John 7-9: The Light of the World
Introduction
A. Jesus, the Word, in the beginning was with God and was God. (John 1:1) Not only the Creator, he had life in himself, and life was the light of men.
1. The emphasis is on the life and light that Jesus brought from heaven.
2. Life is the way of life, that of righteousness and truth that reflects the character of God, the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
3. Light is the message that enlightens ignorant men who do not know God, both Jews and Gentiles. Light instructs in the path of righteousness that God commands in heaven for the welfare of all men.
4. The Word was made flesh when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (John 1:14) When he lived among men, they saw the glory of the Father shown in the life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.
5. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:16-18) The only begotten Son of God has made the Father known. By teachings and by his own example, Jesus makes us know the Father.
B. Jesus explained to Nicodemus the meaning of repenting and being baptized. He used the metaphor of being born again, the birth of water, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit delivered the message of heaven that John the Baptist preached and Jesus taught the same doctrine: the transformation that begins with the forgiveness of sins at baptism and continues with the new way of living taught in that message of repentance.
1. The new life is called "eternal life." (John 3:15)
2. Believing in the only begotten Son of the Father means accepting the message that came down from heaven with the Son of Man. (John 3:13) One is saved when he obeys that message, because he has believed in the "name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18) The name is the authority or command of Jesus Christ that one must obey.
3. He who obeys Christ "practices the truth," and "comes to the light," that corrects his sins and arranges his way of living so that it is according to the name of Jesus. (John 3:19-21) The words of Jesus are of the Father (John 3:34), and give eternal life to those who believe in the Son because to believe is to obey. (John 3:36, ESV)
C. Jesus taught the Samaritan woman that his words were like living water that by drinking it would become a source of eternal life. (John 4:10-14) Many Samaritans believed because of the word of Jesus, v41.
D. Jesus declared, "He that heareth my word, and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and shall not come to condemnation, but he has passed from death to life." (John 5:24-27) The word of Jesus is what teaches how to have eternal life, if one hears it, believes it, and puts it into practice. Believing in the Father means heeding the Father who commands us from heaven through the words of Jesus. It gives us life because it teaches us how to live. The words of the Father judge us, correct us, and warn us of the judgment to come. (John 5:27-35; see also Luke 3:7-9)
E. In John 6, Jesus fed the 5 thousand with 5 loaves and two small fish to teach them that man cannot live by bread only (Deuteronomy 8:3) but by all that comes out of the father's mouth through his Son. (John 6:32-40, 47-51) He said, "The Spirit is the one that gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life." (v62-63) Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." (v68)
F. Now let's see in John 7-9 that Jesus is the Light of the world. The light of Jesus is the doctrine He taught.
I. John 7. Jesus offers living water in Jerusalem as He offered it to the Samaritan woman in John 4.
A. The context of this story is "the feast of the Jews, that of the tabernacles." (7:2)
1. According to the Law of Moses, the seventh month of the religious year, on the tenth day was the Day of Atonement, when their souls were afflicted. On the 15th day began the week of the feast of "sukot,", seven days of living in booths made of palm leaves, Leviticus 23:42. It was a time of rejoicing, Deuteronomy 16:14. "The last and great day of the feast" (John 7:37) refers to the eighth day (Numbers 29:36) when according to the custom of that time there was the ceremony of pouring water.
2. Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water shall run from within.” It reminds us of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman (John 4:14), "but he that drinks from the water which I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will be in him a fountain of water that springs up unto eternal life." Again, when he spoke of the "bread of life" (John 6:35), "he shall never thirst."
-- John 7:38,"He that believes in me, as Scripture says, rivers of living water shall run from within him."
