Study of John 8:33-45

John 8:45

Welcome.

We will begin with prayer by __________ and again no sermonette. Now listen, if you are willing, maybe we can reduce this fine opportunity from being a sermonette to being, say, just the reading of a favorite passage of scripture? Any length and or depth of coverage is acceptable. So there’s a sign-up at the back of the room if you are willing.

For those of you who have never been here or are joining us online through live streaming, we tape these programs. And this is our standard line-up of events: We pray. We might have a verse read by someone or a sermonette delivered. Then we go into singing the Word of God set to music. After this, we sit in silent prayerful reflection and when we come back, we get right into a verse-by-verse expositional study of the Word – today we will pick up where we left off last week – in John 8 at verse 32.

Reflection on Previous Teachings

Okay, so let’s begin with prayer by _____.

Music/Silent Reflection.

Okay, last week we covered Jesus saying to those who believed on Him that . . . “if they continue in His word they would be His disciples indeed and they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.”

Remember. So let’s continue to read from verse 33 in chapter 8 through verse 45:

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Analysis of Response from Jewish Leaders

The Lord has just told those who believed on Him how to be free, and these words cause the Jewish leaders to say in response:

33 “We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

I find their response somewhat arrogant, somewhat blind, and somewhat laughable. I find it arrogant because there seems to be an implication here that they are superior, or of a superior lineage (from Abraham) and therefore free, as Abraham was since he was never a slave but roamed. I find it blind because if ever there was a people who had been in bondage it was them, with years in physical bondage AS Abraham’s seed (I mean they were presently under the bondage of Roman rule physically weren’t they?) plus they were in spiritual bondage as Abraham’s seed and didn’t even know it. Finally, I find the response laughable because the arrogance leads to such blindness – it typically does. What’s the line? Arrogance and ignorance walk arm in arm?

In any case, their response to Jesus' explanation of how to truly be free was “We are the children or descendants of Abraham.” This meant they were direct descendants of Abraham by Isaac, the rightful heir, and not through Ishmael, who was also Abraham's son (but not the lawful one) but was instead the son.

Abraham's Offspring Dilemma

of a bond-woman. Let me go back to the story quickly. Abraham was promised by God to have an uber-abundance of offspring. But he and his wife were getting pretty old.

So Abraham’s wife Sarah suggested he take her Egyptian handmaiden Hagar on to be his wife and get her to conceive in her place. Abraham took her advice and Hagar got preggers with a son named Ishmael. This was not the plan God had for bringing forth a righteous line through Abraham – He was going to provide the miracle of conception through Abraham’s legal lawful only wife Sarah. But Sarah and Abraham got in the way and a number of things happened as a result of their stop gap measure. When Sarah saw that Hagar conceived she turned into a beast and hated both Hagar and the son she bore Abraham (named Ishamael). Then we read in chapter nine of Genesis:

The Ishmael and Isaac Conflict

Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. We don’t know what Ishmael was mocking but it was just the beginning of a long history of persecution from Ishmael and those who come from him on Isaac and those who come from him.

Verse 10 of Genesis 21 says:

10 Wherefore she (Sarah) said unto Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, “Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.”

Paul's Allegory in Galatians

We know from this initial act of polygamy that the Arab nation was born (from the Egyptian bondwoman) and the Nation of Israel was born (from Sarah) and the two have forever been at each other's throats. In fact this is how Paul puts it this way at Galatians 4:21, asking –

21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

This is what the Jews were also saying to Jesus – we are not of the bondwoman line – we are the (REAL) children of Abraham – the free. And while they claimed to never be in bondage to any man (apparently forgetting the Assyrians and Babylonians and the Egyptians), Jesus had just given those who believed on him the method of being truly free – which is best defined as spiritually free and out from under the captivity of Satan.

We cannot help but note that Jesus will say to them in very short order (verse 44)

"Ye are of your father the devil; he is a liar, and the father of it."

We can also see from their remarks that people will say anything, however false or ridiculous, to avoid and oppose the truth. And finally, we can see that sometimes those who are the most captive make superfluous statements in direct opposition to their bondage.

