Soar Like Eagles (Part 26)
Freedom or Bondage? - John 8:31-56

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my
teaching, you are really my disciples. {32} Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.""
When we obey His Word, we grow in spiritual knowledge, and as we grow
in spiritual knowledge, we grow in freedom from sin. Life leads to
learning, and learning leads to liberty.
During this discussion, Jesus speaks to both believers and unbelievers
with little or no distinction between the two. That’s because his
audience is divided. Some are determined to kill him; others are
beginning to believe in him. Yet even these "believers" may be
vacillating between faith and doubt. After all, they are only "baby"
believers and Jesus’ claims are extraordinary.
As Jesus nurtures their nascent faith he lays out both the responsibility
and the privilege of being his disciple. Their responsibility is to
continue to hold (accept and obey) his teaching. It is not enough to talk
the talk, they must walk the walk, even in the face of the imminent
opposition. Their privilege is freedom. This is not freedom to do what
they please, but the power and desire to do what they ought to do.
Few New Testament passages have such a complete picture of
discipleship as this:
- Discipleship begins with belief.

- Discipleship means constantly remaining in the word of Jesus.
It involves constantly listening to the Word of God and learning from
Jesus. But the "proof of the pudding" is the obedience: we're not
studying for academic satisfaction or for intellectual appreciation, but
in order to find out what God wishes us to do. The disciple (Greek:
mathetes) is the learner who learns in order to do!

- Discipleship issues in knowledge of the truth.
Truth gives our life direction and purpose. It teaches us to put God
ahead of career, material possessions, etc. In the truth of Jesus we see
what things are really important and what are not.

- Discipleship results in freedom.
It brings us freedom from fear; freedom from self; freedom from other
people, and freedom from sin.

