The Light of the World

Transcript

GR 363
6/16/1980
The Light of the World
John 8:12-30
Gil Rugh

We're going to be in John chapter 8 this morning. John's gospel and the 8th chapter. This entire section of the Gospel of John is connected to Jesus' ministry at the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths. And last week we looked at the first eleven verses which focus on the woman taken in adultery. We noted there is much discussion over the validity of this passage, and particularly, whether it ought to be located in this particular spot in John. Many manuscripts do not contain it or contain it in other locations—at the end of the Gospel of Luke, at the end of the Gospel of John, something like that. But most commentators accept the fact that it is an actual account of the ministry of Jesus Christ and we have taken it where it is located, although there are arguments both for its insertion here or leaving it out here and including it somewhere else. The purpose in it has been to relate again the animosity of the Jewish leaders to Jesus Christ and the wisdom that He exercises in dealing with them.

Here, they use a woman taken in adultery for an excuse to trap Him. They brought a woman and presented her to Him and said she was taken in adultery. The Law says to stone her, what do You say? In other words, do you say what the Law says or do you say something different than what the Law says? Now Jesus could say, Stone her, and that would obviously bring Him into conflict with the civil authorities, the Romans, who said that the Jews ought not to stone, and the Jews were not practicing this form of execution for adultery in biblical times. Their whole motive was to entrap Christ. So He had the added dilemma of simply not focusing attention on this woman's sin but dealing with those who brought her, and they brought her with ulterior motives. They did not bring her with the desire to maintain the purity of the nation Israel, to uphold the righteousness of the Law. But they brought her with the desire to trap Christ and thus carry out their own sinful purposes. Now if Jesus said, No, don't stone her, then He could be in disfavor with the Jews because He was rejecting what the Law said, and how could you be a prophet or Messiah if you reject the Law. Jesus' response was to deal with their sin. And so He says if you're without sin, cast the first stone. They come under such conviction that they simply fade away into the crowd. So first He deals with them in their sin, then He turns to the woman and speaks to her, and He doesn't overlook her sin; but He tells her she is uncomdemned. We noted the implication seems to be in this passage that she has come to recognize Him as the Messiah, to believe in Him as such. So He can declare her uncondemned, justly forgiven. Her very action of not leaving but of staying and waiting His word would be considered unusual if she had not come to believe. She makes no attempt to get away from His presence as those who do not want to confront their sin do, the Jewish leaders. So He declares her uncondemned. In effect, forgiven; and in connection with this she is to go and sin no more. We noted the connection and the order is very important. "Neither do I condemn you (verse 11 of chapter 8); go your way and sin no more." Now He doesn't say 'I won't condemn you if you won't sin anymore.' But rather, 'Since I don't condemn you, don't continue in sin. As one who has been forgiven, as one who is now uncondemned, your life ought to be different. It is not to be lived any longer in the realm of sin.' This is the same basic thing Paul says to the Romans in chapter 6, those who have been forgiven, those who have experienced the grace of God, we are to recognize we have died to sin and are to live no longer in it.

Now verse 12, Jesus resumes His discourse. Now He picks up with the subject of light and darkness. Throughout this chapter, it is going to pervade the difference between the believer and unbeliever. That distinction that exists of living in the light or living in the darkness. Of having God as your father, or the devil as your father. The marked contrast that exists between the believer and the unbeliever. And in verse 12 we read, "Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. Key idea in John’s Gospel—that of light. And here Jesus identifies Himself as the light of the world. You remember at the end of chapter 7 when the Pharisees rebuked Nicodemus for offering a defense of sorts of Christ—in chapter 7, verse 52, they said "You are not also from Galilee are you? Search and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee." We noted that they overlooked Jonah as a very obvious prophet from Galilee, but they may be talking about a future prophet. And we noted Isaiah chapter 9—go back to Isaiah 9 if you would.

