Jesus claims to be the Resurrection and the Life.
The Bible teaches that at the last day all the righteous, that is, those who trust God’s promise of forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ, will be raised to everlasting life.
Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Isaiah 25:6-8 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
Job 19:25-27 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
A friend of Jesus in Bethany named Lazarus was sick. Jesus was summoned by Lazarus’ family to come heal Lazarus before he died of the illness. But Jesus delayed coming. Finally, after the delay, he went back to Bethany in Judea, but Lazarus had died four days before this. It seemed to be too late. Martha, Lazarus’ sister, met Jesus outside the house where the family and friends were sitting Shiva (seven day’s of Jewish mourning ceremonies). Jesus promised that Lazarus would rise again. Martha thought Jesus was speaking of the resurrection at the last day. Jesus was speaking of something much more immediate.
John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus is saying that he is the power of resurrection, that he is everlasting life. In saying this Jesus makes an astonishing claim. Apart from Jesus there is no life. Apart from Jesus there is no hope for resurrection. Who alone could claim such a thing? The only One who did claim such a thing and then proved it is Jesus. Paul wrote, Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord . . .
Martha, Mary, and all the mourners did not yet fully understand who Jesus is. Jesus saw that they were unable to accept the truth he spoke about himself. It troubled him greatly, John 11:33, 38. Even Martha who just confessed her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, could not accept that Jesus had power to raise a person who had been dead for four days. Jesus prayed aloud for the sake of those witnessing this miracle and commanded Lazarus, who was bound head to toe in grave cloths, to come forth from the grave, John 11:43-44 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of those who heard Jesus words and saw what was done believed in him.
Jesus demonstrated his power over death in raising Lazarus from the dead. It is a preview of the final resurrection. What does this miracle demonstrate for those who believe in Jesus’ promise of eternal life? If Jesus himself is the Resurrection and the Life, is there any resurrection or life apart from him? John 5:25-26 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”
Others who saw the miracle ran to Jesus’ enemies to report on the events in Bethany. As a result of this the enemies of Christ met in a council and began to conspire to kill him in order to protect their own power and interests. This miracle happened just before the Passover. It is a turning point in the narrative. From this time onward, Jesus moves steadily toward his crucifixion. The crisis has been reached. The enemies are resolute. Jesus’ hour has come. The irony of this is that Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, will suffer death on behalf of the entire human race. However, death ultimately has no power over him. Peter preaches this in Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
In the intervening verses between Lazarus’ being raised and the Last Supper, Jesus speaks about his coming sacrificial death when Mary of Bethany anoints him (John 12:7), when some Greeks sought him in Jerusalem (John 12:24), and before the crowds in Jerusalem (John12:27, 32). His last public statements call on those who heard him to believe. John describes how many did not believe, or if they did believe, nevertheless hid their belief because of fear or a desire to have the approval of others.
After this Jesus withdraws from the public to celebrate the Last Supper, with his twelve disciples.
Jesus is the Suffering Servant.
The first part of John has been called the Book of Signs. The second part of John begins here, called by one scholar the Book of Glory. Notice that the word love occupies a prominent place in the section. The glory revealed here is the love that Christ shows his disciples and the world through his atoning death. The first part of this section is Jesus at the feast with his disciples. Here he shows them and teaches them about love. After the supper they go to the garden where Jesus is betrayed, then taken and tried, executed, buried and finally, raised to appear to his disciples.
The feast begins in an unexpected manner. Jesus, the Lord and Master, shows himself to be a lowly servant. In this culture the servant who washed the feet of guests was the lowest, most humble of all servants in a household. If you consider what kind of filth sandaled feet picked up in the streets, this was not a pleasant job. Jesus shows us that he came to serve us—ultimately by giving his life. He mentions that he was to be betrayed by one who was there with them, namely Judas. He tells the disciples that he knows what is coming, his betrayal and his death.