{33}'They answered him, "We are Abraham 's descendents and have never
been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall he set free?"
The Jews set a tremendous value on freedom whey they held to be the
birthright of every Jew. In the Law it was laid down that no Jew, however
poor, must descend to the level of being a slave.
Leviticus 25:39-42: ""'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among
you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. {40} He is
to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is
to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. {41} Then he and his children
are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the
property of his forefathers. {42} Because the Israelites are my servants,
whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves."
Their claim that Abraham's descendants had never been in bondage was
certainly a false one that was refuted by the Old Testament scriptures.
The Jews had been enslaved by seven mighty nations, as recorded in
Judges.
The 10 Northern tribes had been carried away captive by Assyria, and
the two Southern tribes had gone into 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
And at that very hour, the Jews were under the iron heel of Rome!
How difficult it is for proud religious people to admit their
failings and their needs.
The crowd objects to the insinuation that they are slaves. They are,
after all, God’s privileged people. They are children of Abraham!
Certainly they cannot have forgotten their political slavery to Egypt,
Babylon, Syria, and now Rome. Nor could they deny the fact that many Jews
had been socially enslaved. The Mosaic law, in fact, legislated temporary
slavery of Jews to Jews. What they must mean is that spiritually they are
slaves to no one, nor had they ever been. They are not subject to the
idols of pagan polytheistic peoples all around them. Nor are they
indentured to the dark doctrine of demons inherent in idolatry. They are
the pure monotheists of Jehovah. They need no spiritual liberation … so
they think.
Jesus explains that adopting the right religion is not what makes you
free any more than living in the house makes you a son. Yes, they have
the right religion but they do not have the right lifestyles. They are
sinners (the present participle indicates a continued lifestyle of sin,
cf. 1 John 3:4). Anyone in bondage to sin is a slave (Rom 6:16; 11:32; 2
Pet 2:19). Verse 36 is our "Proclamation of Emancipation" (2 Cor 3:17;
Gal 4:6-7). Jesus, as the Son of God, has the legal right to emancipate
his slaves and adopt them as sons into the family. Our freedom in Christ
is freedom from sin: (1) From its penalty—our debt has been canceled (Isa
53:5); (2) from its practice—we can overcome our habits of sin; and (3)
from its power—we are given new hearts so that we no longer desire the
things we used to.
Furthermore, in Christ, we are free from men’s judgments (Rom 14:4), from
guilt (Rom 8:1-2), from the constraints and philosophies of this world
(Jn 3:8). We are free from worry over material possession (Mt 6:25-34),
free from fear of judgment (1 Jn 4:18), free from ourselves and our
ominous egos (Gal 2:20), free from death (Rom 6:5-6). When Jesus sets us
free we are free indeed!
John 8:34-38: "Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who
sins is a slave to sin. {35} Now a slave has no permanent place in the
family, but a son belongs to it forever. {36} So if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed. {37} I know you are Abraham's descendants.
Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. {38}
I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do
what you have heard from your father.""
Jesus explained the difference between spiritual freedom and bondage
is a matter of whether one is a sons or a servant. The servant may live
may live in the house, but he is not a part of the family, and he cannot
be guaranteed a future. (Jesus may have had Isaac and Ishmael in mind
here, from Genesis 21).
How can slaves of sin be set free? Only by the Son! How does He do it?
Through the power of His Word!
Being a child of Abraham carried numerous blessings according to Jewish
theology: Covenant relationship with God, participation in the Messianic
banquet, the trust of the oracles of God (cf. Rom 3:1-2; 9:4-5), etc. But
there is a difference between being Abraham’s descendants (v. 37), and
being his children (v. 39). To be Abraham’s descendant was merely a
biological matter. Being his child required living as he lived (Rom
2:28-29; 4:12-13, 16, 18; 9:7-8; Gal 3:6-9, 14, 29; 4:22-28, Rev 2:9;
3:9). Jesus does not deny their genealogy but their Jewishness.
To say that they were acting in a characteristically un-Jewish way was a
serious insult. Jesus was casting aspersion on their total identity as
Jews. It would not have been so bad if Jesus said they did not listen to
Moses (7:19-23), Elijah, or even Hillel. But Abraham, as the father of
the Jewish nation, represented all their leaders, promises, and
practices.
Jesus’ accusation is harsh, but it is also justified. By seeking to kill
Jesus, they are trying to destroy the very thing that Abraham was looking
for (Gen 12:1-3; Gal 3:16-29). They seek to destroy the key to all
Abraham’s life and calling—the promised Messiah. Thus, they can hardly
claim to be Abraham’s descendants. Furthermore, faith was the dominant
characteristic of Abraham. It was a faith that came from hearing God and
doing what he said (cf. Gen 18:1-8). Jesus’ present audience is not
listening to God’s messenger. Therefore they don’t have faith, the mark
of Abraham.
Their actions speak of a different father. They are murderers. They
reject God’s message and messenger. They are arrogant even to the extent
of usurping God’s authority. Those are Satanic characteristics. Their
deeds betray their commitment to the Devil rather than to Abraham. They
react strongly to such a flagrant insult. "We are God’s children," they
protest. No doubt they are convinced of it. But they are wrong. So it is
with many who think they are in good standing with God but are as lost as
they can be (cf. Mt 7:21-23; 25:41-46). But this is not to say that we
cannot be sure of our salvation (cf. 1 John 5:13). Our assurance,
however, must come through listening to Jesus, God’s messenger.
They object strenuously to being called spiritual bastards. In so doing,
they may be casting subtle aspersion on Jesus’ own birth. This was not an
uncommon accusation against Mary and Joseph. Rumor had it that Jesus was
physically what he was accusing them of being spiritually.
John 8:39-41: ""Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were
Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham
did. {40} As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you
the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. {41} You
are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate
children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself.""
For the Jew Abraham was the greatest figure in all religious history;
and the Jew considered himself safe and secure in the favor of God simply
because he was a descendant of Abraham.
Does this attitude display itself today? There are still some who try to
live on pedigree and a name. At some time in the history of their family
someone performed some outstanding service to church or state, and ever
since they have claimed a special place.
Other might seek to thrive on history or tradition: some churches have
achieved great things in the past due to a particular ministry, but today
strive to live on the spiritual capital ofthe past. No man or church or
nation can live on the achievements of the past. 'That is what the Jews
were trying to do.
The rest of this section centers on a debate around the word
"father." Jesus identified Himself with the Father in heaven, but He
identified them with the father from hell, Satan.
Of course, the Jews claimed Abraham as their father, but Jesus made a
careful distinction between "Abraham's seed" (physical descendants
and "Abraham's children" (spiritual descendants because of personal
faith).
Galatians 3:6-7: "Consider Abraham: "He believed and it was
credited to him as righteousness. " (7) Understand, then, that those who
believe are children of Abraham. "
Why is the word "illegitimate used here? The nation of Israel is often
described as the "Bride of God." But when the nation forsook God, she was
said to go after strange gods, and her fidelity likened to spiritual
adultery. They were said to be "children of harlotry" (Hosea 2:4: "1 will
not show my love to her children, because they are the children of
adultry.")

