Paternity Test
John 8:31-47, Remsen Bible Fellowship, 09/08/2019
Introduction:
I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of paternity tests. Someone suspects that their significant other has been unfaithful and the child they are currently caring for is not their own, so they go down to Walmart and pay $14.99, then take a couple of swabs and send their $140 dollars to a lab, all in hopes of acquiring either peace of mind or a heavier pocket book. While the necessity of such tests paints a pretty sorry picture of our world today, it does provide a helpful illustration of what the Apostle John is trying to communicate in our passage this morning. The family heritage of many people is different than they think it is. Perhaps you have a different father than you think.
In the first section of our text, verses 31-38, we will primarily see Jesus making a promise. But as conflict around the nature and assumptions of that promise grows, in verses 39-47 Jesus is going to frankly confront many of the assumptions of his audience.
V31, Jesus speaks to the people of v 30, saying, if you dwell with, stay in, cling to my word,
Then you are truly my disciple
V32, and then you will know the truth (14:6) and the truth will set you free (v36)
- If/then, the clinging is demonstrative, it displays whether or not you are Jesus’ disciple.
- We come to Christ in a moment and are justified (Romans 10:10) by clinging to his word, and a true disciple is one who continues to hold onto and dwell with that word.
- conversion to Christ is made visible to the world via a lifetime of being transformed by Christ into his likeness (Romans 8:29)
This is restated in 32
- To abide in Christ’s word, to “live in” his message, is to know him intimately and personally
- To know him in this way is to receive his release from the bondage
- But what sort of bondage are we in? That’s where the conversation goes next.
V33, they reply: We descend from Abraham, and we’ve never been anyone’s slaves, how can you say, “you will be free?”
- Note the quick shift from “believing” in v30-31, to disbelieving questions here. By the time we get to v45 we will see that they don’t believe at all
- This has led some to question if the same groups are in view with these statements. But the text never hints otherwise. What we have here is what D.A. Carson calls “fickle faith.” cf, 2:23-25; 6:14, 30
- Back to their statement: “We have never been slaves” is obviously untrue in a political sense: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, now Rome-all had subjected them. They seem to be pointing to another type of freedom, a spiritual freedom that they have on account of being Abraham’s descendants.
V34, truly, truly, listen here; I’m talking to you: everyone who walks in sin, practices sin, has a life characterized by sin, is a slave to sin
V35, slaves have temporary privileges; the rights of sons are lasting
V36, so if the Son sets you free, you will experience genuine freedom
- Those characterized by sin are slaves of sin: do you recognize this reality in your own life? It is true for all of humanity. See Matthew 5:17ff
- We are characterized, as fallen humans, by sin. Which means we’re slaves. Have you ever been “caught captive” by a lie?
- Slaves dwell in a house, but they have no rights and no promise for lasting joy. The great lie of sin is that it promises freedom from God, when that is precisely the definition of bondage for those created by God to love and worship him.
- The status of a son, one who is part of the family, is lasting. How can we become part of God’s family? John 1:12
V37, I know you are offspring of Abraham, yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you
V38, I speak what I have seen with my Father, you do your father’s bidding
- Jesus draws a distinction here between what he is doing and saying, and what these people are doing
- What is the message of Jesus from God? It’s Isaiah 61:1-2, quoted in Luke 4:16-21
- What are the actions of these people, learned from their father? They seek (v40, cf. 5:18; 7:19, 25) to kill Jesus. (v44 ties this to Satan)
Transition:
Jesus speaks from the Father, he is sent by the Father to offer liberty to all those held captive by sin. How do you respond to that offer? Do you reject it as unnecessary? Maybe you simply disbelieve it as too good to be true or not the right fit for you. Jesus wants you to take hold of this gift, and to trust in him for your salvation. Freedom is on offer for any who will receive.
How do the people in this passage respond?
V39, We descend from Abraham!
If you did, you’d act like him.
V40, But instead you seek to kill me, the one bringing God’s truth: not an Abraham move!
V41, you’re acting like your real dad
- What does Jesus mean by this not being Abraham’s sort of action?