John 13:18-19 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
The example of doing the dirtiest and lowest job in the household is an anticipation of the manner in which Jesus would suffer for the sins of the world. What could be more dirty, more lowly, than bearing upon himself the sins of the world? The prophet Isaiah described it in what some call the Suffering Servant passage.
Isaiah 53:3-11 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Why is this part of the John’s Gospel called the Book of Glory? Here Jesus faces betrayal. He faces the Cross. His disciples fear his departure. Just what is glorious about this? The glory is in the immensity of his love. His betrayal, suffering, and death for us is how Jesus is glorified. The self-sacrificial love of Christ is the glory of the Book of Glory. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, gives his life for us because he loved each of us.
The Apostle Paul speaks of this great love in what is known as the Song of Christ (Carmen Christi) , probably an early Hymn of the church.
Phil. 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[Part 6 will continue this study.]
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Who is this Jesus? [Part 4]
Jesus claims to be the God of Abraham.
This section continues the long, heated debate between Jesus and the Judean party. Jesus had said to the people that if they would believe the truth he was teaching that they would have true freedom from sin, John 8:31-32. The outraged Judean party said that they were never in bondage, claimed Abraham as their ancestor, implied that Jesus was born as a bastard, claimed God as their father, and accused Jesus of being demon possessed, John 8:33, 39, 41, 48, 52-53. They were saying that everything about Jesus and everything he said was a lie.
Jesus confronts them about their unbelief and the reason why they did not believe, John 8:42-45 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
Jesus clearly claims to have come from God the Father. He claims to be speaking the truth that God has sent him to speak. Why do those who do not want to accept his teaching reject the truth he tells them? Remember, Jesus said “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19
He denies their accusations and yet, despite their hatred, he offers life to anyone who would believe his teaching. John 8:49, 51 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me . . . Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
What does it mean to keep his word? It is another manner of describing those who trust him, those who believe his promise. The Judean party could not understand nor believe in Jesus. He offers them life and they cannot accept it. Abraham and all the prophets had died. How could Jesus claim to give never-ending life to anyone? This leads us to the crux of the issue. Who is this Jesus? In answer to that question Jesus makes a claim that is astounding.
He then tells them that he existed before Abraham, John 8:56-58, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Remember this is said in the context of Jesus’ other claims. Jesus here claims to have existence before Abraham existed using terms of self-identification commonly used by the God of Abraham in the Old Testament. Note the introduction to John’s Gospel, John 1:1-3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. The introduction to John clearly makes the claim that Jesus is the eternal Word of God, Creator of all things.
The Judean party heard these words through ears accustomed to hear such language about God alone. Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty . . .” If Jesus is the same God who appeared to Abraham and who created the world, then are his other claims impossible?
The Judeans' reaction indicates that they knew exactly what Jesus was saying. Jesus had already claimed to be from God the Father, claimed to be one with the Father, claimed to be the Messiah, and claimed to give eternal life. The Judean party clearly thought Jesus to be speaking blasphemy. The penalty for this was stoning, John 8:59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. Compare with John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
If Jesus is who he claims to be, would his assertions be blasphemy? If Jesus is God, what would rejecting his claims amount to?
What kind of life is Jesus offering? Is this life offered to anyone who rejects Jesus’ teaching?
Jesus calls himself the Door of the Sheepfold and the Good Shepherd.
In chapter nine, Jesus heals a man who had been blind from birth. The point of the chapter, coming immediately after Jesus’ claim to be the God of Abraham, is that some people are willfully blind. Those who reject Jesus despite the abundant evidence to the contrary are blind and condemned by their sins.
John 9:39-41 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”
Those claiming to be wise, to know the truth, and yet are rejecting the True Word, Jesus, are condemned because they have rejected the only One who can give them Light and Life.
In his interaction with the blind man Jesus claims to be the Messiah (using the Son of Man language from Daniel 7:13-14). The healed man worships Jesus, John 9:38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Ironically, a blind man sees and responds to Jesus. Those who claim to know everything are truly blind
This contrast between those who acknowledge Jesus and those who reject him leads immediately to chapter ten. The dialogue actually continues from chapter nine. In John chapter ten Jesus uses the well-known imagery of a sheepfold and a shepherd. The idea is that the sheep are God’s people. The sheepfold is the place of safety for the sheep. The sheep follow their Shepherd because they know him and recognize his voice.
The imagery of sheep, sheepfold, and shepherd have important connections to David, the Shepherd-King. A descendant of the Shepherd-King would come to shepherd God’s people. This One was known as the Messiah. Ezekiel tells about this time to come: Ezek. 34:15-16 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Ezek. 34:23-24 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.
How do the sheep enter the sheepfold? A sheepfold was a walled enclosure with only one door. The only way in and out was through the one door. Jesus teaches them that he is that door. John 10:7, 9 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep . . . I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Entering the sheepfold through Jesus is the way of salvation. Jesus does not teach that there are many doors or many ways of salvation. There is one door, one way of salvation. What does entering by the door mean? It means entering through Jesus and what he has done for us. It is another way of teaching about faith in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, the One who gives his life for his sheep. What does Jesus give to anyone who enters through him, anyone who trusts in him? John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus shifts his imagery slightly. He has told them that he is the door, the only way into the sheepfold. Now he tells them how he makes this possible, how he can offer life to all who come into his flock through the door.
John 10:11, 14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep . . . I am the good shepherd.”
This imagery picks up the idea that the shepherd will sacrifice his own life in order to save the lives of his sheep. In the context of John, Jesus speaks frequently about his crucifixion using the idea of being lifted up, John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32. The idea of sacrifice is also used, John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The Lamb of God is the sacrificial lamb, the sin atonement for the whole world. That sacrifice, that laying down of his life for his sheep, happens on the Cross, John 19:16-18, 30 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him . . . When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
The crucifixion is not the end of the story. Jesus clearly speaks of his resurrection in John 10:17-18 “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
What man has ever claimed this power--not only to give his life, but then to take it up again? The resurrection validates this claim. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then everything he has taught is also true.
Much like the Judean party who rejected Christ even though they had seen the evidence that proved Jesus’ claims, many people today reject Christ because they cannot believe he rose from the dead. They cannot believe that he truly is the Son of God. They are blind even though Christ offers them light and life.
John 10:24-26, 30-33 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock . . . I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Jesus has clearly said that he is both the Messiah and the Son of God. The Judean party wanted to kill him for these claims. The next chapter is the crisis chapter. From this point on Christ’s enemies conspire together with the Jewish authorities to kill him.
[Part 5 will continue this study.]
This section continues the long, heated debate between Jesus and the Judean party. Jesus had said to the people that if they would believe the truth he was teaching that they would have true freedom from sin, John 8:31-32. The outraged Judean party said that they were never in bondage, claimed Abraham as their ancestor, implied that Jesus was born as a bastard, claimed God as their father, and accused Jesus of being demon possessed, John 8:33, 39, 41, 48, 52-53. They were saying that everything about Jesus and everything he said was a lie.
Jesus confronts them about their unbelief and the reason why they did not believe, John 8:42-45 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
Jesus clearly claims to have come from God the Father. He claims to be speaking the truth that God has sent him to speak. Why do those who do not want to accept his teaching reject the truth he tells them? Remember, Jesus said “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19
He denies their accusations and yet, despite their hatred, he offers life to anyone who would believe his teaching. John 8:49, 51 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me . . . Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
What does it mean to keep his word? It is another manner of describing those who trust him, those who believe his promise. The Judean party could not understand nor believe in Jesus. He offers them life and they cannot accept it. Abraham and all the prophets had died. How could Jesus claim to give never-ending life to anyone? This leads us to the crux of the issue. Who is this Jesus? In answer to that question Jesus makes a claim that is astounding.
