A Radical Redeemer

March 30, 2003 Preacher: Randy Smith Series: John

Scripture: John 8:12–30

Transcript

A Radical Redeemer

John 8:12-30
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Pastor Randy Smith



Recently, my dad, a senior citizen himself, sent me the following email. "Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others. BUT, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took:

The melody out of music,
The romance out of love,
The commitment out of marriage,
The responsibility out of parenthood,
The togetherness out of the family,
The learning out of education,
The service out of patriotism,
The religion out of school,
The Golden Rule out of rulers,
The nativity scene out of cities,
The civility out of behavior,
The refinement out of language,
The dedication out of employment,
The prudence out of spending, or
The ambition out of achievement.

Does anyone under the age of 50 know the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner? Just look at the Seniors with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts as they stand at attention with their hand over their hearts! Remember, inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the heck happened!"

Much to the shame of younger generations, it's true! Although, I don't believe you necessarily need to be a senior citizen to realize that our nation is drifting further away from the God-honoring principles on which it was founded and is progressively slouching toward a mentality resembling Gomorrah.

Especially in the last 40 years, America has steadily increased in godless thought and behavior. Some stand out as rebels or radicals who seem to propagate this agenda, the James Dean "wanna be's" who buck authority; however, I would make the claim that these individuals are only a few years ahead of most of society, even the church, who are anesthetized in this downward spiral. I believe almost everybody is drifting in this current flow of godlessness. Some are simply a little further ahead than others.

Therefore, in my opinion, a true radical is not one who is swimming faster than those of the current culture already drifting in the same direction. A true radical is one who is swimming upstream, fleeing from Gomorrah, fighting against the current. Anybody can swear, do drugs, sport body piercing, dye their mohawk purple, listen to vulgar music and fail out of school. That's easy! But how many have the guts to go against the flow, reject popular opinion and promote an agenda of righteousness by their words and lifestyle to a world that hates the smell of righteousness. Such a person in my opinion is the true radical.

The goal of this sermon is to make the case that Jesus was the most radical man that ever walked on the planet. Nobody in the history of the world has ever taken a more outspoken stance against a culture of rebels bent on opposing the will of God. And then I wish to convince you that we as His children must examine ourselves to see if we are making every effort to emulate our Radical Redeemer.

1. A RADICAL STATEMENT

Let's first begin with a radical statement. In verse 12 Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Jesus was still in Jerusalem (vs. 20) and you will recall that the Feast of Tabernacles had just concluded. During this 8-day festival, different symbolic ceremonies were conducted. One of these was the pouring of the water on the altar, and another was the lighting of giant Menorahs whose light illuminated the entire temple court. The pouring of the water was to commemorate the water that God provided for the Israelites in the desert. In relation to that, Jesus boldly declared, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink" (Jn. 7:37). The Menorahs were to commemorate the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the desert. In relation to that, Jesus boldly declared, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" (Jn. 8:12). Before the entire crowd, Jesus took these symbols that pointed to God's mighty deeds and boldly attributed them to Himself. He was basically saying that all the rich Jewish symbolism is ultimately fulfilled in Him. That was radical!

Specifically, Jesus said He is the Light of the world. Earlier, John made a similar statement regarding Christ's identity. "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men" (Jn. 1:4; c.f. 1 Jn. 1:5). The metaphor of light has rich connotations in the Old Testament. Psalm 27:1 calls the Lord "my light and my salvation." Psalm 119:105 calls God's Word "a light to my path." Isaiah 49:6 prophesizes the Messiah to be "a light of the nations." According to the Old Testament Scriptures, the claim from the lips of Jesus at the festival was nothing less than a claim to be God. Imagine the shock in the minds of these devout Jews when they heard the carpenter from Nazareth make such a radical claim that He was the Light of the world.

