If you have your Bible with you this morning, you can open it up to John chapter 8.
For those of you who are visiting, we've been working our way through the Gospel of John
kind of at a slow pace, just trying to milk it for all it's worth and learn as much as we can
about Jesus and what he asks of us as his followers. So John chapter 8, we are in this morning,
and we're at about verse 43. And this morning, I didn't plan it this way, but we come to a
difficult passage. Difficult for a couple of reasons. First of all, Jesus is about to say
something that many in the audience find offensive. And even today, people still find these words
offensive and are ashamed of them. Second, this is a difficult passage to know just what Jesus means
and how does this apply to us. But we're going to try to look at it anyway. We don't
just want to skip over it. We know that everything that Jesus says is important and for a reason.
So John chapter 8, verse 43. And just before we read it, let me just remind us of what's going on.
Jesus is still at the temple courts. He's having a heated discussion with a crowd of people there.
He's told them that they must believe that he is the one sent from God and that if they do not,
they will die in their sin. They will stand guilty before God. He has told them the hard truth that
they are slaves to sin who need to be set free and liberated. He said that it's by his word,
by the truth that he speaks, that they can be set free. And people initially seem to believe him
and were excited about him. But we saw that very quickly, this was maybe a superficial belief.
And as this conversation goes on, it's coming out that many really do not believe in Jesus,
at least not the hard parts of what he's saying, the part about being slaves to sin
and things like that. So they begin to argue with Jesus about this.
We are children of Abraham, they said. And Jesus responded,
you are in the physical sense, but in the most important sense, you are not.
So they tried another angle. We are children of God. He is our father. And Jesus challenged that too.
Actually, no, you are not. If you were God's children, you would love me.
Because I've been sent here from him to you.
No, there's a major problem here. As Jesus said a moment ago in verse 37, he said,
my word makes no progress in you. It's like it's not getting through.
And he says a very similar thing here and now again in verse 43.
Why is my language not clear to you? He says.
A more literal translation. Why do you not understand what I'm saying?
Now, if it were you or I that were speaking these words,
I at least imagine that if I was to say them, it would be because I'm frustrated
that the person I'm talking to just doesn't seem to be getting it.
Why do you not understand what I'm saying?
I'm not sure that Jesus necessarily feels the same as I would.
We really don't know what he's feeling as he asks this question.
But interestingly enough, he answers his own question.
Why do you not understand what I am saying?
It is because you cannot hear my word.
It is because you cannot hear my word, he says.
And probably all of us are wondering, well, what do you mean, Jesus,
that we cannot hear your word? What do you mean?
That's a strange thing to say.
Why can't they hear your word?
Well, everybody has some ideas about this.
Some people, pretty much everybody agrees that it's not because they're physically deaf.
But beyond that, there's a number of different ideas about what Jesus means here.
Some people believe that they are unable to hear Jesus' words
because they are spiritually deaf.
Like in their souls.
They just, they can't hear it.
Some of those people would say that they maybe lack some kind of a spiritual organ
that's needed in order to really hear and understand what Jesus is saying.
Others would say it's because they're spiritually dead.
They don't have spiritual life yet.
And so they can't understand what Jesus is saying.
A few people will point to the earlier chapters of John and say it's because they need to be born again
by the Spirit first in order to be able to really hear and understand Jesus' words.
And some others would say that they simply choose not to hear Jesus' words.
Well, which is it?
What's really going on here with these people?
Why can't they hear your word, Jesus?
I wish I could say with certainty what Jesus means here.
You see, at some point we also have to ask the question of whether they are responsible
for what they are hearing or not hearing from Jesus.
Do these people know that they cannot hear his word?
Do they think they can hear him and understand him?
I've got lots of questions for Jesus here.
But if I had to venture a guess, perhaps it means something like this.
Because you are unable to hear my word, maybe,
simply means you are unable to accept my word.
To receive the word that you are hearing from me.
And we sometimes use the word hear or the word listen like that.
I know I do with my own kids.
I might tell them to do something.
And then see that they didn't do it.
And I might say, why didn't you listen to me?
Well, it's not that they didn't listen to me.
They heard what I said.
It's that they didn't do what I said.
And so maybe that's what Jesus means here.
You are unable to accept the word that you are hearing from me.
And that inability to accept Jesus' word, I think,
is maybe rooted not so much in ignorance,
but in an unwillingness.
