Today’s sermon by Pastor Aaron was based on Ezra 4:1-5, 5:1-2, 6:12, 19-21, 7:6, 10, 8:21-23, 9:1-7, 10:9-12, titled Becoming World Changers. The Sermon in a Sentence: Christians are called to live our lives within the context of the eternal purposes of God understanding that we are to be Kingdom Builders.
If you recall your lessons from the Old Testament, Ezra was a direct descendant of Aaron the chief priest (Ezra 7:1-5). He was also a scribe and scholar and part of the second wave of Jews returning from exile in Babylon (458 BC). An interesting story on the trouble he had in getting the Temple rebuilt. Trouble from without and within.
We finished out John 8 last week, Jesus had just spoken the words that testified as to who He was: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (v. 58) Abraham, as we found out, was held in high esteem by these people. Through him, they claim their inclusion into righteousness, belonging to a people claimed by God. The fact that they wrote their own rules as to what constituted righteousness and did not do what Abraham or even Moses did, obey God, made them blind to God actually standing in their midst, speaking truth to their lies. So when they heard this truth, it caused them anger that this Rabbi would dare to tell them their entire way of life was wrong. Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. (v. 59)
We come now to John 9 and find that the disciples are now mentioned again. They have been absent from this gospel for the last 2 chapters. Jesus has been focused on working with the crowds of people who were in Jerusalem to attend the Festival of Booths. Jesus has been interacting with the people, demonstrating who He is, declaring who He is, making pronouncements about His identity that are supported by His power expressed in the miracles that He did. He has been working with the people and with the leaders and there has been no real need to speak of the disciples following Him around, observing their Rabbi.
I am pretty sure they’ve been about. We see in John 6 after Jesus had spoken what is characterized as “hard words” in verses 55 and 56: “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” Because of that, many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69) All of that leads me to believe that anything short of the cross, would not keep these men from He who has eternal life. Their learning would all become clear after Christ had ascended and the Holy Spirit had indwelt them. As He does with us, those that truly believe. This is where the cross separates the Old Testament from the New Testament. The Old Covenant ended with the symbolic tearing of the curtain in the temple. (Luke 23:45, Mark 15:38, Matthew 27:51)
Theologian Timothy Luke Johnson says that the tearing of the temple curtain could symbolize “the end of the old covenant of atonement through animal sacrifice and the beginning of a ‘new covenant’” (Johnson 379). In this “New Covenant” a priest would no longer be needed.
But we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves. The scripture states: As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” They are still in Jerusalem and walking about, although I am not sure how much time has passed from the last event. The one where the people picked up stones to throw at him and He demonstrated His deity by disappearing from their midst. Try that the next time you get in an uncomfortable situation.
The disciples question Jesus because of their acknowledgment of Him having the Words of Life. They have seen by now a seemingly endless parade of healing and casting out of demons. It was a valid question for them who grew up believing that if you had a malady or deformity or something bad happened to you, it was the result of sin in the life of those afflicted. They also believed that it could be from the sins of the father that could be visited on the life of the son. This belief more than likely comes from Exodus 20 verse 4 and 5 or what we know as the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” We had quite a bit of discussion last week of this commandment, and a wee bit of unhappiness of my interpretation of the first part of this commandment.
Be that as it may, many if not most of the Jews believed that the sins of the father could be visited on the son. I think that today, if you questioned people about this, they would call it karma, which is just a foolishness, but many people endorse that kind of foolishness. Jesus told His men “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (v.3) I am sure that was news to these boys because the predilection to believe in what you’ve been taught and everybody professed know, was strong.
What is said next is something that if the boys were paying attention, they probably would have understood, but up till now, had not shown any real understanding except the obvious and sometimes not even then. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
From Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
He identifies the disciples with Himself in the redemptive work of His mission. There is before them a striking instance of the power of evil. He and they are there to manifest the power of good. They must gird themselves to the task. If we are right in placing the whole section from John 7:37 to John 10:21 on the same great day of the Feast (comp. Note on John 9:14), then this work must have come near the close of the day. The sun sinking to the west may have reminded them that the day was passing away, and that the night was approaching. He was reminded of the day of life, and the night of death. He will not be long in the world (John 9:5). That night will be the close of His human work, and the shadows of evening are already falling upon Him.