Furthermore, the claim recorded in verse 12 is even more radical. First of all, Jesus told these people that apart from Him they will remain in darkness. In other words, they're lost, they're blind, they're deceived by Satan, they're in error and they're in sin. Let's not forget folks, Jesus was talking to religious people. These were pious, moral and upright Jews! Nevertheless apart from Jesus they were in darkness.

Second, the only escape from their depraved state was to believe in Him. Jesus made a similar comment in chapter 12. "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness" (Jn. 12:46). Jesus demands allegiance for deliverance from the domain of darkness (Col. 1:13). One must, as verse 12 teaches, follow Him wholeheartedly. Just as the Israelites followed the pillar of fire to the Promised Land, people must follow Jesus to Heaven. Jesus is not simply demanding an intellectual knowledge of His existence; rather, He is calling for continuous and ongoing discipleship. And it's only when such people surrender themselves completely to His lordship are they transferred into His kingdom of light. As a matter of fact, they too become "the light of the world" (Mt. 5:14) and "children of light" (Eph. 5:8; c.f. Phil. 2:14-16). One commentator said, "They kindle their torches at His bright flame (and) show to the world something of His light" (Leon Morris).

So is verse 12 a radical statement from a radical Redeemer or what? Jesus basically told these religious people that they were in spiritual darkness and their only hope for deliverance and spiritual life was following Him because He was the Messiah and because He was God who had arrived to be a spiritual light not just to the Jews but also to the world, the despised pagan Gentiles as well! Put yourself in the gown of a self-righteous Pharisee of the first century. How would you react to a radical statement like that?

2. A RADICAL WITNESS

After the radical statement in verse 12, Jesus provided a radical witness in the following verses. Instead of seeking to understand the radical statement of Christ, the Pharisees attempted to catch Him on a technicality.

In verse 13 "the Pharisees said to Him, 'You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.'" They knew that according to the Law, major cases required the testimony of 2-3 witnesses (c.f. Dt. 17:6; 19:15). They demanded to know what gave Jesus the authority to make such radical claims in reference to the nature of His deity and the nature of their depravity.

Initially, Jesus defends His claims by appealing to Himself. In a radical way, Jesus informs His objectors that He is perfectly qualified to bear His own witness, and they are not in any position to question it. Verse 14, "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.'" In verse 15, Jesus even said their judgment was "according to the flesh." Since Jesus is the all-knowing God, finite humans dwelling in the darkness have no right to speak because they are unaware of both His origin and destiny. Like physical light, Jesus Christ, the true light of the world, can stand on His own claim simply by shining. Light gives evidence of itself to those who have eyes to see. Therefore, the blind cannot see the light.

But, if the Jews preferred not to accept this answer, Jesus provided an additional witness as they requested. The additional witness was none other than God the Father. Beginning in verse 17 Jesus said, "Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me" (Jn. 8:17-18). Since the Pharisees were so quick to appeal to the law, Jesus once again demonstrates how the law finds its fulfillment in Him. Jesus reiterates, "Do you want two witnesses? OK, I'll give you two, one is Myself and the other is God My Father. Beyond the two of Us, there is no one left to testify with our credentials."

It should not surprise us that the Jews exclaimed in verse 25, "Who are You!"

Imagine using these tactics in court! "Mr. Jones, how can the court be sure that you actually were walking your dog at 2:00 am when the 7-11 was robbed and all the evidence points to you? What witnesses do you call to speak on your behalf?"

"Well, first of all, I don't need any witnesses. My words simply attest for themselves. And additionally, you are a lousy judge who is completely unaware of where I originated and where I am going. As a matter of fact, your Honor, the day will come when I will actually judge you. But if you really want someone who will speak on my behalf, ask God, my intimate Father, for He testifies that everything I ever say is true."

Anybody who spoke like that during a trial would only be asking for an immediate sentence with an additional charge of contempt and an additional label of lunacy. Christ's opponents felt this way too because of His radical witness, but verse 20 says, "No one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come." The Radical Redeemer with the radical witness was ultimately the One in charge.

