin

Our Lord was standing in the midst of His cruel, bitter enemies. They despised Him, but He never stooped to their level.

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” John 8:21

Or “I go my way (hodos),” meaning a specific route, progress on a journey. This indicated God’s entire plan concerning His Son, Jesus Christ. There would be no deviation from the preordained course of His life, the perfect will of God. “seek me” – they would search for something they already had, and rejected. They would die in their sin (singular, meaning the Old Sin Nature). That’s the sin we are all born with, and cannot be free of until physical death. Physical death separates the believer from his OSN, but the unbeliever dies with his intact. This removes any possibility that they could ever be in eternity with Jesus. “Where I am going” – the specific place. The Old Sin Nature cannot reside in God’s heaven.

So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” John 8:22

This was wishful thinking on the part of the Jews. They believed suicide would guarantee damnation. If Jesus killed himself, they thought He would go to hell. That’s exactly where they wanted Him to go.

 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:23-24

Contrast of species: one heavenly, one worldly. This time “sins” is plural, meaning the practice of human good and evil in the life of the unbeliever. Human good is always no good, and is the flip side of evil, but it is all the religious unbeliever has, since he has no human spirit to be nurtured by the Holy Spirit. The only remedy for their inborn sin and their personal sins is to believe that “I AM ” – Eternal God, the Son. Exodus 3:14. The I AM. The Messiah. "He" is not in the original.

 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just 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.” John 8:25-29

Who is He? Immutable God – “from the beginning.”

“much to say about you” – omniscient God – knows all there is to know about each of us.

“much to judge” – He is the judge of their behavior and attitudes toward Him in the present setting. He will be the final judge of those unbelievers who will stand before Him in their sins at the Great White Throne. He will be the judge of believers’ production at the Judgment Seat of Christ (the Bema). He is the judge! This seems impossible for many believers and unbelievers to grasp. Jesus is Love. He is also all Power, all Knowledge, perfect Righteousness and perfect Justice, among other Immutable characteristics.

Righteousness sets a perfect standard. Justice enforces that standard. It is not always warm and fuzzy. Jesus Christ is Lord of the Armies, as well as our humble Redeemer. Here He declares Himself to be our Judge.

He kept telling them that the Father sent Him to bring us the truth. They didn’t get it, but He assured them that they would get it, after they had sent Him to the cross, and they would then understand His origin and His mission, and that all He is and does is on the authority of the Father.

“the Father taught me” – Jesus Christ is God from eternity past, but in His incarnation as a human, He had to learn. He learned through obedience – “the things that are pleasing to Him” – and was absolutely confident of the Father’s unfailing support for Him and His work.

Verse 30:As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Some had positive volition toward Jesus, and believed in what he was telling them.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

“If” – 3^rd class condition in the Greek language, meaning maybe you will continue, and maybe you will not, in MY WORD. This is entirely a matter of the believer’s individual volition. There are believers who have been saved for upwards of 50 years who do not know the truth, because they have lived their lives in religion, superstition and legalism. The written Word of God- Bible doctrine- the Mind of Christ is our spiritual sustenance in the Christian life, and is the basis of our eternal rewards. Not ritual, not deeds, not touchy-feely. God’s Word! Taught systematically, line by line, from the original languages, under the authority of a man with the spiritual gift of Pastor/Teacher.  That’s how Christians learn the truth, and that truth makes us free! I was a Christian for about 8 years before I began to learn the truth, through the intake of systematic Bible doctrine on a regular basis. Newborn Christians are like newborn human babies. We must be taught Whose we are and what He expects of us. And then we must be taught how to accomplish what He expects of us. It is a lifelong learning process, but as soon as we learn the basics of unlimited atonement, eternal security and faith-rest, we begin to experience that freedom from satanic oppression that has dogged us up until that point. And from there, we are free to learn and appreciate the more advanced doctrines of the Church until we are completely identified, experientially, with our Lord Jesus Christ. That is our goal: to reckon ourselves IN HIM now and forever, and to think His thoughts. You don’t get that by simply saying “I’m saved, hallelujah, and that’s all I’ll ever need!” The person who thinks that does not know who he is.

Their argumentative question came next: “whattaya mean, ‘free?’ 

And then these arrogant elitist Jews denied their enslavement. This exchange was about to get ugly. Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is omniscient, countered their denials with the cold, hard facts of their enslavement. Yes, He is Love. Yes, He is perfect Righteousness. Yes, He has much to judge.

Light of the World

If you are a student of the scriptures, you are by now well aware that John 7:53-John 8:11 was not part of John’s original gospel, but was somehow inserted much later, by whom we do not know.

