The Gospel of John 8:31-59

John chapter 8, 31 through 59. Let's take a look first at the slides. There's nothing particularly unique because we've been kind of continuing on the same scene, but just to make sure we're all on the same page here. Jesus is in Jerusalem and he significantly is in the temple area during this time. This is a model of the temple where you have a courtyard about the size of six football fields. And then you have the inner temple area where only Jews are allowed and with certain qualifications. And there's a dramatic depiction of Jesus in those temple courtyards, another one of those. I'm going to change the picture up to here, though, just so we can keep the scene in mind here.

Some seem to have believed in Christ in this pilgrimage that Jesus made. In John 7.31 it says, But many of the crowd believed in him and were saying, When the Christ comes, will he not perform more signs than those which this man has? Will he?

And then John 8.30, As he spoke these things, many came to believe in him. And so How good do you think the belief is in these passages?

Kind of, sort of. Kind of, sort of? Yeah. And we're going to find out not very good. So it's interesting. Is it possible for someone to believe but not be saved? Yeah. And how could that be that someone could believe and not be saved? Don't move. The don't live it part may be the case even with someone who is saved but doesn't live it.

Is it a belief to change one's actions? Is it a belief to change one's actions? A sincerity? point is key here. The question could be asked, what do they believe? What do they believe? Suppose someone said, well, I believe in Jesus. I believe he's done a lot of times and wonders. Is that good enough? No, that's not good enough. So part of the issue is, okay, you believe, But what do you believe?

The people who were fed the 5,000? Did they believe, boy, this guy really makes up some good fish and bread, and miraculously so, and it's free. And the Romans don't tax it. So is their belief that Jesus can do that sufficient? No. What's the problem? They haven't entrusted their eternal destiny to Him.

Yes. In other words, there has to be a belief such that, I believe that Christ, not just can do some wondrous things, I believe that Christ, boy, He's a really nice guy. No. I believe that Christ is my Savior. And what's soon to be very clear, He's going to die on the cross and be buried and rise again. And do you believe that? And do you believe that that saves you? So it is possible to believe and still not be heading to heaven. And that's an important distinction and an important thing as we talk to people. that they have it clear, you know, this is the gospel, this is what you have to believe. Yeah, Tom?

Is it possible for someone to believe the facts but not act on them? Yes, someone to believe the facts in a sort of an intellectual or cursory way, yeah, that may also be the case. Let's take a look here, we will see how deep and sincere their belief is as we move through this passage. Some of the key themes are my word and his word, Abraham, significant one, father in truth and lies. Those are some key themes here.

Jesus' first use of my word was back in John 5.24 where my word referred to the gospel message from the father that whoever believes will have eternal life. So here's John 5, 24. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but is passed out of death into life. The belief has to be that passed out of death into life kind of belief.

Not just, I believe it's fairly advantageous for me to agree to and line up with Jesus' good works. No, it's not going to get there, is it? So, the Jews that Jesus is talking to, however, have believed, so it would seem, such that Jesus' next use of my word has to do with learning in discipleship after having believed. He's saying, OK, if you believe, here's what's next. Here's what follows.

These Jews know the truth sufficient to believe for salvation, so it seems. but they need to continue on so that they know the truth that will take them beyond the truths of initial salvation and make them free. Now, so here's, this is the way at least Jesus talks to them, but let's see if they really swallow it. John 8, 31 through 33. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him, with this kind of belief, if you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine. Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. They answered him, we are Abraham's descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say you will become free?

What is the problem we've been encountering with these Jews and even with the Samaritans all along? Jesus says something and how do they interpret it? Right here, okay, physical, that's how they understand things. Their spiritual understanding is just not there. He speaks to them again and again about spiritual truth and they want to apply it earthly. That's the pattern we've been seeing here.

These Jews, bottom of page one, these Jews had been taught that because they were physical descendants of Abraham, they had certain spiritual guarantees. Spiritual guarantees, they also saw Jesus' reference to slavery and freedom in earthly and human terms. They did not understand that Jesus was referring to freedom from slavery to spiritual ignorance and sin. Jesus is going to explain this next. Top of page 2. So here's John 8, 34-38.

Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son does remain forever. We're going to talk about what that means. So if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants, yet you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you.

I speak the things which I have seen with my father, therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father. Now we could put verse 34 in an expanded and explained, that's something I use from time to time, expanded and explained form in this way, Jesus answered them, truly, truly I say to you, everyone who continually commits sin is the slave of the sin principle.

One of the things we've said is a principle is either a fundamental truth, or the way things work, or both of those. Either a fundamental truth, the way things work, or both of those. In this case, the principle is the way things work. See that? The principle is the way things work.

