54

John 8:26-30 JESUS REASONING WITH THE PEOPLE

Introduction:

In a previous text Jesus told the Pharisees that He

would soon go away and that they would seek for Him but not

find Him. He further told them that if they would not

believe in Him they would die in their sins. That means

that unless they would believe in Him they would not be

forgiven of their sins. It means that they would not make

it to heaven. It means that they would suffer for their

sins in the next world.

The Pharisees responded by asking Jesus who He is. The

idea behind their question was, "Just who do you think you

are to tell us that we will not go to heaven?"

Jesus answered their question by saying, in effect, "I

am the same One whom I told you from the beginning that I

am." He had never said to them specifically, "I am the

Christ," but He had told them in numerous ways that He is

the Christ and He sticks with His story. He had told them

the truth to start with. He had told them the truth all

along. He most certainly could not be expected to tell them

anything different now.

In our text today Jesus continues to reason with the

Pharisees and with the whole crowd of common people who had

gathered to listen to Him.

I. Many things Jesus would yet say to the people

V. 26, "I have many things to say..." That is, "I have

many more things to say to you." They had been puzzled when

He told them that He was going away and that they would not

find Him. They had been very much angered when He told them

that unless they would believe in Him they would not make it

to heaven. There was a lot more yet that Jesus wanted to

tell them in order to wake them up to their need of

repentance and salvation. He would tell them some more even

now. But much of what He wished to say would have to wait

until later.

(V. 26), "...and to judge of you..." That is, much of

what He would say to them later would be judgemental of

them. He would speak critically of them. They deserved it.

They needed it. He would do it, but not now. He would most

severely rebuke them. He would call them "hypocrites,"

which they were. He would call them "whited sepulchres."

They appeared beautiful and nice outwardly, but inwardly

they were corrupt and vile. Inwardly it was as though they

were full of dead men's bones. He would call them "vipers."

Inwardly they were as vicious as snakes. He would tell them

that they are children of the Devil, which spiritually they

were. It was not yet time for such stern rebuke and it did

not meet the purpose of God the Father for Him to tell them

now. If they thought that He was harsh with them now, they

would really think He is harsh later.

At this present time, He will not get that harsh with

them, but He will speak sharply enough to jar them just a

little bit so that He might wake some of them up to their

need of salvation. That is why He had told them that unless

they would believe in Him they would not make it to heaven.

He wanted them to know that they were lost so that they

would seek salvation.

II. The truthfulness of what He says

(V. 26), "...but he that sent me is true; and I speak to

the world those things which I have heard of him." Jesus

reminds His listeners of something which He had already told

them. He reminds them that He had been sent to them. He

had been sent on a mission and part of His mission was to

deliver to them the message which the One who sent Him gave

Him to deliver. Jesus said, in effect, "All that I have

said to you were those things which I was told to say to

you. Everything that I have said to you came directly from

Him who sent me. I have only delivered to you the message

which He gave me to deliver."

V. 27, "They understood not that he spake to them of the

Father." That is, they understood not that He was saying

that God the Father had sent Him and that God the Father had

given Him the message which He had spoken to them.

Let me say to you that this is difficult to understand.

How could they not know that He was talking about God the

Father? How could they not know that He was saying that God

the Father had sent Him and that God the Father had given

Him the message which He had delivered to them? He had

repeatedly told them. He had told them over and over again

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

God. He had told them that He was not of this world -- that

He was from above. He said that God the Father had sent Him

from above! Why in the world would they not understand now

that He was talking to them about God the Father?

So far as I can tell there is but one answer. They had

closed their minds to the idea that He is from above. They

had closed their minds to the idea that God the Father had

sent Him. They had closed their minds to the idea that He

is the Son of God. They had absolutely refused to believe

that He is the Christ of God! They had made up their minds

that He is a hoax, an imposter and nothing He could say

would change their minds. They would continue to reject Him

as the Christ. They would continue to plot against Him and

work against Him until they could some way, some how put Him

to death and get Him out of their way.

III. The coming proof of who He is

V. 28, "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted

up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he..." The

term, Son of man, is a term that Jesus frequently used to

speak of Himself. They were familiar with that. They knew

that He was talking about Himself. Jesus told them that the

time would come when they would be given good evidence that

He is who He has said that He is. The time would come when

they would have positive proof that He is who He said that

He is. He said that at that time they would know that He is

the Christ.

What time is He talking about? He said that it would

come after they had lifted Him up. He was talking about His

crucifixion. He was talking about being lifted up on a

cross. They would nail Him to a cross and lift Him up

between heaven and earth. He would hang there until He is

dead. Jesus knew this and told them that He knew it. He

knew it and accepted it. He would not try to prevent it.

He had come to this earth for this purpose to die on the

cross for the souls of men. Jesus said that at that time

after they had crucified Him they would know that He is who

He had told them that He is.

Even then most of them would still outwardly refuse to

acknowledge that they had crucified the Christ, but Jesus

said that inwardly they would know at that time that He is

the Christ.

When the time of His crucifixion would take place the

majority of these very people would be there to witness it.

They would be in that great crowd which would cry out,

"Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" They would see Him nailed to a

pole by the Roman soldiers. They would march before Him and

mock Him and spit in His face. They would see Him drop His

head and breath His last breath. They would see the spear

pierce His side and see blood mixed with water run from His

side. They would see His lifeless body taken down from the

cross and laid in Joseph's tomb. They would know that the

great stone door was rolled shut and that Pilate's official

seal was placed upon it so that no one would dare to open

it. They would know about the Roman soldiers stationed

there to make certain that no man would take His body from

that tomb.