Isaiah chapter 9. Here we noted that Galilee would, as Isaiah prophesied, be the beneficiary and recipient of the ministry of the Messiah. And in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 1, "But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphthali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles." Note, "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them." So here we're told the Messiah's ministry would have a great impact on Galilee. The Jewish leaders had chosen not to take this into consideration when they evaluated the ministry of Christ. "No prophet comes out of Galilee" but for these scholars of the Scripture, they should have recognized Isaiah 9 which prophesies that Galilee of the Gentiles would be the beneficiary of the ministry of the Messiah. Not that He would be born here— He would be born in Bethlehem. But His ministry would have great impact there. In connection with this, the people who walk in darkness will see a great light. The light will shine on them, so when you come back to John chapter 8 and Jesus says 'I am the light of the world' part of this may tie to the fact that He knows what they have discussed in their own inner counsels. That they have talked that no prophet comes out of Galilee, and here He picks up on that very passage that speaks of the impact of the Messiah on Galilee itself. That I am the light of the world. We also note that He draws from the symbolism from the Feast of Tabernacles, particularly when He talks about Himself as the water of life in connection with part of the activity of that feast. It was also characteristic of that feast, particularly in the beginning of the feast, they would light large candelabra, large lamps, and it would depict of that that God had led them by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire as Exodus 13 relates. So not only His provision but His leadership, provision of guidance for them. The light He provided for them even in the night as they journeyed. So Jesus is again building on the typology of that feast. "I am the light of the world.” This is not a new concept in John. Back in chapter 1 John had written concerning Christ. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” You have light and life brought together, and light deals with the fact that He is the One who reveals the Father. That’s what light does, it reveals. It makes something known. If all the lights were turned off in this building, we would be in darkness. Now all the characteristics of this building would be here, but we would not be able to see them because of the darkness. But when the light is turned on, it reveals what is here. Well, Christ is the light. He is the One who reveals and makes known God the Father. He reveals spiritual truth and spiritual reality, and this is connected with life also. Because He is the One who reveals the Father, He is also the One who gives life since life is found in the light, and the light is shining in the darkness.

Now when Jesus makes this claim, then, He is the One who reveals the Father to the world. He is the One who makes known spiritual realities to the world; not just to the Jews, but "I am the light of the world.” The Result is connection with life and light. And we are to be lights in the midst of a darkened world, a perverse world, as we hold fast the word of life. In effect, because of our relationship to Jesus Christ, who Himself is light, we have light, and His light is seen in and through us as we hold on to His Word and make it known. So believers are to stand out in the midst of darkness.

Back up to Ephesians 5, just before Philippians. Ephesians 5, verse 7, talking about the sons of disobedience that we are not to be partakers with them, not to be partakers with the sons of disobedience. I was reading an article this week in connection with what we will be covering on Sunday evenings. A man was saying, How many friends do you have among unbelievers, rebuking Christians for not having more unsaved friends. But I say it is very difficult for a Christian to have unsaved friends because why would an unbeliever want to be the friend of a Christian? What does a Christian have in common with an unbeliever? We cannot participate in the same things so how can we be friends with any depth of relationship? Do not be partakers with them. Note. "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." Note—Light in the Lord. He is the source of light, but we are light in Him. "Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them." That's what light does, doesn't it, exposes? It reveals. We are those whose characteristic is light because we have a permanent and personal relationship with Him who is light. Important in the life of a Christian regarding sin. Sin in the life of a Christian is totally grotesque because a Christian never ceases to live in the light. You may participate in the deeds of darkness but you ^o them in the light because a Christian lives in a permanent, personal relationship with Him who is light. So I cannot run off into the darkness and do my sin. I do it in the full light of the revelation of the person of the Son that the one who follows Him does not walk in darkness. Now note here. Chapter 8 is one of the narrowest chapters in all the Scripture. By that I mean that the line is drawn so clearly here that no one but no one apart from Christ has any true spiritual understanding, any real spiritual insight. In fact, those who are not following Christ, walking in His light, are walking in darkness and are following the devil. That’s the clarity of distinction made in chapter 8. Now as the light, He reveals and makes known. So those who are His followers are not in darkness but in light. And the Scripture develops this concept as well for several passages for the believer. I John chapter 1 weds the two together. In verse 5 of I John 1, we’re told that God is light, in Him is no darkness at all. In other words, His basic character is light. Revelation, truth, holiness. All those things are characteristic of God. Therefore, if we are walking in the darkness, that means we have no relationship with Him. If we say that we know Him, we have a relationship with Him and yet we walk in the darkness, we’re liars. There is a contrast— the one who is walking in the light is the one who is experiencing the cleansing from Him sin. So you see the connection. God's character is light. Everything connected with God's character. All the darkness would be those things contrary to God’s character--sinfulness. Those whose lives are characterized by darkness or sinfulness, even though they profess a relationship with God, John says they are liars. Because light is a characteristic of God and it is a characteristic of those who belong to God.

