Thr witnsss to Jsus as th Christ apttotach.org Th way w liv our f yo n livs. stimrsoonal. John 10:31-42 Lsson #37 Known by Works 04/17/2016 g in l. t r p rinc h h T ou p ac sp x pr Go Th f th o 1 Contxt 22 At that tim th Fast of th Ddication took plac at Jrusalm; 23 it was wintr, and Jsus was walking in th tmpl in th portico of Solomon. 24 Th Jws thrfor gathrd around Him, and wr saying to Him, How long will You kp us in suspns? If You ar th Christ, tll us plainly. 25 Jsus answrd thm, I told you, and you do not bliv; th works that I do in My Fathr s nam, ths bar witnss of M. 26 But you do not bliv, bcaus you ar not of My shp. Th Jwish ladrs wr spcially snsitiv to any form of blasphmy at this tim. 2 Contxt 22 At that tim th Fast of th Ddication took plac at Jrusalm; 23 it was wintr, and Jsus was walking in th tmpl in th portico of Solomon. 24 Th Jws thrfor gathrd around Him, and wr saying to Him, How long will You kp us in suspns? If You ar th Christ, tll us plainly. 25 Jsus answrd thm, I told you, and you do not bliv; th works that I do in My Fathr s nam, ths bar witnss of M. 26 But you do not bliv, bcaus you ar not of My shp. Our actions spak loudr than words. Blif is mor about innr nlightnmnt than outr vidnc. 4 Th Fast of Ddication (hanukkah) - clbrating th purification and rddication of th tmpl by Judas th Maccab in 165 B.C. (shortly aftr it had bn dscratd by Antiochus Epiphans). Portico of Solomon or (Court of th Gntils) Portico of Solomon 3 31 Th Jws took up stons again to ston Him. 32 Jsus answrd thm, I showd you many good works from th Fathr; for which of thm ar you stoning M? 33 Th Jws answrd Him, For a good work w do not ston You, but for blasphmy; and bcaus You, bing a man, mak Yourslf out to b God. 34 Jsus answrd thm, Has it not bn writtn in your Law, I said, you ar gods '? 35 If h calld thm gods, to whom th word of God cam (and th Scriptur cannot b brokn), 36 do you say of Him, whom th Fathr sanctifid and snt into th world, You ar blasphming, bcaus I said, I am th Son of God? 37 If I do not do th works of My Fathr, do not bliv M; 38 but if I do thm, though you do not bliv M, bliv th works, that you may know and undrstand that th Fathr is in M, and I in th Fathr. 5
34 Jsus answrd thm, Has it not bn writtn in your Law, I said, you ar gods '? 35 If h calld thm gods, to whom th word of God cam (and th Scriptur cannot b brokn), 36 do you say of Him, whom th Fathr sanctifid and snt into th world, You ar blasphming, bcaus I said, I am th Son of God? Psalm 82:6 You ar gods, and all of you ar sons of th Most High. (spaking of th ruling judgs of Isral who wr supposd to rprsnt God but did not judg fairly) Th word translatd god (Elohim) is somtims usd for human rulrs (Ex.21:6, 22:8,9,28) or vn vil angls in Rabbinic litratur. 6 Paraphras Whn th Jws trid again to ston him, Jsus inquird about what was wrong with what h had don. Th Jws said that it was his claims to b God that wr blasphmous not his works. Jsus rspondd, You accus m of blasphmy for saying that I am th Son of God but your sacrd Scriptur dscribs thos to whom th word of God cam as gods vn though thy wr unjust and you do not accus thm. I com as th only bgottn Son of God and Mssiah with signs to prov it. Draw your conclusions about my idntity from my dds vn if you don t bliv my words. 7 Obsrvations 1. Why is this passag in John? If th dity of Jsus is fundamntal to th Christian faith and John s Gospl maks th clarst cas for his divinity, why dos John includ this passag? Why dos th dity of Jsus sm so obscur? Could it b that th way w argu for Jsus dity nds to b rconsidrd? 2. How do w dfnd th divin natur of Jsus? Proof txts from th Bibl may man littl to thos who do not bliv. Not th attntion givn to Jsus dds. 8 Acts 2 22 Mn of Isral, listn to ths words: Jsus th Nazarn, a man attstd to you by God with miracls and wondrs and signs which God prformd through Him in your midst, just as you yourslvs know 23 this Man, dlivrd up by th prdtrmind plan and forknowldg of God, you naild to a cross by th hands of godlss mn and put Him to dath. 9 Lssons 1. Look at this passag as a window into our intraction with our cultur. Bfor w blam othrs for not having ars to har th Gospl, lt s b sur w hav not nullifid it with our bhavior. 2. If our witnss consists only of words (tstimonials and Bibl vrss), w ar vry limitd in th ffct of our outrach. 3. Considr Jams 2. Just as our faith is hard for othrs to s without our dds, so Jsus divin natur may b hard to s apart from his signs. 10 Dwight L. Moody A holy lif will mak th dpst imprssion. Lighthouss blow no horns, thy just shin. 11
Jsus ministry was a SHOW and TELL opration. W ar calld to follow his xampl. 12 Principl #1 from Jams 2 Faith without action is dad with rspct to our ministry. 14 What us is it, my brthrn, if a man says h has faith, but h has no works? Can that faith sav him? 15 If a brothr or sistr is without clothing and in nd of daily food, 16 and on of you says to thm, Go in pac, b warmd and b filld, and yt you do not giv thm what is ncssary for thir body, what us is that? 17 Evn so faith, if it has no works, is dad, bing by itslf. 13 Principl #1 from Jams 2 Faith without action is dad with rspct to our ministry. What us is it Jams is looking at faith in a tmporal practical sns. if a man says h has faith Jams is looking at th claim to faith (talking th talk). but h has no works? Think of Jams us of works as dds which is th mor common maning. 