THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XXIV: Trusting In Christ Due To His Teaching On Being The Light Of The World

B. Trusting In Christ As The Light Of The World Who Exposed Lost Man's Great Depravity

(John 8:31-50)

I. Introduction

A. Jesus said that He was the "Light of the world" (John 8:12), implying the world was in great spiritual darkness.

B. John 8:33-59 presents Jesus as that "Light of the world" exposing the great depravity of the human darkness in the world, which exposure serves to validate His "Light of the world" claim that we might believe in Him:

II. Trusting In Christ As The Light Of The World Who Exposed Lost Man's Great Depravity, Jn. 8:31-50.

A. Jesus exposed the lost world's enslavement to sin, John 8:31-36:

1. When some of the Jews present exhibited some acceptance of Jesus' words (John 8:30), Jesus said if they "continued" (meno, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 357; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 504-505) in His word, truly they would show themselves to be His disciples, and that they would know the truth, and the truth would set them free, John 8:31-32.

2. They answered that they were Abraham's seed and had never been in bondage to any man, so how could Jesus say they would be made free, John 8:33. They were unaware of their spiritual bondage to sin.

3. Jesus explained that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34), and the slave does not remain in the house though the son of the homeowner remains forever, John 8:35. If God the Son then released them from sin, Jesus' listeners would be free from sin indeed, John 8:36.

4. Jesus added that He knew His listeners were Abraham's physical seed, but they were seeking to kill Jesus since His word had no place in them [opposite what Abraham would have done], John 8:37.

B. Jesus exposed Abraham's physical seed that was lost as not being Abraham's true children, John 8:38-40:

1. Jesus added that He spoke what He had seen of God the Father while his listeners spoke of what they had seen with their father, clearly implying that His listeners were not of God the Father, John 8:38.

2. His listeners objected, claiming they were Abraham's seed (John 8:39a), but Jesus replied that if they were Abraham's true spiritual seed they would do Abraham's works, not try to kill Jesus, John 8:39b-40.

C. Jesus exposed Israel's lost people to be actually the spiritual children of Satan, John 8:41-47:

1. Jesus again said that His listeners did the deeds of their "father," implying that their father was not God (John 8:41a), but His listeners said they were not illegitimate children, but were born of God, John 8:41b.

2. Jesus replied that were His listeners born of God they would heed Him, for He came from God, being sent by the Father into the world, John 8:42. Jesus added that His hearer's inability to understand His speech exposed their rejection of His Word, indicating their spiritual father was Satan, a murderer and a liar from the start who did not remain in the truth as no truth is in him, and that he is the father of lies, John 8:43-44.

3. Jesus then explained that His listeners' refusal to believe Him when He told the truth indicated they were in sin (John 8:45), and that they could not convict Him of sin though He could convict them of it (John 8:46), and their inability to accept His words revealed they were not of God, but of Satan, John 8:47 with 8:44.

D. Jesus exposed His listeners dishonor of Him was sin in contrast to the Father's honor of Him, John 8:48-50:

1. Jesus' lost hearers then slanderously claimed He was an apostate Samaritan and had a demon, John 8:48.

2. This claim, being an act of dishonor against the Son of God, was countered by Jesus who replied that He did not have a demon, but that He honored the Father while His hearers dishonored Him, John 8:49.

3. Jesus added that He neither sought His own glory, but that there was One Who did seek to honor him, implying that this was God the Father, and that God would judge men, John 8:50. This last statement strongly implied that God would condemn Jesus' hearers who dishonored Him in unbelief.

Lesson: Jesus as God's "Light of the world" exposed lost man's great depravity, that lost man (1) is in bondage to sin, (2) he is lost regardless of human lineage, (3) his spiritual father is Satan seen in his ((a)) refusal to trust in Christ when Christ's truth is told, ((b)) in his inability to convict the Son of God of sin though he charges Him with it and ((c)) in his inability to accept Jesus' words, and in (4) his dishonor of Jesus as a sin God will severely judge.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ as God's "Light of the world" to be saved, John 8:12. (2) As believers, may we realize that the depravity of lost man who is in Satan's realm is so great, we must trust God for the opportunity to witness and to witness effectively, for evangelism involves angelic conflict in spiritual warfare, Colossians 4:2-4.