The Extraordinary Effects of Truth

Sermon preached by Pastor C. John Steer

Autumn Ridge Church, Rochester, MN

April 26 & 27, 2008

 

 

Scripture:       John 8:31-59

No. 12:                   John’s Gospel

 

 

Every week as a pastor I witness two approaches to life.

One gives me great joy.  The other enormous sorrow.

The joy is caused when I see people living in the truth.

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting to some of our new members. I heard extraordinary stories of how God’s truth has transformed them.

 

The sorrow comes when I talk to people who have rejected the truth by buying into the lies of Satan. It breaks my heart to

see how their lives and marriages and families are torn apart.

 

I have come to see there is nothing more important than understanding what truth is, building our lives on a foundation of truth and obeying the truth every day.

 

And so this morning we are going to look at the extraordinary effects of truths as we continue our study in John’s gospel.

So please turn to John chapter 8 in your Bible and the sermon outline.

 

As I was reading this passage last week I was struck by the number of times the word “truth” occurs.

I began to underline it in my Bible. 

I counted 10 times that “truth” was used in under 30 verses.

That seemed somewhat excessive so I took out my concordance and did a quick check. 

As best as I can tell the word truth is used more here than in any other place in the word of God.  So I think it is fair to say that Jesus wants us to grasp the importance of truth.

These truth claims are like a pearl necklace.

Individually they are splendid.  Taken together they are spectacular.

 

The first pearl is THE TRUTH ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP

 

After Jesus’ statement in the temple about being the light of the world John tells us, “Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.” (v 30)   

We might think this is marvelous.

But Jesus wants to test the reality of their faith. So now he addresses, “The Jews who had believed him. (v 31)  

 

Jesus wants them to understand that belief is the first step in a life of discipleship so he explains, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (v 31) 

 

So here is the truth about discipleship. There are three parts to it.

A genuine disciple holds to the teaching of Jesus, knows the truth and has been set free.

 

But what does it mean to hold to the teaching of Jesus?

It involves listening to Jesus.

There was a Scottish pastor called John Brown.

When he preached he used to pause every now and then as if listening for a voice.

The Christian is a person who listens to the voice of Jesus.

The disciple is one who will not make a decision until they first hear what Jesus has to say.

 

Then holding to the teaching of Jesus involves learning from Jesus.

The word “disciple” means “a learner.” 

All of our lives we are to be learning the truth.

A closed mind is the end of discipleship.

 

So let us ask ourselves, are we a true disciple of Jesus?

Do we hold to his teaching, know his truth and can we point to areas of our life that enjoy his freedom?

 

It is sobering to observe that this test immediately disqualifies these new adherents of Jesus.

Whatever faith they have, it is not saving faith.

Maybe they were simply impressed by Jesus’ courage in addressing the crowd in the temple. Or they had been emotionally moved. But they are not genuine disciples.

They reveal this when they say, “We are Abraham’s descendents and have never been slaves of anyone.  How can you say we shall be set free?” (v 33)

 

That displays a remarkable lack of honesty.

They are living under the oppression of the Romans and in their history they had been slaves to the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians.

They are in bondage and they don’t even know it.

 

The second pearl is THE TRUTH ABOUT SIN.

Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (v 34)

 

Now sin is not taken very seriously in our society.

It is more likely to be the object of a joke.

The reason is that we tend to think of sin as a reflection of somebody else’s old-fashioned morality that is usually associated with sex in some way. 

But that is far too limited an understanding of sin.

 

Jesus shows us that sin is slavery and there is nothing funny about slavery.

Rather than doing what they like the sinner has lost the power to do what they like. They are a slave to the habits and self-indulgences which have mastered them.

 

Jesus points out a very depressing consequence of sin.

It prevents us belonging to God’s family.

“Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” (v 35)

 

I have a friend who loves to say that repentance is one of the most exciting and positive words in the English language for the act of repentance means we turn from the misery and slavery of our sin into the joy and liberty of Christ.

