Like Father, Like Son

If you have your Bible with you this morning, you can open it up to John chapter 8.

John 8 · chapter mention

For those of you who are visiting, we've been working our way through the Gospel of John

kind of at a slow pace, just trying to milk it for all it's worth and learn as much as we can

about Jesus and what he asks of us as his followers. So John chapter 8, we are in this morning,

John 8 · chapter mention

and we're at about verse 43. And this morning, I didn't plan it this way, but we come to a

difficult passage. Difficult for a couple of reasons. First of all, Jesus is about to say

something that many in the audience find offensive. And even today, people still find these words

offensive and are ashamed of them. Second, this is a difficult passage to know just what Jesus means

and how does this apply to us. But we're going to try to look at it anyway. We don't

just want to skip over it. We know that everything that Jesus says is important and for a reason.

So John chapter 8, verse 43. And just before we read it, let me just remind us of what's going on.

John 8:43

Jesus is still at the temple courts. He's having a heated discussion with a crowd of people there.

He's told them that they must believe that he is the one sent from God and that if they do not,

they will die in their sin. They will stand guilty before God. He has told them the hard truth that

they are slaves to sin who need to be set free and liberated. He said that it's by his word,

by the truth that he speaks, that they can be set free. And people initially seem to believe him

and were excited about him. But we saw that very quickly, this was maybe a superficial belief.

And as this conversation goes on, it's coming out that many really do not believe in Jesus,

at least not the hard parts of what he's saying, the part about being slaves to sin

and things like that. So they begin to argue with Jesus about this.

We are children of Abraham, they said. And Jesus responded,

you are in the physical sense, but in the most important sense, you are not.

So they tried another angle. We are children of God. He is our father. And Jesus challenged that too.

Actually, no, you are not. If you were God's children, you would love me.

Because I've been sent here from him to you.

No, there's a major problem here. As Jesus said a moment ago in verse 37, he said,

my word makes no progress in you. It's like it's not getting through.

And he says a very similar thing here and now again in verse 43.

Why is my language not clear to you? He says.

A more literal translation. Why do you not understand what I'm saying?

Now, if it were you or I that were speaking these words,

I at least imagine that if I was to say them, it would be because I'm frustrated

that the person I'm talking to just doesn't seem to be getting it.

Why do you not understand what I'm saying?

I'm not sure that Jesus necessarily feels the same as I would.

We really don't know what he's feeling as he asks this question.

But interestingly enough, he answers his own question.

Why do you not understand what I am saying?

It is because you cannot hear my word.

It is because you cannot hear my word, he says.

And probably all of us are wondering, well, what do you mean, Jesus,

that we cannot hear your word? What do you mean?

That's a strange thing to say.

Why can't they hear your word?

Well, everybody has some ideas about this.

Some people, pretty much everybody agrees that it's not because they're physically deaf.

But beyond that, there's a number of different ideas about what Jesus means here.

Some people believe that they are unable to hear Jesus' words

because they are spiritually deaf.

Like in their souls.

They just, they can't hear it.

Some of those people would say that they maybe lack some kind of a spiritual organ

that's needed in order to really hear and understand what Jesus is saying.

Others would say it's because they're spiritually dead.

They don't have spiritual life yet.

And so they can't understand what Jesus is saying.

A few people will point to the earlier chapters of John and say it's because they need to be born again

by the Spirit first in order to be able to really hear and understand Jesus' words.

And some others would say that they simply choose not to hear Jesus' words.

Well, which is it?

What's really going on here with these people?

Why can't they hear your word, Jesus?

I wish I could say with certainty what Jesus means here.

You see, at some point we also have to ask the question of whether they are responsible

for what they are hearing or not hearing from Jesus.

Do these people know that they cannot hear his word?

Do they think they can hear him and understand him?

I've got lots of questions for Jesus here.

But if I had to venture a guess, perhaps it means something like this.

Because you are unable to hear my word, maybe,

simply means you are unable to accept my word.

To receive the word that you are hearing from me.

And we sometimes use the word hear or the word listen like that.

I know I do with my own kids.

I might tell them to do something.

And then see that they didn't do it.

And I might say, why didn't you listen to me?

Well, it's not that they didn't listen to me.

They heard what I said.

It's that they didn't do what I said.

And so maybe that's what Jesus means here.

You are unable to accept the word that you are hearing from me.

And that inability to accept Jesus' word, I think,

is maybe rooted not so much in ignorance,

but in an unwillingness.

Unwillingness.

Not because they don't recognize that Jesus speaks the truth,

but because they don't like the implications

of the truth that Jesus speaks.

That's my best guess here.

Jesus' words are not getting through

because for their part, they cannot accept his word.

And that this cannot accept comes from a deep down,

I will not accept what you are saying.

I kept thinking back to what Jesus said earlier

here in this Gospel of John.

John 3, verse 19 and 20.

John 3:19

This is the verdict.

Light has come into the world.

That's Jesus.

That's the word that he speaks.

But people love darkness instead of light.

Why?

Because their deeds were evil.

Everyone who does evil hates the light

and will not come into the light

for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

I think that's maybe a good explanation of what's happening here

as Jesus has this conversation with the crowd.

Jesus is the light and he's speaking words that expose the truth.

Truth like,

you're a slave to sin and you need to be set free

and I have come to set you free.

But they are not wanting to hear this.

They don't want to accept that reality.

We are children of Abraham

and therefore we are slaves of nobody.

We have God for our Father

and therefore we don't need you, Jesus.

Jesus already said back in verse 37

and this was something we've heard a lot of times in John

that the people, some of them at least,

are looking for a way to kill him.

And so if that's true,

then it makes sense

that at this point

they are no longer able or willing

to hear what Jesus has to say to them.

I mean, think of the state of their minds

and their hearts right now.

If they are plotting to kill him,

it means that they have hardened their hearts towards Jesus.

They've made up their minds about him.

They're done listening to Jesus.

Maybe you've had an argument with someone

and you know that there comes that point

in the conversation,

the back and forth,

where you're not listening to them

and they're not listening to you.

Perhaps something like that is happening here.

Let's go on.

Jesus says,

Why do you not understand what I am saying?

It is because you cannot hear my word.

You are of your father,

the devil,

and you want to do the desires of your father.

This is the part that is offensive.

To them,

to us,

I didn't intentionally choose this passage

for Mother's Day.

This is what Jesus said that day.

You are of your father,

the devil,

and you want to do

the desires

of your father.

So why are they unable to accept,

to hear Jesus anymore?

Jesus says it's because they are children

of the devil.

And we're going to talk about what that means

in a moment,

but first,

before we get to that,

notice the second part of what Jesus

says here.

He says,

You want to carry out your father's desires,

or you want to do the desires

of your father.

Notice that it's not just the devil

who has desires,

but Jesus says that they themselves,

the people there,

they want to do the things

that the devil desires,

which in this situation here

is to kill Jesus.

Verse 44,

he goes on,

You are of your father,

the devil,

and you want to do the desires

of your father?

He was a murderer

from the beginning,

says Jesus.

What was the devil's desire?

To kill.

He went after Adam and Eve

to kill them.

He deliberately enticed them

to disobey God

because he knew

that it would result in their death.

He was a murderer

from the beginning,

says Jesus,

with murderous desires.

And Jesus is saying

to some of the people

here in the crowd,

you have the same desires

that he does,

that he had

since the beginning of the world.

Remember back to what John said earlier.

The people love the darkness

and hate the light.

Why?

Because their deeds were evil.

So Jesus is shining the spotlight

on the murderous intents

of their hearts

in this moment

on what they are trying to do,

which at this moment

is very evil.

It's to kill him.

To take him out.

And so I think this is why

they are unable to hear.

They are unable to accept

what Jesus is saying.

They're unable to come

into the light

and love the light

because to accept

what Jesus is saying

is to admit

that he's right.

that we really are slaves

who need to be set free.

That we really are sinners

who are on the hook with God.

That we really need you, Jesus.

And for some of them

to admit that yes,

we actually have been plotting

to kill

even though we know it's wrong.

Let's come back

to this statement.

You belong to your father.

You are of your father,

the devil.

My translation in my Bible says

you belong to your father,

the devil.

What does that mean?

You are of your father,

the devil.

What does it mean

to be a child of the devil?

Well, first of all,

I don't think it means

the same thing

as to be a child of God.

Those who are children of God,

we've heard earlier

from Jesus himself.

To become a child of God,

you need to be born again

by the Spirit

into his family.

You become a child of God

through a spiritual birth.

It's not the same

with the devil

and being a child of his.

It doesn't mean

that you have somehow

been born of the devil

in a spiritual sense.