Unwillingness.
Not because they don't recognize that Jesus speaks the truth,
but because they don't like the implications
of the truth that Jesus speaks.
That's my best guess here.
Jesus' words are not getting through
because for their part, they cannot accept his word.
And that this cannot accept comes from a deep down,
I will not accept what you are saying.
I kept thinking back to what Jesus said earlier
here in this Gospel of John.
John 3, verse 19 and 20.
This is the verdict.
Light has come into the world.
That's Jesus.
That's the word that he speaks.
But people love darkness instead of light.
Why?
Because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light
and will not come into the light
for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
I think that's maybe a good explanation of what's happening here
as Jesus has this conversation with the crowd.
Jesus is the light and he's speaking words that expose the truth.
Truth like,
you're a slave to sin and you need to be set free
and I have come to set you free.
But they are not wanting to hear this.
They don't want to accept that reality.
We are children of Abraham
and therefore we are slaves of nobody.
We have God for our Father
and therefore we don't need you, Jesus.
Jesus already said back in verse 37
and this was something we've heard a lot of times in John
that the people, some of them at least,
are looking for a way to kill him.
And so if that's true,
then it makes sense
that at this point
they are no longer able or willing
to hear what Jesus has to say to them.
I mean, think of the state of their minds
and their hearts right now.
If they are plotting to kill him,
it means that they have hardened their hearts towards Jesus.
They've made up their minds about him.
They're done listening to Jesus.
Maybe you've had an argument with someone
and you know that there comes that point
in the conversation,
the back and forth,
where you're not listening to them
and they're not listening to you.
Perhaps something like that is happening here.
Let's go on.
Jesus says,
Why do you not understand what I am saying?
It is because you cannot hear my word.
You are of your father,
the devil,
and you want to do the desires of your father.
This is the part that is offensive.
To them,
to us,
I didn't intentionally choose this passage
for Mother's Day.
This is what Jesus said that day.
You are of your father,
the devil,
and you want to do
the desires
of your father.
So why are they unable to accept,
to hear Jesus anymore?
Jesus says it's because they are children
of the devil.
And we're going to talk about what that means
in a moment,
but first,
before we get to that,
notice the second part of what Jesus
says here.
He says,
You want to carry out your father's desires,
or you want to do the desires
of your father.
Notice that it's not just the devil
who has desires,
but Jesus says that they themselves,
the people there,
they want to do the things
that the devil desires,
which in this situation here
is to kill Jesus.
Verse 44,
he goes on,
You are of your father,
the devil,
and you want to do the desires
of your father?
He was a murderer
from the beginning,
says Jesus.
What was the devil's desire?
To kill.
He went after Adam and Eve
to kill them.
He deliberately enticed them
to disobey God
because he knew
that it would result in their death.
He was a murderer
from the beginning,
says Jesus,
with murderous desires.
And Jesus is saying
to some of the people
here in the crowd,
you have the same desires
that he does,
that he had
since the beginning of the world.
Remember back to what John said earlier.
The people love the darkness
and hate the light.
Why?
Because their deeds were evil.
So Jesus is shining the spotlight
on the murderous intents
of their hearts
in this moment
on what they are trying to do,
which at this moment
is very evil.
It's to kill him.
To take him out.
And so I think this is why
they are unable to hear.
They are unable to accept
what Jesus is saying.
They're unable to come
into the light
and love the light
because to accept
what Jesus is saying
is to admit
that he's right.
that we really are slaves
who need to be set free.
That we really are sinners
who are on the hook with God.
That we really need you, Jesus.
And for some of them
to admit that yes,
we actually have been plotting
to kill
even though we know it's wrong.
Let's come back
to this statement.
You belong to your father.
You are of your father,
the devil.
My translation in my Bible says
you belong to your father,
the devil.
What does that mean?
You are of your father,
the devil.
What does it mean
to be a child of the devil?
Well, first of all,
I don't think it means
the same thing
as to be a child of God.
Those who are children of God,
we've heard earlier
from Jesus himself.
To become a child of God,
you need to be born again
by the Spirit
into his family.
You become a child of God
through a spiritual birth.
It's not the same
with the devil
and being a child of his.
It doesn't mean
that you have somehow
been born of the devil
in a spiritual sense.
It also doesn't mean
that they have verbally
pledged allegiance
to the devil
in some kind of ceremony
or ritual.