-- Jesus' language is taken from Isaiah's prophecies about the blessing of God's words. Isaiah 55:1,"To all those who thirst: Come to the waters, and those who have no money, come, buy, and eat. Come, buy without money and without price, wine and milk." V. 3 "Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul will live; and I will make with you an eternal covenant, the sure love of David." V.6, "Seek the Lord while he can be found, call him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous his thoughts, and turn to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways, my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." V.10-13 "So shall be my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not come back to me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Again Isaiah 58:11,"And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
There is life in God's words. "Your soul will live, " said Isaiah. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous his thoughts, and turn to the Lord,” because the ways and thoughts which the disobedient man uses to justify himself, are false and serve only to allow him to continue in his sins and in the darkness of his heart. The Jews were in sin and rebellion and when Jesus corrected them, they accused Him of violating God's Law because they were blind, blind because of their own traditions, which justified them in their sins. Jesus invites them to remember Isaiah's prophecy that offers springs in the desert.
In an earlier chapter that argues against idolatry, we also find this messianic prophecy. Isaiah 44:1-8, esp. V3,"For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and streams on the dry land; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants"
Returning to John 7:37-39, v.39 he says, “Now this he said about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." The blessing of the Holy Spirit was always the truth he gave through God's words.
If there is no understanding, there is no "edification." Paul explains very well the benefit of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the three chapters of the epistle to the Corinthians, 12-14. Notice what he said in 1 Corinthians 14:1-11, that which edifies is speech that is “intelligible.” (14:9) Miracles and signs could attract attention, but prophecy preached the word of God in an understandable way. The power and blessing are in the words of the gospel. Romans 1:16,"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation..." Romans 10:17,"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing, through the word of Christ."
B. Again, the context is that Jesus brought a message from the Heavenly Father. In chapter 6 speaking of the bread of heaven, he said 14 times that the bread or words were from heaven, they were Spirit and life because they descended from the hand of the Father. Here in chapter 7 Jesus repeats that his doctrine is not His but is of the Father. Life depends on hearing and putting into practice the words that descended with Jesus from heaven.
1. 7:16, "My doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me."
2. 7:17, "If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God, or whether I am speaking on my own authority."
3. 7:18, "The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory him who sent him, is true, and in him there is no falsehood."
4. 7:28, “So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
5. 7:29, “I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me. "I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
6. 7:33, “Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.”
7. 7:34,"Ye will seek me and you will not find me. Where I will am, you cannot come."
8. 7:39, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
C. The life Jesus offered was such that to receive it one had to do God's will.
1. 7:16-17, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is of God, or whether I speak on my own authority."
2. The reason why it was so important to believe that Jesus descended from the Father and was the only begotten of the Father is that men must obey Jesus to receive the benefit of his message. We have to obey the Lord Jesus to have life, and for there to be rivers of water flowing from us.
3. 7:18-19. The scribes and Pharisees with the priests seeking their own glory did not submit to God's will. "None of you keeps the law." Paul later wrote of the unbelieving Jews, Romans 10:3, "For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness."
-- Matthew 23:5 “They do all their deeds to be seen by others.” … v14 "hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive the greater condemnation."
-- John 12:43,"For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."
II. John 8 - Jesus, The Light of the World
A. John 8:12. "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
1. The life that Jesus offers, depends on following the doctrines of Jesus which illuminate the deceptions of darkness, the false doctrines of men who do not really know God. The presumption of men who add their own traditions to the sacred word, cannot give life.
2. The teachings of the world, of the nations, were the superstitions and legends of the idolaters. Romans 1:18-32.
3. The teachings of the Pharisees and the scribes of the Jews were also filled with the traditions of men. Matthew 15:1-20, especially v. 8-9.
-- In John 7:14-17, when Jesus taught in the temple, the Jews marveled, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" Jesus answered that his doctrine was of the one who sent him. Then he added, "If anyone’s will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God…" The main point was always that everyone had to obey Jesus' teaching because he was not of men, but of God.
-- John 7:37-39, speaking of "living water" which John explains refers to the Holy Spirit that the disciples were to receive, Jesus drew attention again to the effect of hearing the gospel, the words of God that the Holy Spirit would give to the disciples, those who had believed in Him.
