In our next passage, John 8, Jesus was talking with the Jews who thought they were part of God’s family but were incredulous when they heard they weren’t.
Let’s turn to John 8:37-47:
37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore, you also do the things which you heard from your father.”
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father.”
They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I say the truth, you do not believe Me.
46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason, you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” (John 8:37-47)
We can see three things that Jesus addresses in this passage:
The lineage
The lie
The life
The Lineage
400 years before the law was given to Moses, the Lord appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia. We know that Abraham and his family were polytheistic, worshiping a plethora of gods (Josh 24:2). But when the God Most High, Creator of the universe, called Abraham, he responded and entered into an exclusive relationship with God and he and his family worshiped Him alone.
“God made an eternal covenant or unconditional promise that only He could fulfill”
- a promise which included a vast amount of land, innumerable descendants throughout the ages, and an eternal blessing that would come to both Jews and Gentiles through Abraham's lineage. That eternal blessing would be fulfilled one day through Jesus Christ.
When Abraham heard this, he believed God.
[Abraham] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised (Romans 4:20-21, AMP).
So, when the Jews claimed that they were Abraham’s physical descendants, they thought that because of their lineage, they had all of these promises in the bag. Their faith was in their lineage and in Abraham’s name.
Unfortunately, these people to whom Jesus was talking didn’t have a personal faith in God as Abraham did. He told them.
The Lie
If God were your father, you would have His heart for this world and not put impossible burdens on people and keep them from entering the Kingdom. But you rejected my words and my testimony, mocked my miracles and do not want anyone to come to me, because this is what your father wants, and your father is the devil (John 8:42 - 44).
In v. 44 Jesus describes two characteristics of the devil:
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
He was a murderer from the beginning - meaning that he is the one who deceived Adam and Eve into rebelling against God. This one act of disobedience separated them from God and brought both spiritual and physical death to the whole world (Romans 5:12).
He uses all types of ways to create mistrust and division between people and to rob, kill and destroy relationships through pride and hatred. He starts wars, causes death and destruction around the world because he is the embodiment of evil.
The devil is a liar. He’s not just a liar, he’s the father of lies and his thinking penetrates the whole world system. He actively opposes the truth and if he does speak the truth, it’s always tainted, slightly twisted, adulterated.
Satan will do whatever he can to keep us from hearing the gospel, experiencing God’s everlasting love and faithfulness and the power of His forgiveness, care and restoration. Every lie he tells is to cause your death and destruction.
Jesus said the reason He came to the world was to expose those lies, to destroy the works of the devil, and to reveal Himself as the Lamb of God who would
“tear down the barrier between God and humankind”
and bridge the gap. Jesus was gentle and humble, a perfect image of God the Father.
The truth He spoke challenged and threatened the Jews to the very core (v. 45). He challenged them to reconsider the direction their lives had taken and the lies they had believed and propagated.
The Life
After Abraham’s conversation with God, he believed Him and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6). Abraham deeply trusted God at His word even to the point offering the promised child Isaac on the altar. Abraham had a living relationship with God.
“What Jesus was offering was the gift of eternal life,”
but they couldn’t see it. This was a free gift that would cost Jesus His life.
In verse 47, they refused to listen because it did not fit their preconceived ideas of what it meant to be in God’s family. Even though Jesus knew they wouldn’t receive the truth, this didn’t stop Him from speaking it.
For Christians, Satan will use our failures and weaknesses to make us think we can’t come back to God because we have failed him too many times and know we can’t change ourselves.
Our church should be a place where people can come from any and every walk of life and get to know God through His Word. Are we a church that reflects our spiritual heritage as the family of God? No matter what people are struggling with, no matter what baggage they bring from their past we want people to experience His love, forgiveness, and compassion, just like we have.
Once people understand God’s love and absolute acceptance through Christ’s sacrifice, people can then begin to grow and become vital members in the family of God, the Christian’s true family.
