 The title of our sermon this morning is Jesus is the Christ Jesus is the Christ and this is part two we began this text last week and As we have been walking through this text in John chapter 10 beginning in verse 22 here running down through verse 42 We come in contact with the fact once again Jesus making the claim that he is the Christ the no mere man Could ever truthfully make such a claim but he doesn't claim to be merely a man here He is the Christ and we've heard him as he has taught in the temple courts that pass over And we've heard him preach to the people during the Feast of Tabernacles and here we are in Jerusalem He's walking and teaching on Solomon's porch at the Feast of dedication He has to this point claimed to be the bread of life the light of the world the source of living water According to John He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world in John chapter 10 He says that he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep He has the power and the authority to lay it down and it has the power and the authority to take it up again Jesus is the Christ that he has in Jerusalem now at this time Invaded the false religious system that these prideful Pharisees and scribes had Constructed for themselves and he is blowing it up from the inside out All right. He now is claiming that he represents God and they do not they represent their father the devil He alone The Christ can give the people eternal and abundant life He alone has been sent by God he alone speaks for God He alone works the works of God he alone can lead them and protect them and preserve them and rule them He alone has the authority to lay down his life and he alone has the authority to take it up again in resurrection Jesus is the Christ Now that claim the claim that Christ is preaching throughout the Gospel of John is a messianic claim of Deity there is no mere claim here of extraordinary manhood This is a claim to be God sent Messianic son of man This is a claim to be Emmanuel God with us and all of this in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy Unto us a child is born Unto us a son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called a wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father Prince of peace This is the Lord that we serve. Amen As we began last week We saw that this claim is not undermined by unbelief This claim is not frustrated by failure and this claim is not intimidated by ignorance Now let's quickly so we work into verse 31 today. Let's quickly review our text to this point in verse 22 The Bible reads now it was the feast of dedication. It was Hanukkah in Jerusalem And it was winter and Jesus walked in the temple on Solomon's porch Then the Jews surrounded him they pressed in on him and they attempted to bait him or to trap him with a question They asked him, how long do you keep us in doubt? How long do you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ then tell us plainly Now they didn't really want to know the answer to that question They had already made up their minds about that nothing he had already said in fact Nothing he that he has already done has made any difference to them and nothing he's going to say now is going to make a difference either It's convinced a man against his will. He's of the same opinion still, right? This is the picture of hard-hearted self-willed unbelief and So Jesus says in verse 25 he answered them. I told you I told you when you do not believe The problem wasn't with the Lord's communication Was it a problem of revelation or the Lord's speech the problem was entirely with the condition of their own heart They are hard-hearted self-willed unbelievers if you failed to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ having heard his words and having Witnessed his works from the pages of scripture It is not a problem with the evidence that's presented in the gospel of John the problem is Entirely with your hard wicked heart. Do you see? But the Lord graciously continues to reason with them He says listen if you don't believe my words that at least believe my works And so in the second part of verse 25 He says the works that I do in my father's name They bear witness of me and the astounding miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ Establishes messianic credentials beyond any Reasonable doubt he has healed the sick cast out demons even raised the dead the astounding work of Christ today to transform the life of a dead sinner is a mark it Establishes his messianic credentials beyond any reasonable doubt Jesus is the Christ that work to transform a dead sinner into a blood-bought Saved Justified forgiven Christian is a miracle and that work can't be denied That transformation can only be explained by the grace of God in Christ From drug dealers to gospel preachers amen From hate to love from anger to joy from violence to peace from despair to hope and that transformation occurs Everywhere that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is preached and yet Today as then people refuse to believe him on the basis of his words And they refuse to believe him on the basis of his works and why is that? Lord gives us an answer in verse 26. He says you do not believe because You are not of my sheep as I said to you But despite the attacks Despite the assaults of hard-hearted unbelievers the gospel presses forward Jesus says in verse 27 My sheep hear my voice I know them and they follow me and I give them Eternal life. It's not temporary. It is eternal. In fact, they shall never Parish neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand I and my father are one the Lord Jesus Christ Through his words and through his works Continues to establish the fact that he is the Christ He is the Messiah the anointed son of God the word who became flesh and dwelt among us That is the claim that the Lord Jesus Christ is making here and nothing less than that claim Now first that claim on the part of Jesus to be the Christ is not undermined by unbelief We saw that in verses 25 through 27 The truth of his claim is clearly established by what he says The truth of that claim clearly established by what he does And the reason that people do not believe is because they are not his sheep Jesus says in John chapter 6 verse 65 that no one Can come to me unless it has been granted to him By my father So now listen the father grants The son accomplishes and the spirit applies And so christ triumphs over unbelief The work of the christ the son of god is not undermined by unbelief But secondly that claim on the part of jesus to be the christ Can never be frustrated by failure. We saw that in verses 28 through 30 The Lord Jesus christ accomplishes everything that the father has sent him to do He gives eternal life to the sheep and those sheep will never ever Parish out of his hand because he himself Preserves them into eternity. He preserves them in perfect unity of purpose and in perfect unity of power And in perfect unity of essence with god the father And so from verse 30 being