This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

Welcome to day five of our look through John chapter 8 in Daily Drive Time
Devotions. We're going to look at verses 48 to 59 today. You might remember that
yesterday we began our talk together about some barriers to freedom.

You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. We talked yesterday
about the fact that you've got to admit you're in prison, if you're going to get
out of prison. And you have to admit that what you're doing to get out, the key
you're using to get out, isn't working to get you out.

As we continue through this discussion that Jesus has about the truth setting
you free, in verses 48 to 53 you see a third thing that has to happen in my
life, in your life, to break through a barrier to freedom, beginning in verse
48. The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you're a Samaritan, a
demon possessed? " "I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus.

"But I honor my father, and you dishonor me. I'm not seeking glory for myself,
but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth, if
anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

" At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you're demon possessed. Abraham
died, and so did the prophets. And yet you say that if anyone keeps your word,
he will never taste death.

Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who
do you think you are?

What do I need to do if I'm going to break out of this prison of unbelief? "
When it comes right down to it, and I've heard all the truth, everything that
Jesus has to say, I need to stop resisting, and I need to start trusting. You
see in this discussion that day, there came a point where they knew that Jesus
could do something in their lives, but they resisted it.

We tend to resist freedom, it's the craziest thing. We tend to resist freedom
because we're more comfortable with the familiar prison that we're in. And so we
resist freedom.

And there comes a point when Jesus has explained everything, he's told the
truth, he's made it clear, where it's all about, I've got to stop resisting,
I've got to start trusting. As you look at these verses, verses 48 to 53, you
see revealed three typical ways of resisting Jesus's challenge to a changed
life, to a new life. You see slander, you see argument, you see sarcasm.

We get real cynical when we become resistant. In the first place, they start
with slander. They say, "You are demon-possessed, you are a Samaritan.

" Those were slanderous words in that day. To them, the Samaritans were a group
of people, remember we talked about them earlier in the book of John, that were
disparaged by them, not by God, but by them. Demon-possessed, you're crazy.

This is national inquirer kind of stuff as they bring these charges against
Jesus. And it's interesting. You often belittle the one who confronts us with
the truth that unmasks us.

That often happens. You might see it happen in a sermon. Some guy just
innocently gets up and shares a verse from God's word, but it unmasks you.

And you feel like you want to attack the guy who's preaching. Well, it's not his
fault. It's God speaking to you.

But we try to divert the attention in our minds because we don't really want to
change. They used slander, they used argument. All the way through this, they
argue about things.

They were arguing themselves out of the greatest gift that they've ever been
offered, the gift of freedom. And we often argue ourselves out of freedom. And
then they use sarcasm.

Who do you think you are? I've noticed in my own life, I've seen in many other
people's lives, that we become sarcastic when we resist the truth. When God's
asking me to do something that I don't want to do and I'm resistant to it, I
become sarcastic about life, sarcastic about that relationship, sarcastic about
that thing.

When you see sarcasm beginning to rise up in your life, it is a warning sign.
What am I resisting that God is asking me to do? These are the responses of
people who have been asked to do something by someone whom they believe has no
rights over them.

And how does Jesus respond? He is God, by the way. He does have rights over
them.

How does he respond? He doesn't shrink back and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't
mean to offend you. " No, he pours it on.

Back in verse 54, you see this series of lightning flashes. Actually it begins
back in verse 51 with him saying, "You'll never see death. " He's bringing these
lightning flashes of truth that they cannot miss.

And when they hear that, they say, "What are you talking about? Abraham died and
you're not going to die? " What is Jesus' answer to that?

Verse 54 to 58, "Jesus replied, 'If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My
father, whom you claim is your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do
not know him, I know him.

If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep
his word. Your father, Abraham, rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day.

He saw it and he was glad. 'You're not yet 50 years old,' the Jews said to him,
'and yet you have seen Abraham? I tell you the truth.

' Jesus answered, 'Before Abraham was born, I am. '" Here's another lightning
flash. Jesus says, "I know God.

" Jesus says, "Even though you don't know him, I know him. " As he uses that
phrase, he uses two different Greek words for know. The first word is the word
for knowing intellectually.