3. A RADICAL MESSAGE

From a radical statement to a radical witness to a radical message. Please follow along beginning in verse 21. "Then He said again to them, 'I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.' So the Jews were saying, 'Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come ?'' And He was saying to them, 'You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins'" (Jn. 8:21-24).

The four verses that I just read are in essence the message of Christianity, the gospel. Unfortunately, many in the church today are preaching a gospel inconsistent to that which was delivered to us by Jesus Christ (c.f. 1 Cor. 15:3). Possibly it is through ignorance, but often it is through embarrassment in the exclusivity and harshness of the message. But, the message presented from the lips of Jesus Christ back then should be the same message presented from our lips today. Yes, it is a radical message today, but it was also a radical message back then.

First of all, Jesus told the Pharisees that they will "die in (their) sin" in verse 21. He also repeated the claim in verse 24. "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins." At the very end of verse 24, the claim is repeated for a third time. "You will die in your sins." Let's remember folks, these were righteous, moral Pharisees. Jesus proclaimed that the most revered and most religious people of His day were dead in their sin and would even die in their sin. However, there remained one possible hope. Their only escape from eternal damnation would be, as Jesus said in verse 24, to "believe that I am He." Literally the Greek reads, "To believe that I am."

So for these righteous Pharisees to be found acceptable in God's sight, they must acknowledge their sinfulness, realize the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), cast themselves fully into the arms of Christ and believe Him to be the great "I am," a title reserved exclusively for God Himself, lest you wished to kindle His wrath (Isa. 47:8f; Zeph. 2:15). It's interesting, in verse 58, Jesus again called Himself the great "I am" and verse 59 records the Jews "Pick(ing) up stones to throw at Him." They knew exactly who Christ was claiming to be.

Think about the weight of Christ's remarks: believe in Him- eternal life; reject Him- eternal damnation.

Imagine today walking into a mosque packed with devout Muslims or a synagogue packed with devout Jews and telling them, "All of you are in sin and awaiting eternal damnation in hell unless you believe that Jesus Christ is God. Your futile religion is a work of demons completely insufficient for salvation." Would that message be any different than the one Christ preached to these Pharisees? Is it any wonder why Christ brought such hostility? Should we assume that the message and the response should be any less hostile today? It was a radical message then, and it is more than ever a radical message today in our tolerant, truth-hating, politically correct, postmodern world.

4. A RADICAL DEATH

A radical statement, a radical witness, a radical message and now a radical death. Beyond the fact that Jesus proclaimed that He is the only way to God is the truth that only Jesus (of all the religious figures) died for the sin, which condemns all just as it did those Pharisees. The sin of the world has separated every human from his or her Creator and only Jesus atoned for that sin as a substitute by accepting the penalty and punishment that sin deserves.

In our verses this morning, Jesus first referred to His death in verse 21, when He said, "I go away." From the foundation of the world, it was God's plan for the eternal Son to spill His blood and die for the sins of mankind. Jesus knew that this was His primary mission. He was born in that wooden manger for the purpose of dying on that wooden cross. His entire life was to reveal God and march toward the cross at Calvary as the sacrificial "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29).

The second reference to His death, His death specifically on the cross, is mentioned in verse 28. "So Jesus said, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He." Earlier in the gospel Jesus spoke of His death with similar terminology. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life" (Jn. 3:14-15). Jesus Christ would be "lifted up" on a cross.

Of all the ways that God could have chosen to orchestrate His plan, it's amazing to think that He would wish to take on human flesh and be subjected to humiliating and excruciating death on a Roman cross. He would choose to be a curse and a criminal for us. That is a radical plan for a radical death oozing with a radical humility.