one with the father christ triumphs over sin He triumphs over death. He triumphs over our failure. Amen He triumphs over our failure and he himself will never fail to secure that which god has decreed Because jesus is the christ The work of christ the son of god is not frustrated by failure thirdly That claim on the part of jesus to be the christ is not intimidated by ignorance. We're going to see that in verses 31 through 39 Those in opposition here to the lord Revile him without a cause Jesus said that the world hates him because he testifies of it that its deeds are evil And here in john chapter 10, they will pick up stones to kill him in just three short months from now They will crucify the lord of glory But despite their hostility Despite their plots and schemes even despite the crucifixion christ triumphs over this world's ignorance Because as paul said god Who commanded light to shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god In the face of jesus christ the work of christ the son of god is not intimidated by Ignorance now, let's take a look together Let's take a look at this profile of that ignorance displayed for us beginning in verse 31 Look at verse 31 with me Then the jews that's the opposition against christ here the Pharisees the scribes the leaders of the people The jews took up stones again to stone him and jesus answered them any good works I have shown you from my father For which of those works do you stone me the jews answered him saying for a good work We do not stone you but for blasphemy and because you being a man make yourself god Now jesus answered them is it not written in your law I said you are gods and if he called them gods to whom the word of god came and the scripture cannot be broken Do you say of him whom the father sanctified and sent into the world you are blaspheming because I said I am the son of god If I do not do the works of my father then don't believe me But if I do Though you do not believe me believe the works that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I and him Therefore they sought again to seize him, but he escaped out of their hand They had asked in verse 24 They'd asked for a plain statement. How long do you keep us in doubt? If you're the christ tell us plainly well, they got a plain statement in verse 30 where the lord says in verse 30 I and my father are one Now their response to this statement in verse 31 proves That the original question in verse 24 was a dishonest question All right. They had already made their minds up. They wanted him out of the picture They refused to believe that this upstart Nazarene was their messiah and so they hated him Because of this claim They hated him and they hated his influence with the people and they hated his Audacity they hated his pride as they sought and so their question in verse 24 Was intended to catch him in his words And to catch him in words that would give them a justifiable reason to carry out their wicked intentions to kill him They wanted to kill him They believe that the lord's statement in verse 30 Gave them exactly what they were looking for and so in verse 31 the jews Took up stones again To stone him and note the word there again If you remember in john chapter 5 They had sought to kill him after he healed the paralytic man turn back with me to john chapter 5 a few pages to the left john chapter 5 And look there beginning at verse 15 after having healed the paralytic man By the pools there of Beth Bethesda In verse 15 the man departed and told the jews that it was jesus who had made him well now look at their response verse 16 For this reason the jews persecuted jesus and sought to kill him One because he had done these things on the Sabbath But jesus answered them and said my father has been working until now and i have been working Therefore the jews sought to kill him all the more because he not only broke the Sabbath But now he's also said that god was his father Making himself equal with god. Do you see the problem? Now the only other time that they had actually picked up stones against him to kill him again Was in john chapter 8 turned to john chapter 8 a few pages to the left or to the right your other left John chapter 8 And look down beginning at verse 53 Pharisees are here. They're in dialogue again And in verse 53 they asked the lord are you greater than our father abraham who is dead Greater than the prophets who are dead. Who do you make yourself out to be? jesus answered in verse 54 if i honor myself my honor is nothing It is my father who honors me of whom you say that he is your god Yet you have not known him But i know him and if i say i do not know him i shall be a liar like you But i do know him and i keep his word Your father abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Then the jews said to him you're not yet 50 years old and you have seen abraham jesus said to them most assuredly i say to you Before abraham was i am And then they took up stones to throw at him But jesus hid himself and went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by So in john chapter 8 verse 58 He makes this statement before abraham was i am Back in john chapter 10 look at verse 30. He makes this statement He says i and my father Are one Now in both cases right in both cases with both statements the jews lash out unbridled hostility they're seaving they're seeking to kill him But undaunted by their angry ignorance the lord in verse 32 calmly raises a question and it's a question Asking them to think for a minute about what they're doing Think about what you are doing We have to remind ourselves of that sometimes don't we you come into church you come and listen to the teaching listen to the preaching Think don't just sit Think about what is going on here Think about what god is teaching what the lord is doing Oftentimes you can you can can't you listen to a sermon You may sit for an hour listen to a sermon and then you can't remember what half of it was about Or you read a section of text you got 14 other things on your mind and you get done with the end of the text You realize i don't remember what i just read right we are weak We need the lord we need the holy spirit. We are dependent upon him We are dependent upon this word to learn it to ingest it to know it so that we can live According to these life transforming truths that god is teaching us you have to think This is not a mindless Blind faith think through salvation think through god's redemptive plan Think through what the lord has done think through what the lord who the lord is Think through who you are how the bible diagnoses you you've got to think Here they are swept away in a blinding Ignorance and the lord with this question is is recruiting their reason Right. He's inviting them to think he's you got to get both brain cells fired up, right He says you're deaf to my words So now consider my works look at verse 32 Jesus answered them And he says many good many beautiful right many intrinsically worthy many excellent works I have shown you from my father For