14 Can that faith sav him? Jams is clarly indicating that w ar savd by works (dds). Th qustion is savd from what? 15 If a brothr or sistr is without clothing and in nd of daily food, 16 and on of you says to thm, Go in pac, b warmd and b filld, and yt you do not giv thm what is ncssary for thir body, what us is that? 17 Evn so faith, if it has no works, is dad, bing by itslf. Th contxt of th word savd in Jams is not trnal lif but usfulnss in this lif. Jams 5:15 Th prayr offrd in faith will sav th on who is sick, and th Lord will rais him up. 15 Can that faith sav him? Jams is clarly stating that w ar savd by works (dds). Th qustion is savd from what? 15 If a brothr or sistr is without clothing and in nd of daily food, 16 and on of you says to thm, Go in pac, b warmd and b filld, and yt you do not giv thm what is ncssary for thir body, what us is that? 17 Evn so faith, if it has no works, is dad, bing by itslf. Paul also uss th word savd in a tmporal sns. 1 Timothy 3:15 But womn shall b prsrvd (savd) through th baring of childrn if thy continu in faith and lov and sanctity with slf-rstraint. 16 Principl #2 from Jams 2 Faith without action is dad with rspct to our witnss. 18 But somon may wll say, You hav faith, and I hav works; show m your faith without th works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You bliv that God is on. You do wll; th dmons also bliv, and shuddr. 20 But ar you willing to rcogniz, you foolish fllow, that faith without works is uslss? 17
Principl #2 from Jams 2 Faith without action is dad with rspct to our witnss. show m... and I will show you Jams is looking at faith as it is sn by man (by action) not God (who looks at th hart). is uslss? Jams is looking at faith in a practical sns and valuating its usfulnss in this lif. 18 Matthw 5:16 Lt your light shin bfor mn in such a way that thy may s your good works, and glorify your Fathr who is in havn. It is possibl to hav ral light but not to hav it sn by mn so as to glorify God. Such light is uslss. 19 Principl #3 from Jams 2 Faith without action is dad with rspct to our idntity. 21 Was not Abraham our fathr justifid by works, whn h offrd up Isaac his son on th altar? 22 You s that faith was working with his works, and as a rsult of th works, faith was prfctd; 23 and th Scriptur was fulfilld which says, And Abraham blivd God, and it was rckond to him as rightousnss, and h was calld th frind of God. 24 You s that a man is justifid by works, and not by faith alon. 25 And in th sam way was not Rahab th harlot also justifid by works, whn sh rcivd th mssngrs and snt thm out by anothr way? 26 For just as th body without th spirit is dad, so also faith without works is dad. 20 21 Was not Abraham our fathr justifid by works, whn h offrd up Isaac his son on th altar? 22 You s that faith was working with his works, and as a rsult of th works, faith was prfctd; 23 and th Scriptur was fulfilld which says, And Abraham blivd God, and it was rckond to him as rightousnss, and h was calld th frind of God. Abraham s faith is prfctd and fulfilld in Gn.22 A public display Abraham is dclard to b justifid by faith in Gn.15 A privat dclaration Jams point Paul s point 21 21 Was not Abraham our fathr justifid by works, whn h offrd up Isaac his son on th altar? 22 You s that faith was working with his works, and as a rsult of th works, faith was prfctd; 23 and th Scriptur was fulfilld which says, And Abraham blivd God, and it was rckond to him as rightousnss, and h was calld th frind of God. 24 You s that a man is justifid by works, and not by faith alon. Is Jams looking at justification bfor man? Romans 4:2-3 For if Abraham was justifid by works, h has somthing to boast about; but not bfor God. 22 Romans 4:5 But to th on who dos not work, but blivs in H i m w h o j u s t i f i d t h ungodly, his faith is crditd to him as rightousnss. Paul (Faith = justification > works) An apparnt conflict Jams 2:24 You s that a man is justifid by works, and not by faith alon. Jams (Faith + works = justification) 23
is of us in saving us in this lif. Jams Fruit justifis bfor man. L istning to concrns O vrlooking waknsss V aluing strngths E mpathizing with pain Faith savs us in th lif to com. justifis bfor God. Ephsians 4:15 but spaking th truth in lov, w ar to grow up in all aspcts into Him, who is th had, vn Christ, Paul 24 How do you rspond to lif? Bing a Christian dosn t chang what you dal with, so much as how you dal with it. Comptnc is rvald in what w do and Charactr is rvald in what w do nxt. 26 Discipls of Jsus know how and whn to pray and how and whn to b th answr to somon ls s prayr. Four daily disciplins 1. Larn somthing nw 2. B thankful for somthing 3. Encourag somon 4. Rspond to an vnt graciously 28 25 Lov is a rspons to: patint kind not jalous dos not brag is not arrogant dos not act unbcomingly dos not sk its own is not provokd dos not tak into account a wrong suffrd dos not rjoic in unrightiousnss rjoics with th truth bars all things blivs all things hops all things ndurs all things 1 Cor. 13:4-7 trials insults succss of othrs succss of slf powr and authority frdom comptition challnging confrontation injustic failur of othrs gossip and slandr loss doubts 27 discouragmnt dlayd xpctations 1 Ptr 3 14 But vn if you should suffr for th sak of rightousnss, you ar blssd. And do not far thir intimidations, and do not b troubld, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your harts, always bing rady to mak a dfns to vryon who asks you to giv an account for th hop that is in you, yt with gntlnss and rvrnc; 16 and kp a good conscinc so that in th things in which you ar slandrd, thos who rvil your good bhavior in Christ will b put to sham. 29