Look at a couple of passages with me. Back in Philippians chapter 2, verse 14. "Do all things without grumbling or disputing." Interesting, where grumbling or disputing is classified. Classified as works of darkness. "That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life." Note again the of God, and that makes sin in the life of a Christian much more grotesque than even sin in the life of an unbeliever. Paul talks about this in writing to the Colossians when he says, You have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. That is a new, permanent relationship. Now I'm to live as though I am. I'm to live in light of what I am. I'm not to be trying to cover myself with a bushel because it is embarrassing to be the only light in all the darkness. You stand out! I often think of this when I'm flying at night and you look down and see some of the lights standing out in darkness. That's what believers are supposed to be. In the pitch black darkness of a sinful world, we are to be standing out because we are those who manifest the character of Jesus Christ. And that is light.

So you come back to John, and Jesus is claiming to be light, the light of the world. All those in the world who are to know about God, to be brought into a knowledge and a perception of spiritual reality must be that through Jesus Christ. This will develop as we move along.

So the one who follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life." Talking about spiritual life here, and they are inseparable. Life and light. And the Pharisees—they don't pick up on the point—"The Pharisees therefore said to Him, 'You are bearing witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.'" We've seen this argument before. Since you are the one testifying of yourself and the Law says two or three witnesses, therefore your testimony is of no validity. "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true; for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from, or where I am going. You people judge according to the flesh; I am not judging any one.'" Now, the first argument that He presents is, Even if I am the only one who bears testimony, my testimony is valid. I am unique. Remember, He is the giver of the Law. Now they are trying to use the Law on Him. What He says is, I am the One who knows where I came from; I know where I am going, so I can give accurate testimony regarding Myself. In fact, among mankind He is the only one who can testify concerning Himself. Has there ever been another human being who dwelt with Him in eternity past in the presence of His Father in Heaven? No. So how can they testify concerning Him? Has there been anyone who sat in the counsels of God in eternity and knows the glorious destiny of Him? You say,
I know the destiny of Him! But the only way we know His destiny is that He has revealed it to us. None of us has walked in the presence of God in Heaven, in His very throne room and observed these things and now we can be the witness. Jesus is the only human being who can give testimony concerning Himself. That doesn’t mean His testimony isn’t true. Now as the Law was giving it, it took two or three witnesses but here we have the Son of God giving testimony concerning His eternal existence. Who can validate that? Who could verify that? The only reason I can talk to you about the eternal character of Jesus Christ is because it has been revealed to me in the Scriptures. But I never talked to a human being who could validate that for me. In the very fact that we're talking about human beings, we're talking about created beings who have not been in the presence of God in eternity. So they cannot validate God's testimony. What this does is put God above validation. That's an important point. All the arguments we give for the existence of God, all the arguments we give concerning God, etc., when it comes down to it, only God Himself can reveal Himself. He is the only authority for Himself. That's why if you don't come to the Scripture, people aren't convinced. It's only through the Scriptures and through faith in what God has revealed that we come to know and understand.

Alright. Verse 15. "You people judge according to the flesh." That's the problem. All of their judgment has to be done on a physical level. That's the only realm they can judge in, and they didn't even do this accurately. Because in their judgment, they had not even followed through to perceive His physical origin. They did not know He was born in Bethlehem. So even judging on this level they didn't do it accurately. But that's the realm we're limited to—the realm of the flesh, the realm of the physical. But in contrast, Christ says 'I'm not judging any one.' Now sometimes this seems like a conflict. One time He says 'I'm not judging,' the other time He's indicating that He is the judge. I think the point being made here is that in His first coming, judging was not His goal. He mentions this over in chapter 12 of John and verse 47. "If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge Him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." Note—I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. At the first coming of Christ, the purpose was judgment. He tolerated sinners. At the second coming of Christ, it will be totally different. All unbelievers will be executed but that was not the case at His first coming. He didn't meet out judgment on those who rebelled against Him. He didn't order them to be executed as He will at His second coming, as passages like Matthew 25 reveal. So at His first coming, His purpose was to provide salvation. At the second coming, He will mete out judgment on those who have not received His salvation.

But, verse 16 back in chapter 8. "But, even if I do judge, My judgment is true." Now you note. He has wed here His position as witness and as judge. He is not only one who bears witness, He is one who exercises judgment as the judge. He is both judge and witness, which is what you would expect—He is God. Who can give final, accurate, objective testimony but Him? Who can mete out final, authoritative, true judgment but Him? So even if I do judge, My judgment is true. Now He brings in another witness here. "For I am not alone in it, but I and He who sent Me. Even in your law it has been written, that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." Now here are two witnesses—God the Father and God the Son. Now when you stop and think about it, the Word of God is final and sure. If you can't trust what God says, you're really in trouble. Now here Christ says, You have My word as God the Son and you have My Father's Word, God the Father, so be sure that what I say is accurate and My judgment is true. And there are two witnesses—My Father and Me. Now you see what has happened. Christ could not call any human witnesses on His behalf. The only one who can testify concerning God is God. So it takes God the Father to give testimony concerning God the Son. Again, we're back to the futility of those who reject what God says in His Word, because all they have are men's statements, men's observations and men cannot give testimony concerning God.
Except in a subjective way. I can testify to you what God has done in my life.
I can testify to you concerning what God has said in His Word, but all of my testimony is dependent on what God has revealed to me. And so Jesus Christ has to turn to His Father. I could not stand and tell you about the heavenly origin of Jesus Christ and bear testimony concerning Him. All I know about it is what He has told me. That's hardly an acceptable witness. You go and stand before a jury and say you want to give testimony concerning my friend, He told me that he didn't rob that bank, that's all I can tell you. You say, that doesn't count because he told you. Do you know anything else? That's all I know. Well, that's the way I am with Jesus Christ. All I know is what He told me, what's revealed in this book. I know it's valid, I know it's true. So Christ turned to His Father and says, He bears witness of Me. Now the Jews say, Well, where is your Father? Now Jesus answers—important statement. "You know neither Me, nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also." Now keep in mind who He is talking to, to whom He is talking—Jewish leaders. These are the Pharisees, those who prided themselves in their meticulous understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures, and you know what He says? "You do not know God." Now if you've got religious leaders, leaders of an entire nation who do not know God, how can they lead God in their understanding of God? And yet that’s what Jesus says. "You know neither Me nor My Father." That's amazing! These are religious leaders. These are those who depend for their authority on the Old Testament Scriptures, and Jesus says 'You don't know God.' Now how can religious leaders who don't know God provide information and insight about God to the people who are following them? As Jesus will add later on in verse 44, these religious leaders are of their father the devil. They are really following the leadership of the devil, so those who are following them are following the devil, not God. We sometimes think we're too hard on religious people today. Let me tell you, John chapter 8 is very hard. Jesus tells these religious people, You don't know God the Father and you don't know Me. And you note what He says, "If you knew Me, you would know My Father." That is the source of information about God. He is the light. If you knew Me, you would know My Father. That's the only person can know about the Father—through the Son, Jesus Christ. And your ignorance of who I am is connected to your ignorance of who My Father is. So in effect, if you won't hear My testimony, you won't hear His testimony either. So the issue is not 'Where's your Father?' The issue is you don't believe. That's the issue. So you don't hear the testimony. You don't want to hear the testimony. You're not open to the testimony.