It also doesn't mean

that they have verbally

pledged allegiance

to the devil

in some kind of ceremony

or ritual.

In fact,

probably all of these people

don't think

that they are children

of the devil.

Thirdly,

I don't think

it means that they

belong to the devil.

I don't think

Jesus is saying

that the devil

owns them

or has ownership

over them.

And I don't think

Jesus is saying

that the devil

controls them

or makes them

desire

or makes them do

what they are

desiring and doing.

So what does

Jesus mean here?

Well,

the only sense

in which they seem

to be children

of the devil

that Jesus

brings up

again and again here,

the sense in which

the devil is their father

is based on the fact

that they desire

and do

the same things

that he does.

He is the father

of those desires

to murder.

He is the father

of those deeds

to lie,

to deceive

because he was

the first one

to do them.

And

if I'm reading

this right,

what makes a person

a child of the devil

is that they

take after their father.

They take after

the devil

in their

desires

and in their deeds.

The things they desire,

the things that they do.

Like father,

like son.

Let's see this

in what Jesus says here.

Back in verse 38,

Jesus said this to them,

I speak the things

which I have seen

with my father.

Therefore,

you also do

the things

which you heard

from your father.

In other words,

Jesus' actions

and his words

line up

with what he has

heard and seen

from God,

his father.

But he says

that their actions

and words

line up with

what they have

heard and seen

from their father,

the devil.

Verse 39,

Abraham is our father,

they answered.

Jesus said to them,

if you were

Abraham's children,

you would do

what Abraham did.

You would do

the works

that Abraham did.

He goes on there

to say,

no,

you're looking

for a way

to kill me.

You are doing

the works

of your own father,

the devil.

In other words,

it's their deeds,

it's their works,

it's their actions

by which they are

either children

of Abraham

or children

of a different

father.

And their deeds,

he says,

don't match up

with Abraham.

So you are not

truly his children,

rather,

you're trying

to kill me.

Your deeds,

your actions,

your behavior

matches up

to a different

father,

the devil.

Again,

in verse 44,

he says,

you are of

your father,

the devil,

and you want

to carry out

your father's

desires.

We read this

already,

but it's not

only their deeds

by which they are

children of the devil,

but it's their

desires.

They have the

same desires

as he does,

and so are

children,

of him.

Like father,

like son.

He wants to kill.

He is a murderer.

He has the desire

to harm people.

You have that desire

in your heart

right now,

says Jesus.

Verse 44,

he talks about

how the devil

is a liar.

He was a murderer

from the beginning,

not holding

to the truth.

goes on to talk

about how the devil

lies all the time

and how he is

the father of lies,

but his basic

point coming down

to verse 45

is,

you are like him,

like father,

like son,

just as the devil

did not hold

to the truth

and stand firm

in it,

in the same way,

here I am

speaking the truth

to you,

confronting you

with the truth

and yet because

I tell the truth,

you do not believe me,

says Jesus

in verse 45.

You know it's the truth

and because you know

it's the truth,

you do not want

to hear it.

So to be a child

of the devil,

the way that Jesus

describes it

is to have the same

desires

and deeds

as the devil.

It doesn't mean

that you worship Satan.

In fact,

these religious leaders

in the crowd,

I mean,

they're here at the

temple courts

in the temple

of the Lord

and they do many

religious things.

Being a child

of the devil

is something

that probably

everybody would deny

and that's why

these words of Jesus

are so offensive

to people

and yet it's

almost impossible

to escape

just how black

and white a picture

Jesus paints

for us

with these words.

In his words,

there are ultimately

only two families

that you can belong to.

You can belong

to God

and have him

for your father

or you can belong

to the devil

and have him

for your father.

You can take up

the desires

and the deeds

of one

or the other.

You can take up

the family business

of one

or the other.

Let's bring in

one more key passage

that sheds some light

on this

because we still

might wonder,

is there really

nothing in between?

Am I a child

of the devil

by default

until I'm saved?

Isn't there

some kind of

neutral

in the middle

before I

make my choice?

Let's look at

1 John

1 John 3:8

chapter 3

verse 8.

John was listening

that day.

This is what he wrote

in his letter.

He said,

the one who does

what is sinful

is of the devil.

Same language.

Because the devil

has been sinning

from the beginning.

Down in verse 10

he says,

this is how we know

who the children

of God are

and who the children

of the devil are.

Anyone who does not

do what is right

is not God's child.