Here, the Jews who said this line were:

Bondage and Freedom

In bondage to Rome.
2. In bondage to man-made religion
3. Were in bondage to Satan.

And yet they plainly said, “We have never been in bondage to any man.”

Excuse the personal experience but when I was a young teen there was a beach bum around who we would see laying on the sand and about town. I remember befriending him for a time and listening to him proudly speak of how free he was – that he didn’t have to answer to the man, that he could go where he wanted and do what he wanted . . . you know the talk. I was quite taken by his philosophy and I’m sure it has even affected me to this day, but one day my neighbor and I decided to make a visit to his hovel in the bushes off Pacific Coast Highway where we knew he lived. Stepping around the camouflage of giant oleander bushes we discovered loads of empty bottles of alcohol, some marijuana stash, white powder in a small plastic bag and porn magazines strewn all over. Having been an active Mormon it was easy to see that our buddy was one of the most imprisoned men we had ever met – and I’m not so sure he even knew it.

Jesus' Viewpoint on Bondage

Jesus brings this point home to these people in the temple, saying to those who said they were never in bondage to “any man” –

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

From this we can see that Jesus was not speaking of the truth making people free from political bondage but from the slavery all human beings are in (to some extent or another) from the soul – in the mind, in the will, in the emotions, and or in the flesh. Now, it is easy to see slavery to sin in the flesh. I could see it in my beach bum friend when I was only fourteen or fifteen years old. But Jesus was talking about any and all slavery to any and all sin – the apparent and not. And He puts the lesson or principle so clearly I am always amazed when I read it:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you,” He says: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” In other words whatever sins we commit we prove we are slaves to it – and not free indeed.

Very few of us would choose to take a snort of methamphetamine right now in large part because we do NOT want to become a slave to the drug. Again, the fleshly sins and their allurement are obvious. But whatever sin we commit is the master of us, rather than our being the master of it.

Lie a little and lying is our master. Steal a little and stealing is our master. Hate just a little? Envy just a bit? Covet? Whatever it is, Jesus lays it out plainly: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

Servants and Sons

He goes on and says:

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

Now, this is admittedly a tough parallel point to understand in a straight-on manner. He is talking about being “a slave or servant of sin.” And He makes it clear that slaves and servants never remain in a house forever – they are slaves, not family. So in other words, do not settle for being a slave or servant to sin. There is no longevity for such in the house of God. The only longevity comes with being (or looking to and relying on) a family member (or a Son).

So Jesus said to the Jews: "You, if you are disobedient and rebellious, may at any time be rejected from being the people of God, and be deprived of your peculiar privileges as a nation. You are in the condition of servants, and unless you are made free by the gospel, and become entitled to the privilege of the sons of God, you will be cast off like an unfaithful slave."

Hebrews 3:5-6 says it well:

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Jesus adds a line that ties it all together, saying:

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

This is the point.

Spiritual Bondage

Spiritual bondage: all occupants prisoners to sin. But, He is telling them:

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Have true Christians ever been in physical fetters? Absolutely. Is this (in anyway) referring to physical freedom? Not in any way. Since His ascension Christians have been imprisoned, fed to the lions, and lit up in the gardens of Nero. But I would suggest that the liberty these Christians possessed internally helped see them through the imprisonments they experienced in the flesh.

I mention this because we cannot ever allow ourselves to believe that being a Christian means freedom from physical suffering, sorrow, injustice, or difficulty. Men have tried to equate being Christian to such liberties but it’s just not true.

But freedom from the bondage of sin, and the captivity of guilt, and the imprisonment of mind and heart are certainly how Jesus came to set the captives free.

The Obstructions in the Mind and Heart

The Lord continues and begins with making a concession to them, saying:

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

“I admit openly that you are the descendants of Abraham – and not of the line from Ishmael, but the true free line, Isaac,” He seems to say. “But this does not mean you are not spiritually dead.” Why would He say this? Because, He says, “You seek to kill me! That’s why!” And then He tells us why they seek to kill Him – “Because my word has no place in you.”

