"Who do you make yourself out to be?"

“Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Scripture Lessons

Genesis 22:1-14

Psalm 43:1-5

Hebrews 9:11-15

John 8:42-59

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is at issue in this lesson is this: “Who do you make yourself out to be?” In other words, the Jews (that is the scribes and Pharisees) wanted to know, who is Jesus of Nazareth? Other questions arise. 1) How does the word of God come to us and who hears it? 2) What does the Old Testament teach about Abraham and the promise of God to bless him and make of him a great nation, outnumbering the stars and the sand of the seashore? And how does that come about? 3) Why do some people not believe the testimony of God? Jesus answers all of these questions, including and most importantly, who is He?

To give a little context, the text that precedes this passage from John tells us that Jesus was in the temple and was teaching all the people, including the scribes and Pharisees. But they would not receive His teaching. They continued to challenge Him and by what authority He teaches the things that He teaches. “Abraham is our father,” they said, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”

But the true children of Abraham are not so because of their genetics. They are children of Abraham because they do the works of Abraham. What is the work of Abraham? Nothing less than to hear the word of God with faith. To hear the word of God and to believe that it is God’s word which comes to you with power and authority. That is the word that Jesus spoke, after all He is the Word incarnate. Yet they would not hear the word and therefore Jesus said,

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

These are harsh words, but this truth is a harsh reality. The world is bifurcated into two groups, those who hear the word and those who will not hear the word of God. Children of Abraham are those who will hear the word. Children of the devil are those who willfully resist the word of God and they do so to their condemnation. Do not be surprised when the world rejects the word of God as our society has done in large part. All around are people who want to pervert the word of God, twist it to support their own philosophical or political aims. Pride leads us to desire to live a particular way, according to our will, but God’s word has no place for self-serving desire. Our desire should be to live according to the will of God, but when you go astray from that will it is stubborn, obdurate, and sinful. There is one way for the Christian, and that is God’s way. And we don’t have to guess as to His will, for it is revealed in His word. For starters, His will is that you hear His word! The word of God shows us our sin and need for a savior and it shows us the savior Himself, Jesus the Christ.

We live in a society which has by-in-large rejected the word of God. We recognize this, and yet we try to make friends with a godless society. Stop! When the society of which we are a part transgresses the revealed will of God, stop, and reject that transgression. You want to draw me away from the divine service? No, I must receive the word of God! You want me to live for myself? No, the will of God is that I serve others! You say I shouldn’t suffer? No, that is not the way of the cross!

Jesus understood full well that He was destined for the cross. As this gospel lesson unfolded, the scribes and Pharisees were exasperated that He claimed to be greater than the prophets, greater than Abraham. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews rightly understood what He said. He is equal to God. He is eternally existing, from eternity past, to the present, and into eternity future, I AM. Stoning Him, as they sought to do would have been the appropriate thing if He really was a false prophet. Because it would have been blasphemy for which God commanded the death penalty. But it was not blasphemy because He truly is one with the Father.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” You may wonder, “when did Abraham see His day? Was he given a special revelation?” We read about this in the Old Testament lesson from Genesis 22, the sacrifice of Isaac. Look at the parallels:

• 1) “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love.” At the baptism of Jesus, “a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” 3:17
• 2) “On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.” And Jesus was in the grave for three days and then was resurrected.
• 3) “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son.” And when Jesus was crucified, “they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.” 19:17.
• 4) “Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.” And Jesus was nailed to the cross.
• 5) “Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns.” Just so, the Roman soldiers twisted “together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head.” 27:29.

Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Yes my dear friends, Abraham saw the day of the Lord and rejoiced. He saw the crucifixion of Jesus wherein He took upon Himself your sins. And he saw the resurrection of Jesus wherein you and I have been justified in Christ. Abraham saw this with faith and rejoiced. Thus, all children of Abraham look upon the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus and rejoice that He has conquered sin, death, and the devil! And in this marvelous work of Jesus Christ, God is glorified. Jesus said that He did not glorify Himself. No, He did the will of the Father. The Father glorified the Son. And in this we see the Father, the gracious, merciful, slow-to-anger, steadfast loving, heavenly Father who has given Jesus Christ, the Word incarnate, for you!

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen.