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Sons of Abraham John 8:39-59

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Sons of Abraham Text: John 8:39-59, 39. “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.” 42. 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. 44. 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! 46. 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.

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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.” 52. At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demonpossessed! 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 think you are?” 54. 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 Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57. “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have 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. Commentary: John 8:39, “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did.” I. The Pharisees put great confidence in the fact that they were natural descendants of Abraham. II. Jesus told them that if they were truly Abraham’s children, spiritually like him, they would be like him in the way they lived, in their works.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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III. Jesus told these Jews that they were not really in the important way descendants of Abraham because they bore no spiritual resemblance to him! John 8:40, 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. I. Jesus said that these Pharisees were trying to kill him, a thing Abraham would never do. They were not related to Abraham because he would never have considered doing such a thing. II. Our conduct tells the world who our spiritual father is. John 8:41, You are doing the things your own father does.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” I. Jesus told the Jews that they did the works of their father (the devil). II. The Jews objected strenuously to this assertion and claimed that they were children of God, not of questionable parentage. A.

To claim God as one’s father doesn’t make it so.

B.

The Pharisees now recognized that Jesus was saying that physical descent from Abraham carried no spiritual merit in and of itself.

John 8:42, 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.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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I. Jesus told his adversaries that, if they were really God’s children, they would love him because God loved him and sent him into the world. II. Love is the greatest! A.

1 Corinthians 13:13, And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

B.

John 14:15, If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 8:43, Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. I. “You do not understand my speech because of your evil mindset,” Jesus said. II. Their failure to understand under these conditions did not excuse them. John 8:44, 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. I. These enemies of Jesus were: A. From their father, the devil. B. Bound to do the desires of the devil.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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C. Going to murder Jesus. Their father was a murderer from the beginning of time. D. Going to lie about Christ. They were again following their father the devil in this activity because the devil is the father of liars and has no truth in himself. II. Satan has many sons on earth today doing his will! John 8:45, Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! I. These enemies were set to reject anything Jesus said. II. Evil hates righteousness. John 8:46, Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? I. Jesus wanted to know: A. Which of you convicts me of sin? Jesus lived a sinless life. No one could convict him of sin. B. Why do you not believe the truth I preach? . . . because they had selfish vested interests in the religious status quo! John 8:47, He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” I. God’s children hear and obey his word. II. Satan’s children hear and obey his word.

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III. Jesus said his enemies were not of God. They were of the devil, and they heard and obeyed the devil’s words. John 8:48, The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” I. In view of these strong words from Jesus, being unable to refute them, the Jews resorted to baseless vilification of the Lord. II. The Jews charged Jesus with the most foolish things; that is, A. being a Samaritan. B. being demon possessed. III. The Pharisees said, “The devil is not our father. You are under the influence of demons.” IV. Charging Jesus with being a Samaritan was a racial slur reserved for utterly detested people. John 8:49, “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I. The Jews dishonored Jesus by their failure to love and obey Jesus and by these groundless slanders directed against him. II. The Jews claimed the demons caused Jesus to accuse them of being children of the devil.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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John 8:50, I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I. Jesus did not seek his own glory. A. The reviling of Jesus by these evil people did not upset Jesus. B. Jesus calmly said that God would seek out the truth and render righteous judgment. II. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could, in all situations, have this kind of emotional control? John 8:51, I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” I. Jesus here promised eternal life to those who obey his commands. II. The end of physical death must wait until Christ’s second coming. John 8:52, 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. I. The Jews responded by saying that they knew now for sure that Jesus had a demon. A. Jesus said that those who keep his word would never die. B. The Jews said that Abraham and all the prophets died. C. They misinterpreted the statement made by Jesus.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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II. Jesus was promising eternal life for those who faithfully kept his word. In this Abraham, the prophets and we participate. III. The Jews here would have taken from dying mankind their only hope: If a man keep my word, he shall never see death. John 8:53, Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” I. The Jews sarcastically said, “Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died. Are you greater than the prophets? They died too. Who do you think you are anyway? II. A greater than Abraham and the prophets was there. John 8:54, Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. I. God the Father, whom the Jews said was their God, glorified Jesus. Jesus did not glorify himself. II. This was Jesus’ indirect answer to the Jew’s question, “Who do you think you are?” John 8:55, 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. I. Jesus said, “You do not know God, but I do know him!” II. Jesus said, “If I denied knowing God I would be a liar like you.” III. Jesus further said, “I do know him and I keep his word.”

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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IV. These Jews claimed to be God’s people, but they were absolutely the opposite of God’s children. John 8:56, Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” I. Abraham foresaw Jesus’ day and rejoiced in his advent! A.

Hebrews 11:13, All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

John 8:57, 58, “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” I. Jesus contended for his eternal existence in this passage. II. Jesus presented himself in this chapter no less than twelve times as being one with the father. John 8:59, At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. I. At this time the Jews picked up stones to stone him to death. II. Jesus slipped away and escaped execution because the divinely appointed time of his death had not come.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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Sons of Abraham Questions 1. The Jews believed they were “glory bound” because they were _______________ _______________. Jesus said they were not _______________’s spiritual _______________ because they were not living right. 2. In what do we put our “glory bound” confidence which has no merit if we do not live right? _________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 3. Our _______________ tells the _________________ whose spiritual children we are. 4. Jesus asked, “Why is my language not clear to you?” How would we answer this question? ________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 5. He who __________________ to God __________________ what __________________ says. The reason you do not _______________ is that you do not _______________ to _______________.

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6. The Jews answered Jesus, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a _______________ and _______________ - _______________?” They couldn’t answer Jesus, so they resorted to _______________ and _______________. 7. Jesus did not seek his own _______________. Much more can be done for the Lord if we do not seek our own _______________. 8. Jesus said, “If anyone _______________ my _______________, he will _______________ see _______________.” 9. Jesus was not yet _______________ years old at that time. He said _______________ had seen his day. How could this be? ____________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 10. At this the Jews picked up _______________ to _______________ him, but Jesus _______________ himself, _______________ away from the _______________ _______________.

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.