Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Dial In - John 8:48-59 (Ep. 25)

Episode Date: May 1, 2020

Dial In is a devotional series with the intention of helping followers of Christ understand God’s word and love Him more. Jonny seeks to communicate the profound depth of scripture in a digestible and condensed format each weekday. The goal of the podcast is that our “minds would be renewed” as we behold who God is in His word. In this series, Jonny is walking sequentially through the Gospel of John.In this episode, Jonny covers John 8:48-59 where Jesus makes the most clear, profound and audacious proclamation of His identity. No Jew would ever say that Jesus didn’t claim to be God. He did so clearly and in the most powerful way possible. Watch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey guys, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. In this episode, we will see the most clear and audacious and profound testimony of Jesus' identity from his own lips. We're in John chapter 8 verses 48 through 59. These are the words of God. Let's view them as such and dial in. John chapter 8 verses 48-59 The Jews answered him, Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?

Jesus answered, I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. The Jews said to him, now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets. Yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. Are you

greater than our father Abraham who died and the prophets died? Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say he is our God. But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.

He saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, you are not 50 years old and have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. The most important thing in the world is having a right understanding of Jesus Christ. I've mentioned before that John's goal in writing his gospel is stated clearly in chapter 20 verse 31. He says that these things I write to you so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ and in believing have life in his name. John's goal is that you would see Jesus is the Christ. And here in this passage, we will see Jesus's identity most clearly proclaimed from his own lips. In verse 56,

Jesus tells these Jewish leaders, your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and he was glad. Now, what is Jesus saying? He's telling a group of people who find their identity in being children of Abraham. He tells them, Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. Jesus is referring here to the messianic promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, when God tells Abraham that through his family, all of the world would be blessed,

not just materially, but that through Abraham, God would bring salvation to the world. This is really important. Dial in here. And Abraham believed that promise and saw the path to the savior of the world. And he saw it with great joy. And Jesus is telling these Jewish leaders, Abraham knows me. He saw this day and he saw it with joy. The response in verse 57 is full of sarcasm and mockery. It says that the Jews said to him, Jesus, you're not even 50 years old and have you seen

Abraham? What are you talking about? We'll see Jesus's response here. It is one of the most, if not the most profound statement in John's gospel pertaining to the identity of Jesus Christ. And it's in the context of their mockery. But before we see Jesus's response, I want to visit with you Exodus chapter three. Moses is at the burning bush. God has commissioned Moses to deliver his people out of Egypt, to deliver them from the oppression of their slave masters. And in verse 11 of chapter 3, Moses responds and asks, who am I that I should deliver your people out of Egypt? Verse 13, Moses asks God, if I come to the people of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent God responds to Moses and tells him, Tell them, I am who I am has sent you.

Tell the people of Israel, I am has sent you. God's name is Yahweh. God's name is not God. His name is I am. This name for God is used 6,800 times in the Old Testament by God to represent himself. He is the ever-present one who always existed, and he is the deliverer of his people, the redeemer and provider of his people, and his name is not God. His name, God's name, is I Am. His name is Yahweh. And God tells Moses in chapter 6 of Exodus, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they knew me as God Almighty. They knew me as El Shaddai, but they never knew my name. My name, Moses, is Yahweh. My name is I Am. I did not make myself known to them. So here at the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3, God reveals

his identity for the first time by name to Moses because this is the first time he is going to deliver his people. This is what the Jews celebrated, that their God is a deliverer, an almighty God who lives and reigns forever and who always was and who always will be. The saving enterprise of God throughout the Old Testament is underneath the banner of I am. Do you get the picture here? This is massive. This is who the Jews knew their God to be. So we're back to John 8, verse 58, with the clearest declaration from the mouth of Jesus that he is God. Are you ready?

Jesus said to them, truly, truly, always dial in when we hear that, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. Jesus says, ego and me, I am. Jesus says, ego and me, I am. This is the New Testament equivalent of Jesus saying, I am Yahweh. Before Abraham, I am. He didn't say I was. Jesus is saying that he is the eternal God. And of all the majestic claims of Jesus, none is more profound and more elevated than this one. No one could ever convince a Jew that Jesus did not claim to be God. They were never confused about his identity. That's why the next verse reads that they picked up stones to crush him because he was a blasphemer. Jesus was claiming that, like in the Old Testament, he was the one that was going to deliver his people,

not from bondage to Egyptians, but from their slavery to sin. He is the one that is going to redeem his people. And like God tells Moses, he is the God that will always be with us. And we'll see that in Matthew 28 when Jesus tells the people before he ascends, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. The gospel writer John will use this title, I am, ego me, many times in his gospel. John 6, we already saw this. I am the bread of life. Jesus says, I am the source of spiritual life. John 8, we saw this a couple episodes ago.

I am the light of the world. John 10, I am the door, Jesus says. He's telling the people that I am the only way to God. In that same chapter, he says, I am the good shepherd. John 11, I am the resurrection and the life. John 14, I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 15, I am the true vine. Jesus is the I am. He makes his identity so clear. He is the only savior, the only redeemer, the only way to God, the only truth in a world of lies and confusion and ambiguity. Jesus clearly reveals his identity. He is the all-powerful king of kings and lord of lords, the ever-present, ever-reigning God. And instead of falling on their knees in worship,

they pick up stones to crush him. They rejected Jesus. What will you do with Jesus Christ? Stay dialed in.