The Jews are hearing two conflicting voices, one from God (through
Jesus), the other from Satan. The voice they will listen to is the one
that is familiar (1 John 4:5-6). Like children who believe whatever their
dad says, these Jews are listening to their father, the Devil. Listening
is not merely a matter of truth and logic. It is an issue of love (v. 42;
cf. 1 John 3:10; 5:1-2). They are obtuse to Jesus’ words, not because
they are stupid, nor because Jesus is confusing. They refuse to listen
(cf. Jn 8:19, 22, 25, 27, 33) because they don’t love Jesus. And they
don’t love Jesus because they don’t love his Father.
"Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for
I came from God and now am here. I have not come On my own; but he sent
me.{43} Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to
hear what I say. "
Nature is determined by birth, and birth is determined by paternity.
If God is our Father, then we share God's nature, but if Satan is our
father, then we share in his evil nature.
Since "faith comes from hearing and hearing by Itle Word of God," the
seed of God's Word plays an essential role in our hearts. There can be
no fruit without growth, no growth without life, and no life without a
seed.
Remember now, the Pharisees majored in religion; they were
professionals. Descendents of the great patriarch Abraham, they were also
the resident textual and theological experts.
But, as John established, we are born into God's family as one of His
children, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God" (1:13). We become His children by accepting Him, not by
pedigree, proxy or pressure.

These religious leaders:
- claimed God as their Father
- but they harbored murder in their hearts (vs. 40)
- they despised the truth (vs. 40)
- they did not love God (vs. 42)
- they could not understand what Jesus taught (vs. 43, 47)
- tried to kill Jesus (God's messenger) because He spoke the truth (vs.
42)
- they did not believe His Word (vs. 46)
- they dishonored the Son (vs. 49)
- they did not know God (vs. 55)

Unlike natural children who cannot choose their parents, the Jews became
children of the Devil by doing what he does (Mt 13:38; 23:15; 1 John 3:8;
Rev 12:9). The bottom line is that we choose who we will listen to. We
choose who our father will be. There comes a point when we listen to the
lies so long that we are no longer able to believe the truth (v. 43).
Satan is a liar (Gen 3:1,4; Job 1:9, 10, 11; Mt 4:6, 9; Acts 5:3; 2 Thess
2:9, 10, 11). But even more, he is a master of half-truths (Gen 3:4), and
Scripture twisting (Mt 4:6). He accomplishes his objectives not merely by
lies, but by substituting the mind of God with the mind of "man" (Isa
55:6-9). In our Western world we have assumed that truth will conquer;
that reason, by its logical force, will ultimately convince. But what we
accept as "fact" or "truth" will largely depend on our prior commitments.
Put simply, Satan does not necessarily need to deprive us of information.