-- John 7:45-53, when the officers returned to the chief priests without taking Jesus captive, they said, "Why did you not bring him here?" The officers replied, "No one ever spoke like this man!" Look at what the disbelievers said, "But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed." The truth is these leaders of the people did not know the law. They were blind guides of the blind. They didn't know how to obey God. Matthew 15:14, Jesus said, "Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
4. Jesus explained to the Jews that his words were those he heard from the Father in heaven, from which He had come. In chapter 8, Jesus repeated this concept 13 times. Thus, he said:
-- John 8:14,"my testimony is true"
-- John 8:16,"my judgment is true"
-- John 8:19,"You know neither me nor my Father."
B. Jesus used the terminology of the court: "I bear witness." (8:14) "I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent.” (8:15, 16) "The Father who sent me bears witness of me."(8:17) In v. 26, "I have much to say about you and much to judge…"
1. Jesus accuses them of not knowing the Father. Then condemns them in John 8:21, "you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." Again, the language of Jesus is taken from Isaiah 55:1-3,"the sure mercies to David" were offered to those who would incline their ear and come unto God. They would hear and their souls would live. By not hearing Jesus, they would die in their sins.
-- V. 21-30 speak of the consequence of ignoring Jesus' sermons, such as the "Sermon on the Mount." Jesus' parables also touch on the subject of those consequences. To die in sin is to lose the forgiveness of sin and to be excluded from all heavenly blessings.
2. In John 8:21, Jesus excludes them from the benefit He offers to those who believe in Him. "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."
Where was he going? Repeatedly Jesus declared, "I am from above!" Here in v. 23 he says, "You are from below, I am from above, you are of this world, and I am not of this world." Jesus insists that the Israelites stop listening to these false teachers because they are carnal. They are of this world and are therefore worldly. They're not from God. They're not from heaven like Jesus. He said in 7:33, "I am going to the one who sent me."
Jesus said, "You will seek me." The prophet Amos said, “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12) Also in Proverbs 1:24-33, “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.” (Hebrews 3:15; Psalm 95:7-8)
C. "If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins." John 8:24
1. The phrase, "I am," is repeated in v. 26, in v. 28, and in John 13:19.
2. In v. 58, "Jesus said unto them, Indeed, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." Jesus makes it very clear that he refers to what the Lord declared to Moses in Exodus 3:14. "And God answered Moses, I am WHO I AM. And he said, Thus thou you shall say unto the children of Israel, I AM sent me unto you." The meaning of the name "Jehovah," is "The BEING".
-- Isaiah 41:4, “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.” (Isa. 44:6; 43:10 "I am")
-- Revelation 1:4, 8, 17; 21:6; 22:13; "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come,the Almighty. "
3. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the I AM, as the LORD (Jehovah) of the Old Testament.
D. "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am..." John 8:28.
1. Romans 1:3-4, “concerning his Son, who was descended from David[a] according to the flesh 4 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…” When they crucified Jesus, the Son of Man, He was buried until the third day when he was raised from death. Thus, He was declared the I AM, the Son of God, with power by the resurrection of the dead.
2. They said, "Who are you?" Jesus replied, "I AM."
3. Peter declared His true identity in the first sermon of Pentecost, Acts 2:22-36, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” In Peter's epistle, he said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3-9).
4. Paul preached to the crucified Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, 23; 2:2: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” V23, “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 2:2, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-8: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”
E. "He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." John 8:29
1. Unity and communion between Jesus and the Father was possible because Jesus always did what pleased the Father. Obedience to the will of the Father was the requirement for the Father to be with the Son. Only in this way could Jesus know the truth which He faithfully preached. Hearing these things many believed in Jesus.
2. Since they had believed in him, Jesus made the application to the believers. V. 31-32, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” These words will be the basis of the rest of Chapter 8.