The original Greek tends to say, “there is no room in you for my doctrine . . . your minds are too full of obstructions and my words cannot penetrate into your hearts.”

What keeps a person imprisoned in the flesh? I mean literally imprisoned? Chains, bars over doors and windows. Restrictions put in place that inhibit movement or freedom, right? So it is with the imprisonments of the mind, the will, the emotions, the heart.

People can’t receive a thought or teaching or doctrine if these areas for thinking are tied up and bound with other (more powerful) obstacles, can they. So we pray and seek to loosen the chains and fetter first, and to then bring in the light to open up the room and make obvious the escape.

For these Jews, they were ripe with national and religious pride, full of tradition, prejudice, piety, false notions, and religious scribal doctrine they couldn’t see the Lord in their own books! And so they did what we all do with invading marauders we don’t understand – they sought to kill Him.

Abraham's True Children

Jesus reaffirms why He says the things He says, and in the process, turns up the heat on the whole conversation, saying:

38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father (a point He has made over and over again here in chapter 8 – but then He adds) and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

Ut-oh. This is one of those moments where the Lord’s clarity and exacting truth really serves to separate the light from the dark, isn’t it? When we come to verse 44 we will learn exactly what He means here by this but He has given them a little taste of what’s coming, hasn’t He? (verse 39)

39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

We have descended from Abraham. This He readily admitted in verse 37. But it is one thing to be His descendants and it is an entirely different matter to be His children. So Jesus says here, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.”

The Jews were notorious for claiming ties to Abraham, and Moses, and David. With genealogical ties being so vital, this is somewhat understandable. But the genealogical ties can only go so far, Jesus is saying, and in the end, they are meaningless.

When John the Baptist was calling the Jews to repentance and baptism remember what He said to them? “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

Here’s the point – to God, it is one thing to be a physical descendant of a great being or figure but it is entirely different matter to truly be His Son or Daughter. Jesus was telling them.

Children of Faith

He knew they descended from Abraham but in the same breath He tells them they were not really “his Children.” He intimates the difference when He told them that there is a difference between servants in a household and a son. The parallel cannot be ignored for believers today. It is one thing to be a creation of God. It is an entirely different matter to be a Son, or a Daughter, or an heir to all that the Son has.

Paul clarifies this whole matter in Romans, saying:

Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The Works of Abraham

Here, claiming to be the children of Abraham Jesus seems to be telling them: “If you were really worthy to be called the children of Abraham you would do the works of Abraham.” And what were the works of Abraham? Remember, he is called the Father of the “FAITH?” That’s right. SO Jesus was telling them that if they were really the children of the Father of the Faith they would believe on Him whom God has sent. He adds (verse 40)

40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

It’s really quite plain. If we are followers, or disciples of, or especially children or sons and daughters of someone in the best and most complete sense of the word, we would do what our mentor, or parent, or savior did. If they were truly the children of Abraham they would truly do his works – and have faith in the Son. Instead they sought to kill Jesus – proving they were NOT the children of him – for He was not a killer.

Last week, Jesus said some words to those who believed on Him which intimate the same principle: “If you continue in my word . . . in all I have said, and done and taught . . . you are truly my disciples.” In other words, followers or disciples or children of Hitler do what Hitler did, follow what He said, teach what He taught. Followers and disciples and people who are truly children of Lance Armstrong do and say and teach what he says, and does and teaches, right? So it is with all who are TRULY the Lord’s disciples (and children and followers) they say, and do and teach what He said, and did, and taught. Which was . . . love. And by this “will all onlookers know” people are truly His disciples . . . if they have love for each other.

Obviously, these Jews were not reflecting the lifestyle and teachings of Abraham, even though they were invoking His name.

Deeds and True Heritage

Jesus tells them, “this did not Abraham,” or Abraham did not do such things.” Jesus says (verse 41) that instead . . .

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. (meaning Satan).

Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

We can read this response a number of ways but I think that they were casting an insult on Him, inferring that Jesus originated from an unholy relationship between His parents. And they then retorted that “they have one Father, “ and add, “even God.”

