John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
The entire Fourth Gospel is a commentary on the Books of Moses, the Torah. This truth is easily seen when studying the Gospel as a unit, instead of cherry-picking or pixelating verses or phrases to advance the agenda. Pixelating means to expand one notion until it is fuzzy, distorted, and used to promote falsehood. The Bible is a unified Truth, not a collection of Chinese fortune cookie statements.
Jesus referenced the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:9 twice in the Gospel of John, here and John 3 -
Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
The story in Numbers, by itself, seems especially strange, until we realize it was the foreshadowing of the crucifixion. In the future, people would view the crucified Messiah as healing, the payment of their sins, and the defeat of Satan, whose head was crushed, according to the Genesis 3:15 Gospel Promise.
When Jesus spoke the truth, even in the face of opposition, people believed in Him, as the Fourth Gospel teaches, time and again.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
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In the Gospel of John, believing in Jesus is the work of God,
the works of Abraham. |
Believing in Him is so important that this outcome is stated twice in a row - first resulting from His proclamation of the Gospel (verse 30), then in explaining faith in Him as the proof of being a disciple (verse 31). John uses repetition for emphasis, which is typical of the Old Testament - and a good way to make a point stick. That even works when someone has another idea in mind - such as the preciousness of not believing and its supposed power of forgiveness and salvation. Universal Objective Justification, which teaches the nonsense of forgiveness and salvation without faith in the Savior, is truly the dogma of drunks and adulterers.
This declaration of the importance of faith in Him draws out the opposition of His Jewish antagonists. Wherever spiritual truth is announced, a hostile reaction springs up at once, however varied or homogenized the audience might be. The Gospel is the work of the Spirit in the Word. Vindictive responses come from their Father Below, whether they are observant Pharisees, casual bystanders, or loyal Waltherians.
The Jewish opponents are doubly insulted. They are the seed of Abraham and have never been in bondage. The Babylonian Captivity and the Egyptian experience might qualify as bondage.
Exodus 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
So they were lying. Especially important is the claim to be Abraham's seed, because Abraham is a crucial figure throughout the New Testament.
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By Apostoloff - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9407059
Rila Monastery. |
Lazarus was taken to the bosom of Abraham when he died (Luke 16), because the beggar is a symbol of Justification by Faith. The Jeske Gospel of Mammon praises the rich man instead, urging people to become wealthy though moth and rust consume and thieves break in and steal. Corruption and theft are their idols, their guides, their purpose-driven goals.
Abraham is the example of Justification by Faith in Romans 4, because the patriarch believed God's Promise of his spiritual descendants through faith in the Savior, Who would come from his line.
Abraham is also the example of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus - Galatians, Hebrews, and James.
So the issue is whether someone is only a child through the flesh, like those who boast about being born in their synod - even unto the fifth generation - or a spiritual child through faith in Christ. Clearly, the flesh wins today because the apostate UOJ leaders brag about their ancestors, as if that were a work of merit on their part, deserving praise from God Himself.
Faith versus the Opposition - Unfaith
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Jesus has drawn His opponents into a debate they cannot win. This theme is simple and plain. There are those who believe in Him and those who do not. Those who believe in Him are in God's Kingdom. Those who do not belong to the Kingdom of Satan. Jesus speaks what He knows from His Father; they speak their falsehoods from their father - Satan.
Jesus Greater than Abraham
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Unfaith Comes from the Father of Lies
Now we have an example of the works of the flesh, carried out across the so-called Lutheran synods, old and new, which proclaim their gospel as forgiveness and salvation without faith. In fact, they hate faith and show contempt for it whenever they can, praising themselves as monopolists in grace, though all the mainline denominations and ELCA claim the same pox.
UOJ advocates are liars, children of Satan, heirs of the flesh, murders, and enemies of Christ by definition. In fact, murder is so slight an issue in the eyes of WELS leaders that they have covered up and excused spousal murder, just as Walther covered up Stephan's syphilis and female groupies.
Jesus Teaches, the Enemies Respond
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
The Savior pressed His point with the opposition. He speaks of God as His Father. They accuse Him, using two horrible slanders. One is that He is a Samaritan, not truly Jewish. (Is the Good Samaritan a parable of good works or faith in Jesus, the "Samaritan"who finds us almost dead, heals our wounds, and sees to it that the Means of Grace are available to us?)
The other slander is that He is possessed by a devil. Now the apostate synod leaders use crazy, fanatic, obsessed, and has a Luther complex.
Jesus does not back down, but repeats the Gospel, which only draws His opponents deeper into the Abraham vortex.
Abraham and the Prophets Are Dead!
51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
This is why the UOJ Stormtroopers walk their fanatical language back, because they do not want to sound too much like the Pharisees they emulate. Like their counterparts in this, the end of the ages, they praise grace while tearing down the Means of Grace:
- Roman Catholic - Grace - just amazing.
- Calvinists - Amazing Grace.
- Babtists - Amazin' Grace.
- Baptists - Change the world with the Social Gospel. We are amazing.
- ELCA - Grace compels us to save the world through political action, and we amaze everyone.
- Pentecostals - Amazing Grace is much better when sung by a rock band - the Spirit told me in a dream.
- WELS - We kick out anyone who questions universal grace and salvation.
- CLC (sic) - Please notice us before we bury the last Pharisee.
Before Abraham Was, I AM
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
The clearest sign of opposition is the urge to silence and even to kill someone. Thus the ultimate statement of Jesus as the Son of God is proclaimed in language that defies grammar - except when those words apply to God. I AM identifies Jesus as the LORD speaking in the Burning Bush, Exodus 3. The Son of God pre-existed. He was the Creating Word of Genesis 1.
These Jewish leaders did not believe in Him. When they tried to kill Him, His divine nature was not limited by His human nature.
Jesus' teaching in John 16 should instruct people, but they are busy begging on their knees for grant money to study the Word in humility.
What is the Holy Spirit's work? - that is, What is work of the Word of God, since Word and Spirit are always together and never apart?
The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, because "they believe not in Me."
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