which of these wonderful works Do you stone me Now he didn't retreat at all from his claim. Did he He didn't try to soften the message. He didn't pull back He's not intimidated by them He's not intimidated by their ignorance Jesus says here. I'm doing the works of god My father that's what got him in trouble In the temple the pool Bethesda in john chapter 5 It's essentially what got him in trouble in john chapter 8 here He's getting him in trouble again so to speak I'm doing the works of god my father those works Are in arguable proof That I am the christ jesus says now which of the many great miracles Which of the many astounding miracles that I've done have earned your hostility He had healed the sick He has fed the multitudes. He has controlled the weather He has cast out demons and he has raised the dead For which of these works are you angry at me for? His miracles Validate his claim He is one with the father. He is The christ but not even his miracles here are enough to overcome Hard hearted self-willed ignorance These jews Simply cannot accept They will not believe the claim that he's making jesus is saying and he's demonstrating That I am the christ the son of god to the jews that claim was incomprehensible pride The exact opposite is actually the case think about the claim that the lord jesus christ is making The incarnation of the son of god is the supreme and Unrivaled expression an example of humility It's not pride. It's humility God the son The lord of glory The one whose name Is above all names He made himself of no reputation He took the form of a slave and he came in the likeness of men Being found in appearance as a man The bible says that he humbled himself He became obedient to the point of death Even the death of the cross The highly exalted one bore The shame and guilt of your sin if you're in christ Laying down his life for the sheep The jews here refused To acknowledge the enormity of that gift Because they didn't understand they didn't know they refused to accept who he is Jesus is the christ. He is the son of god the lord of glory Secondly they refused to acknowledge the enormity of that gift because they Could not they refused to accept who they were who they were They are vile sinners and they are in need of this savior If you're here this morning You are a vile detestable filthy sinner You've got to accept god's diagnosis of your heart fallen man is vile fallen man is depraved How can you accept and acknowledge the enormity of god's gift to you if you have no understanding of your own condition You have sinned against him You have rebelled against your creator who has the right to rule and reign you We're vile sinners and vile sinners need Jesus We need forgiveness. We need to be cleansed and this is an enormous Unspeakable almost unimaginable gift that we've been given the grace of god in christ to save a wretched sinner from their sins Make them a child of god a citizen of heaven give them an inheritance and give them a hope So jesus jesus makes this claim. He says i'm the christ This is what i've come to do the father has sent me into the world to save sinners He makes the claim now as we come to verse 33 The prosecution here the jews level their charge against him In verses 34 through 38 the lord responds with an inarguable case Followed in 39 by their blind irrational and ignorant conclusion So the lord makes his claim prosecution comes in with their charge Lord's gonna respond with a case And we'll see the conclusion of the matter in verse 39. So let's begin looking at their charge From verse 33 What was it? What was it that caused such a hostile and violent reaction? Why did they pick up stones to want to kill him on verse 33 the jews answered him saying For a good work. We don't stone you but for blasphemy And because you being a man make yourself god So there's the charge the charge is blasphemy you being a man Make yourself god That same charge is the charge that prompted the hit squad to come after him in john chapter 5 It's the same charge that prompted the hit squad to come after him in john chapter 8 And it's the same charge that we find motivating the hit squad to come after him here in john chapter 10 You being a man make yourself god and let's be clear About what the jews were doing here The jews were denying The deity of the lord jesus christ All right The jews clearly believe here that jesus was making himself out to be god And so they level against him the charge of blasphemy ff bru said this he said on his works apart from his words They might have been able to put a different interpretation But his words are unambiguous While he subordinate himself to god as the son to the father Yet at the same time he claimed to be one with the father Placing himself on the other side of the chasm that separated god from man The creator from the creature. Do you see? So now the jews They understood the claim that he was making that's why they charged him with blasphemy But the jews don't say to him listen. They don't say to him you being a man make yourself A god they don't say that Right you being a man Make yourself god The king james version thou being a man makest thyself god The asv makest thyself god the esv make yourself god The new king james version make yourself god A holman translation make yourself god the nlt having made yourself god The cev claiming to be god the nasb to be god the niv claim to be god The rsv make yourself god the net claiming to be god the amplified bible make yourself out to be god The darby translation makest thyself god reina valera siendo humbre tejasas dios I've seen too many westerns every time i see the word humbre i've got to say humbre, you know Listen even the message gets it right calling yourself god the message is translated The new world translation You being a man a man make yourself a god Now why is that why is that? because the watchtower The jahubas witnesses are biased against the deity of christ and they will twist the english translation to suit their own theological needs Now think about it The jews are holding fast here That jesus was not god So if jesus was not claiming to be god, what were the jews angry about? The jahubas witnesses and the Pharisees actually are in agreement here Neither one thinks that jesus is god The issue here is what jesus is claiming for himself He claims to be the christ he claims to be god in the flesh But that statement The statement that has them in fits is found in john chapter 10 verse 30 i And my father Are one now we have to think think okay One in purpose One in purpose No, the jews could claim the same thing they would They would not get mad at that. Why would they get mad at one in purpose? They believe that they were in one one with purpose with god the father. They were doing god's will They were living for the lord. They believe that they were one in purpose with god the father That's not it Maybe he meant that they were of the same mind Oh Why didn't you just why didn't he just say that? We're the same mind. He's not saying that my