Then three days later, they would get the news that the

body of Jesus was no longer in that tomb. They would hear

the rumors that the disciples had come and stolen His body

out of the tomb.

But in their hearts they would know the truth. They

would know that the disciples could not have possibly stolen

His body. They would hear that the disciples had seen Him

alive. In their hearts they would know that the only way He

could come out of that grave is that He is who He had told

them that He is. Inwardly they would know that He is the

Light of the World. Inwardly they would know that He is the

Bread of Life. Inwardly they would know that He has told

them the truth and that He is the Water of Life. Inwardly

they will know that God is indeed, His Father and that He is

the Son of God. Inwardly they will know that He is the

Christ of God, the Savior of the World.

Yet even then many of them will still doggedly reject

Him. Even though inwardly they know that He arose from the

grave, they will still refuse to acknowledge outwardly that

He is the Christ of God. Jesus said in effect, "You want

proof of who I am? You will get proof.

IV. Complete obedience to God the Father

(V. 28), "...and that I do nothing of myself; but as my

Father hath taught me, I speak these things." They will

have proof of who He is and proof that everything He has

said to them came from God the Father in heaven. It was God

the Father who sent His Son into this world, and it was God

the Father who told Him what to say. He told Him what to do

and He told Him what to say.

The things that Jesus did which infuriated the Jews so,

were things which God the Father had told Him to do. The

things which He had said which infuriated them so were

things which God the Father had told Him to say to them.

Thus, their contention against Jesus was in reality

contention against God the Heavenly Father and what God the

Father had said.

V. Complete support from God the Father

V. 29, "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath

not left me alone..." Jesus had complete confidence in the

success of His mission. He knew that God the Father, who

had sent Him, had not deserted Him. God the Father was

still with Him supporting Him.

In John 6:66 it is said that many of His disciples had

become offended at Him and that they walked with Him no

more. The Pharisees must have known this. They kept up

with His activities very closely. They must have also

gloated in the fact that such a large number of His

disciples had deserted Him. They had no way of knowing yet,

but later one of His leading men, one of the twelve apostles

would desert Him. Judas Iscariot would not only desert Him,

but He would betray Him into their hands so that they could

crucify Him.

But Jesus took great comfort in knowing that even though

men would desert Him, yet God the Father would not desert

Him. He would stand by Him and support Him in all His

ministry. The only time when God the Father would refrain

from giving Him comfort and support would be while He was on

the cross suffering for our sins. While He was on the

cross, God would lay the full penalty of our sins upon Him.

But other that time on the cross, God the Father was right

with Him to support Him every step of the way.

Jesus was not telling these people anything they could

not see for themselves. They had seen the miracles that

Jesus had performed. By those miracles they could see for

themselves that God the Father was with Him and supporting

Him.

(V. 29), "...for I do always those things that please

him." It would stand to reason that God the Father would

stand with Him and support Him in all things, because Jesus

had done the will of God the Father in all things. Jesus

had done the Father's will and the Father was well pleased

with Him. God had even spoken from heaven and said, "This

is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

VI. The many who believed on Jesus

V. 30, "As he spake these words, many believed on him."

I take it that not many of the Pharisees believed on Him.

Perhaps a few did, but not many. Most of the Pharisees

continued to be against Him. But many in the crowd of

people believed. We have seen in earlier Scriptures that a

relatively small number had already believed in Him and that

many others were already considering the possibility that He

might be the Christ. They were already almost persuaded.

Now they were altogether persuaded. They accepted what

Jesus had said that He is not of this world. They accepted

what He said that He had been sent from Heaven. They

accepted Him as the Light of the World, the Bread of Life,

the Water of Life, the Son of God, the Christ of God, the

Savior of men. They believed in Him. They trusted in Him.

They got saved.

Conclusion:

What about you? Are you numbered among those who have

already believed? Or are you one of those who is earnestly

considering that Jesus just might be who He said He is, who

the disciples said He is, and who the Bible says He is.

Perhaps you may be one of those who is almost persuaded.

Let me tell you what I am going to ask you to do. I am

going to ask you to become one who is altogether persuaded

that Jesus is the Christ. Do you want proof? You will have

the proof some day. The Bible teaches that all will stand

before His presence some day. The Bible says that every

knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is

the Christ. Everybody will know! Nobody will be in doubt!

Nobody will be in doubt ever again.

But I am asking you to accept Jesus now as the Christ of

God because the Bible says that He is. In other words, I am

asking you to just take God's word for what it says.

Believe God! Believe that Jesus is the Son of God because

God says so. Believe in Him as your own personal Savior.

Trust Him to save your soul and to keep you out of hell. Do

today what many of the people did on that day. Place your

faith in Jesus Christ to be your Savior.

If you are already saved, then perhaps God is leading

you to this church to be a member of the church and to give

your life in service to Jesus Christ, your Savior. If He is

leading you, He will put a desire in your heart to come and

unite with us. If so, will you come?

If you are already saved and already a member of this

church, perhaps God is leading you to a closer walk with

Him. If so, will you come and commit yourself to a closer

walk with the Lord?