If you are not a student of the scriptures, it’s a safe bet you’ve heard this story referenced throughout your life as an example of the grace our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated to a lowly sinner. Anytime an opinion is expressed regarding questionable or outright sinful behavior, someone quickly chimes in with “he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” That is a nice platitude that makes sense, but was not written by John as part of his gospel account, and we don’t know that Jesus ever said it. In fact, many of the details of the story seem quite contradictory to other things that we know Jesus did say.

In my sojourn through the earthly Christian life, I’ve heard many pastors/teachers whom I respect preface this passage with the information found in the footnotes of all good study Bibles, that these verses are not in the earliest manuscripts. Then they say something like “but it probably did happen,” and proceed to exegete the passage! I can only assume they just like the story. The only one I can remember distinctly who, after that preface, chose to simply skip those verses and move on to John 8:12, was Jim Myers, a former Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Hot Springs, AR. I really appreciated the way he handled that, and that’s also how I choose to handle it.

We resume with John’s narrative as Jesus continued His public discourse after the feast:

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.” John 8:12

Jesus was speaking publicly in the treasury of the Temple, located in the Court of the Women. This coincided with the lighting of the great candelabra in the Court of the Women as the people sang Isaiah 42:6:

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations…”

This area was called Court of the Women because that was a far as the women could go in the Temple. (Personal aside: the Lord knew those Jewish males couldn’t concentrate on their worship rituals with women present. See, girls, it was not discrimination; it was to keep priorities in order. Furthermore, per God's instruction, the Israelites' worship was NOT as the heathen, who included all manner of sexual practices in their temple rituals). This doesn’t mean only women were in this court. It was the social gathering place for everyone, and would have been particularly busy during the major feasts of Israel. Families and friends would meet and share common interests. Preachers, prophets, Scribes and scholars would discuss and debate, while others listened.

The candelabra were lit, the scripture was sung. Our Lord stood in the light and spoke.

“I AM the true light” of the kosmos (world organization). Whoever (anyone, everyone) who follows Me (enters into and continues in the plan of God) will not live under the control of the Old Sin Nature (darkness), but will have the light of eternal life.

So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”  John 8:13 (see Deuteronomy 17:6 – the Mosaic Law required 2 or 3 witness for confirmation of facts)

Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” John 8:14-18

Jesus knows exactly Who He is: eternal, omniscient God. The unregenerate men who challenged Him had no idea. All they could evaluate was what they observed in humanity, and they were deeply prejudiced against what they saw. Jesus had His own divine knowledge as well as the divine judgment of the Father who sent Him. That makes two witnesses with infallible judgment. Two witnesses who judged in perfect truth. Reliable, genuine judgment.

They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither 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; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. John 8:19-20

Dead giveaway that these men questioning Jesus were unbelievers: they did not know His Father. Knowing and believing in Jesus is the only way to know the Father. He will be even more blunt about that necessity as He continues in His public ministry (John 14:6).

They so wanted to arrest Him, but could not, because the time for that was not yet.

Back to the Action

After revisiting the nativity story for a few segments in Luke, we will now return to our study in John, as we’ve been with the crowd following the adult Jesus of Nazareth and listening to His words. We are among those who are positive to His Person and His Work, even though at this stage of His public ministry, we cannot really comprehend His mission. We also are observing those who are negative to Him, questioning and opposing Him in various ways, but not ignoring Him. They were very nervous about this man who worked among them. He was decidedly different. He demonstrated great power. He spoke of the One Who sent Him, and of eternal truth. He showed no respect for their man-made religion, yet honored the Law that was given through Moses and the feasts that were designed to commemorate His perfect provision for Israel throughout their history and into the distant future.

The last we observed in John’s narrative was John 7:36 (published on 12-11-13 “Is Not This the Man”). Jesus had told the crowd surrounding Him that even though they would seek Him, they could not go where He was going. This set them to quibbling among themselves about what He could possibly mean by this statement. He didn't plead with them to understand, He simply stated His truth to them and allowed them to receive it or not. Then He would move on to the next situation or event, with the crowds still following His movements and His words.

These events in John chapter 7 took place during the Feast of Tabernacles.  It was a week-long fall festival in which the native-born Israelites were required to build booths to dwell in as their wilderness journey was remembered. This explains the bustling crowds to whom Jesus spoke during those days:

“Three times a year,” Moses had commanded the children of Israel, “all your males shall appear before the Lord your God.” And so, just before the year’s great religious feasts – Passover, Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks), and Succoth (the Feast of Tabernacles) – enormous numbers of Jews made their way to the Temple in Jerusalem. From all over Palestine they came, indeed from every corner of the Roman world, crowding the four major roads that led to Jerusalem and swelling the city’s population several times  over. – from Jesus and His Times, a very well written and illustrated Reader’s Digest publication.