From Benson Commentary
The night cometh, when no man can work — As if he had said, I see death approaching, which, as it puts a period in general to human labours, so will close the scene of such labours as these, and remove me from the converse and society of men. The period of his opportunity for doing the will of his Father, and glorifying him on earth, was at hand, and therefore he would lose no time, but be active and laborious. Thus, the consideration of our death approaching, should quicken us to a diligent improvement of all the opportunities of life, both for doing and gaining good. The night cometh — It will come certainly, and may come soon and suddenly: and when it comes we cannot work, because the light afforded us to work by will be extinguished, and the time allotted us to work in will then be expired. When the night comes, the labourers must be called. They must then show their work, and receive according to the deeds done in the body: for then the time of probation will be ended, and the time of retribution begun.
These 2 commentaries bring home, to us at the very least, seek the Lord while He may be found. (Isaiah 55:6) The time to seek Him is now, while we are still walking on this earth. For none know the span of their days, illustrated by Psalm 39:4-6.
“Lord, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. “Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. (vv. 6-7) Another miracle by He who is the Light of the World and we discover the fallout of that and compare and contrast another earlier miracle by Our Redeemer next week.
We were celebrating Mother’s Day yesterday after church and it took the whole rest of the day. You’ll have to let the sermon speak for itself. I am too tired to argue with you.
We finished our last week’s bible study with this statement from Christ, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8:47) Spend time pondering this, if you will. These words are from our Savior, Redeemer and King. If you go back to John 1: 1-5, you’ll find that this God-man created us. He was sent down to us by the Father, to redeem us from our sins. Something that which the law, given unto them through Moses, could never redeem them, only shows them what miserable sinners they actually were. Christ was sent to us as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) So when He tells these Jews who question how He got His knowledge and keep demanding that He show them a sign of who He really is, “you question Me this way because you are not of God.” Christ speaks with authority. Which all who heard him found to be the case.
So, how much authority does Christ have in your life? This book I am teaching from tells us that Christ has been given dominion over all, (Daniel 7:14, Matthew 8:27, Mark 1:27, John 3:35, Ephesians 1:22, 1 Peter 3:22) does He have dominion over you? I ask this because for the longest time, I did what was right in my own eyes. Just like Judges 17:6. Just like a majority of people you meet in your day to day life. Then I became accountable to Him. I was watching someone on the computer, somebody who claimed to be a healer, because that is how I entered into this whole “waking up and finding Jesus” thing. I had just found out that I had ALS and I wanted it cured. While this guy never claimed to be able to do that, I was interested in what he was doing. This particular time, he went through the scripture, I don’t even remember which scripture, but when he got done, he said to the camera, now that you know and understand that, you are now accountable. (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, Acts 17:30, Romans 3:19)
It’s a funny thing about how God uses people and other things, to convey a personal message to YOU. Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I truly became accountable at that point. These Jews heard words that should have caused them to be accountable, but their hearts had been hardened by their devotion to the Law of Moses and being of the line of Abraham. Neither of which did they follow, what those two individual men of God had taught. Head knowledge, not heart knowledge, and that is a real problem today, we all know a bit of something about the bible and church, but for most that as far as it goes. There are people out there that have read the whole bible and can quote it to you, but they still do not believe or submit to the one that redeems us. These Jews knew what they knew, what they had been taught in the temple, but their heritage and tradition and the hate they had in their heart for others not of the Jewish lineage, kept them from hearing what Christ said.
This was evidenced by how they responded to Christ: “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” They had seen countless signs and wonders from this Son of Man, yet it was not good enough. Also, here is seen the hate they have for those that are not of them. Samaritans, yet it was among the first of Christ converts, a Samaritan woman who happened to be a harlot and her village. (John 4:1-42) If they knew that He had chosen them first, instead of these Jews, that would be a deal killer.
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (vv. 49-51) The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” (vv. 52-53) They were trying to use His words to convict Him. Many people do this today. Using scripture to validate their claims and you have to wonder, who are they serving here, themselves or Christ?
