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John 8:25  Who Jesus Is

 

Introduction:

 

      In our previous text, Jesus told the Pharisees that if

they would not believe in Him they would die in their sins.

That means they would never make it to heaven.

      In our text the Pharisees ask Him to tell them who He is

and He gives them an answer to their question.

 

I.  The frame of mind in which the question was asked

 

      V. 25, "Then said they unto him, Who art thou?..."  As

far as we can tell just by the words themselves, this was a

legitimate question.  The question itself is simply, "Who

are you?"  However, judging from what we know about the

Pharisees and about their dealings with Jesus, this question

was not at all asked in sincerity.  The Pharisees never

asked Jesus anything out of a sincere desire to know the

truth.  Rather they always had an ulterior motive.  They

asked out of a desire to trap Him.  They were hoping that He

would say something that they could use against Him.  Either

that or else, they sought to ridicule Him.

      I would not at all doubt that in asking this particular

question they were hoping that Jesus would say something

that they could use against Him.  However, I strongly

suspect that they asked this question chiefly in ridicule.

Jesus had just told them that unless they would believe in

Him, they would die in their sins.

      Now technically, He did not say that they should believe

in Him as the Christ.  Rather, the word is "he" and even

that is in italics.  Yet the idea of the verse is very

clear.  Jesus is telling them that unless they believe in

Him as the Christ, they will die in their sins and would

 never make it to heaven.  But since He did not specifically

say that He is the Christ, they ask Him who He is.  It was

as if they were saying in ridicule, "Now just who are you to

tell us that we will not go to heaven?  Just who do you

think you are, anyway?"

 

II.  The answer which Jesus gave

 

      (V. 24), "...And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same

that I said unto you from the beginning."  If we look back

to John 5:17, 23, 43 to the very early part of the ministry

of Jesus and to His first trip to Jerusalem after starting

His ministry, Jesus informed the Jewish leaders even then

that He is the Son of God and that the Father had sent Him

into the world.

      In that statement He did not specifically say, "I am the

Christ."  He did tell them that God the Father had sent Him

and that He is, therefore, the Son of God.  At this state of

time, when all of Israel was looking for the coming of the

Christ, special consideration should be given by them to the

possibility that this man who claims to be the Son of God

really is the Christ.

      Then later in Galilee after Jesus had fed a multitude

with only five loaves of bread and two fishes, Jesus told

them that He is the Bread of Life.  He told them that the

manna in the wilderness was not the true Bread From Heaven.

In John 6:51 He said, "I the living bread which came down

from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live

forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I

will give for the life of the world."  Once again we have to

acknowledge that He did not come right out and say, "I am

the Christ."  But from what He did say, they surely should

have understood that He was claiming to be the Christ.  How

could He give everlasting life to the His followers if He is

not the Christ?

      Then just a few days ago when He came to Jerusalem to

observe the Feast of Tabernacles, on the very first day of

His arrival He appeared in the temple and spoke to a large

crowd of people.  He reaffirmed that He had not come to the

world all on His own.  He again informs them that He had

been sent to this world on a special mission.  John 7:28,

"Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye

both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of

myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not." Even

then He did not outright say, "I am the Christ.  I am the

Son of God.  I am the Savior of the world."  But by this

time they should have begun to get the idea that He does

claim to be the Christ.  He is most certainly claiming that

He is no ordinary man.

      It was then on the last day of the feast that Jesus

announced that He is The Water of Life.  Every day of the

feast a priest had gone to the Well of Siloam and dipped

water from that well in a golden bowl.  This water was then

carried to the Brazen Altar to be poured out upon the altar.

It was on that last day of the feast when the water was

dipped from that well that Jesus cried out to the whole

multitude who were present claiming to be The Water of Life.

John 7:37, "In the last day, that great day of the feast,

Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him

come unto me, and drink."  He went on to explain in the next

verse.  John 7:38, "He that believeth on me, as the

scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of

living water."

      He meant by this that if one would believe in Him as the

Christ they would have everlasting life.  Now He still did

not say specifically, "I am the Christ."  But what He did

say certainly made it evident that He was claiming to be the

Christ.

      Then after a full week in which the city of Jerusalem

was lit up ever night by four huge candelabra which burned

in the courtyard of the temple, Jesus announced to them that

He is the Light of World.  John 8:12, "Then spake Jesus

again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he

that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have

the light of life."  In this statement Jesus announced to

them that He is the Spiritual Light of the World.  All who

believe in Him walk in light.  Only those who believe in Him

walk in Light.  All others continue to walk in spiritual

darkness.  Note once more that, Jesus did not say, "I am the

Christ." But what He did say was surely to be understood to

mean that He claims to be the Christ.

