How Jesus Dealt with Satan’s Workers
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The Fifth Sunday in Lent
How Jesus Dealt with Satan’s Workers
March 21, 2010
TEXT: (John 8:46-59 NKJ) "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I
tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 "He who is of God hears God's
words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." 48 Then the Jews
answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and
have a demon?" 49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father,
and you dishonor Me. 50 "And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks
and judges. 51 "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall
never see death." 52 Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a
demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say,`If anyone keeps My word
he shall never taste death.' 53 "Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is
dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?" 54 Jesus
answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors
Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55 "Yet you have not known Him, but I
know Him. And if I say,`I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do
know Him and keep His word. 56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and
he saw it and was glad." 57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty
years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I
say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." 59 Then they took up stones to throw at
Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst
of them, and so passed by.
Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it!—let’s back up a little
to some verses preceding our text—Jesus is discussing God the Father with the
Jews—He is explaining why they cannot understand what He is saying
(John 8:41-47 NKJ) "You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to
Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God." 42 Jesus said to
them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and
came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 "Why do you not
understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 "You are
of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he
is a liar and the father of it. 45 "But because I tell the truth, you do not
believe Me. 46 "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do
you not believe Me? 47 "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not
hear, because you are not of God."
Our lesson today is how Jesus treated these children of Satan—and how we should
do likewise—after all, our Lord wants all men to be saved
(1 Timothy 1:15 NKJ) This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief.
(1 Timothy 2:3-4 NKJ) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth.
The Jews refused to accept the truth—and there are those today who do not accept
the truth—if you are not one of God’s believers—then you belong to the Prince of
this world—the devil
This must have been quite a dilemma for these Jews—Jesus was perfect—they could
not refute one thing He spoke—yet they could not admit that He was the Holy One
they read about in Scripture—they could not believe because they were not of
God—they couldn’t bear God’s truth
They had all the reason to believe—but they stubbornly resisted the Holy
Ghost—there are many today who do not believe—because they will not—the Word is
still the Word—truth is still truth—Satan is still Satan—and there are those who
simply refuse to believe—because they are not of God—they are Satan’s children
To be called a Samaritan by a Jew—was an attempt to foster prejudices against
Jesus—Jews didn’t like Samaritans—if Jesus was a Samaritan—He should be avoided
and despised—Samaria was built by the Israelites—fell to the Assyrians—and later
occupied by the Babylonians who intermarried with the Jews and brought their
idols and false gods into the culture—but they abandoned their relics and
worshipped God—but the Jews would not allow them to help rebuild the temple—the
Samaritans became rivals of the Jews and built their own temple—but the Jews
destroyed the Samaritan temple—the Gospel of John describes the Jewish feelings
toward the Samaritans
(John 4:9 NKJ) Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You,
being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings
with Samaritans.
But to call Jesus a devil was worse—they said He did miracles with the power of
the devil
(Luke 11:15 NKJ) But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub,
the ruler of the demons."
These malicious accusations from the Jews—are the product of their
unbelief—neither they nor their father—the devil—could stand the truth—so they
fought it with lies—just like the sons and daughters of the devil do today—they
continue to attack the truth—they continue to attack Christians—just as these
Jews attacked Christ
Christians are called names—stupid—superstitious—intolerant bigots—as if the
truth is characterized as something invented by Christians—not natural—the truly
sad part of this—some men teach that Christianity is a system of moral laws
which we attempt to press upon others—legalism—omitting the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ—these men are not preachers of the Word of God—but are instead
helpers of Satan
When Satan’s lying argument fails—he, and his God-rejecting, unbelieving
children resort to violence—we as Christians can revert back to the power of the
Word of God—children of the devil don’t have that option—they have no hope—they
have no argument of truth—no basis or foundation to lean upon—so the physically
attack to end the argument
They stoned Stephen—they beat and stoned Paul repeatedly—they crucified Christ
Jesus knew these were Satan’s children—yet He didn’t immediately cast them
aside—He tried to teach them—He had mercy on them—He showed them love—when they
repeatedly rejected Him—He abandoned them to perish in their ignorance—there
comes a point where we must back off and let the unbeliever think about what
God’s Word says—let the Word do the work—it will not return empty
(Isaiah 55:11 NKJ) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It
shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Let passages such as John chapter 3 do the talking—and let the Holy Spirit work
in man’s heart—we’re not going to shout or drag anyone to heaven—they will be
gently led by the Holy Spirit
(John 3:16-18 NKJ) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He who believes in Him
is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he
has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jesus’ greatest concern is to teach the Jews about truth and salvation—with this
knowledge—they could honor Him and God the Father—and inherit eternal life—Peter
certainly understood these things
(John 6:68 NKJ) But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
(1 Peter 2:21-23 NKJ) For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22
"Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was
reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but
committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
These Jews couldn’t understand—because they were of Satan—but Jesus still showed
His love and compassion—they were not of God—therefore they only understood
death one way—death of the body
TEXT: NKJ John 8:52 Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have
a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My
word he shall never taste death.' 53 "Are You greater than our father Abraham,
who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?"
The Jews are saying—Abraham and the prophets had the Word of God—do you have
anything better???—they were men of God—and they saw death—are you something
more???—the Lord didn’t give up—He continued to instruct them—Jesus reveals
Himself to be the eternal Son of God—and they still doubted—they question Him
even more
TEXT: (John 8:57-58 NKJ) Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet
fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
Christ was here from the beginning—He was at creation—He was here throughout the
Old Testament
(John 17:5 NKJ) "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself,
with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Abraham believed in the Christ—and even though his body was in a grave for
centuries—he was not dead—this earthly body dies, but the believer has eternal
life through Christ’s victory over death
(John 11:25-26 NKJ) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever
lives and believes in Me shall never die…
The Son of God was clothed in human flesh that He might redeem mankind from
death and bring life and immortality to light by the Gospel—Jesus worked to
teach these children of the devil about truth and salvation—until the very
minute they resorted to violence—that is the lesson for us—don’t give up too
soon—don’t stay involved too long—our Lord didn’t force them to believe—no one
will be drug screaming into heaven against their will—we can sum this up with
two Scripture readings
First the teaching of Jesus to the 12 when He sent them out
(Matthew 10:14 NKJ) "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words,
when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
And the instruction of Paul and Barnabas to the Jews
(Acts 13:45-46 NKJ) But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled
with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by
Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the
word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Those that are of God—will hear God’s Words—those that are of the devil—will
never hear the truth—which is the Word of God—let the Holy Spirit work within
you—and hear the truth!
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!