So though the Jews, as descendants of Abraham, counted themselves as sons, Jesus was giving them the bad news that the principle of sin, the way things work under sin, makes people slaves, not sons. What? I'm descended from Abraham and I'm still a slave? Yes.

He says, what determines is not your genealogy here on earth, what determines your spiritual destiny is not your genealogy on earth, but instead what? Are you free from sin or enslaved by it? Are you free from it or enslaved by it? And the one who continually commits sin is enslaved by it. That's his point here.

He says, you guys think you're sons because you're descended from Abraham. That's not true. I know you're descended from Abraham. That's not the point. You are not sons, but slaves, because you are continually committing sin, including your wanting to kill me, and you will do anything, even if it's against the law of Moses, to try to make me dead. So, the paragraph right before John 8, 39-43, Jesus does not dispute that they are physical descendants of Abraham, but he states openly the leaders of the Jews are seeking to kill him, though unsuccessfully so far.

By telling them, my word has no place in you, he is saying that his word is not going anywhere in them. God's word needs to be effective. in people's hearts. And if it's not because they hold the Lord at bay, they say, no, that's not going anywhere with me, then they've got a problem. They're living falsehoods. They're denying the truth.

John 8.39-43, in the middle of page 2.

They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father, they said to him. We were not born of fornication. We have one father, God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me. If God were your father, you would love me. You get that? If God were your father, you would love me. For I proceeded from and have come from God, for I have not even come on my own initiative, but He sent me. Why do you not understand what I'm saying? It is because you cannot hear my word. You can't hear it. I'm saying it. Truly, truly, I say it to you, but you're not hearing it. You can't hear it. It's having no penetration in your heart. Yes?

Okay, so since they're talking about fathers here, and they are not of God, but they are of Satan, and so they're following Satan's desires and not God's will, so what's the equation here? Does God have to draw them, or do they have to choose, or is it an equal and or? One of the things we established earlier in the Gospel of John, two or three weeks back actually, but one of the things we established earlier is the clarification is God draws them using his word. That's what the Gospel of John spells out. So rather than the Calvinist, you know, God's drawing you but not you, God draws using His Word. Now, what's the problem? Are they responding to His Word? No. So the problem here is not one of God not drawing them.

They read over the Old Testament all the time. They're quite familiar with it. These guys are experts in what's in the Old Testament, what we call the Old Testament. They're experts in it. What's their problem? They're just words and they don't know the meaning. They're words, they don't know the meaning, they let it go into their head and they say, what do I do? And they're saying, I'm descended from Abraham, I must be good. They really don't believe the word. They don't believe the word and they have zero spiritual insight. Zero spiritual insight. So Jesus is trying to give them spiritual insight, and they're saying, well, I think we're going to kill you. That's how they're responding.

Yes? So, is it because God knows the evil intent and desire of their heart, so he does not allow them to understand his word? Or is it totally them who have hardened their hearts to any kind of truth. Here's the interesting thing. I think an insight into the question that you're asking comes from God hardened Pharaoh's heart. I know, but my reason for bringing that up, when we went some time ago now, through the book of Genesis and on into Exodus and all, One of the things that we pointed out was that yes, there is a place where God hardened Pharaoh's heart, but prior to that, Pharaoh had already hardened his own heart. So like we see in Romans chapter 1, God gave them over. So what happens is when people head off in a spiritual direction, God says, well, that's where you want to head. You're going to go farther and farther down that cascade.

Yes. Don't you think a lot of that is pride? I mean, they are the educated elite of the elite. Yes, oh yeah. And what we have been taught down from generation to generation to generation, that what we hear, I mean, we, what we hear in our family, goes with us, carries, makes a big impact on the decisions that we make and the beliefs that we have. Let's ask a question, because you've touched on something very important.

And that's this, is it God's job to make everybody do and think the right thing? No. The truth is that we live in a world, and it's true at this time as well, we live in a world where God does not sit there and control everybody's thinking and make everybody do the right thing. Truth is out there, and the truth about God is out there, and people have a chance to go one way or the other and they can in fact head off in a terrible direction. They can, in fact, head off in a terrible direction.

Yes. Well, and when you think about it, since God judged the world with blood, he's going to judge the world with fire, and he's going to actually create a new heaven and a new earth, it shows that he is not making everyone do what needs to be done, because he judges how people have lived their lives. Like Noah, every antenna of their heart was evil. Yes.

Here's the interesting thing, for the angels, who are also spiritual beings, they're all created at one time, they're also spiritual beings, while spiritual beings are not identical to us, only mankind was said to have been created in the image of God, when the angels chose some of them to disobey the Lord and to turn away, a third, this is Revelation chapter 12, a third of them fell. In order for that to take place, the angels had to have a true opportunity to choose and that opportunity to choose included the ability to actually choose very badly.