Yet in an opposite way, dying on the cross according to Jesus in verse 28 would also reveal His glory and display to the world that He is the great "I am." The cross would "lift up" the Savior by way of exaltation. We recall the centurion who stood by the cross of Jesus said, "Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mk. 15:39). It's amazing; the degradation of the cross would reveal the exaltation of Christ. What a radical way during a radical event for His Messiahship to be revealed and His glory to shine.

Both the humiliation and the glory of Christ on the cross come together beautifully in Philippians 2. "Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:6-11).

What a radical way to die to display radical humiliation and a radical glory to bring a radical salvation to all who will believe in Him.

5. A RADICAL OBEDIENCE

A radical statement, a radical witness, a radical message, radical death and finally, a radical obedience. Beginning in the second half of verse 28, "…I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (Jn. 8:28b-29).

Jesus' radical obedience is demonstrated in His words. According to these verses, He makes it His goal to only speak the things the Father teaches Him. Moreover, evidence of the Father's presence is demonstrated in His actions by His desire to "always do the things that are pleasing to Him." We often think of the sinlessness of Christ as not doing the things that are wrong. This verse stresses the positive side. Jesus always does what is pleasing to the Father, always! Ponder for a moment that radical obedience. "Jesus always does what is pleasing to the Father!"

It started with a radical statement, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" (Jn. 8:12). Followed by a radical witness, "I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me" (Jn. 8:18). Followed by a radical message, "You will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (Jn. 8:24). Followed by a radical death, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He" (Jn. 8:28). It concluded with a radical obedience, "I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (Jn. 8:28).

I find it tragic that most church-growth movements and many in the church today advocate and preach a partial gospel absent of the components we witnessed this morning preached by Jesus Christ Himself. They think they are wiser than Jesus. They say that optimum results will be achieved when we speak to felt needs and eliminate any mention of sin and hell and salvation in Christ alone and the cross and radical obedience. They say that these tactics are harsh and unloving and unproductive. Well, we studied the radical gospel that Jesus preached and verse 30 reveals the radical results He received. "As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him." Should we possibly blame the lack of true conversions today on the lack of preaching the true gospel?

Before we close, allow me to present a few points of personal application. Examine yourself beloved.

Are you preaching a radical message?

The five sermon points from today's message are a good outline for the gospel: recognize Jesus as the Light of the World, acknowledge Jesus as the truth, confess your sin, believe in His sacrificial death and live a life of obedience. The command to preach the proper gospel is necessary for God-honoring conversions, but it is also necessary for God-honoring obedience. Paul in Galatians 1 gives a strong warning to those who compromise the message. "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed" (Gal. 1:6-9).

Are you following a radical Savior?

First John 2:6 says, "The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." Are you trusting in Christ alone for salvation? Do you seek to always do the things that are pleasing to Him? Do accept Him and love Him and embrace Him for all that He is and all that He teaches? Do you seek to understand what He says before you determine who He is? Are you ashamed to speak anything that He has spoken in His Word? Do you want to be like Him more than anything else in life?

Are you living a radical life?

How is your life any different from the average unconverted Sunday morning churchgoer in America? Is God bearing radical fruit in your life that marks you as one of His children? Are you serving God in a way that is contrary to the worldview of this fallen world and against the drift of popular opinion? Are you living as a stranger in this world, or does your life conform to the approval of the world? Are you boldly sharing the complete gospel without shame? Do your financial investments reveal a desire for heavenly treasures? Is your obedience to Christ a non-negotiable? Are you known as a man or woman of faithful prayer and Bible reading? Are you radically repenting from sin? Are you serving beyond the point of comfort in the local church?

The problem with many in the church is not that we are too liberal, but rather that we are too conservative! We are to be conservative in our preserving of the faith, but liberal in our application of it! And may we depart with a better understanding of our radical Savior to make it our ambition through the power of the Holy Spirit to live radically transformed lives for the love of others and the glory of God.


More in John

May 9, 2004

The Priority of A Disciple

May 2, 2004

From Fishermen To Shepherds

April 25, 2004

Fishing For Men