Verse 20. "These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come." The treasury, the court of the women. It's called the court of the women because the women were allowed this far into the temple and no further. It's interesting, they put the collection boxes out where everybody could get in. There were 13 collection boxes. This is where the Jews brought their money to the temple, and each box had a certain identification of what the money given in this collection box would be used for.

Now it may be noted here because in the treasury, where the money was collected, it is very close to where the Sanhedrin had their meeting place in the temple and it notes that even though He is right where they are, no one attempts to seize Him. The reason? It’s not God's timetable, it’s not the right time.

Now the discourse continues in verse 21 when it says, "He said therefore to them..." Now I should note, we don’t know what kind of breaks there are.
Verse 20 sort of ties together, and John seems to pull this together with that explanation of Him not being seized and why. "Then He said again," and there could be a break. They went to lunch or there could be several days’ break.
We do know when we get to chapter 10 we’ll be at the Feast of Dedication, and that’s 2 months later. Now how that 2 months is spread out in these chapters, we don’t know. Either there are several days or a week or two and more discourse, we’re not able to put together. John hasn’t given us a complete time line. So there could be a little break in time at verse 21, or it could have followed rather shortly. "He said therefore again to them, ’I go away, and you shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”’ An awesome verse—you ought to have it underlined in your Bible. He says very simply, ’I am going away; you shall seek Me; you will die in your sin; you cannot come where I am going.’ They are going to die in their sin. The result of dying in their sin is that they can’t come with Him. Now where is He going? He’s going to the Father. What does He say in John 14? "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. I go to prepare a place for you..." And since He goes to prepare a place for us, He will come and receive us again to Himself. But where He is going, those who die in their sin cannot come. A tragic verse. He is speaking to those who are religious leaders. In effect He’s saying, You can’t come to Heaven. You can’t come to be with Me for eternity. I am leaving— talking about His death—you’ll look for Me—and the Jews continue to look for the Messiah but they don’t find Him.

There was an article in the paper recently in response to some of the
Jewish leaders of our city to the Jews for Jesus. In that article they state very clearly that they don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They believe there will be a Messiah coining, but Jesus couldn’t have been the Messiah because He didn’t do what the Messiah should do for Israel. They still seek a Messiah, but they don’t find Him. As a result, they die in their sins. Note this.
Some Christians even have a hard time accepting the fact that Jews who die are going to hell as well as Gentiles who die are going to hell. But anyone, Jew or Gentile alike, who dies in their sins is destined to eternity in hell. Now, note how Jesus goes on in this discussion.