If he can get us to view the information through the lens of this world,
even the cross looks foolish (1 Cor 1:18-25). That is why these Jews, who
knew the facts about Jesus, could reject him. Jesus did not fit their
philosophy so his "voice" was discarded.
There does come a time when a faulty philosophy is unable to account for
certain truths. At that point, the honest individual must abandon his
"way of thinking" and adopt another system which can better account for
all the facts. Verse 46 is designed to destroy their faulty philosophy by
inviting them to identify8-15 any moral flaw in Jesus. That’s a dangerous
invitation! If political campaigns have taught us anything, it is that no
one is perfect. Yet Jesus’ accusers are stymied. They have nothing to
say. This is perhaps the most powerful indication of the sinlessness of
Jesus (cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15).
Now this crowd returns tit for tat the insults of Jesus. He says they are
doctrinally deceived. They say he follows the deviant teachings of the
Samaritans (see on Jn 4:9). He says they are children of the Devil. They
say he is demon-possessed (see notes on 7:20). There could scarcely be
greater insults exchanged than these. Rather than defend himself or
retaliate (God will do that, v. 50), he simply offers life (v. 51). For
that was his mission (Jn 10:10).
The offer of eternal life is a bodacious claim. Who does Jesus think he
is? … If they only knew! As unimaginable as it is to these Jews, yes,
Jesus is greater than Abraham (cf. Jn 5:18; 10:33; 19:7). The Messiah, by
necessity, must be if he is to bless the whole world (Gen 12:3). And
although the three most prominent religions of the world (Jewish,
Christian, and Muslim) are all based on Abraham, history has demonstrated
that Jesus has had much more influence on our globe than Abraham. The
unmistakable lesson of history, sociology, philosophy, and theology is
that Jesus is indeed greater than Abraham. And that says nothing about
his identity as God’s Son and the second person of the Trinity.
If they would only listen to Jesus they would understand that the Messiah
is so much more than they ever dreamed. He brings liberation from death
(1 Cor 15:54-57), not some petty human government. His is the power of
life and eternity for those who hear and obey his word (Mt 7:24-27).
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out
your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding
to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his
native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. {45} Yet
because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!"
Although the physical lineage of the Pharisees can be traced back to
Abraham, their spiritual lineage went all the way back to the devil
himself.
In their family tree hid the serpent of old, who had enticed them away
from the true God with the seductive fruit ofreligiosity. And, like
father, like son, the Pharisees were a mirrored reflection, twisting the
truth about Jesus (vs. 48) and plotting to kill Him (VS. 40).
The worst bondage is the kind that the prisoner himself does not
recognize. He thinks he is free, yet he is really a slave. The Pharisees
and other religious leaders could not face the truth, and it was the
truth alone that could set them free!
"Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth,
why don't you believe me? {47} He who belongs to God hears what God says.
The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." {48} The
Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan
and demon-possessed?" {49} "I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus,
"but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. {50} I am not seeking glory
for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. {51} I
tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.""
This chapter passes from lightning flash to lightning flash of
astonishment. Jesus makes claim after claim, each more tremendous than
the one which went before: He says that if anyone keeps his words, he
will never know death.
Because the leaders could not refute our Lord's statements, they
attacked His person. For a Jew to be called a Samaritan was the grossest
of insults, and then to be called a demon-possessed person only added
further insult.
Jesus didn't even dignify the racial slur with an answer. They were
dishonoring Him, but He was hononing the Father.
Jesus had warned them that they would die in their sins because of
their unbeiief...He now invites them to trust His Word and "never see
death." We had said this before in His synagogue sermon (6:39-40, 4·4,
54)
"At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are
demon-possessed, Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that
if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. (53) Are you
greater than our Father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do
you thinkyou are?"
Their reply was expected: Abraham was a godly man, yet he died! And
many of the prophets were godly, yet they were also dead! This kind of
talk only convinced them the more that He had a demon! (7:20).
"Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My
Father, whom you claim as your God is the One who glorifies me. (55)
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a
liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.(56) Your father
Ahraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.
"

Jesus makes a great statement: all true honor must come from God. It
is not difficult to honor oneself; it is easy enough to bask in the
sunshine of one's own approval.
It is not over difficult to win honor from men...the world honors the
successful man. But the real honor is the honor which only eternity can
reveal and the verdicts of eternity are not the verdicts of time.
The brazen claim to give eternal life is not mere boasting. Jesus does
not defend the claim, he just makes it. Only time can prove it. And only
the Father needs to defend Jesus. The remainder of the NT is a record of
both the life-giving power of Jesus and God’s glorification of his Son.
Here, however, we have neither a debate nor a defense but a simple
statement of fact.
Abraham was pleased to see Jesus’ day. But when did Abraham see Jesus’
day? Does this mean that he was happy to see the incarnation from heaven?
Or that Jesus was one of the three visitors who announced the birth of
Isaac (Gen 18:1-2)? More likely it means that Abraham rejoiced at the
initial fulfillment of the Messianic promise (Gen 12:1-3), when his own
son Isaac was born. His name, after all, does mean "laughter" (Gen
21:3-6). This was the first fruits of God’s promise which some 2,000
years later is now culminated in their presence.
They obviously misunderstand Jesus. They assume that Jesus is claiming to
be a contemporary of Abraham. But Jesus isn’t 2,000 years old. Even
stretching it, he is not even fifty, that is, in his incarnate state. The
fact of the matter is that Jesus was alive when Abraham was, and even
long before that. Jesus was coexistent and coeternal with the Father (Jn
1:1-2; Col 1:15-17).
While they misunderstand Jesus’ chronology, they don’t miss his claim.
When he says, "Before Abraham was, I AM," they know he is equating
himself with God. Whether Jesus says this in Greek, or more likely,
Aramaic, the translation of the Tetragrammaton, is clear. This ineffable
name for God, "Jehovah," Jesus applies to himself. It was with this title
that God identified himself.
He told Moses that he was the "Ever Existing One" (Exod 3:14). This is
perhaps Jesus’ clearest claim to deity.
And it is not wasted on the Jews. They understand precisely what Jesus
means and they are prepared to kill him for blasphemy. If what Jesus
claims is a lie, then he deserves to die according to the law of Moses
(Lev 24:16). But if what he says is true, then they are about to kill the
Author of Life incarnate (Acts 2:36; 3:15). They collect stones from the
rubble of the continuing temple construction (cf. Jn 2:20). They are now
poised for the greatest travesty of human history.

