Classic Christianity – Book of John Part 50 (07-24-19)
Synopsis
Bob shares from John chapter 11, where Jesus is with Martha and Mary when their brother Lazarus died. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus then described himself as the resurrection and the life. Jesus then said, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die”. What a promise from God! Jesus is not saying that you will never die physically, but those who believed in him in receiving His life, will never die spiritually. That is, they are immediately raised to new life in Him, and are born again.
On the day you were born again, where was Jesus? He was there. He is the resurrection and the life. Could you have been born again without Jesus being there? No. What happened when you were born again? You were raised from the dead. Were all of us dead? Yes. Were you and I dead? Yes. Why am I alive today unless I experienced the resurrection? He was there. He is the resurrection. It is not something that is going to happen. It was something that did happen. On the day you were born again, you were raised from the dead. You were raised from your spiritual death to spiritual life by the one who came to give you life. He is the resurrection and the life. You do not have to wait in a day down yonder.
If you do not know the life of Christ Jesus, he is right in front of you, waiting for you to open the door so He can come in. He will raise anyone, man or woman, boy or girl, whose heart is open, who now understands his state of spiritual death. He believes in his heart and says, “I believe you when you say I was born dead. So if I am dead and you came to give me life then I am asking you to come in and give me life. When I received you into my heart, I thank you for that forgiveness that was provided 2000 years ago at the cross, for me and the whole world, and the life of Christ I have now received.”
This is a very practical issue, a life and death issue. This is not an issue of religion. There are those who claim all religions will bring you to God. Whose God are you talking about? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The God who came in the person of Jesus Christ and who said, “No one can come to the Father except through me.” Mohammad cannot bring life to you. Buddha cannot bring life to you. The baptists cannot bring life to you. The Catholics cannot bring life to you. The Muslims cannot bring life to you. People to People cannot give life to you. There is only one person who can give life to you and that person is Christ Jesus. Believers can be used as instruments but only Jesus can give life. If you want to remain dead then keep believing garbage. But if you want to come alive in Christ Jesus, then believe what God said. The issue is, “Do you want to be with Jesus?” The only way to get life is through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is not joining a church, for that is just where you park your car on Sunday. Do you want to be with Jesus every day of the week? People want to be with other believers because they want to. No one forces you to be with them or believe in Jesus. Believers meet together because they want to hear the message of truth. Jesus is the only way to God.
Transcript
As we study through the book of John, we have begun to understand the teachings of Christ and why he came here. There was unbelief. He healed this blind man from birth and gave him sight. All the religious world were full of knowledge but not biblical truth. They knew what the Old Testament said but did not know what it meant. Maybe they too were spending too much time talking instead of listening. Jesus Christ came to reveal the meaning of the word of God. They knew what it said. They had much of the Old Testament memorized and could beat any of us but they did not know what it meant. That is what Christ came to do, to show us the meaning of the word of God.
John 10:22-31
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him
So Jesus declared himself to be God, and these people picked up stones to stone him because he, according to them was a mere man, claiming himself to be God. Yet Jesus was not a mere man. He just healed a man who was blind from birth, and he was over 40 years old. They did not believe because they are not his sheep. They were proud and not humble and so could not receive truth from Jesus, who is God himself speaking right in front of them.
If God came to this earth for the purpose of telling us to have a knowledge of who God is and a knowledge of how to get saved, in that we are lost, is it important to know who is talking to you? Bob recalls a program on religion he had been listening to. Several born again believers on there and then some real smart guys. One smart guy said, “any religion that says there is only one way to get to God, I do not want any part of that”. That is a man with a stone head and a stone heart and no knowledge of who Jesus is even though he mentions the name of Jesus. Jesus does not want people walking around saying, “Jesus, Jesus”. He wants people to know who He is. That is why Jesus went through these things with these people.
We have no doubt who Jesus was claiming himself to be, that he is God. They heard him loud and clear. There are only three choices. He is a lunatic, a liar or Lord, who he claimed to be. You have no other options than that. How can an imposter be a good teacher? How can a lunatic be a good teacher? He claimed himself to be God and the people heard him claim himself to be God and they picked up stones to stone him.