He then tells them that he existed before Abraham, John 8:56-58, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Remember this is said in the context of Jesus’ other claims. Jesus here claims to have existence before Abraham existed using terms of self-identification commonly used by the God of Abraham in the Old Testament. Note the introduction to John’s Gospel, John 1:1-3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. The introduction to John clearly makes the claim that Jesus is the eternal Word of God, Creator of all things.
The Judean party heard these words through ears accustomed to hear such language about God alone. Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty . . .” If Jesus is the same God who appeared to Abraham and who created the world, then are his other claims impossible?
The Judeans' reaction indicates that they knew exactly what Jesus was saying. Jesus had already claimed to be from God the Father, claimed to be one with the Father, claimed to be the Messiah, and claimed to give eternal life. The Judean party clearly thought Jesus to be speaking blasphemy. The penalty for this was stoning, John 8:59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. Compare with John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
If Jesus is who he claims to be, would his assertions be blasphemy? If Jesus is God, what would rejecting his claims amount to?
What kind of life is Jesus offering? Is this life offered to anyone who rejects Jesus’ teaching?
Jesus calls himself the Door of the Sheepfold and the Good Shepherd.
In chapter nine, Jesus heals a man who had been blind from birth. The point of the chapter, coming immediately after Jesus’ claim to be the God of Abraham, is that some people are willfully blind. Those who reject Jesus despite the abundant evidence to the contrary are blind and condemned by their sins.
John 9:39-41 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”
Those claiming to be wise, to know the truth, and yet are rejecting the True Word, Jesus, are condemned because they have rejected the only One who can give them Light and Life.
In his interaction with the blind man Jesus claims to be the Messiah (using the Son of Man language from Daniel 7:13-14). The healed man worships Jesus, John 9:38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Ironically, a blind man sees and responds to Jesus. Those who claim to know everything are truly blind
This contrast between those who acknowledge Jesus and those who reject him leads immediately to chapter ten. The dialogue actually continues from chapter nine. In John chapter ten Jesus uses the well-known imagery of a sheepfold and a shepherd. The idea is that the sheep are God’s people. The sheepfold is the place of safety for the sheep. The sheep follow their Shepherd because they know him and recognize his voice.
The imagery of sheep, sheepfold, and shepherd have important connections to David, the Shepherd-King. A descendant of the Shepherd-King would come to shepherd God’s people. This One was known as the Messiah. Ezekiel tells about this time to come: Ezek. 34:15-16 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Ezek. 34:23-24 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.
How do the sheep enter the sheepfold? A sheepfold was a walled enclosure with only one door. The only way in and out was through the one door. Jesus teaches them that he is that door. John 10:7, 9 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep . . . I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Entering the sheepfold through Jesus is the way of salvation. Jesus does not teach that there are many doors or many ways of salvation. There is one door, one way of salvation. What does entering by the door mean? It means entering through Jesus and what he has done for us. It is another way of teaching about faith in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, the One who gives his life for his sheep. What does Jesus give to anyone who enters through him, anyone who trusts in him? John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus shifts his imagery slightly. He has told them that he is the door, the only way into the sheepfold. Now he tells them how he makes this possible, how he can offer life to all who come into his flock through the door.
John 10:11, 14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep . . . I am the good shepherd.”
This imagery picks up the idea that the shepherd will sacrifice his own life in order to save the lives of his sheep. In the context of John, Jesus speaks frequently about his crucifixion using the idea of being lifted up, John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32. The idea of sacrifice is also used, John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The Lamb of God is the sacrificial lamb, the sin atonement for the whole world. That sacrifice, that laying down of his life for his sheep, happens on the Cross, John 19:16-18, 30 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him . . . When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
The crucifixion is not the end of the story. Jesus clearly speaks of his resurrection in John 10:17-18 “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
What man has ever claimed this power--not only to give his life, but then to take it up again? The resurrection validates this claim. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then everything he has taught is also true.