Although you don't know him even intellectually, the second word is the word for
knowing personally. I know him personally. He is saying to them, "Although you
haven't even learned to recognize God, you don't even know him intellectually,
mentally.

I am closely acquainted with God. I know him personally. " Lightning flash, "I
know God.

" And then another lightning flash, "Abraham rejoiced at seeing my day. "
They've got to be reeling at this moment. What is he talking about?

"Abraham rejoiced. " They ask about it. "You're not yet 50 years old.

How do you know what Abraham thought? " And then comes the biggest lightning
flash of all. One of those, if you're in a lightning storm, you'd never forget
it.

Before Abraham was born, Jesus says, "I am. " What does that mean? Is that bad
grammar?

"I am? " No. No.

Jesus is using here God's holy name. I am. Remember Exodus, Exodus 3.

14? Moses and God are having a talk, God from the burning bush. Moses says,
"What is your name?

" And God says to Moses, Exodus 3. 14, "I am who I am. " This is what you're to
say to the Israelites.

"I am has sent me to you. " I don't understand when people say to me, "Jesus
never claimed to be God. " He used the most holy name of God in reference to
himself.

Those who say Jesus never claimed to be God simply are not being intellectually
honest about the Bible. Jesus claimed to be God. You may want to say, "I don't
believe in his claim," but Jesus claimed to be God.

And I believe in his claim. Jesus is God. He has the right to do or to ask
anything he wants.

He has the power to accomplish anything that he desires. Before Abraham was
born, I am. The question I have to ask myself every day is, "Is he the great I
am in my life today?

" Who am I going to act like Jesus is today? Am I going to act like he's just a
good friend? He is a good friend.

I do have companionship with him. Am I going to act like he's just a wise
teacher? He is a wise teacher.

I do gain inspiration from him, but he has so much more than that. Am I going to
act like he is God himself? Am I going to see his lordship in my life?

I am. What happened this day? Jesus brought these lightning flashes of truth.

How did they respond? Verse 59, "They understood what he was saying. At this,
they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from
the temple grounds.

" They were going to stone him because they knew what he was saying. He was
claiming to be God. That was blasphemy to them, so they immediately picked up
these stones so that they could kill him.

You see, in the end, we're always going to end up in one of two ways, trying to
throw stones at Jesus because we don't believe in him, disparaging remarks,
ignoring him, saying he didn't really mean that, throwing stones at Jesus to get
him away from our lives because we don't want to accept his lordship, his
leadership. We don't accept his right to lead our lives. We're going to end up
in one of two ways, throwing stones at Jesus or throwing ourselves at his feet.

We're going to end up with selfishness or service, with pride or humility. This
is an interesting chapter, John chapter 8. The chapter starts with a group of
people refusing to throw stones at a woman who's caught in adultery, and it ends
with a group of people picking up stones to throw at Jesus.

As I think about this chapter, as I think about my life, your life, we all have
a stone in our hands. A stone represents the right to judge, how you judge. We
all have a stone in our hands.

The question is, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to throw it at
others to justify your sin, to hide from your sin? Are you going to throw it at
Jesus to hide from the truth?

Or right now, wherever you are, whether you're in your car, you're listening at
your computer, you're at home, wherever you are, visualize yourself with this
stone in your hand. Are you going to release your grip on that stone and drop
it? Drop it at his feet and choose to praise him.

Jesus, I drop my judgmental spirit towards others, my judgmental spirit towards
you. I drop it at your feet and I choose to praise you. Let's talk to him.

As you talk to him, say, "Jesus, what am I going to do with this stone in my
hand, with this freedom that you've given me to judge? Am I going to judge
others to cover my own guilt? Am I going to sit in questioning judgment of you?

Jesus, I don't want to do that. " I choose in this moment to drop my judgment
and to trust your judgment of me, of the world, of eternity. Jesus, I choose to
trust in your truth.

I want to abide in your word and then I'll know the truth and the truth will set
me free. Thank you, Jesus. In your name, amen.

Be sure to join us next week. We're going to be taking a look together at John
chapter 9. That's the chapter that focuses on the healing of the blind man.

The blind man who says, "Once I was blind, but now I see. " Next week, John
chapter 9.