Two claims which are the foundation of His life.
- He claims unique knowledge of God.
He claims to know him as no one else has known him or ever will. Nor
will he lower his claim, for to do so would be a lie.

- He claims unique obedience to God.
To look at Jesus is to be able to say: This is how God wishes me to
live." To look at his life is to say: "This is serving God."

* How did Abraham "see" our Lord's day?
God did not give Abraham some spiritual vision of our Lord's life and
ministry, but He did give him the spiritual perception to "see" these
future events. Abraham "by faith" saw the future city and the future
Messiah (11:10, 13-16).
- he saw the birth of the Messiah in the miraculous birth of his own
son, Isaac
- he certainly saw Calvary when he offered Isaac to God (Gen. 22)
- in the priestly mrmstry of Melchizedek (Gen 14), Abraham could see
the heavenly priesthood of Jesus
- in the marriage of Isaac, he could see a picture of the marriage of
the Lamb (Gen. 24)

"You are not yet fifty years old, " the Jews said to him, "and you
havae seen Abraham! ((58) "I tell you the truth, " Jesus answered,
"before Abraham was born, I am! (59) At this, they picked up stones to
stone him. but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
"
The age of 50 was the age at which the Levites retired from their
service (Numbers 4:3).
This is clearly another affirmation of His Deity...a claim that He was
timeless; and the Jewish leaders took it as such:
- He had once again made Himself equal to God
- to them, this was the sin ofblasphemy, worthy of death (Lev. 24:16)
Jesus was divinely protected and simply walked away. His hour had not
yet come. We cannot help but admire His courage as He presented the truth
and invited blind religious men to trust Him and be set free.
The most difficult people to win to Jesus are those who do not realize
that they have a need. They are religious, but under God’s condemnation.


JOHN 8 IN REVIEW
This chapter shows Christ in conflict with the Jewish leaders and
presents a series of important contrasts.
I. Light and Darkness (8:1-20)
The scribes and Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus in the court of the
women, in the treasury section of the temple (v. 20). Their motive was to
test Him (v. 6) and force Him into a dilemma. If He set the woman free,
He violated Moses’ law (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22); if He had her stoned,
He could not claim to be One who forgives sins.

Arthur Pink suggests that Christ wrote on the ground with His finger
twice to remind them of the two tablets of the Law, written with the
finger of God (Ex. 31:18; 32:15-18; 34:1). The Jews sinned, and Moses
broke the first stone tablets on the ground; but God forgave their sin,
provided blood sacrifices, and gave them another set of tablets. Christ
died for the sins of this woman and was able to forgive her.

The great I AM statement in v. 12 follows this incident. As the Light of
the world, Christ claimed to be God, for God is light (1 John 1:5).
Darkness speaks of death, ignorance, and sin; light speaks of life,
knowledge, and holiness. The light reproves sin (John 3:20). The lost
sinner lives in darkness (Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19; 5:8) and will spend
eternity in darkness (Matt. 25:30) if he rejects Christ. The Jews,
instead of submitting to Christ, argued with Him in the temple!