father and i are the same person He clearly says here i And my father speaking of two distinct persons, right? Could it be That he was claiming to be one with the father in essence That he was claiming to be divine Yes, that's why the jews responded with you Being a man Make yourself god. He's claiming to be one with the father in essence. He's claiming to be god and what about John chapter 8 verse 58 The new king james version says Jesus said to them in john chapter 8 58 most assuredly i say to you before abraham was i am the new world translation Jesus said to them most truly i say to you Before abraham came into existence i have been A typical right Never mind that the greek there is present active i am and not past or perfect i have been Not translating the bible right what about what is it about? Hey, i'm older than abraham Would have caused the jews to want to kill jesus You know for jesus to say that i'm older than abraham They would have simply gone back to their argument that he was a madman and it's not Blast for me to be crazy, right No, they immediately Recognized in john chapter 8 verse 58. They recognized the reference to the name of god from exodus chapter 3 verse 14 And they knew exactly what jesus was claiming. He is claiming to be the christ the son of god god in the flesh He was taking the name of god in john chapter 8 And he was taking the attribute of god Of being the eternally uncreated being one And he was and he was applying that attribute to himself Thus drawing the charge from them Of blasphemy Jesus is the christ. He is god incarnate Immanuel god With us There have been many Many many many throughout the ages who have denied the deity of the lord jesus christ, but now listen carefully You Cannot Deny the deity of christ and be a christian You cannot Deny the deity of the lord jesus christ and go to heaven If you believe that jesus is not god, you will go to hell It is an essential of the christian faith to believe That jesus is the christ the son of god god incarnate Using the name of god in john chapter 8 verse 24 jesus says if you do not believe that i am you will die in your sins John would later say in first john chapter 2 verse 22 who is a liar But he who denies that jesus is the christ He is antichrist who denies the father and the son The bible is not unclear about this truth John chapter 1 verse 1 in the beginning was the word And the word was with god and the word was god john chapter 1 verse 14 and that word became flesh And dwelt among us. This is the lord jesus christ The revelation of jesus as the christ culminates in the gospel of john in chapter 20 verse 28 where thomas cries out to jesus my lord and my God that's right Hebrews chapter 1 verse 8, but to the son God says Your throne oh God is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom In romans chapter 9 verse 5 according to the flesh christ came who is overall the eternally blessed god In colossians chapter 2 verse 9 for in him All the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form So many others right it is Inarguable He receives worship to himself that is meant for god alone in matthew chapter 2 verse 2 They ask where is he who has been born king of the jews for we he saw his star in the east and we have come to Worship him in matthew chapter 2 verse 11 And they came into the house and saw the child with mary his mother and they fell down and worshiped him Opening their treasures they presented to him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh In heber's chapter 1 verse 6 and when he again brings the firstborn into the world He says let all the angels of god worship him And so many others the jw's worship a creature Rather than the creator Jesus clearly claims to be god Jesus takes for himself worship only allowed for god Jesus displays the attributes of god including Incommunicable attributes of god Jesus receives glory from god when god says he'll not share his glory with another Jesus receives prayers that only god may receive jesus forgives sins that only god may forgive jesus Satisfies the just demands of god's law A righteousness that only god can attain to Jesus pays the awful debt Do our sin a penalty that only god could pay Jesus satisfies the wrath of god that's due for sin a satisfaction that only god could render Jesus mediates between god and men a role that only god only the god man could fulfill Jesus Accomplishes eternal salvation for his people an awesome Accomplishment that only god himself could accomplish It is absolutely. There's no mistaking what jesus claimed for himself The authors of scripture knew it thomas knew it The magi knew it the shepherds knew it and we know it And so do the jews in john chapter 10 They certainly knew it jesus is god The father is god The son is god and the holy spirit is god The father is not the son The son is not the father father and son are not the holy spirit the holy spirit are not the son not the son Not the father One god Three distinct persons. This is the biblical teaching of the trinity And that's why knowing what jesus was claiming That's why in john chapter 10 verse 31 the jews took up stones again to stone him That's why the jews answer him in john chapter 10 verse 33 saying this Listen for a good work. We don't stone you But for blasphemy and because you being a man make yourself god These Pharisees Show a tremendous amount of ignorance. They show a tremendous amount of ignorance, but one thing we have to concede They're not quite as ignorant as a jahovah's witness This ignorance though is not a benign ignorance It is a hostile blind aggressive unwillingness To believe and we have to admit we have to concede that this unwillingness This hostile ignorance applies to all unbelievers The claim that jesus is making doesn't leave you with any other option. There's no in between here. It's black or white the sinner Is not only Incapable of believing because they are not of his sheep But the sinner is aggressively unwilling to believe They refuse to believe and often they refuse with hostility And that is never ever because of a lack of evidence. Do you see? the scripture Full Full of evidence the works that he has done abundant evidence It is never because god has somehow failed to communicate with them or to communicate clearly The responsibility for unbelief lies entirely on the backs of unbelievers So if you're here today And you're an unbeliever you've never turned from your sin. Listen, you're still living for yourself You're just living life for yourself day in and day out living for yourself in your sin enjoying your sin Rarely a thought of christ, right? Don't even like to retain god in your knowledge. Really you're walking around unthankful You don't think about him very much. You have no concern for his word. You don't read his word You could write in the dust on the front of your bible lost with your finger Right If you've never turned with all of your life with all of your soul with all of your heart mind and strength to follow Fervently and faithfully the lord jesus