Sermon Notes - John 8:21-29 - Littleby Baptist Church - May 7, 2023

1.     During the Feast of the Tabernacles, when the lamps are lit in the Temple, Jesus tells all who are listening that He is the Light of the world.

a.      When the people are remembering that God guided them…

b.     That He showed them the way through the wilderness.

c.      Jesus states that if they follow Him, they will never walk in the darkness.

2.     As we walk with our Jesus, He will shine on us.

a.      He will show us the sin in our lives so that we can turn away from it.

b.     He will guide our path as we walk in this world.

c.      As we follow our Jesus, we need to let Him mold us and shape us.

d.     It will draw us closer to Him.

e.      It will also allow others to see Jesus at work in us.

f.      Which is something the Holy Spirit can use to open up their eyes and soften their hearts so that they may be willing to hear about Jesus.

g.     As we depend on Jesus and let Him change us, His light shines.

h.     As His light shines on us, it will touch others in our life.

i.       It is amazing that God can use our brokenness to touch the lives of others.

3.     John 8:21

a.      Time is short…

b.     There is a point when we all will run out of time.

c.      We need to trust in Jesus today.

d.     We don’t know how much time we have, and any delay could cost us an eternity in Paradise.

e.      If we do not have Jesus, our will result in eternal separation from God.

4.     A lot of times when we read the word sin, we may think of a single thing we did yesterday we are not proud of, or we may think of the laundry list of sins we have done.

a.      When Jesus is speaking the Pharisees, He is mentioning a singular sin.

b.     A sin that many commit.

c.      It is not murder or anger, it is not adultery or lust, it is not any of the list we may beat ourselves up over.

d.     The sin that Jesus is mentioning here is simply the rejection of the Messiah.

e.      With Jesus’ death and resurrection, the sins that separates us from God is the rejection of His Messiah.

f.      Accept the Messiah and be saved.

g.     Reject Him and be separated from God for all eternity.

5.     Rejection of Jesus as Messiah is the Sin that will prevent any and all from following Him.

a.      If we want to spend forever with our Jesus, we need to believe in Him.

b.     We need to repent of our sins and follow Him.

6.     John 8:22

a.      As we have seen a lot in the Gospel of Johm, the sin in their lives prevents them from seeing Jesus for who He is.

7.     John 8:23

a.      Jesus is from Above… He is from Farther God.

b.     He is not of this world… His home is not here with the people He was talking to.

                                                    i.     It is not here with us.

c.      His Home is with the Father.

d.     A place we can only see by believing in the Messiah and accepting the gift He is offering us.

8.     John 8:24

a.      Jesus is telling them that they will die in their sins.

b.     If they reject the Lamb of God.

c.      If they reject that Jesus is the revelation of God.

d.     They will miss their only hope for Salvation.

9.     Now those words are the same for us.

a.      We will die of our sins if we reject the Lamb of God.

b.     If we reject that Jesus is God’s revelation to us.

c.      Our Hope can only be found in Jesus, rejecting Him is rejecting that Hope, rejecting our chance at Salvation.

d.     Jesus is the only way to Father.

e.      He is the only way to spend forever in paradise.

10.  John 8:25

a.      In verse 24, Jesus stated ‘I am He’, He was basically saying ‘I Am’ meaning that He is God.

b.     They did not understand how Jesus could claim to be God.

c.      Having seen sign after sign and Jesus repeatedly telling them who He is, it continued to be confusing for them.

d.     Jesus responds telling them that He is exactly who He says He is.

e.      He is not talking in riddles; He was speaking plainly.

f.      The struggle was that the concept of a Messiah who was not a triumphant king was not something they could understand.

11.  John 8:26

a.      There is a lot that Jesus could say to those questioning Him.

b.     He may have said more than we are privy to.

c.      But here Jesus is making the point that what He has been telling them is from the Father.

d.     The messages He has been sharing is for them, but it is a message that is to be shared with all of the world.

e.      The message that He is the Light for all, is for the world.

f.      It is for us who are here 2,000 years later.

g.     When Jesus said that doing the work of the Father, is believing in the one the Father sent… that is a message for all of humankind.

h.     When He told them that He is the bread of life and that if we believe in Him, we have eternal life… is a message that people need to hear.

i.       Jesus came to the Jewish people, but He came FOR and speaks to ALL of us.

12.  John 8:27

a.      Once again, we see the Apostle John add a bit of commentary to what he is writing.

b.     The people heard the words of Jesus but did not understand what He was talking about.

c.      They did not understand that Jesus was talking about Father God.

d.     Common theme, they did not recognize Jesus because they did not know the Father.

e.      At the same time, those that rejected Jesus would not see the Father.

f.      Salvation comes from believing in the one the Father sent.

g.     If you don’t recognize the Father or the Son, you cannot connect the dots.

13.  John 8:28

a.      Jesus has told us that He came to do the Father’s will.

b.     He has told us that He is sharing what the Father wants to be said.

c.      People did not want to believe it.

d.     At some point in Jesus’ future, He was going to be lifted up.

e.      Some will tell you that this happens when He is lifted up on that cross, probably not.

f.      Others will state that Jesus being lifted up is in regard to His resurrection, likely.

g.     Or it could be when people recognize Jesus for who He is, likely.

h.     With His death even His closest disciples did not understand.

i.       Most of them were drowning in doubts and fear.

j.       But when Jesus came to them after His resurrection their eyes were opened.

k.     ‘Then you will know that I am he.’

l.       Whether this is referencing His actual resurrection lifting Him from the dead or when people lift Him up in recognition that He is the Son…

m.   Which ever it is, then they will know who Jesus is.

n.     It is then that their eyes will be opened to the Truth.

o.     That they will see that Jesus truly is the Father’s Son.

14.  At some point everyone of us will have to come to terms with who Jesus is.

a.      Is He who He says He is?

b.     Is He the Son of God our Messiah.

c.      Or is he some wild crazy liar.

d.     There are only two options.

e.      When we recognize who He is and that we need a Savior, our eyes will be opened to how Awesome our God is.

15.  John 8:29

a.      Even though people reject Jesus, the Father will never abandon Him.

b.     Jesus was not alone.

c.      He and the Father are connected.

d.     Jesus is doing the Father’s will.

16.  Luke 22:39-42

a.      Even when He was facing death, Jesus submitted to the Father.

b.     Jesus willingly died for on that cross to pay for our sins.

c.      He knew that the Father wanted to spend an eternity with us.

d.     Jesus climbed on that cross, died for us, and then rose again.

e.      By doing so, He is offering us a path to redemption.

17.  We are all sinners and cannot get into heaven on our own.

a.      We are not good enough.

b.     We cannot earn salvation.

c.      We cannot buy it.

d.     On our own we are lost forever.

e.      We need a Savior.

18.  John 6:40

a.      Jesus is that Savior we need.  

b.     Believe in Jesus and have eternal life.

c.      It is simple as that.

d.     Recognize that you are lost without Him and believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

e.      Believe that He paid your debt… and you are saved.

f.      A message we all need to hear.

g.     Some, need to be reminded and encouraged by hearing their Savior loved them so much that He died for them.

                                                    i.     You may need to hear your sins this last week or month are forgiven by you faith in Jesus.

h.     Some need to hear this message so that they are ready to share it with someone this coming week.

                                                    i.     Never know who God puts in our paths.

i.       Then there are those who don’t know Jesus.

j.       They need to hear this message so that their eyes will be opened to the truth that they NEED a Savior.

k.     Whichever group you are in I hope this message draws you closer to Jesus.

l.       Jesus loves you, died for you, and wants you to follow Him.

m.   Give your life to Him before it is too late.