John 8:37-47

February 9, 2014 In the first eleven verses we see that the woman is caught in adultery and brought before Christ. The rest of chapter eight builds on that story. She is a sinner who deserves judgment, but Christ shows that He is the Light; anyone who follows Him will walk in the light of life. This sinner who deserves punishment instead receives mercy, and the Pharisees cant stand it. He says, If the Son shall set you free you are free indeed. They try to refute this by saying they have never been slaves, but He shows that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. They also think that being Abrahams seed somehow exempts them from needing the Son, and His answer to them is where well pick up today. Before we get into the passage I want to remind you that this is not a Doctrines of Grace proof text. It does indeed support what we call the Doctrines of Grace, but these Pharisees had no trouble with predestination or election. They didnt even have any trouble with reprobation. The main purpose here is to show that the gospel is confirmed to Abrahams true seed. There will be some who assume to be God's sons but they are shown false by their works. Now, lets deal with their assumption of being Abrahams seed. To get an idea of what they mean, lets turn back to Genesis 22. Abraham prepared to offer Isaac on the altar and the Lord stopped him just in time. This test proved Abrahams faith and God says, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice (v.16-18). They believe that because they have the DNA of Abraham that this passage speaks of them. Jesus answers,
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I know that ye are Abrahams seed; but ye seek to kill me,

Obviously theyre his descendants, but they want to kill Christ. These two things dont go together. Abrahams seed loves God and Gods Son. But they dont, because my word hath no place in you.

They want to kill Him because theres no room for His word. Now remember, His word is the testimony Hes given about being the Son of God. There is no place in them for this. If you look up place in Greek youll find that there are eight other times this word is used in the New Testament. Largely it means to receive something or to contain it. John says the whole world wouldnt be big enough to contain all the books that could be written about Christs miracles (Jn. 21:25). They cant contain His word. Theres no place for it. It doesnt fit.
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I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. Note the contrast here between the two fathers. All the things Jesus said and did were patterned after what the Father wanted. The Pharisees, however, said and did the things patterned after their fathers will. Were not told yet who this is but its made clear in a moment.
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They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abrahams children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. When Abraham heard the gospel he believed and rejoiced. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be (Romans 4:11-18). These Pharisees had Abrahams DNA but not his faith. They were heirs of his earthly possessions but had no claim to his eternal inheritance. If they shared his

spiritual richness, they would do the same thing Abraham did: they would rejoice over the Son. But when they hear His word (that He is the Son), theres no place for it and they want to kill the Him.
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Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. They had the genealogies to prove that they were the true descendants of Abraham and therefore they were sons of God. As far as they were concerned, those genealogies were all they needed to call themselves heirs of the promise.
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Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. If they really are Gods children as they believe, then they should be able to hear Gods voice. Jesus says later that His sheep know Him and hear His voice (Jn. 10). But these people are without power to hear. Why is that?
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Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47He that is of God heareth Gods words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. They couldnt hear truth because they only believed a lie. As much as were partakers of Christs divine nature and in union with the Father, so are the wicked with Satan. He was a murderer and they want to be murderers as well. Satan hates Christ. Cain hates Abel. The wicked hate the righteous and want to kill them: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers (Mt. 23:29-32). They are guilty of Satans crimes against God. They have rejected His rule and truth. They will do whatever they can to suppress the truth and seek the inheritance by means illegal.

Verse 47 sums it all up. They can't hear Him because they are not of God. It's important to remember that the Godhead is one and that Faith is a fruit of the Spirit. without it a man will never believe the truth. This is a guarantee and confirmation to Abrahams true seed. They will hear and believe. newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com