II. Heaven and Earth (8:21-30)
There are two births: from above, being born again by God’s Spirit, and
from this world, being born of the flesh. And there are two ways to die:
the sinner dies in his sins, but the believer dies in the Lord (Rev.
14:13). Faith in Jesus Christ makes the difference. Jesus told the Jews
that He came from heaven; the Father sent Him (v. 26), taught Him (v.
28), and remained with Him (v. 29).

The Father forsook His Son only when Christ was made sin for us on the
cross. In v. 28, Christ spoke of being "lifted up," which means, of
course, crucifixion. He had mentioned this to Nicodemus in 3:14-16, and
He would mention it again in 12:32-34.

III. Freedom and Slavery (8:31-40)
The Jews who believed (v. 30) were admonished to prove their faith by
their faithfulness. Faith in Christ makes one a child of God, but abiding
in the Word and knowing the truth (and living it) makes one a true
disciple of the kingdom. Christ is speaking about spiritual, not physical
or political, bondage and liberty. The lost sinner is in bondage to lusts
and sins (Titus 3:3), to Satan, and to the world (Eph. 2:1-3). By
receiving the truth in Christ, slaves are set free!

Jesus’ opponents, of course, appealed to their human advantages: "We are
Abraham’s children!" They said the same thing to John the Baptist (Matt.
3:8-9). Jesus made a distinction between Abraham’s fleshly seed (v. 37)
and Abraham’s spiritual children (v. 39). Paul makes the same distinction
in Rom. 2:28-29, 4:9-12, and 9:6, as well as in Gal. 4:22-29.

People reject Jesus because they confuse the physical and the spiritual.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about a spiritual birth, but he asked about a
physical birth (John 3:4). Christ offered the woman at the well eternal
life (living water), but she talked about literal physical water (4:15).
Salvation is a spiritual experience, and human birth has nothing to do
with it.

IV. Children of God and Children of Satan (8:41-47)
The Bible speaks of four different kinds of "spiritual children." When we
reach the age of accountability and deliberately sin, we become children
of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). When we put faith in Christ, we become the
children of God (John 1:12). But the person who finally rejects the
Savior and prefers self-righteousness (the devil’s substitute) becomes a
child of the devil. (See Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43, where the children of the
devil are portrayed as counterfeit Christians.)

Jesus pointed out the characteristics of the children of the devil:
A. They will not give place to the Word of God (v. 37).
B. They trust in the flesh—human birth, works (v. 39).
C. They hate Christ and seek to kill Him (vv. 40, 44).
Satan is a murderer and his children imitate him.
D. They do not love Christ or the things of Christ (v. 42).
E. They do not understand the Word—blinded by Satan (v. 43).
F. They are liars and love lies more than the truth (v. 44).
G. They will not hear the Word of God; they hate it (v. 47).
Remember, these "children of the devil" were not grossly immoral people;
they were self-righteous religious people who rejected Christ. Many
people today are deluded by Satan into an outward form of godliness that
lacks the power of the Gospel, but these people think they are truly
saved and going to heaven.

V. Honor and Dishonor (8:48-59)
God honors His Son, but self-righteous men dishonor Him. They dishonored
Him verbally by calling Him a Samaritan and by accusing Him of having a
devil. (Samaritans were the scum of the earth to the Jews.)
Jesus told them that Abraham saw His day and rejoiced. How did Abraham
see Christ’s day? By faith (Heb. 11:8-16). He glimpsed at Christ’s
redemptive work when he offered Isaac on the altar (Gen. 22). God shared
many secrets with His friend Abraham because of his faith and obedience
(Gen. 18:16-22).

When the bright light of God’s Word shines on hearts, men must either
accept it and be saved, or reject it and be lost. See how these religious
Jews hated Christ and sought to kill Him! This was proof indeed that they
were children of Satan, the murderer. Jesus claimed to be Jehovah God
when He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (see v. 58; also Ex. 3:14).

In v. 24, He also said, "For if you do not believe that I am He, you will
die in your sins" (NKJV). In v. 28, He said, "When you have lifted up [on
the cross] the Son of Man, then you will know that I am" (NIV). Satan’s
lie is that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God (see 1 John 2:22; 4:1-3).
It is impossible to honor God and at the same time dishonor His Son
(5:23).

Last modified: April 18, 2006