In fact,
probably all of these people
don't think
that they are children
of the devil.
Thirdly,
I don't think
it means that they
belong to the devil.
I don't think
Jesus is saying
that the devil
owns them
or has ownership
over them.
And I don't think
Jesus is saying
that the devil
controls them
or makes them
desire
or makes them do
what they are
desiring and doing.
So what does
Jesus mean here?
Well,
the only sense
in which they seem
to be children
of the devil
that Jesus
brings up
again and again here,
the sense in which
the devil is their father
is based on the fact
that they desire
and do
the same things
that he does.
He is the father
of those desires
to murder.
He is the father
of those deeds
to lie,
to deceive
because he was
the first one
to do them.
And
if I'm reading
this right,
what makes a person
a child of the devil
is that they
take after their father.
They take after
the devil
in their
desires
and in their deeds.
The things they desire,
the things that they do.
Like father,
like son.
Let's see this
in what Jesus says here.
Back in verse 38,
Jesus said this to them,
I speak the things
which I have seen
with my father.
Therefore,
you also do
the things
which you heard
from your father.
In other words,
Jesus' actions
and his words
line up
with what he has
heard and seen
from God,
his father.
But he says
that their actions
and words
line up with
what they have
heard and seen
from their father,
the devil.
Verse 39,
Abraham is our father,
they answered.
Jesus said to them,
if you were
Abraham's children,
you would do
what Abraham did.
You would do
the works
that Abraham did.
He goes on there
to say,
no,
you're looking
for a way
to kill me.
You are doing
the works
of your own father,
the devil.
In other words,
it's their deeds,
it's their works,
it's their actions
by which they are
either children
of Abraham
or children
of a different
father.
And their deeds,
he says,
don't match up
with Abraham.
So you are not
truly his children,
rather,
you're trying
to kill me.
Your deeds,
your actions,
your behavior
matches up
to a different
father,
the devil.
Again,
in verse 44,
he says,
you are of
your father,
the devil,
and you want
to carry out
your father's
desires.
We read this
already,
but it's not
only their deeds
by which they are
children of the devil,
but it's their
desires.
They have the
same desires
as he does,
and so are
children,
of him.
Like father,
like son.
He wants to kill.
He is a murderer.
He has the desire
to harm people.
You have that desire
in your heart
right now,
says Jesus.
Verse 44,
he talks about
how the devil
is a liar.
He was a murderer
from the beginning,
not holding
to the truth.
goes on to talk
about how the devil
lies all the time
and how he is
the father of lies,
but his basic
point coming down
to verse 45
is,
you are like him,
like father,
like son,
just as the devil
did not hold
to the truth
and stand firm
in it,
in the same way,
here I am
speaking the truth
to you,
confronting you
with the truth
and yet because
I tell the truth,
you do not believe me,
says Jesus
in verse 45.
You know it's the truth
and because you know
it's the truth,
you do not want
to hear it.
So to be a child
of the devil,
the way that Jesus
describes it
is to have the same
desires
and deeds
as the devil.
It doesn't mean
that you worship Satan.
In fact,
these religious leaders
in the crowd,
I mean,
they're here at the
temple courts
in the temple
of the Lord
and they do many
religious things.
Being a child
of the devil
is something
that probably
everybody would deny
and that's why
these words of Jesus
are so offensive
to people
and yet it's
almost impossible
to escape
just how black
and white a picture
Jesus paints
for us
with these words.
In his words,
there are ultimately
only two families
that you can belong to.
You can belong
to God
and have him
for your father
or you can belong
to the devil
and have him
for your father.
You can take up
the desires
and the deeds
of one
or the other.
You can take up
the family business
of one
or the other.
Let's bring in
one more key passage
that sheds some light
on this
because we still
might wonder,
is there really
nothing in between?
Am I a child
of the devil
by default
until I'm saved?
Isn't there
some kind of
neutral
in the middle
before I
make my choice?
Let's look at
1 John
chapter 3
verse 8.
John was listening
that day.
This is what he wrote
in his letter.
He said,
the one who does
what is sinful
is of the devil.
Same language.
Because the devil
has been sinning
from the beginning.
Down in verse 10
he says,
this is how we know
who the children
of God are
and who the children
of the devil are.
Anyone who does not
do what is right
is not God's child.
Nor is anyone
who does not love
their brother
and sister.