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” (vv. 54-56) These Jews had all the proof they needed standing before them. Everything the Old Testament pointed to. We have the whole scripture, all of the Good News and there are still many in this nation who do not believe. Some even call themselves Christians, as I did, but until you are accountable and live in obedience to His word, that is not the case.
So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (v.58) Matthew 13:14 quotes Isaiah 6:9, Seeing they will not Perceive, Hearing they shall Not Understand! As true now as it was back then. And there are those that think this dusty old book could not possibly have anything of use to them, when in fact you could predict their entire life with the information contained within. That is true for all of us.
When the people heard what Christ told them, they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (v. 59)
From Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary Concerning John 8:54-59 Christ and all that are his, depend upon God for honour. Men may be able to dispute about God, yet may not know him. Such as know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, are put together, 2 Thessalonians 1:8. All who rightly know anything of Christ, earnestly desire to know more of him. Those who discern the dawn of the light of the Sun of Righteousness, wish to see his rising. Before Abraham was, I AM. This speaks Abraham a creature, and our Lord the Creator; well, therefore, might he make himself greater than Abraham. I AM, is the name of God, Exodus 3:14; it speaks his self-existence; he is the First and the Last, ever the same, Revelation 1:8. Thus he was not only before Abraham, but before all worlds, Proverbs 8:23; John 1:1. As Mediator, he was the appointed Messiah, long before Abraham; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8. The Lord Jesus was made of God Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and all that lived and died by faith in him, before Abraham. The Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he withdrew; by his miraculous power he passed through them unhurt. Let us steadfastly profess what we know and believe concerning God; and if heirs of Abraham’s faith, we shall rejoice in looking forward to that day when the Saviour shall appear in glory, to the confusion of his enemies, and to complete the salvation of all who believe in him.
As you’ve just witnessed, Matthew Henry was a much more eloquent writer than I, but he’s dead and I’m here, so you go with what you got. It was made clear to those malcontent Jews that by His claim, Jesus was Christ and all that that meant. To their dead ears and shriveled hearts that was blasphemy. When you think of yourself as righteous, anything that besmirches that will cause your indignation and anger. They, without even having a trial, picked up stones to stone Him with. I get the strong impression that in all areas of habitation, there were piles of stones placed about, on the off chance of someone suddenly needing to put down some heresie or such. They, the Jews were always demanding that He show a sign of who He said He was, and they got one. The scripture tells us: “but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (v.59) It does not say that Christ disappeared miraculously, but He was standing amongst them, about to be stoned and then He was gone. We are left to draw our own conclusions. Here we are at the end of John 8 and will start chapter 9 next week.
Notes of interest: Feasts for which all Jewish males were required to travel to the temple in Jerusalem.
*Passover (One day) Leviticus 23:5 Nisan (March – A ru) Reminder of deliverance from Egyptian bondage; Need for lamb without blemish; OT (Exodus 12) NT Significance(1 Peter 1:18-19)
Unleavened Bread (Seven days) Leviticus 23:6-8 Nisan (March April) OT (Exodus 13:1-10) NT Significance (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
Firstfruits (One day) Leviticus 23:9-1 4 Nisan (March- April) OT(Leviticus 23:10-11) NT Significance (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
* Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) (One day) Leviticus 23:15-22 Sivan (May-June) OT (Lev. 23:15-16 & Deut. 16:9-10) NT Significance (Acts 2:1-4 & 41b)
Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) (One day) Leviticus 23:23-25 Tishri (Sept. October) OT (Lev. 23:24 & Num. 29:1-6) NT Significance (1 Thess. 4:16-17 & I Cor. 15:52)
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) (One day) Leviticus 23:26-32 Tishri (Sept.- October) OT (Leviticus 23:26-32 & 16:20-22) NT Significance (Hebrews 9:7 & 28 & Gal. 3:13)
* Tabernacles (Booths) (Seven days) Leviticus 23:33-43 Tishri (Sept.- October) OT (Leviticus 23:40-43) NT Significance (John 14:1-3 & Rev. 21:1-3)