Much like the Judean party who rejected Christ even though they had seen the evidence that proved Jesus’ claims, many people today reject Christ because they cannot believe he rose from the dead. They cannot believe that he truly is the Son of God. They are blind even though Christ offers them light and life.
John 10:24-26, 30-33 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock . . . I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Jesus has clearly said that he is both the Messiah and the Son of God. The Judean party wanted to kill him for these claims. The next chapter is the crisis chapter. From this point on Christ’s enemies conspire together with the Jewish authorities to kill him.
[Part 5 will continue this study.]
Monday, February 28, 2011
Who is this Jesus? [Part 3]
Jesus says that He is the Light of the World
Opposites are common in the Gospel of John. For instance the opposites of Life & Death or Light & Darkness.
John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Life & Death are clearly opposites to each other. A person is either alive or dead. However, a person can be alive in this world and yet dead to God. This is why Jesus taught that a person must be born anew.
John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
A person who is not born anew of God cannot enter God’s Kingdom. A person who is not born anew is a “dead man walking,” that is, already condemned and heading for judgment. John 3:18, 36 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God . . . Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
Light and Darkness are another pair of opposites in John.
John 12:44-46 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
Light & Darkness are another way of describing two states of being. Light refers to one in whom the truth has worked to change them from unbelieving to believing. Darkness refers to someone who does not believe or who rejects the truth.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Notice that the encounter with the men trying to stone an adulterous woman comes immediately before Jesus’ statement in John 8:12. When Jesus stooped to write in the dirt what do you think he was writing? Why did the men leave one by one? Does God’s truth about us ever cause us to feel guilty?
What did Jesus do to take away the woman’s guilt? John 8:10-11 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Jesus forgave her. He forgives us also if we trust his promise.
Jesus is the Light, he is the revelation of God’s truth, to the world. This is why he is called both the Word of God and the True Light in John 1:1, 4-5, 9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. The Word expresses, communicates, and reveals God’s truth to us just as Light makes all things visible.
Jesus is God’s revelation to the world. What is the truth that God reveals through Jesus? That God has sent his Son to die for the sins of the world, that the Redeemer has come, that God offers forgiveness, life, and salvation to all mankind through His Son.
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
When a person turns on the light in a room what happens? God comes to us through his Word to turn on the light in our hearts. It is God’s Light. He shines it where he will. But what happens if a person turns off the light? If we reject Jesus’ gift what happens to the light of life?
John 3:16-19 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
The statement in John 8:12 leads to Jesus’ further explanation in the following verses.
Jesus claims to be the True Witness sent by God the Father
The Judean party could not accept Jesus’ statement. Consider what Jesus has been claiming. He has claimed to be the Messiah, to be equal with God, to be the Son of God, and to be the source of eternal life. They could not accept these claims. They accuse Jesus of lying. Jesus replies,
John 8:18 “I AM the one bearing witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (my own translation)
Notice that the emphatic “I Am” must have grated on their ears. They knew what he was saying when he used the language of God’s self identification from the Old Testament. Furthermore, in using this language he asserts his authority to speak. Yet not only does he speak but God the Father confirms his words.
How does the Father bear witness concerning Jesus, confirm Jesus’ words? God’s witness concerning Jesus is revealed in the Spirit coming upon him at his Baptism, the Miracles, Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah in the Word of God, the Transfiguration, and later the Resurrection.
The Baptism: John 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.” Luke 3:2-221 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Transfiguration: Luke 9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
By this time these people had seen abundant evidence concerning Jesus in the Miracles and in his teaching. What does Jesus say to those who do not believe in him? John 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I Am he you will die in your sins.” Jesus tells them that they must believe his claims, including his use of “I Am” in his self-identification.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection are the ultimate witness concerning Jesus. John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”
The theme of the Son of Man being lifted up refers to Jesus' Crucifixion. John 12:28-32 “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
The Apostle Paul declares that the Resurrection is God’s imprimatur on Jesus finished work of salvation. Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord . . .
Do you believe Jesus’ promise? Then you have life and freedom through his promise, through his word. John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This entire section including the next passage is Jesus’ self-defense concerning his identity and his purpose in coming. Next time the Judean party will really be outraged.
[Part 4 will continue this study.]
Opposites are common in the Gospel of John. For instance the opposites of Life & Death or Light & Darkness.
John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Life & Death are clearly opposites to each other. A person is either alive or dead. However, a person can be alive in this world and yet dead to God. This is why Jesus taught that a person must be born anew.
John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
A person who is not born anew of God cannot enter God’s Kingdom. A person who is not born anew is a “dead man walking,” that is, already condemned and heading for judgment. John 3:18, 36 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God . . . Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
Light and Darkness are another pair of opposites in John.
John 12:44-46 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
Light & Darkness are another way of describing two states of being. Light refers to one in whom the truth has worked to change them from unbelieving to believing. Darkness refers to someone who does not believe or who rejects the truth.
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Notice that the encounter with the men trying to stone an adulterous woman comes immediately before Jesus’ statement in John 8:12. When Jesus stooped to write in the dirt what do you think he was writing? Why did the men leave one by one? Does God’s truth about us ever cause us to feel guilty?
What did Jesus do to take away the woman’s guilt? John 8:10-11 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Jesus forgave her. He forgives us also if we trust his promise.
Jesus is the Light, he is the revelation of God’s truth, to the world. This is why he is called both the Word of God and the True Light in John 1:1, 4-5, 9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. The Word expresses, communicates, and reveals God’s truth to us just as Light makes all things visible.
Jesus is God’s revelation to the world. What is the truth that God reveals through Jesus? That God has sent his Son to die for the sins of the world, that the Redeemer has come, that God offers forgiveness, life, and salvation to all mankind through His Son.
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
When a person turns on the light in a room what happens? God comes to us through his Word to turn on the light in our hearts. It is God’s Light. He shines it where he will. But what happens if a person turns off the light? If we reject Jesus’ gift what happens to the light of life?
John 3:16-19 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
The statement in John 8:12 leads to Jesus’ further explanation in the following verses.
Jesus claims to be the True Witness sent by God the Father
The Judean party could not accept Jesus’ statement. Consider what Jesus has been claiming. He has claimed to be the Messiah, to be equal with God, to be the Son of God, and to be the source of eternal life. They could not accept these claims. They accuse Jesus of lying. Jesus replies,
John 8:18 “I AM the one bearing witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (my own translation)
Notice that the emphatic “I Am” must have grated on their ears. They knew what he was saying when he used the language of God’s self identification from the Old Testament. Furthermore, in using this language he asserts his authority to speak. Yet not only does he speak but God the Father confirms his words.
How does the Father bear witness concerning Jesus, confirm Jesus’ words? God’s witness concerning Jesus is revealed in the Spirit coming upon him at his Baptism, the Miracles, Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah in the Word of God, the Transfiguration, and later the Resurrection.
The Baptism: John 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.” Luke 3:2-221 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Transfiguration: Luke 9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
By this time these people had seen abundant evidence concerning Jesus in the Miracles and in his teaching. What does Jesus say to those who do not believe in him? John 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I Am he you will die in your sins.” Jesus tells them that they must believe his claims, including his use of “I Am” in his self-identification.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection are the ultimate witness concerning Jesus. John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”
The theme of the Son of Man being lifted up refers to Jesus' Crucifixion. John 12:28-32 “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
The Apostle Paul declares that the Resurrection is God’s imprimatur on Jesus finished work of salvation. Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord . . .
Do you believe Jesus’ promise? Then you have life and freedom through his promise, through his word. John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This entire section including the next passage is Jesus’ self-defense concerning his identity and his purpose in coming. Next time the Judean party will really be outraged.
[Part 4 will continue this study.]
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