So John confirms
for us in his letter
that yes,
we are hearing
Jesus correctly.
It is black and white.
you are either
a child of God
or a child
of the devil.
And what marks
the difference
between the two
is the overall
way of life
that a person
has.
As we see
in these words
of John,
doing what is
sinful
marks the life
of someone
who is of the devil.
not doing
what is right
marks
the life
of someone
who is
a child
of the devil.
But doing
what is right
marks the life
of those
who are
of God.
Loving
your brother
and your sister
marks the life
of a child
of God.
Now this,
of course,
doesn't mean
that a true
child of God
never blows it,
never sins
or makes mistakes.
Abraham did,
King David did,
Peter did,
and many more.
But it means
that the overall
way of life
of a child
of God
is that they
generally
do what is right
and not what
is sinful.
They love
their brother
and their sister
and not just
live to please
themselves
at all costs.
So if the
mark of
a child
of the devil
is that they
generally do
what is sinful
like the devil
does,
then yes,
by default,
we all start
out as children
of the devil.
As Paul said
in Romans
chapter 3,
verse 23,
familiar verse,
for all have
sinned
and fall short
of the glory
of God.
That's where
we all start.
This is why
we need Jesus
to come,
to help us,
to save us.
because from
the start,
we are all
children of
the devil.
But listen,
this is the
hard truth
that Jesus
speaks to them
that day,
but there is
also good news
that Jesus
brings.
And we've been
hearing this all
throughout the
gospel of John.
He has come
to give life.
He has come
to speak to us
the truth
by which,
believing it,
we can become
children of God
and have a
change of family.
He has come
to set free
those who are
slaves to sin.
Listen to these
words from the
beginning of
John's gospel
again.
The true light
that gives light
to everyone
was coming
into the world.
That's Jesus.
He was in the
world.
And though the
world was made
through him,
the world did
not recognize
him.
He came to
that which was
his own,
but his own
did not receive
him.
Yet,
to all who
did receive
him,
here it is,
to those who
believed in
his name,
he gave the
right to
become children
of God.
There is a
way to have a
change of
family,
to get a
new father,
a different
father,
a better
father,
to become
a child of
God.
And it's
through believing
in the name
of Jesus.
It's believing
in him,
that he is
who he says
he is,
and believing
the things
that he said
and has come
to speak,
the truth he
comes to
speak.
the crowd
here in
the temple
courts is
doing the
opposite.
They are
not listening
to Jesus.
They are
not believing
in him.
They are
not receiving
him.
Back to
John chapter
8,
verse 45.
Yet,
because I
tell you
the truth,
you do not
believe me,
says Jesus.
Can any
one of you
prove me
guilty of
sin?
If I am
telling the
truth,
why don't
you believe
me?
Quite the
statement.
And I
think that
we really
need to
ponder
these words.
Jesus is
appealing to
their
consciences.
My actions,
he says,
and my
conduct
match with
what you
know is
good and
right.
does
anybody
want to
come up
and convict
me of
sin?
Have I
done
anything
wrong to
anyone?
Have I
said
anything
wrong to
anyone?
If I
lack
integrity,
tell me
specifically
what I
have done
or what
I have
said.
They've
already
made a
few
accusations
throughout,
but Jesus
has answered
all of
those so
well to
show that
he is not
guilty of
anything.
And so
if I've
been
speaking and
doing what
is good
and right
and you
know that,
then you
know that I
am from
God.
You know
that I
speak the
truth.
So why
won't you
believe me?
What a
question.
Jesus is
appealing to
their
consciences.
Why don't
you believe
me?
What's
keeping you
from
accepting
what you
know to
be true
about
Jesus?
I think we
all need to
think about
these words
and answer
for ourselves.
But Jesus
goes on.
He actually
answers this
question too.
He says,
why don't
you believe
me?
And then
down in
verse 47,
whoever
belongs to
God
hears
what God
says.
The reason
why you
do not
hear
my words
is that
you are
not
of God.
This is
quite the
statement.
And I
think that
we should
think about
the word
hear that
Jesus uses
here in
the same
senses
above.
The reason
why you
do not
accept
the word
of God
is that
you are
not
of
God.
Now
there's a
whole
discussion
and debate
around
this.
I'm not
going to
get into
that this
morning.
There's a
temptation to
want to
change these
words around.
