Overview by Raufu Spagnoletta
Subject: Overview: Jesus’ Claim to Deity – John 8:31-38; 48-56; 58-59
To those Jews which believed on Him, Jesus identified the mark of a true disciple as one who continues to faithfully abide in His Word. Through this abiding relationship, Jesus promised, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free from the penalty and power of sin. Here, Jesus is making a clear statement about His identity as THE TRUTH (cf. John 14:6).
The unbelieving Jews, who said they were Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man, were in fact slaves to sin, and rejected the freedom that came through the Son. Jesus said, “ I know you are Abraham’s seed, yet you seek to kill me because, my word (truth) abides not in you.” Jesus said, “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.” Jesus asserted their character was not consistent with faithful Abraham who was a friend of God!
When Jesus said, “If a man keep My sayings, he shall never see death” (cf. John 11:25). Jesus was not speaking of physical death but eternal life with Him forever. Death is not the final word for those in Christ Jesus. Jesus claims His deity, as the “I AM THAT I AM”, (cf. Ex. 3:14), and the Jews take up stones to cast at Him for blasphemy, making Himself equal with God. Jesus escaped the stoning for His hour had not yet come!
Related Scriptures by Janice Hall
Related Scriptures: Deuteronomy 13:6-11; Romans 6:15-23; 1 John 2:1-6,22-25; 2 John 1:9-11
In the book of Deuteronomy 13, the focus of the scriptures are about keeping the worship of God pure. These verses speak of the penalty about a relative who would lead an Israelite to worship other gods. This speaks and demonstrates how seriously God regards leading someone into idolatry. Anyone who leads one of God’s people astray is greatly offending the heart of God.
In Romans 6:15-23, Paul says that we can continue to lead lives of volunteer slavery to sin if we don’t resist. We should obey righteousness instead of our sinful desires, because basically we know the consequences of death. 1 John 2:1-6, 22-25 encourages and warns Christians about sin and says that those who claim to know Christ yet disobey, are lying to others and themselves. John defines the ‘ liar’, as someone who denies that Jesus is Christ.
In 2 John 1:9-11, John’s statement is that those who claim to follow Christ but demonstrate hatred for fellow Christians are walking in darkness. “ Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”(vs.9).
Practical Points by Janice Hall
1) True freedom comes only from surrender to God.
Freedom in Christ is seen in contrast to the bondage of sin. Sin enslaves people for spiritual death and eternity apart from God. To know Christ, provides us from freedom from the control of sin and eternal life with Him. To experience true freedom in Christ is to live as His servant. We experience true freedom in Christ by knowing Him, walking in His ways and engaging with the changes Christ makes in and through our lives, as we are steadfast in service to Him and others.
5) People are often quick to reject the gospel even without understanding it.
We as Christians are to be faithful to share the gospel with those we encounter. We are not held responsible for the decision of the person whether they accept or reject the gospel. We continue to pray for those who reject God’s salvation and know that each person will be held accountable, when they stand before the Lord. Only the divine power of God can bring a person to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. “ who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”(1 Timothy 2:4)