Verse 22. ’’Therefore the Jews were saying, ’Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says ’Where I am going, you cannot come?'”’ Tremendous lack of perception on the part of the Jewish leaders. They really don't think He'll kill Himself. The grammatical construction here indicates that they don't think so that implies a negative answer. He won’t try to kill Himself? I don’t think so, but what is He talking about? They have some sense of death being involved because if He dies we're can’t follow Him because we’re not going to die right now. So they have that much, that death is involved in what is being talked about. ”He was saying to them, 'You are from below...’ You note, it gets very strong. 'You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world; I am not of this world.™ You see how the line is being drawn? Youare from below, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world. Verse 44, "You are of your father the devil, not of My Father God." The line is fixed. That’s the problem. So verse 24, "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins." Why? "..for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins." Now note. We've narrowed down as narrow as we can get. You will die in your sins unless you believe I am. That’s just how narrow the Scriptures are. You either die in your sins or you believe that Christ is God. I take it that's what He is saying here. To the Jews, to very religious people. "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am..." Now in your English Bible, you probably have the word 'He' in italics next, because the verb ’to be’ needs an object to complete it. ”1 am." You am what? It doesn’t make any sense. "I am." Am what? "I am a preacher." It takes something! I am a Father, I am a builder. I am what? Christ says "I am." He says the same thing down in verse 28. "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am." And over in verse 58, "Jesus said to them, ’Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, ’I Am.’’" And in verse 58, the Jews finally get the point of what He is saying. The translators as well haven’t tried to complete the idea because there's nothing you could say. ’Before Abraham was, I am was" wouldn't make any sense. I am born..."Before Abraham was, I am" and that's the point. And that's the point in each of these. By this time the Jews will get it and that's why they attempt to stone Him. It's a claim here to deity. The background for it is Exodus chapter 3. Turn back there quickly.

Exodus the third chapter. Moses is being sent to deliver Israel out of Egypt. Verse 13, "Moses said to God, 'Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?' And God said to Moses, 'I am Who I Am'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I Am has sent Me to you."' Only God, the eternal God, the I Am, Ago-Ame—I am, as it is recorded in John's Gospel. He is the eternal present God, in the present tense—I Am. That's why we say there is no past, present or future with God. He lives in the eternal present. He is the 'I Am. There is no other name. In effect He is telling Moses, 'You tell the children of Israel the only God has sent you. You don't need to have a special name for Me to mark Me off from other gods because there is no other God. I AM. That's it! You don't need a name to mark me off as a particular God. My name is "I AM." He is the only One who is. He is the only God. He is the only "I AM." Now that's a claim to deity. That's a title of deity. What is your name? I AM. You tell them I AM has sent you, the eternal God. Now back in John 8 Jesus says in effect, 'Unless you believe that I am you shall die in your sins.' I take it its important because it denotes there must be content to your faith. I do not believe that a person who denies the deity of Jesus Christ can be saved because Jesus says you must believe that I All or you will die in your sins. That's why groups who deny the deity of Jesus Christ are destined to die in their sins. They do not believe the deity of Jesus Christ. 'You must believe that I am.' This holds not just to the cults who come knocking at your door, but it holds to the average Protestant church as well that does not hold to the deity of Jesus Christ any longer. If you do not believe that I AM, that I am the eternal God, you will die in your sins. You note here, you have the person and work because you have the person, the I AM. He is the eternal God. And His work, you will die in your sins. If you believe that I am, you have forgiveness of sins. So He is the personal God who is the Savior of the World. So a person today must believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the One who died for their sin. He is the Savior. A person
says, Well, I believe that He died but I don't believe He was the Son of God.
That person is in their sins. There is no forgiveness apart from Jesus Christ. You ought to mark that verse and take note of how narrow the line is drawn. You note what they say in verse 25 of John 8. "They were saying to Him,'Who are You?'" What they are saying completes that statement. "I AM." Who are You? I AM what? The full impact of it they have not yet perceived or are not yet willing to recognize. That won't happen until over at the end of the chapter when they try to stone Him for His claim to be the I AM. Who are You? I AM. Tell us! "What have I been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world." I am talking to you about God; I am telling you what God has told Me to tell you. Could there be anything more important? But note the next statement. "They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father." They are totally in darkness about spiritual realities. They don't understand the discussion at all. They don't know He's talking to them about God the Father. They don't perceive the real significance of this discussion.

"Jesus therefore said, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.'" Jesus says the crucifixion will demonstrate Me to be the I AM. I take it that's the statement here. 'Lift up' is an expression used by John to refer to the crucifixion. Chapter 12, Jesus talks about Himself being lifted up and John gives the explanation, This He spoke of the kind of death which He was to suffer. Because in the crucifixion, they laid you down on a cross, nailed you to the cross, and then they lifted the cross up and placed it in the ground. So lifting up was a reference to crucifixion.