1) Abraham believed God’s word, he trusted and obeyed. Genesis 15:1-6, esp v6 (also 12:1-4, ch 22)
2) Abraham received God’s messengers (and it seems, God himself) into his tent, his home (see Genesis 18, esp v10 & v17)
- Abraham believed God, and that was counted to him as righteousness; he then repeatedly acted on that faith
They still don’t seem quite sure where he’s going with this father thing, though, so as v41 continues,
We weren’t born out of wedlock (like some people)! We have one father, God himself!
- At first glance there seems to be the same sneering about knowing who their dad is that we saw in v19 last week. You are the one born out of wedlock, Jesus, not us.
- But I think they do grasp that Jesus is talking about spiritual parentage here. Which might at first seem strange to us, what does the sexual morality of our physical parents have to do with our spiritual state?
- Remember what we said about Abraham. Not only is he the founder of the Jewish people physically, he is also the first in the line of Jewish Monotheism, belief in the one true God. They are claiming to be his true spiritual descendants, they are claiming a pure spirituality.
- The sexual reference makes perfect sense in that light: as we have seen in Hosea, the prophets repeatedly use metaphors of sexual unfaithfulness to refer to idolatry and false worship. Which might seem extreme to us, but you need to understand that world. An overwhelming number of the pagan religions of that day involved temple prostitutes, priests and priestesses of sex, origies, and other practices which make this language not just metaphoric but literal.
- Is our day really any different?
V42, If God were your Father, you would love me; for I came from him; here I am, he sent me
- Love is the litmus test, see 1 John 4:20-5:5, note emphasis on loving the one who is seen.
- For them this meant they must love Jesus, God in the flesh, standing here before them, to love God. For us the meaning is two-fold:
- Do you love Jesus? Does this language even make sense to you? Who is Jesus to you?
- If you answer that with a “yes”, then the question 1 John throws back at us is, “do you love his people?” Loving other Christians is the test.
V43, Why don’t you grasp my words, sentences, phrases? Because you can’t stand the message.
- They can’t fully grasp Jesus’ statements because they have an inner hostility to the message he is communicating.
V44, You are of your true father, the devil, and you love doing what he does
He was a murderer from the start, and he doesn’t stand in the truth because he doesn’t have any.
When he lies it’s consistent with his lying character, for he’s a liar and the father of lies
- Note the continued connection between truth and life, lies and death. The Son gives freedom through truth (v32), the devil murders through lies (v44, Genesis 3)
V45, But because, for the reason that, I tell the truth-you don’t believe
- What causes their disbelief? The very truth of Jesus’ message. Again we see the theme of darkness hating light. John 1:9-11; 3:19-20
- This puts on display their connection with their father who hates the truth.
V46, Which of you can show me where I’m wrong? If it’s all true, why not believe?
V47, Whoever is of God hears the words of God-you don’t hear them because you are not of God.
- Jesus question is rhetorical; he knows why they don’t have any genuine accusations, and he knows why they don’t believe.
- But his question also carries a point: Human beings are culpable for their unbelief.
- We might retort, “how can I fight my nature?” But Jesus points out that this unbelief is not only by nature, it is also by choice: v44a, Romans 1:21, 25
- There is a demand made by God to sinful humanity: look to the Son, look to Christ crucified, risen, and glorified, as the only hope of freedom, salvation, and eternal life. We are held responsible if we refuse to believe this truth.
- But here is a simultaneous truth: for those who do trust, no pride is involved. Because how did that faith happened? God overcame your rebellion by the gracious work of the Spirit. V47; 3:3, 5
- We have genuine responsibility before God for how we respond to Jesus’ offer of life-and we are utterly dependant upon his grace to receive it.
Conclusion:
Whose child are you? That is the question this text presses upon each of us. And the answer won’t be found in your parents, your church background, or your religious knowledge. It ultimately comes down to this: do you know and believe who Jesus is, the Son of God who alone has the power to free you from your sin; and if you know him in this way, does it compel you to love him? Do you know and love Jesus? Then you are a child of God.
If this doesn’t describe you, come to him. There is room at the family table of God for all who will humbly acknowledge their need of adoption.