christ in faith Then you are entirely responsible for that wretched choice and you'll pay for it in hell So what should you do if that's you this morning if you're sitting there You're still living for yourself. What should you do? What should you do? What can you do? Your one option this minute Your one option is to cry out to god To plead with him to grant you repentance and faith which are both gifts from god They are gifts of his grace not of works Unless you boast in your pride, which is exactly what you would do They are gifts from god. You must fear god fear the one who can cast both body and soul into hell fear him Hunger and thirst for the righteousness of christ because you have none of your own Hunger and thirst for his righteousness his righteousness is the only way that you will ever have any hope of standing before god justified Plead with god pray to god to make you willing to make you able to give you ears to hear and eyes to see To change your desires to change your affections stop hating the things of god Loving the things of this world and start hating the things of this world and loving the things of god God has to make that transformation in you. You can't do it yourself Plead with him to do it for you Turn from your sin and live for him He has to change your desires. He has to convince you of the truth Otherwise you will never be convinced no matter how much evidence is stacked up no matter how many miracles you see No matter how many words you read from the lord jesus christ It's simply Not going to happen unless god does it to you and god does it in you plead with him To make you his own Cry out to him and listen. Don't stop crying out until you know that he has done it Many of you are walking around Like zombies in your so-called christian life and god just hasn't done that work Don't be presumptuous Don't take risks with your eternal soul You keep crying out you keep pursuing christ until you are certain That he has given you eternal life until his spirit has assured your heart before him And then you keep pursuing him and keep pursuing his work and keep living for him until he takes you home And then you keep praising him and keep worshiping him for all eternity Back in john chapter 10 Jesus makes this claim the jews level their charge against him and beginning in verse 34 now jesus begins to make his case He begins to make his case now notice first That he does not deny The charge the charge is right The charge is true you being a man make yourself god jesus doesn't deny that Just like his claim to deity Just like his claim to be the christ He builds his case now on both his words And on his works his words in verses 34 through 36 And his works in verses 37 through 38. Okay, look first at his words He appeals here to scripture verse 34 jesus answered them Is it not written in your law? I said you are gods If he called them gods to whom the word of god came and the scripture cannot be broken Do you say of him whom the father sanctified and sent into the world? You are blasphemy because I said I am the son of god Right, so he appeals to scripture. He appeals to his words, right? Look at his works in verse 37 works If I do not do the works of my father then don't believe me But if I do though, you don't believe me Believe the works that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I and him So he appeals to his words and his works It's the same way that he has appealed to them with his claim that he is the christ Okay, so let's take the first part of his case and we have to think we've got to think think through this at first blush It simply looks like maybe he's trying to avoid stoning And so he makes this argument, you know, listen, it's said in your law That these people in the old testament are gods Well, I'm a person. I'm said I've got why are you stoning me, right? It just looks like he's trying to avoid at first blush. Listen. Just keep digging. Just keep digging, right? We got to dig we got to think Now remember From this context now Jesus is accused of breaking their law, right? He's accused of breaking the law He's charged with blasphemy. So what does he do in verse 34? He appeals he references the law What he's referring to in general here with the word the law your law is the entire old testament the entire old testament now He appeals to the fact Considering that law considering the old testament that every part of the word of god is authoritative and binding It is authoritative. It is binding on the christian. It is binding on anyone who would follow god, right? It is a rule for those who would follow the lord In case you doubt that in any way he adds in verse 35 that the scripture cannot be broken This is what the scripture says. This is what your law says And it cannot be broken. You can't argue with it Don't try to argue with what god says here. You can't argue with it. This reference is authoritative and you cannot deny it Everything in the bible is authoritative. None of it Can be broken. Paul says that it is profitable all of it All of it is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness that the man of god may be Complete and he's about to do a little instructing here Now here's the point all of that includes The lord's quote in verse 34 That comes from psalm 82 where he said i said you are gods, okay The fact that scripture cannot be broken that it is authoritative that it is binding all applies to his reference to psalm 82 The jews here are bound By what jesus christ is about to say from their law Turn to psalm 82 with me That's very interesting here that this psalm psalm 82 think about our context This psalm is talking about judges in israel that judge unjustly What are the Pharisees doing right now? They're judging him unjustly. They're judging him unjustly. All right Look at psalm 82 Look beginning with me at verse one Verse one says god stands in the congregation of the mighty And he judges among the gods How long will you judge unjustly god says and show partiality to the wicked selah think about that Now the idea here Is that god is standing among earthly leaders that he has placed over the people That's a that's a grace of god. That's the grace of god to humanity that he places leaders over people right god places governments in place God places leaders over the people in place God provides leadership as an act of his grace Now god in providing leadership here specifically the leader of the leaders of the jewish people Which is represented back in john chapter 10 by the leaders that he's arguing with right remember our context remember how these things are connected He has delegated authority to them And with god's authority that he's delegated to them. They are to judge with a righteous judgment. They're to judge righteously Because he has appointed them and given them a divine commission Notice that he calls them gods little g at the end of verse one That god can do that god can do whatever god wants to do And because he's given them he's delegated his authority to them He has given them a