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:
1st class condition – “if” and it is true (If Jesus Christ is really God)
2nd class condition – “if” and it is not true (If everyone believed in Him)
3rd class condition – “if” maybe it is true, maybe not (If each believer were positive to doctrine)
4th 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 3rd 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 (2nd 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 (2nd 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.
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