Jesus makes this very clear when he says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (v 36) 

 

This freedom is Jesus’ personal gift to us and it is an eternal one. Yet let us understand that Jesus is not simply referring to a new life after we die.

He is promising us freedom in the here and now.

 

This promise that the truth will set us free is one of the great statements of the gospel. I love Bishop N.T. Wright’s comment on this. He says, “It rings like a great bell. . .we are free from sin, free from slavery, free from the law, free from death, free from injustice, free from debt, free from tyranny. . .

The way to freedom is through the truth and what matters therefore is to know the truth. Tyranny and slavery thrive on lies, half truths, evasions and cover ups. Freedom and truth go hand in hand.”

 

Next Jesus tells us THE TRUTH ABOUT ABRAHAM.

These Jews were immensely proud of the fact that they were descended from Abraham as they reveal when they announce, “Abraham is our father.” (v 39) 

 

It is true that Abraham was their forefather.

But Jesus wants them to know it is not physical descent but spiritual descent that is important. 

 

They didn’t act like Abraham, because they denied Jesus’ teaching and sought his destruction.

“I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet, you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.” (v 37)

 

Jesus goes on to explain, “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” Abraham did not do such things.” (v 39-40)

 

The real descendant of Abraham is the person who acts in the way in which Abraham acted.

Abraham trusted God.  Abraham accepted God’s truth.

When a messenger from God came to Abraham, the patriarch welcomed him with eagerness and reverence. (Genesis 18:1-8)

 

Paul makes the profound point that, “It is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” (Romans 9:8)

 

Neither the country of our origin nor the family of our birth will help us when we stand before God. 

What will matter on that day, and what matters now, is that God is our Father and Christ is our Savior.

If that is true then we are Abraham’s children.

Next we learn THE TRUTH ABOUT SATAN

In extraordinarily strong language Jesus tells these Jews who had formerly believed in him, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.” (v 44)

 

If we are not shocked by this statement we are missing the point. 

This is hardly gentle Jesus meek and mild.

But we need to understand what is taking place here.

This is a very tense confrontation in the Temple Court. 

This dialogue is taking place at the top of their lungs.

 

This is one of those passages where we must imagine the scene before us.  The truth is found not only in the words but in the pauses between them.

Jesus begins with a tremendous claim, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (v. 46)

 

Then there must have followed a silence during which the eyes of Jesus ranged around the crowd waiting for anyone to accept the challenge he had thrown down.

The silence went on and there was none who would formulate a charge against this amazing claim.

 

Then Jesus spoke again.  “If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” (v. 46)

Again there is an uncomfortable silence.

So Jesus answers his own question, “The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”  (v. 47)

 

For their part the Jews want to kill Jesus and for his part he wants them to see the spiritual peril of their position. 

 

He wants them to know that we either belong to God or the devil. Martin Luther wrote an important book called “The Bondage of the Will”. In that book he depicted the human will as a horse whose choices are limited to who will be its rider, whether God or the devil.

 

If we are not God’s child then we are Satan’s child and that is a terrifying position to be in.

For when we belong to Satan we take on his characteristics.

 

Jesus explains what those are. “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (v 44) 

 

Satan made his first appearance in the Garden of Eden when he persuaded Adam and Eve to disobey God. 

As a result death enters the world and that is why Satan is a murderer from the beginning. 

 

Not only is Satan a murderer but he is a liar.

He lied to Eve when he told her, “You will not surely die” if you eat the fruit of the tree. 

He lies to us when he tells us that God doesn’t exist or God doesn’t love us or that there is no hope for us.

He lies when he tells us that materialism is the path to happiness and that God doesn’t really care what we do and we have plenty of time to decide if we want to follow Christ.

 

The devil loves falsehood. The false word, the false thought, the twisting of the truth all belong to Satan.

Every lie is inspired by him and designed to do his work.
Jesus came to deliver us from those lies.

 

This is a sobering passage of scripture so I want to point out something to encourage you.