We might suggest that they were still not understanding Jesus resistance to their claim to be coming from the descent of Abraham and so they say, “We are not like the Samaritans, of a mixed heritage,” but I’m unsure. In any case Jesus responds to their claim that God was their Father, saying (verse 42): “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Now, admittedly, I have long taught that the Jews would never refer to God as their Father (capital “F”). This verse appears to prove me wrong. And I may be.

First of all there are passages in the Old Testament where God is referred to as father but they are not capital F but lower case (with the exception of Isaiah 9:6) which is speaking Messianically about the birth of Jesus). For example, Isaiah 63:15-16, speaking about the Gentiles prophetically

The Relationship with God through Jesus

“Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.” But this is a lower case F and is speaking of the Gentiles, not the Jews per se. Again, and this time speaking of the Jews, Isaiah writes (in Isaiah 64:8) “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” But, again, this is NOT a capital F and therefore is not speaking in the sense that Jesus calls God His Father. So I do not believe this is their meaning here in John 8:41. Instead, I think they were using father in the lower case sense, and were saying that they walked after the spirit of being children of God, not literally the children of God as Father and Son.

In any case, Jesus retorts and says: “If God were your Father you would love me.” If you had the spirit of God, or love to him, or were worthy to be called his children, you would love me.” This response has Jesus making things very clear – He is the way to the Father. No Him, no Father. Hard as it is for many people to hear, if there is no love for the Son, if there is rejection of the Son, there is the rejection of the True and Living (invisible) God.

Jesus as the Express Image of God

Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus the Son: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Speaking of Jesus 1st John 5:1 says: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” From this I would strongly suggest that: All who truly love God, love his Son Jesus Christ. That those who say they love God but openly reject his Son have little grounds on which to prove their love of God. It’s a hard line – but I believe the Word and it is emphatic on the point. Will those who reject the Son come to see and understand Him – I think so. Will those who love God but have never known the Son come to know Him. Absolutely. But it is all by and through the Son and the point is those who reject Him are in fact rejecting God.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? (Jesus asks in verse 43) . . . even because ye cannot hear my word. “My meaning is clear,” He seems to say but you are incapable of understanding me. This goes back to the fact that there was too much obscuring them from clearly seeing Him. And here Jesus throws down, saying:

The Accusation Against the Religious Leaders

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

We are faced with a remarkable scenario here, aren’t we? By all appearances and probably in the eyes of the common consensus Jesus was speaking to THE most Godly men on earth in that day! I mean, they were the religious leaders, of sound reputation, high education, and excellent erudition! I am sure the masses looked on them as the cream of the Godly crop but here Jesus tells them flat out: “Ye are of your father the devil!” This is intense and utterly wild. But it goes to show that the religious show cannot truly reveal the hearts of religious men.

Jesus goes on and explains how and why He can justify His accusation, saying: “Ye are of your father the devil . . .and the lusts of your father ye will do.” What was Jesus talking about? He tells us what He means when He says: “He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. You are children of the Devil in that: You have a murderous disposition –

The Role of Satan as a Murderer from the Beginning

As your father was a murderer from the beginning.

You rejecting the truth. You love falsehood and error to the truth.

The Origin of Deception and Death

Jesus calls Satan a murderer from the beginning and I think He must be speaking from the beginning of time here, where he seduced Adam and Eve and the result was deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., or everything became subject to death. When we think about it, death brings in some common evil denominators: Darkness. Destruction and separation. Disease. Suffering. An end of life.

The Contrast with Jesus

Looking at Jesus, the speaker and bringer of truth and life, we have in Him the “second Adam,” who overcomes all that Satan, the murderer from the beginning, introduced; Instead of darkness, light. Destruction and separation, unity. Disease? Healing. Suffering? Ease. An end of life? New life? Lies? Jesus brought truth.

And this is what He says in verse 45:

45 “And because I tell you the truth, ye (who are not of the truth) believe me not.”

Got it?

Let’s wrap it up there.

Questions/Comments

Prayer.