commission. He has sent them to rule over the people He has given them his delegated authority. And so because of that he calls them Gods at the end of verse one. These are people human leaders of the people And they don't do that Righteously and so then god condemns them for judging unrighteously So god charges them again in verse three He says defend the poor and the fatherless is what you're not doing do it Do justice to the afflicted and the needy Deliver the poor and the needy free them from the hand of the wicked The god's saying essentially listen, I sent you sent you To do a job I've given you authority to rule in goodness and kindness and righteousness defend the poor and the fatherless Do justice deliver the poor and needy free them from the hand of the wicked Do what I sent you to do right? But these are unjust judges and they are blinded By a willful ignorance now. Who does that remind you of? Pharisees back in john chapter 10 right these things are connected the lord is making a reference here. I'm amazed at the lord's genius, right? The lord is just infinitely wise alone wise right as the bible says He's making a reference and he's making a reference here not only in building his own cases We're going to see but he's also rebuking these Pharisees back in john chapter 10 who are familiar with psalm 82 right These unjust judges are blind. It says in verse 5 look They do not know Nor do they understand these leaders of the people They walk about in darkness all the foundations of the earth are unstable because of them Can you see how this pictures the jewish leaders in john chapter 10? They don't know those Pharisees don't know nor do they understand they walk about in darkness. This reference is a rebuke It's a scathing rebuke, but look at what god had said of them Had said of them in verse 6 I said you speaking of human leaders. They're speaking of human leaders I said you are gods and all of you are children Of the most high the bible teaches that governments and rulers and leaders Are set up by the decree of god god gives them authority for the good of his creation for the good of his created order however In spite of being made in god's image right and in spite of being given god's delegated authority. He says in verse 7 You're going to die like men And fall like one of the princes Arise the soma says oh god Judge the earth for you shall inherit all nations the psalmist cries out here asaf cries out for god To rule and reign rather than these unjust human leaders Now think about go back to john chapter 10 think about what's going on Back in john chapter 10 verse 34 Jesus answered them Remember psalm 82 now Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law? I said you are gods If he called them gods To whom the word of god came and the scripture cannot be broken Do you say of him whom the father sanctified and sent into the world you are blasphemy because I said I am the son of god He called them gods Think about this to whom the word of god came They weren't the word of god who was sent They were the ones to whom the word of god came Now that's the scripture the old testament scripture. Who is the word of god from the new testament? Ultimate expression of the word of god is the lord jesus christ and here the lord jesus christ has come to these wicked and unjust rulers that are ruling and living in darkness Fleecing the flock of god So here's the line of thought from verses 34 to 36. Here's the line of thought The lord essentially says to the Pharisees these leaders these scribes You don't believe that I am the christ and now you accuse me of blasphemy remember in your law god calls unjust men gods Because they were appointed and commissioned by god If it wasn't blasphemy For them to be called gods and you can't argue with scripture scripture cannot be broken How much more right then is it for me? I am the christ The perfect and just Son of god the promised messiah How much more appropriate is it for me to go by my title? Do you see? I have a far greater authority a far Greater commission the father has sanctified me set me apart and he has sent me into the world In fact, I have proceeded from the father It was an act of grace That god sent me into the world But unlike human rulers. I wasn't given the title of god little g is an act of grace I and my father are one We are of the same essence and I am god Jesus says The word of god came to them I am the incarnate word See all these claims stacking up that the lord jesus christ has been making Coming into this case My claim jesus said is not based on grace My title not based on grace given to me my title based on my divine nature He draws a contrast right between those who are god's little g in psalm 82 And between himself god big g in john chapter 10 And the idea that these wicked unjust men contrasted with The righteousness of jesus the christ the son of god in john chapter 10 It wasn't by grace that he received that title in that sense It's because of his divine nature because he is god That he can claim to be the christ and here claim to be god He says you unjust judges will die like men That's implied in his reference to psalm 82 psalm 82. They knew follow psalm 82 where that ends Those unjust judges will die like men, but jesus christ has already claimed i am The resurrection and the life In other words through all this he says your charge of blasphemy is absurd. Do you see? He didn't retreat from his claim It wasn't a claim merely to you know, hey, there are people called gods. I'm a person calling myself god. Why are you stoning me? It wasn't this superficial kind of an argument The lord intensifies his claim with this argument. Do you see? He upholds his claim And not only did he uphold his claim by comparison with psalm 82 But he rebuked them as unjust and walking in ignorance at the same time It's The knowledge and wisdom of the lord jesus christ He is the christ And knowing that they consistently rejected his words Jesus moves forward then with a second part of his case His works look at verse 37 The lord says now in verse 37 If i do not do the works of my father then don't believe me But if i do if the miracles that i'm performing can be attributed to god the father Though you don't believe me At least believe the works So that you may know and believe that the father is in me and i in him Now he appeals to them again He graciously continues to reason with them It's grace of almighty god that god has struck them dead and turned them into grease spots already, right? This is the grace of the lord jesus christ Ultimately they refuse to believe his words and his works But again the problem doesn't lie here in the evidence that has been given The case that the lord jesus christ made is solid It is inarguable the problem lies Within their wicked and unbelieving hearts Praise god, right that You and i hear today those of us in christ May be called sons of god by grace All right, we are called sons of god and that is by an act of god's Immeasurable infinite grace toward us in christ Galatians chapter 3 verse 26 for we are all sons of god through faith in christ jesus Jesus the lord jesus christ is the only one who holds that title by nature Praise god. We can hold it by grace. He holds it by divine essence He is god and that's what caused the charge Paul says in romans chapter 8 verse 17 That if we are his children Then we are heirs heirs of god and joint heirs with christ and listen and we will be Be glorified together with him Goes on to say if indeed we suffer with him, right here in in john chapter 10 Lord jesus christ pleading reasoning with these hard hardest hearted self-willed rebellious scribes and Pharisees leaders Here christ is Suffering under their persecution they want to kill him They take up stones to kill him But we must if you're in christ if you're in christ If you will be glorified together with him And we must Follow his example And put ourselves to the same work Putting ourselves to the same work. We're putting ourselves to the same suffering. Do you see? Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10 Says this for it was fitting for him For whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory To make the captain of their salvation Perfect through sufferings For both he who sanctifies And those who are being sanctified are all of one for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren saying I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you Don't let it be said of you that the lord jesus christ is ashamed to call you a brother Because you don't suffer with him. You don't put yourself to the work You don't strive. You don't exercise yourself to godliness You don't press on for the upward call of god in christ jesus You don't labor in his vineyard. You don't preach the gospel you don't Put yourself to the plow and endure the suffering We need to put ourselves to the same work. We need to joyfully and willingly knowing who christ is and what he's done His words and his work We need to enter into that suffering. Don't be afraid to preach the gospel Don't be afraid to preach the gospel don't be Afraid to work your schedule out so that you are fervently and faithfully serving the lord enter into that work You're gonna be glorified together with him if indeed you suffer with him i'm afraid that Many of us just don't know what suffering is Enter in enter into the work. This christian life is not a life of ease. Don't live it that way Don't live it that way Press strive exercise labor Enter into that suffering We're gonna be glorified with him and that glorification praise god is coming soon It's coming soon Well, the lord's case here is closed Lord closes his case. It is an airtight case. Scripture cannot be broken. He is the christ the son of god He is incarnate god What then is the conclusion of the matter look at verse 39 they get it, right? Again, he goes through this case and they get it They know what he's saying and so what do they do verse 39? Therefore they sought again to seize him, but he escaped out of their hand If you look at the bookends on this little section of scripture verse 31 trying to kill him verse 39 trying to kill him Just Parenthesizes that's even a word our little case here. The lord is building jesus claims to be the christ They again understand what he's saying They likely get his reference. They likely get his rebuke And this again is their irrational and ignorant response to his claim. They attempt to seize them and kill him He escapes out of their hand simply because his hour had not yet come his hour will come three months from now Soon soon Lord jesus christ will accomplish All that the father has sent him to accomplish He'll go to the cross Die for you die for me Bearing our sin and shame and guilt you know the gospel presses forward despite What many would look at and think of as failure But the gospel still presses forward undaunted by the wicked plots and schemes Christ is not intimidated. He's not intimidated. He's not intimidated by their ignorance He's not intimidated by their hostility. His work is not rendered ineffectual by their ignorance Christ triumphs over ignorance and the the proof of that The proof of that will be an innumerable multitude of saints gathered together In heaven More than can be numbered the sound of many rushing waters worshiping and praising A lamb who is slain these these truths are Precious to the believer. They should be precious to you But they were blasphemy to the jews Amazing, isn't it? What a contrast Regarding that evidence that he's given regarding the case that he's built It won't ultimately be evidence that convinces anyone It won't ultimately be evidence that convinces anyone It'll be god Working through his word and his spirit in the heart and mind of the sinner They had enough evidence in the old testament. Yeah, I'm reminded of Lazarus and the rich man from luke chapter 16 the rich man Being in torment in hades. He lifted up his eyes saw abraham a far off Lazarus in his bosom And he said I beg you abraham That you would send Lazarus to my father's house. Do you remember the story? I have five brothers there. I have five brothers there and he can testify to them lest they come to this place of torment Well, how did abraham respond to the rich man? He said they have moses and the prophets Let them hear them right Lazarus responded no father abraham. No Or the rich man responded But if one goes to them from the dead They will repent But abraham said to them if they do not hear moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded The one were to rise from the dead That's what's being said here essentially in john chapter 10 It is not the evidence if they're not going to hear they're not going to hear They'll not be persuaded. They're not be persuaded by words. They're not going to be persuaded by works God must work in your heart God must work his work of grace in your heart Changing your heart changing your mind changing your desires Evidence is not the problem. Amen evidence. We have abundance and abundance of evidence You have to recognize that your heart is the problem your heart is the problem Christian my brothers and sisters We have such wonderful promises, right? We have such wonderful blessings blessings upon blessings upon blessings We have the abiding presence of christ at the end of the age. We are indwelt by the holy spirit of god We can live according to his strength The riches of his glorious power We can have our minds renewed We can put on the new man We have new and better promises a new and better covenant a firm and settled resolved and secured hope We can lay our lives On the horns of the altar and be a living sacrifice for christ All this All this that in the ages to come he might show The exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in christ jesus Blessing upon blessing upon blessing amen Yet what you must guard yourself against is living your christian life like a popper Why why would we do that? Throw yourself upon the altar be a living sacrifice. We have the greatest joy the greatest hope