Sometimes an opportunity arises for us to talk about the truth. 

It can be hard going when people ridicule the gospel and call us names. It makes us wish that we were better at evangelism.

 

We think “if only I was more informed or more eloquent this wouldn’t be happening.”

But there was no one better at presenting the truth than Jesus and it happened to him.

 

They dismissed his claims and they called him names saying, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” (v 48)  The Jews considered Samaritans heretics and enemies and they suggest that what Jesus is saying is so bizarre that it must come from a demon.

 

There are times when the gospel is gladly received but often it is not. It happened to Jesus and it will happen to us.

 

The next pearl is THE TRUTH ABOUT DEATH

Death is another unpleasant subject we don’t like to talk about so it is good news when Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (v 51)

 

Jesus is making the amazing claim that death has lost its finality. When we embrace his truth we enter into a relationship with him that nothing can sever.

The Christian doesn’t go from life to death but from life to life.

 

Now Jesus not suggesting that his disciples will never experience physical death. Rather he is saying that those who trust him will never have to confront the terror of death or experience final separation from God as a result of their sin.

This is possible because Jesus has told us in the first part of this chapter that he is, “The light of life.” (v 12)

 

This eternal life is not only to be experienced when we die.

It is for the here and now. It is to enable us to live life to the full on earth so that we can live for the glory of Jesus.

 

Finally we learn THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS.

At this point in the conversation Jesus’ hearers are beside themselves with anger.

They ask sarcastically, “Who do you think you are?” (v 53) 

 

Jesus tells them.  He is the Son of God.

“My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. 

If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.” (v 54-55)

 

Then Jesus informs them that he is the fulfillment of Abraham’s faith.

Jesus tells these Israelites, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the though of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

(v 56)

 

That comment made no sense to them and they respond, “You are not yet 50 years old, and you have seen Abraham.”

(v 57)

 

50 was the age at which the Levites retired from their service in the temple. (Numbers 4:3) 

The Jews are saying to Jesus, “you are a young man who is far too early to retire. How can you possibly have seen Abraham who lived thousands of years ago?

 

Jesus replies, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” (v 58)   Here is a claim that Jesus is timeless. There was never a time when he came into being and there will never be a time when he will not exist. 

 

Now it is true that the human Jesus came into existence one Christmas at Bethlehem. But he had existed before then as the eternal Son of God.

 

Jesus is the eternal Christ sharing the everlasting life of the Father. He is the changeless Lord who towers over history.

He is the master of time, the ruler of ages.

He is undiminished by the passing of the centuries for he is the same yesterday, today and forever.

 

He is the great I AM who lived before Abraham, lives now and always will live. And he invites us to bask in the light of this extraordinary truth.  To be genuine disciples who hold to his teaching and relish his freedom.

 

We might think that people would be delighted with this offer of freedom. But they are not. 

There are those who hate the truth and Jesus’ hearers were among them. John tells us “They picked up stones to stone him.” (v 59)

When we understand the claims of Christ we either love him or hate him. We either will want to destroy him or be his disciple.

 

But Jesus is untouchable for this is not God’s time. “Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” (v 59)

Jesus will go to the cross at the Father’s chosen moment and not a minute before.

Christ shows again that he is in control of every situation.

 

Today we face the same choice.

We may either cast stones at Jesus, like the Pharisees, or throw ourselves at his feet accepting him as our Lord and Savior.

 

C. S. Lewis brings the choice into clear focus when he asks, “What are we to make of Christ? . . . you must accept or reject the story. The things he says are very different from what other teachers have said. Others say this is the truth about the universe . . . but he says “I am the truth” . . . no one can reach absolute reality except through me.”

 

What will it be?  Our eternal destiny depends on whether we accept or reject his claims.
Whether we are clutching stones or clinging to the Savior.

 

Every day 60,000 embrace the truth and become Christians.

This weekend 6 people will be baptized here at Autumn Ridge to demonstrate that the Son has set them free.