John 10:31-34
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”?
What do they call those people in England. They call them lord of this and lord of that. Thy call someone ‘lord Baron’.
John 10:35-36
35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came – and Scripture cannot be set aside – 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?
Jesus is saying scripture is inerrant. So we know we have in our hands the word of God.
John 10:36-38
36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
Jesus is saying, “at least believe in the miracles you can see even if you do not believe in what I am saying.” Jesus really wants people to know that the Father is in him and he is in the Father. He wants people to know that he is God. Jesus is saying, “If you are not going to believe testimonies that I say then at least believe by the miracles you have seen.” Does God want us to know and understand that “I am in the Father and the Father is in me”? Jesus is just telling us, “I want you to know and understand that I am the only way. It is just the truth. I am telling you ‘I came from the Father’”.
John 1:18
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 6:46
46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.
Jesus is saying, “I am God and I am telling you I have been sent to show you and help you come alive spiritually. I want you to know and understand the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
John 10:39
39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
After all this testimony they tried to seize him and stone him to death. Is that not something! To see the face of God on the face of the earth and wanting to stone him to death!
People can sit and listen about Jesus. The only difference from today‘s world is they were looking at him. You hear his same words today and what are people doing with such words? Ignoring his words! Maybe I ought to quit ignoring what he says, take heed and be saved.
John 10:40-42
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Many times we talk to someone about Christ Jesus and they do not respond. Yet other times they hear someone else talk about Jesus and they say, “That was the same message Brad had said” and then they accept the word as truth and believe and are saved.
Bob recalls an example of this when he was at a conference and a young lady came to ask him a question. Bob retells this story. One young lady, now a believer, came in with two beautiful children. She was talking about her and her husband‘s divorce. She realized that she was not the best spouse and he was not the best husband either. She thought maybe they should get back together. Bob asked her, “Has he been remarried”. She replied, “I have not heard from him for 4 or 5 years.” Bob says, “Well, at least get a hold of him and see if he knows the Lord. You may not want to get remarried but at least get reconciled.” She says, “Well, I have not heard from him in 4 or 5 years and we have these children together and maybe we ought to get back together. The only person I knew who might know where he is was his grandmother.”
She retells what happened. “I called the grandmother. We talked for awhile and then I asked, ‘Do you happen to know where the husband is?’ The grandmother said, ‘Yes, he is sitting at the table talking to me. Would you like to talk to him?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ and I got on the phone and started talking to him. I said, ‘I do not know why I am calling but that we should be reconciled. We have children together and you have not seen them. I have come to Christ and know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I know forgiveness in Christ that is in me and I want you to know God has forgiven you.’ He said, ‘I do not know what is happening. I go to work.’ He was an auto mechanic. ‘I am under a car and a man is babbling to me about Jesus under the car with me. I go to the checkout counter and a person is there talking to me about Jesus. I have not talked to you in 5 years and now you are talking to me about Jesus. I do not know what is going on.’”
Bob tells her, “We are going to do another seminar the following week. Why don’t you call him back and invite him to come to the seminar?” She said, “okay”. So she called him. About a week later, he shows up. The children were so happy to see their daddy. He came to Jesus. She later tells Bob, “About 3 weeks later I married him. We have teenagers today.” Back together.
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:3-6
What happened? Testimonies of Jesus. A man under the car told him about Jesus. He did not come to Jesus but something was registering. A person at the checkout counter told him about Jesus. He did not come to Jesus but something was registering. Finally someone told him about Jesus and it started registering. There is no such thing as a failing testimony. No such thing as sharing Jesus and having a failure. Results are never in our hands. Results are always in the hands of God. God just wants us to be available to communicate the truth with people. Those stories are multiplied all over the world as people make themselves available to Christ Jesus. The testimony of Jesus was vital. The testimony of John the Baptist was vital. The word of God more powerful than a double edge sword. The word penetrates into the heart of man and wells up to eternal life.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Now, Jesus has come to the home of Martha and Mary.
John 11:1-2
1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)
Mary had obviously come to adore Jesus Christ. He who has been forgiven much loves much.
John 11:3
3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
Jesus and Lazarus were friends.
John 11:4
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God‘s glory so that God‘s Son may be glorified through it.”
Jesus is reassuring them that there is a reason for his sickness, and that God‘s Son will be glorified, and Jesus is about to do something that His Father is telling him to do.
John 11:5-12
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world‘s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”
Again, man is always thinking on a physical level. When Jesus said he was just sleeping, his disciples said, “If he sleeps, he will get better.”
John 11:13-14
13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly,
They thought he was just going to sleep. Jesus makes it clear that he is speaking of his death.
John 11:15-16
“Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Thomas is saying, “This guy is going to be crucified, so let us just go with him so we can all die together at the same time.”
John 11:17-25
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
Jesus is not talking about a day in the future. Jesus is talking about “I am” not “I will” be or “I was”. He is saying, “I am the resurrection and the life”.
John 11:25-26
25 The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The Lord Jesus Christ described himself in the most descriptive way possible. He said, “I am”. It is not going to occur. It will occur. Where Jesus is, there is the resurrection.
John 17:3
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
1 John 5:11
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son
“The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die”. What a promise!
On the day you were born again, where was Jesus? He was there. He is the resurrection and the life. Could you have been born again without Jesus being there? No. What happened when you were born again? You were raised from the dead. Were all of us dead? Yes. Were you and I dead? Yes. Why am I alive today unless I experienced the resurrection? He was there. He is the resurrection. It is not something that is going to happen. It was something that did happen. On the day you were born again, you were raised from the dead. You were raised from your spiritual death to spiritual life by the one who came to give you life. He is the resurrection and the life. You do not have to wait in a day down yonder.
If you do not know the life of Christ Jesus, he is right in front of you, waiting for you to open the door so He can come in. He will raise anyone, man or woman, boy or girl, whose heart is open, who now understands his state of spiritual death. He believes in his heart and says, “I believe you when you say I was born dead. So if I am dead and you came to give me life then I am asking you to come in and give me life. When I received you into my heart, I thank you for that forgiveness that was provided 2000 years ago at the cross, for me and the whole world, and the life of Christ I have now received.”
Ephesians 1:7
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God‘s grace
When the Spirit of Jesus comes to dwell in you then that forgiveness has also now been applied to you and you are born again. You have become a new creature in Christ. Jesus said, “You will never die”.
1 John 5:27
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
That forgiveness has now been applied to me, a new creature in Christ, born again. You will never die. Does that mean physically? No. These bones will go in the ground. Spiritually you will never die. When you see a corpse, the house, or tent you live in, is gone but the real you is going somewhere. The real you is either going to the presence of God because that is where you wanted to go or you are going to hell for that is what you chose. The person who denies hell is denying heaven. That would be like denying light. If you have never seen light, how would you know what darkness is when all you lived in is darkness? So you have a choice.
This is not about being narrow-minded, bigoted or judgmental as many accuse believers of. No, it is not judging anyone. Each person has a choice. You can choose to not accept him or you can choose to accept him. How many of you remember the day you were born again? There was a battle for my soul when I was coming to accept Christ. There was a war raging between Satan and God for my mind. God won.
This is a very practical issue, a life and death issue. This is not an issue of religion. There are those who claim all religions will bring you to God. Whose God are you talking about? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The God who came in the person of Jesus Christ and who said, “No one can come to the Father except through me.” Mohammad cannot bring life to you. Buddha cannot bring life to you. The baptists cannot bring life to you. The Catholics cannot bring life to you. The Muslims cannot bring life to you. People to People cannot give life to you. Only one person can give life to you and that is Christ Jesus. Believers can be used as instruments but only Jesus can give life. If you want to remain dead then keep believing garbage. But if you want to come alive in Christ Jesus, then believe what God said. The issue is, “Do you want to be with Jesus?” The only way to get life is through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is not joining a church, for that is where you park your car on Sunday. Do you want to be with Jesus every day of the week. People want to be with other believers because they want to. No one forces you to be with them or believe in Jesus. Believers meet together because they want to hear the message of truth. Jesus is the only way to God.