-- To remain in the word of Jesus means to obey the teachings, that is, to put into practice the sermons of Jesus which called everyone to repent of all the evil customs that Jesus had corrected.
-- Only in this way could the disciples know the truth, which would make them free from the bondage of sin. Freed from practices that take man away from his God, they could have communion with the Father such as Jesus already had because he always did “the things that are pleasing to him.”
F. "Truly, truly, I say unto you, that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."
1. When Jesus said, "the truth will set you free," the rebellious Jews trusting in their physical and fleshly parentage said, "We are offspring of Abraham." They trusted in the flesh instead of relying on the truth that condemned them in the words of Jesus. They protested, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” They had suffered slavery under Egypt, under Syria, under Assyria, under Babylon. The rebellious are not honest but arrogant. They were offended when Jesus tried to correct their sins.
2. Jesus answers by defining slavery, "everyone who commits sin, is a slave of sin." No more, no less. Instead of submitting to the words of the Lord's prophets, they sought to be offended by the implication of an insult against their race. The pride of one’s race closes his ears and eyes.
-- In Luke 3:8, John the Baptist had said, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” The prophet ignored their racial pride.
-- Matthew 21:23-27, When the priests and elders asked, "With what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?" Jesus asked them, "John's baptism, where was it from? From heaven, or from men?" They "argued with each other, saying, If we say, from heaven, he will say unto us, Why then did you not believe him?" Obviously not believing John implies that they did not submit to John's baptism or to the repentance he taught. They were slaves to sin because of their rebellion. The rest of Matthew 21 explains the big mistake they made. They disobeyed the Heavenly Father.
3. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:16-18, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard (Greek: “tupon,” image, form or pattern) of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”
-- They obeyed the gospel Paul discussed in Romans 6:1-7. When one has been baptized in Christ Jesus, he has been baptized in his death, buried together with Christ Jesus for death by baptism, in order to walk in new life, as Christ rose from the dead by the glory of the Father. V. 5-6 says, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Two things happen: the forgiveness of past sins (v7, "has been justified from sin." See Acts 2:38) and the new life that no longer serves sin.
4. John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus describes his teachings, those of the Son of God, son of the Heavenly Father, who corrects their sins to deliver them from the bondage of sin, and thus make them truly free.
-- v. 37 "I know you are descendants of Abraham" Jesus did not attempt to insult them and did not want to offend their feelings by using that terminology, but the real reason for their offense was "because my word finds no place in you."
-- v. 38 "I speak what I have seen with the Father." Jesus knew the Father up close, because he was the Son of God. However, they tried to kill him. The motive of the Jews was, "You do what you have heard from your father." Jesus listened to his Heavenly Father, but they listened "closely" to another father. Who would it be?
G. Who is your father? John 8:39-47
1. They did not say, "Our Father is God," but "our father is Abraham." They understood that Jesus spoke of his father in terms beyond the physical because he had just recognized that they were descendants of Abraham. Their misconduct was caused by the influence of another parent. The Holy Spirit was directing their attention to the bad state that they were found in. They boasted of being children of Abraham, but they were not doing what such children would do.
2. Jesus said, "If ye were children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth, which I have heard of God; Abraham didn't do this." The two-edged sword now reached their consciousness. Could they deny that Jesus' words were "the truth"? Why did they want to kill Jesus? When God commanded Abraham to do something, did He ever get angry?
3. Jesus said again, "You do the works of your father." Again the question, who is the father who makes you seek to kill the Son of God?
4. They said to him, “We are not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” The concept is carnal, similar to the doctrine of original sin. A person born of sin will be sinful, and therefore evil, doing evil deeds. Since they were not born of fornication, they were born clean, righteous, and children of God. In this way of thinking, they would have to forget the prophecies of Hosea who calls their ancestors fornicators. Hosea 4:18, “they give themselves to whoring; their rulers dearly love shame.”
5. Jesus does not condemn them for what their parents did, but for what they themselves did. John 8:42-43, “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. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.” It reminds us of Matthew 13:13-17, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” It's not that they were born of fornication, but they didn't want to listen.