The greatest truths the greatest motivation the greatest lord Live like it We're better of our confident of better things concerning us, aren't we then to live like paupers when we have such glorious blessings So press on press on and live for him who died and gave himself for you You got to move on you got to work it out be faithful work it out Oftentimes you hear a sermon right? Spurs you on i mean you're ready to do great things for god and then you wake up on monday morning And that dissipates by tuesday and maybe gone all together and you're right back into the rut Don't Don't do that work it out press strive Labor suffer press on Work it out be faithful And we will be glorified together with him if indeed we suffer with him right? Be faithful if you're here today and you're not a christian Listen you have a severe and debilitating blindness that you don't understand you don't understand You don't get it you cannot overcome it. It's a reality your heart is cold Your mind wanders you can't focus on the things of god you can't live for him You think you know these things but you do not You think you know you have all kinds of answers that you've convinced yourself of i'll just try harder I just got to start reading my bible more i'm just gonna live The way i want to live and ask for forgiveness whatever it is You just think about them a little harder. You're gonna try a little harder. You're gonna work a little harder No The reality is is that you don't know you are in darkness you must Plead and cry out plead with god cry out to god Cry out to the only one who has the power to change you he is full of grace and truth Plead with him to give you a new heart You can't do it on your own you need christ Ask him to fill you with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding That you may walk worthy of the lord fully pleasing him fruitful in every good work He gives you plenty of evidence. He gives you his words. He gives you his works search your bible Read your bible He turned water into wine. He healed the nobleman's son. He healed the paralytic. He walked on water Healed a man born blind and he's raised the dead Who else can do these things? But god in the flesh lord jesus christ Follow him Jesus is the christ and john has written these things that you may believe that he is the christ the son of god And that believing that you would have life in his name That truth that he is the christ demands a response of your entire life. It's not your life any longer It's not your life Is his it is hidden in him if you turn from your sin put your trust in him You need to die to yourself. You need to die to this life. You need to mourn over your sin Sin should cause mourning and sorrow. It is godly sorrow That produces a repentance which leads to life Where is the godly sorrow over your condition? Where is the godly sorrow over your sin? When you sin against god, do you put your head in your hands and weep because you have sinned against him? godly sorrow but most Of the time it's worldly sorrow right that produces only death Is the gospel of the lord jesus christ when we think about these things. Is it rendered ineffectual through the ignorance of sinful man? No way Is christ intimidated by ignorance? No way. Is it undermined by unbelief? No way. Is it frustrated by failure? No way You know some have looked at these passages where christ is in conflict with the Pharisees and there's all this unbelief that is displayed on the pages of scripture And it looks discouraging. It looks disheartening But it's not They may be tempted to ask the question if the lord preaches as he did and he performs the miracles that he did and the people Don't believe then what hope is there for the world? If they won't believe his words and they won't believe his works, what hope is there? Look at verse 40 What how encouraging is this and what a tremendous? Contrast with these wicked hard-hearted unbelieving Pharisees verse 40. He went away again Beyond the jordan. He left jr Went back to where his ministry began went back to where john was preaching right? He went beyond the jordan to the place where john was baptizing it first and there he stayed I'm sure an encouragement to his own heart Verse 41 many came to him many Many came to him and said john performed no sign But all the things that john spoke about this man were true and many Many believed in him there. What a contrast John's testimony has rung true They are content To listen to and hear john's words and to believe on the lord jesus christ He was simply a preacher No miraculous signs john the baptist couldn't perform miracles John the baptist couldn't perform miracles all that john the baptist could do was live a holy life and preach the gospel And that's all that we're called to do that's exactly what we are called to do We are called to live a holy life for god to walk worthy of him And we are called to preach the gospel We're called to live for god and make disciples Tell people about their sin warn them about the judgment that is to come and give them the greatest news imaginable amen All that john did was to show them their need and point them to christ the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world and these people Beyond the jordan at the word of john the baptist Believed his testimony many believed in jesus the christ Beyond the jordan i pray for us To god for the sake of his name For our good god, please let us be faithful Let us be faithful to live for him. Let's be faithful to preach the gospel We want to be trophies of god's grace. Amen Live for christ. Let's pray father in heaven Lord, you are so gracious so good I thank you For our great god and savior the lord jesus christ who came To accomplish the work that you have sent him to do Accomplishing that Perfectly perfectly satisfying your demands perfectly upholding your law Satisfying your holy wrath against sin Standing on our place taking upon himself the justice the just debt owed for our sin upon his own Body on the tree so that we might be justified Forgiven Cleansed of all our sin saved from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin in our lives What a glorious blessing we pray god that you would have your way in us blood bought sinners Let us serve you faithfully in light of these truths. I pray god that there's someone here that's not saved was not Thrown themselves upon the altar clinging to the cross by faith in christ god that you would open their eyes to see the misery of their own condition God that you would grant them the gifts of repentance and faith They would believe upon christ and serve him and love him live for him that they would die to themselves And live for him who died and gave himself for them Praise you and thank you that this offer Is even available to us god. It's a miraculous act a miraculous offer of your grace And for all eternity we will praise the glory of your grace To us worship the land who is slain All these things we pray in the blessed name of our great god and savior the lord jesus christ. Amen