Nor is anyone

who does not love

their brother

and sister.

So John confirms

for us in his letter

that yes,

we are hearing

Jesus correctly.

It is black and white.

you are either

a child of God

or a child

of the devil.

And what marks

the difference

between the two

is the overall

way of life

that a person

has.

As we see

in these words

of John,

doing what is

sinful

marks the life

of someone

who is of the devil.

not doing

what is right

marks

the life

of someone

who is

a child

of the devil.

But doing

what is right

marks the life

of those

who are

of God.

Loving

your brother

and your sister

marks the life

of a child

of God.

Now this,

of course,

doesn't mean

that a true

child of God

never blows it,

never sins

or makes mistakes.

Abraham did,

King David did,

Peter did,

and many more.

But it means

that the overall

way of life

of a child

of God

is that they

generally

do what is right

and not what

is sinful.

They love

their brother

and their sister

and not just

live to please

themselves

at all costs.

So if the

mark of

a child

of the devil

is that they

generally do

what is sinful

like the devil

does,

then yes,

by default,

we all start

out as children

of the devil.

As Paul said

in Romans

Romans 3:23

chapter 3,

verse 23,

familiar verse,

for all have

sinned

and fall short

of the glory

of God.

That's where

we all start.

This is why

we need Jesus

to come,

to help us,

to save us.

because from

the start,

we are all

children of

the devil.

But listen,

this is the

hard truth

that Jesus

speaks to them

that day,

but there is

also good news

that Jesus

brings.

And we've been

hearing this all

throughout the

gospel of John.

He has come

to give life.

He has come

to speak to us

the truth

by which,

believing it,

we can become

children of God

and have a

change of family.

He has come

to set free

those who are

slaves to sin.

Listen to these

words from the

beginning of

John's gospel

again.

The true light

that gives light

to everyone

was coming

into the world.

That's Jesus.

He was in the

world.

And though the

world was made

through him,

the world did

not recognize

him.

He came to

that which was

his own,

but his own

did not receive

him.

Yet,

to all who

did receive

him,

here it is,

to those who

believed in

his name,

he gave the

right to

become children

of God.

There is a

way to have a

change of

family,

to get a

new father,

a different

father,

a better

father,

to become

a child of

God.

And it's

through believing

in the name

of Jesus.

It's believing

in him,

that he is

who he says

he is,

and believing

the things

that he said

and has come

to speak,

the truth he

comes to

speak.

the crowd

here in

the temple

courts is

doing the

opposite.

They are

not listening

to Jesus.

They are

not believing

in him.

They are

not receiving

him.

Back to

John chapter

John 8:45

8,

verse 45.

Yet,

because I

tell you

the truth,

you do not

believe me,

says Jesus.

Can any

one of you

prove me

guilty of

sin?

If I am

telling the

truth,

why don't

you believe

me?

Quite the

statement.

And I

think that

we really

need to

ponder

these words.

Jesus is

appealing to

their

consciences.

My actions,

he says,

and my

conduct

match with

what you

know is

good and

right.

does

anybody

want to

come up

and convict

me of

sin?

Have I

done

anything

wrong to

anyone?

Have I

said

anything

wrong to

anyone?

If I

lack

integrity,

tell me

specifically

what I

have done

or what

I have

said.

They've

already

made a

few

accusations

throughout,

but Jesus

has answered

all of

those so

well to

show that

he is not

guilty of

anything.

And so

if I've

been

speaking and

doing what

is good

and right

and you

know that,

then you

know that I

am from

God.

You know

that I

speak the

truth.

So why

won't you

believe me?

believe me?

What a

question.

Jesus is

appealing to

their

consciences.

Why don't

you believe

me?

What's

keeping you

from

accepting

what you

know to

be true

about

Jesus?

Jesus?

I think we

all need to

think about

these words

and answer

for ourselves.

But Jesus

goes on.

He actually

answers this

question too.

He says,

why don't

you believe

me?

And then

down in

verse 47,

whoever

belongs to

God

hears

what God

says.

The reason

why you

do not

hear

my words

is that

you are

not

of God.

This is

quite the

statement.

And I

think that

we should

think about

the word

hear that

Jesus uses

here in

the same

senses

above.

The reason

why you

do not

accept

the word

of God

is that

you are

not

of

God.

Now

there's a

whole

discussion

and debate

around

this.

I'm not

going to

get into

that this

morning.

There's a

temptation to

want to

change these

words around.