The last day of Tabernacles (Lev 23:36) was the most solemn and climactic of the entire festal cycle. It was the eighth day of rest and holy assembly. During the seven days symbolizing their wilderness wandering, water was drawn from the pool of Siloam and then poured out, commemorating the water supplied Israel in the desert. The eighth day signified the enjoyment of the springs of the land itself and no water was poured out. That was the memorial aspect. The prophetic aspect looked forward to the regathering of Israel after her present worldwide dispersion and the fulfillment of the kingdom ode of Isa 12:1-6, when the nation will joyously ‘draw water from the wells of salvation’ (Isa 12:3; cf. Joel 2:28-32; Zech 14:8).

Unger, Merrill F.; Unger, Merrill F. F. (2005-04-01). The New Unger's Bible Handbook (Kindle Locations 13445-13450). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, 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.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

Jesus was stating the all-important prophecy that the Holy Spirit would indwell all who would believe in Him, and would produce in those believers the wonderful knowledge of God’s perfect plan of grace (rivers of living water) which would overflow to all of their surroundings. This was a prophecy of near future events. The Holy Spirit had always worked in the world and in the ministries of certain believers at certain times, but the universal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all who would believe in Jesus Christ would not become reality until after His resurrection and ascension. It would happen on the Day of Pentecost, and that would be the beginning of the Church Age. We must keep in mind that though we are reading this from our vantage point IN the Church Age, those who heard it in real time had no frame of reference for universal indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They just had to believe that He was giving them truth, and that God’s plan and purpose for them would become clearer as they continued to learn from Him. That is, they must have faith alone in Christ alone. We must obey first, then we come to understand.

Some of those listening were thirsty for truth, meaning they had positive volition toward God’s plan of grace and just needed someone to show it to them. “Drinking” is receiving the refreshing “water” (truth) being freely offered by “Me” (Jesus Christ). All this was proclaimed to them by Jesus at the very feast where water symbolized the fulfillment of God’s plan and purpose for His people. Many of them were thirsting. Some were ready to drink.

When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”  So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. John 7:40-44

“The Prophet” and “The Christ” are different terms for the same person, the Messiah. The Anointed One, Who is coming to save His people. He had the gift of prophesy and held the office of prophesy. Unlimited ability and absolute authority to proclaim God’s policy of grace and to enforce God’s standard of righteousness.

There’s that geographical detail again: Galilee? This is not what we’ve been told to look for. These were Judeans who were speaking contemptuously of Galilee. It was pure bigotry, expressed by the blue-blood Jews of Judea.  They did not want to believe Him. So, there was a division, of course. Jesus Christ divides – families, nations, cities, peoples – resulting in bitterness and hatred among unbelievers. There are no shades of grey. Biblical faith in Christ is dogmatic. One Way. Some were willing to believe Him, and others were diligently looking for any excuse not to, so they nitpicked the facts they knew and kept looking for a reason to arrest Him. Nobody was volunteering for that job. There was an air of authority about Jesus that discouraged any who would want to manhandle Him. This tells us a great deal about His presence. It also gives evidence that He would be under the Father’s total protection until God’s time for Him to meet His destiny. We saw in verse 32 that the temple authorities had sent officers to arrest Jesus, but….

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” John 7:45-46

No one. Ever. This man spoke with authority, not as the scribes. The officers were afraid of Him.

The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” John 7:47-52

Evading the issue and ignoring their own law, the Pharisees assumed that their rejection of Jesus was enough to condemn Him. Anyone who disagreed with their opinions of Jesus were just deceived incompetents. Accursed fools, who couldn’t follow a simple command.

Remember Nicodemus, the Pharisee from John chapter 3? Having had a close encounter with Jesus, he cautioned fairness. We know that even if Nicodemus had not yet fully committed to believe Jesus, he had been impressed with Jesus’ speech and demeanor, and was willing to give Him the benefit of the doubt. “Let’s at least hear what the man has to say for himself.” By this mild suggestion, Nicodemus brought insult upon himself. What they said to him was the equivalent of “you’re just a Galilean-lover!” (You get the drift). They insisted that no prophet was promised out of Galilee.

The momentum was building in the Jews’ determination to kill Jesus.

The time was not yet.

Continue

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

Please notice the "if." In the original Greek language, this "if" is 3rd class condition, meaning maybe we individual believers will or maybe we won't "continue in" His Word. Knowing the truth depends on continuing in His Word, and being made free from the snare of Satan depends on knowing the truth. This is a lifestyle, brethren, not an experience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!