John 8:12-20
What Jesus Wants
Last week we looked at the event that John recorded to start this
chapter. I mentioned that this chapter was something of a broken
chapter in that each statement Jesus made was argued against by the
religious leaders—that is the case.
With all of the interruptions, I am not certain that Jesus was able to
finish His sermon. I spend some time looking over the conversation
recorded in this chapter in search of that message. I used some
criteria in my search.
1. I figured it would somehow die into the event recorded
earlier.
John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said
unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin
no more.
2. I figured that Jesus would try to get the message across more
than once.
3. I figured that the message would not necessarily be part of
Jesus’ answer to the leaders.
With that in mind, I found three verses which I think fit the bill.
Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world: he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which
believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a
man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Let me make share some thoughts.
I. What was Jesus saying?
A. I see three points of contrast.
1. Life \\#21\\ and death \\#51\\
2. darkness \\#12\\ and light \\#12\\
3. follower \\#12\\ and disciple \\#31\\
B. In these verses, Jesus was telling us which one of the two He
wants us to gravitate toward.
1. Between life and death, life. (message of salvation)
2. Between darkness and light, light. (holiness)
3. Between a follower and disciple, disciple. (dedication)
C. Each of these individually gives a powerful message.
Together, they tell describe the progressive Christian life.
II. There is the contrast of life \\#12\\ and death.
A. Jesus was speaking about heaven and hell, salvation and
damnation.
1. He was speaking of salvation when He spoke of life and
death.
2. Jesus spoke often about heaven and hell for He wanted the
lost to be saved.
B. The topic of salvation came up a lot in these verses.
1. Jesus talked about His death which was payment for sin.
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…
a. He who?
b. He the Messiah and Savior of the world.
2. Jesus talked about freedom.
John 8: 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free.
John 8:34 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.
a. Interestingly, most people think being lost is
freedom and being saved is prison.
b. It is the other way around!
3. Jesus talked about the Master of this world.
John 8:43 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.
C. Some facts from these verses:
1. Everyone is serving someone, either Satan or God.
a. Freedom is not the ability to do what YOU want to do.
(That type of freedom does not exist.)
b. Freedom is the ability to choose NOT to sin.
2. Jesus’ death produces life and freedom from sin.
D. Yet, I do not believe salvation was Jesus’ only message.
III. \\#12\\ There is the contrast between walking in darkness and
walking in light.
A. Jesus made it clear that those who follow Him WILL walk in
light (holiness, purity, truth).
B. To understand the text we need to understand what a "follower"
is \\#12\\.
1. A follower is one is walking behind Jesus but in the same
direction. (Keep that in mind because I will talk about
that definition again in a moment.)
2. We would call that a Christian. Christians follow Jesus.
Mt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men.
C. \\#12\\ Notice what Jesus said of a follower.
1. He will not walk in darkness but light.
2. That is, a Christian will not continue in sin. He may not
be perfect but a Christian will not be bound by sin.
a. This is not the follower’s choice.
b. Jesus was saying that this is what WILL happen.
c. It happens because God starts to do in work in the
life of the follower.
d. That work is called GRACE.
e. Grace will pull you out of sin and toward the light.
3. This is a common teaching in the Bible.
Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world,
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide
in darkness.
Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in
thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
1Jo 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither
known him.
4. This is the same teaching as the "New Creature in Christ,"
as "Holiness," as "the Fullness of the Holy Spirit," as
the "Victorious Christian Life," and more.
5. This is exactly what Jesus told the woman taken in
adultery.
John 8:11 …go, and sin no more.
IV. There is a contrast between a follower \\#12\\ and a disciple
\\#31\\.
A. There is a difference in being a follower and a disciple.
1. A follower \\#12\\ is one is walking behind Jesus but in
the same direction.
a. The problem with being a follower is that you can be
following but still be way back there.
b. As long as you are moving down the same trail, you are
following.
2. A disciple \\#31\\ follows but with more zeal and vigor.
He wants more than just to be on the correct trail. He
wants to be right there with Jesus.
B. It is this difference of attitude and diligence that separates
the saved from the disciples.
1. There are a lot more followers of Jesus than there are
disciples.
2. A good illustration might be to consider Peter and John
on the night of the crucifixion.
3. They both followed Jesus but that did it from "a far."
(a) Why did they follow from a far? Why not be right up
there with Jesus?
(b) They knew if they had gotten too close, they might
share Jesus’ faith.
(c) So they were followers (believers) but they were not
disciples (determined).
C. We could all do with a good attitude adjustment!
D. \\#31\\ But Jesus gave another difference between the follower
and the disciple.
1. The disciple continues in Jesus’ word.
2. That is, the disciple not only gets out of the darkness
(stop doing the wrong), but he goes a step further to
to start doing what’s right, doing what Jesus told us to
do.
3. This might sound a bit confusing but what Jesus was saying
is that anyone who is saved (follower) is going to stop
doing what is wrong but disciples want to start doing
what is right.
(a) tithing
(b) worshipping
(c) witnessing
(d) serving
4. Another way to look at is "sins of commission" and "sins
of omission."
(a) Christians stop their sins of commission because they
come out of the darkness.
(b) The disciples who want to be right up there with the
Lord start doing the things that they know Christ
wants them to do!
What was the common theme? It is a progression of the Christian
life.
1. Followers stay out of the darkness.
2. Disciple obey my commands.
3. The obedient never see death.
<OutlineIndex> <Close Window>