What do you

mean the

reason why we

do not

hear is

because we

are not

of God?

Well,

which comes

first?

Belonging to

God or

hearing and

believing?

Save that

for another

day.

either way,

we are at

the mercy

of God

because we

have all

sinned.

We need

a change

in family.

We need

to become

children of

God is

what Jesus

is saying

to them

there that

day.

As we've

been going

through this

series,

we've seen

some of

the marks

of being

a true

disciple

or a

true child

of Abraham,

a true

child of

God.

We've

heard some

really good

things from

Jesus.

To be a

true follower

of his,

we must

remain in

his word.

We must

continue to

hold to

his teaching

and not

move on

from it.

To be a

true child

of Abraham,

we must

do the

things that

Abraham

did.

Believe and

accept and

obey the

word of

God when

it comes

to us

like Abraham

did.

To be a

true child

of God,

we heard

last week,

we should

love and

love his

son,

the one

that he

has sent.

And this

morning,

we saw the

marks of

having a

different

father.

A child

of the

devil

desires and

does what

the devil

does,

like father,

like son.

A child

of the

devil refuses

to believe

Jesus because

he speaks

the truth.

A child

of the

devil will

not hear

or accept

or listen

to what

God says

just like

the devil

won't.

But a

true child

of God

will hear

and will

accept and

will listen

to what

God says.

Jesus has

been shining

the light of

truth on

these people.

He's been

exposing their

desires and

their deeds,

giving them

the hard

truth they

need to

come face

to face

with,

whose

family

they're

in.

And next

week we'll

see how

they respond

and as

you can

imagine it

wasn't

good.

They were

very angry.

But for

this morning

what about

you?

Whose

family are

you in?

Jesus only

gives us

two

possibilities.

Do you

love Jesus?

Do you

believe in

him?

The words

that he has

spoken,

do you

accept them?

do you

endeavor to

obey them

as all

true

children of

God do?

Or do

you love

certain other

things more?

Do you

have it in

your heart

to continue

doing some

of those

things that

you know

are wrong?

Do

Jesus'

words make

you angry?

Do they

provoke you

because of

things that

you might

have to

surrender or

give up if

you were to

believe in

him?

Is it

possible that

you have

been quite

religious just

like these

people and

yet your

heart is far

from God?

Far from

loving Jesus?

If it is, I

want to encourage

you with Jesus'

own words to

repent and

believe, to

humble yourself

before him,

to admit,

yes, I have

blown it, I am

a sinner.

Will you

forgive me?

God is in

the business

of forgiving

sins.

That's why he

sent Jesus.

He is

compassionate, he

is gracious,

and he will

forgive you if

you ask him.

And it will

cost to become

a follower of

Jesus.

There's no

denying that.

Jesus himself

said, for whoever

wants to save

their life will

lose it.

But whoever

loses their

life for me

will save it.

It will cost.

It costs

everything.

He said, what

good is it for

someone to gain

the whole world

yet forfeit

their soul?

The cost is

well worth it

for what we

receive from

Jesus.

Eternal life.

That's what's

at stake here.

Life and

death.

Many of you

here this

morning are

children of

God and

you love

Jesus.

I want to

encourage you

to keep

listening to

Jesus, to

stay in

his word, to

continue to

hold tightly

to his

teaching, and

as Peter said,

to make every

effort to

obey his

commands, to

do what's

right, to

love your

brother and

your sister,

as all true

children of

God should

and do.

And as a

last thought,

God, these

words are

offensive.

We're not

going to

pretend that

they're not.

And so I

want to

encourage you

to take

care about

talking about

being children

of the devil

to people in

our world, in

our community,

people who

don't know

Christ.

If you take

these words

upon your

lips, I

want to

encourage you

to do it

with the

utmost

humility and

gentleness,

and never

with the

intent to

insult or

deride or

to give

somebody a

spiritual slap

in the face,

you're a

child of the

devil.

I don't

believe that's

the way

Jesus spoke

these words

and I don't

think we

should either.

Let's

pray.

Father in

heaven, thank

you for

sending Jesus.

Lord Jesus,

thank you for

speaking these

words to us.

We don't

necessarily like

these words.

They are

uncomfortable,

they are

hard, and

yet we know

that they

are true and

we need to

hear them.

Thank you

that you have

made a way

for us to

become children

of God.

It's a

wonderful gift.

We praise

your name for

it.

Amen.