What do you
mean the
reason why we
do not
hear is
because we
are not
of God?
Well,
which comes
first?
Belonging to
God or
hearing and
believing?
Save that
for another
day.
either way,
we are at
the mercy
of God
because we
have all
sinned.
We need
a change
in family.
We need
to become
children of
God is
what Jesus
is saying
to them
there that
day.
As we've
been going
through this
series,
we've seen
some of
the marks
of being
a true
disciple
or a
true child
of Abraham,
a true
child of
God.
We've
heard some
really good
things from
Jesus.
To be a
true follower
of his,
we must
remain in
his word.
We must
continue to
hold to
his teaching
and not
move on
from it.
To be a
true child
of Abraham,
we must
do the
things that
Abraham
did.
Believe and
accept and
obey the
word of
God when
it comes
to us
like Abraham
did.
To be a
true child
of God,
we heard
last week,
we should
love and
love his
son,
the one
that he
has sent.
And this
morning,
we saw the
marks of
having a
different
father.
A child
of the
devil
desires and
does what
the devil
does,
like father,
like son.
A child
of the
devil refuses
to believe
Jesus because
he speaks
the truth.
A child
of the
devil will
not hear
or accept
or listen
to what
God says
just like
the devil
won't.
But a
true child
of God
will hear
and will
accept and
will listen
to what
God says.
Jesus has
been shining
the light of
truth on
these people.
He's been
exposing their
desires and
their deeds,
giving them
the hard
truth they
need to
come face
to face
with,
whose
family
they're
in.
And next
week we'll
see how
they respond
and as
you can
imagine it
wasn't
good.
They were
very angry.
But for
this morning
what about
you?
Whose
family are
you in?
Jesus only
gives us
two
possibilities.
Do you
love Jesus?
Do you
believe in
him?
The words
that he has
spoken,
do you
accept them?
do you
endeavor to
obey them
as all
true
children of
God do?
Or do
you love
certain other
things more?
Do you
have it in
your heart
to continue
doing some
of those
things that
you know
are wrong?
Do
Jesus'
words make
you angry?
Do they
provoke you
because of
things that
you might
have to
surrender or
give up if
you were to
believe in
him?
Is it
possible that
you have
been quite
religious just
like these
people and
yet your
heart is far
from God?
Far from
loving Jesus?
If it is, I
want to encourage
you with Jesus'
own words to
repent and
believe, to
humble yourself
before him,
to admit,
yes, I have
blown it, I am
a sinner.
Will you
forgive me?
God is in
the business
of forgiving
sins.
That's why he
sent Jesus.
He is
compassionate, he
is gracious,
and he will
forgive you if
you ask him.
And it will
cost to become
a follower of
Jesus.
There's no
denying that.
Jesus himself
said, for whoever
wants to save
their life will
lose it.
But whoever
loses their
life for me
will save it.
It will cost.
It costs
everything.
He said, what
good is it for
someone to gain
the whole world
yet forfeit
their soul?
The cost is
well worth it
for what we
receive from
Jesus.
Eternal life.
That's what's
at stake here.
Life and
death.
Many of you
here this
morning are
children of
God and
you love
Jesus.
I want to
encourage you
to keep
listening to
Jesus, to
stay in
his word, to
continue to
hold tightly
to his
teaching, and
as Peter said,
to make every
effort to
obey his
commands, to
do what's
right, to
love your
brother and
your sister,
as all true
children of
God should
and do.
And as a
last thought,
God, these
words are
offensive.
We're not
going to
pretend that
they're not.
And so I
want to
encourage you
to take
care about
talking about
being children
of the devil
to people in
our world, in
our community,
people who
don't know
Christ.
If you take
these words
upon your
lips, I
want to
encourage you
to do it
with the
utmost
humility and
gentleness,
and never
with the
intent to
insult or
deride or
to give
somebody a
spiritual slap
in the face,
you're a
child of the
devil.
I don't
believe that's
the way
Jesus spoke
these words
and I don't
think we
should either.
Let's
pray.
Father in
heaven, thank
you for
sending Jesus.
Lord Jesus,
thank you for
speaking these
words to us.
We don't
necessarily like
these words.
They are
uncomfortable,
they are
hard, and
yet we know
that they
are true and
we need to
hear them.
Thank you
that you have
made a way
for us to
become children
of God.
It's a
wonderful gift.
We praise
your name for
it.
Amen.