Now Jesus says, When you lift up the Son of Man, when you crucify the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the I AM. Isn't that what happened to the Roman soldier—Truly this was the Son of God. Isn't this what Romans chapter 1 verse 4 says? "Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead" because the crucifixion and the resurrection are inseparably linked together. The resurrection demonstrates the validity of the work of the crucifixion. Romans 4:25, He was raised because He had accomplished righteousness, justification for us in His death. So it will be the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection that will reveal the I AM. That I speak from My Father, that He sent Me, that it was all true! That's the final proof! "He who sent Me is with Me, He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." Strong statement. If Jesus is always doing the things that please God the Father, and if these religious leaders are in conflict with Him, that means they are also in conflict with God the Father. They are not only unhappy with Jesus Christ, they are unhappy with God which is one of the main reasons why people do not submit themselves to what the Bible says. They are unhappy with God. They don’t like to be told that unless you believe in Jesus Christ, you will spend eternity in hell. I don’t like that, it’s too narrow. My God would never do that. And since they are unhappy with God, they make their own God. You know, it’s just like a kid with a teddy bear. They want a God that will make them comfortable. A God that they can tuck in close to at night. A God that is must like I always imagined, and it comes out of a corrupted, deceitful, vain, vile imagination. A God who is not real. But that last statement of the chapter is key.

"As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him." This is the goal and purpose of it all. It is amazing to me that here are people standing in the very presence of the eternal Son of God and yet some of them are going to die in their sins. And you know who is having the hardest time? The most religious. The religious leaders! Many believe in Him, but the religious leaders, by and large, continue to oppose Him. Isn't that amazing? Amazing. Mind boggling as I try to stop and think about it with my finite mind, that here are people who stood in the very presence of the Son of God, the One who could forgive their sins forever and as we’re here this morning, they are suffering the torments of Hades day and night, have been for thousands of years and will for millions and billions of years of eternity. The only difference is they will be sentenced from Hades to hell. That’s mind boggling. When we think of the eternal issues involved and yet these religious people, it goes right by them. But you know the issue has not changed today. Unless you believe that Jesus is the I AM, the Savior of the world, you will die in your sins. Unless you come to believe that He is the Son of God who died for you, you will die in your sins. It always amazes me. You know when you talk to people about Jesus Christ and the gospel, they always are concerned about the heathen who have never heard. Well this chapter answers very clearly—if you do not believe that Jesus is the I AM, The Savior of the World, you are going to die in your sins. Period. No matter who you are or where you are. But the amazing thing is to me that there are people who are confronted with it that don’t believe it. People who come and sit in this auditorium, hear this message concerning Christ, hear what Christ Himself has said would choose not to believe, but rather to die in their sins. I realize they don’t understand the issues involved. Choose not to believe it. Say that it's too narrow, and you know what the devil does? Know what religious leaders do? Go around drawing crayon marks on the wall to make it look like the door is much wider. Isn’t that awful narrow!? Can you really believe that God would demand that every person in the world believe in this one individual if they are to have life Does that make sense that a loving God would sentence everyone to hell who doesn't do that?! When all these people are doing their best, they're going to church, they're being as religious as they can with what they know? That's just not fair! Know what that is? Crayon marks on the wall, because the door hasn't gotten any wider. It still narrows down to the person of Jesus Christ as the only way to life. But people choose to live in their fantasy world and trust their religion and their doings and their works. But unless you believe Jesus, the Son of God, died for you, you will die in your sins. The result of that is that you cannot go where He has gone. Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for the greatness of the Savior we have been considering Father, it goes beyond our understanding when we enter in to eternal matters, the eternal Son of God who became a man. Father, we fail to grasp all that that entails, but we thank you through the gracious ministry of the Spirit we can understand your Word.