6. Who made them close their ears and eyes? John 8:44-47, “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 does not stand in 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.” Truth is more than doctrine. Truth is the way to live. It is the behavior of the person: the integrity of his words and his deeds.
7. “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.”
-- 1 John 4:6, “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
-- John 8:45, “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” They listened only to those who supported them in their sins and mistakes.
-- John 8:46, “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?” Jesus offered them the opportunity to discredit his argument. It was time to condemn him for some sin. It was the time to find a deficiency in his words or deeds. If Jesus was neither a sinner nor a liar, why did they not believe Him?
III. Jesus, the Great I Am, John 8:48-59
A. Jesus invited the unbelievers to turn His argument against Him by convicting Him of sin. Apparently, they could not find sin in Jesus, because they said, “Are we not right in saying, that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?"
1. There is no sin in being born Samaritan. Again they sought sin in someone’s fleshly parentage, instead of drawing attention to the sin He might have committed. They tried to diminish Jesus by saying that when He denied that neither Abraham nor God would claim these Jews as their children, He spoke like their enemies, the Samaritans.
2. Moreover, in saying that Jesus had a demon, they blasphemed the Holy Spirit who dwelled in Him. Demons took away the mental sanity of men. When Jesus cast out the "Legion," they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind..." (Luke8:35) The Jews were saying that Jesus spoke like a madman. (Remember that Jesus condemned them earlier in Matthew 5 for using such language ,“raca” “fatua” “fool” etc., when they were angry.)
B. John 8:49-51. Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
1. There was no insanity in Jesus' sermons which lifted the lives of men to the level of God. Jesus honored his Father. When Jesus was dishonored, it was an offense against God. Acts 2:22-24, “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— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it."
-- Acts 2:36, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
-- He whom the Jews dishonored does not glorify himself. It is the Father who glorifies Him and judges those who dishonor him. John 12:23, And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 12:26, “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
2. John 8:51, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” On an earlier occasion he had said, "He who believes in me has eternal life." John 6:47; 3:15-16, 36. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life..." John 6:54. Keeping the word of Jesus is the same as believing in Jesus. It's figuratively like eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking his blood.
C. John 8:52-53 "Who do you do you make yourself out to be?”
1. These blind guides question the metaphor of death. In reality, they did not accept the teachings of Jesus.
2. They ridiculed the greatness of Jesus' words by exalting the words of Abraham and the prophets who had long ago died. Jesus was also going to die and his disciples in the physical sense, but eternal life remains after death. Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
3. They could not imagine what Jesus was on the point of declaring: nothing less than the eternal pre-existence of himself.
D. John 8:54-59, "My Father is the one who glorifies me."
1. They did not listen to the voice crying in the wilderness, Mark 1:1-4.
2. They did not listen to the voice from heaven, “This my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11.
3. Therefore, they did not know the Father, "the one that you say is your God." John 8:54.
4. On the contrary, Jesus knew the Father and kept his word, v 55.
5. Abraham, along with all the saints of God, rejoiced to see the day of Jesus. “He saw it and was glad.” John 8:56 "things into which the angels long to look." (1 Peter 1:10-12)
E. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
1. Mocking Jesus, they said, "Have you seen Abraham?"
2. To answer them, Jesus was presented to them as "Jehovah," the Great I Am. “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
-- There is no more important truth.
3. The blind Jews, instead of kneeling before God, “So they picked up stones to throw at him…”
Conclusion
A. John 9 presents us with an example among many of the healing of a blind man.
1. Jesus is "the light of the world." John 9:5.
2. The world is filled with darkness. The disbelievers, though they have eyes, are blind.
3. This is the sad story of the debate between the blind man who received his sight and the unbelieving rebels who had eyes but refused to see. They could not accept the truth in front of them.
B. The condemnation of those Jews is found in John 9:41, “Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”