      In John 8:16 Jesus said that His judgments are in

perfect harmony with the judgment that God the Father would

make.  John 8:16, "And yet if I judge, my judgment is true:

for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."

Again, He did not say, "I am the Christ."  But He was most

certainly claiming to be the Christ.  Otherwise how could

His thoughts and His judgments always be just exactly the

same as those of God the Father?

      In John 8:18 Jesus had said to them that God the Father

bore witness of His ministry that He had sent Jesus to the

world.  He was talking about the mighty miracles which He

had performed.  John 8:18, "I am one that bear witness of

myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."

Those miracles which Jesus performed surely gave testimony

to all who saw them or heard about them that Jesus is the

Christ.  God had sent Him.  He worked miracles by the power

of God.  He is the Christ of God.

      In John 8:23 we read, "And he said unto them, Ye are

from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am

not of this world."  He informed them again that He was not

of this world --- that He had come down from heaven above.

Now it's true that even in this He did not say, "I am the

Christ." But He was most certainly making it clear to all

that He claimed to be the Christ.

      They really knew that He was claiming to be the Christ.

That is what made them so angry at Him.  They simply refused

to believe that He is the Christ and it angered them that He

persisted in claiming to be the Christ.  So when Jesus said,

"...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your

sins" they became angrier than ever and they lashed out at

Him by saying in effect, "Just who do you think you are to

tell us that we cannot go to heaven?"  And Jesus responded

by telling them that He is just exactly who He had been

telling them from the beginning that He is.

 

III.  A broader search for the answer to the question

 

      But let us get back to the question which the Pharisees

asked.  They asked, "Who art thou?"  That is, "Who are you?"

Now let us look beyond this immediate passage of scripture

and the things which Jesus had been telling them from the

beginning of His ministry.  Let us take a look at other

Bible passages and see just who the Bible teaches that Jesus

is.

      The Gospel According To Matthew tells us that He was

conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Ghost or Holy

Spirit.  Matthew 1:18 says that Jesus is the virgin born

One.  In Matthew 1:21 Joseph was told, "And thou shalt call

His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their

sins." In Matthew 17:5 God the Father spoke from heaven and

said about Him, "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well

pleased; hear ye Him."

      In John chapter one we are told that He was in the

beginning with God the Father and that He is the One who

created all things, John 1:1-2.  In John 3:16 we are told

that God the Father sent Jesus into the world so that all

who will place their faith in Him will be saved and have

everlasting life.  In John 5:22 we are told that God the

Father has committed all judgment into His hands.

      In all four of the gospels we are told that He went to

Calvary's cross and suffered there in order to pay the sin

debt for sinful man.  That is, He suffered the penalty of

sin for the guilty sinner so that those who trust in Him for

salvation will not have to suffer in torment for their sins.

Jesus has suffered for them so that they will go free and

not have to suffer in hell for their sin.

      The Scripture repeatedly testifies that He arose from

the grave and after that He arose from the earth and

ascended into heaven.  The Scripture also repeatedly informs

us that some day He will return to this world and sit upon

the throne of David in Jerusalem and will rule the world

during the millennium.  After the millennium He will bring

forth a new heaven and new earth and will sit upon the

throne of God in the New Jerusalem.

 

IV.  The need of people of our day

 

      In spite of all that Jesus had already told them about

Himself, and in spite of the witness that God the Father had

given in His behalf, most of the Pharisees had made up their

minds and nothing Jesus or God in heaven could say would

change their minds.  They rejected Jesus as their Savior.

It is too late for them.  They will face Him in judgment

some day and they will find out who He is.  But it will be

too late to do them any good.

      But today it is not too late for men, women, boys and

girls who will repent of sin and trust in Jesus for

salvation.  Let me appeal to you to acknowledge that God

sent Jesus into the world to be the Savior of men.  Let me

also appeal to you to put your own personal faith in Him and

ask Him to be your Savior.  Talk to Him.  He can hear you.

He can see you.  He can save you.

      Just believing that Jesus is the Savior is not enough to

get you into heaven.  You need to call on Jesus and ask Him

to save you.  You need to trust Him to save you.  Romans

10:13 reads, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the

Lord shall be saved."  Have you ever called on Him and asked

Him to save you?

 

Conclusion:

 

      If not, then I am going to ask you to call on Him right

now this morning.  You to not have to speak out loud so that

all of us can hear you.  You can talk to Him silently in

your heart.  You can acknowledge to Him that you are a

sinner and that you need to be saved.  You can ask Him to

cleanse you from all your sin and to prepare you for heaven.

Will you do that this morning.  We are going to have and

invitation hymn.  I am going to ask all to stand and while

the congregation sings, would you come and get

right with God?