The same was true with Adam and us. In Adam is our federal head, right? The same is true where in order for Adam to choose the right thing or the wrong thing and have it be a true choice, the choice to do wrong had to be a real choice and not just fake.

God, whether you're talking about angels or whether you're talking about human beings, God is glorified as angels or people choose Him. God is glorified With us, in us, as we choose to believe in Him for salvation, He is continually glorified as we choose Him as saved believers every day thereafter. God is glorified, but what it means for both the angels and for human beings is for that to be a true choice, the choice to do wrong, the choice to make a bad choice, has to be real.

Yes. Man had free will, and when we say free will, there's certainly certain constraints we choose according to the nature God has given us or the nature that we've chosen to live by. So there are some constraints to that, but the reality is that the choice was a real choice. The choice was a real choice. It was not something that was faked or trumped up or pre-programmed. People actually do make choices.

Now, Stan brings up the point, as people make those choices, God will give them over to whatever they wish. He doesn't sit there and make them do all the right things. And so Romans chapter 1 again and again has this cascade of sin. God gave them over, God gave them over, God gave them over. Is that what you want? Okay. That's what you're going to get. That's what you're going to get. Okay, let's take a look here. Bottom paragraph of page 2.

Jesus points to fatherhood as the core issue. Though claiming to have God as their Father, these Jews, in plotting to kill Jesus, were showing that God was not in fact their Father. If God were their true Father, then it would be evident by their love for Christ, who was sent by the true God and Father. These did not understand because they could not take in Christ's message, neither could they let go of their substantial falsehoods.

Now this is key. Often a key ingredient in people rejecting the truth, they can't let go of the falsehoods that they have. I don't need Christ because I'm a descendant of Abraham. And that saves me. I'm already in. They can't let go of that falsehood. They kept coming back to it. They kept coming back to it. They could not let go of it. And that is what people grab on to and keeps them from being able to absorb the truth. They cannot let go of the falsehoods that are entrenched in their thinking and in their mind. And that guides their heart. Okay, let's take a look. Page 3. Top page 3. This is John 8, 44 through 47.

You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature for he is a liar and the father of lies. I think he lies. I had to answer a question almost like that in a deposition once. Anyway, but because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?

He who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason, you do not hear them, because you are not of God. Imagine, they just love to hear this. You are of your father of devil, you are not of God. They just rejoice to hear that, I'm sure, right? So Jesus gets explicit. These Jews are of their father the devil. They are like in character and close in relationship to the devil.

One of the things that we've said here, here's again a key takeaway, because you're going to run into it in the Bible again and again, to be a son of or a child of means to be like in character and close in relationship. When you see spiritually speaking, reference to a father, whether it's a good or bad reference, when you see spiritually speaking in the Bible reference to a father, like your father is the devil, that kind of thing, it means that you are a son of and a child of, and that means you are like in character and close in relationship. See that? So you're either a son of God, like in character and close in relationship, or you're a son of the devil, like in character and close in relationship. And God is your father, so that you are like in character and close in relationship to God the Father.

Or the devil is your father, and so you're like in character and close in relationship. Am I being repetitive enough? Okay, got that? So this is a key thing. When he tells them, you're of your father the devil, that's what he's saying. You are like in character and close in relationship to your father the devil. You are not of God. God is not your father, as you claim. So here we have Satan is characterized as a murderer from the beginning. And by the way, why is Satan a murderer? Did he get out a knife and stab somebody? Why is he a murderer? Why is Satan a murderer from the beginning? He killed me in a relationship. Okay. And how did he do that in the garden? How was he a murderer there in the garden? He lied. Okay. He lied. That's right. He did it.

And how did that happen? What did God tell Adam about what's going to happen if you eat this tree? Pardon? You will surely die. Chapter 3, I think it's about verse 4. You will not surely die, is what Satan says, right? Is that true? No, it's not true.

What was Satan doing? He's the father of lies. Before he was just deceptive, now it's an outright lie. Because what's going to happen is they will indeed die, which is exactly what Satan has in mind that makes him a murderer from the beginning. You see that? He does not stand in truth, you shall not die. There is no truth in him. Yeah, Tom?

Moreover, I suspect that Satan might have even had a hand, not provable, but in seducing the thoughts of the angels who would later follow him. Yeah, and obviously there was some real crazy thinking, spiritually speaking, going on in order for Satan to draw a third of the angels away. What kind of insanity is this? This is nuts.

Okay, the next one down, speaks lies from his nature. You see, he didn't speak lies like by accident. He didn't speak a lie, you know. Or, you know, let's be creative about this, a lie this time. No, he speaks lies from his nature. His nature is a deceptive and lying nature. He is a liar and a father of lies. And that a liar means he is characteristically a liar.

So these Jews were pretending to believe so that they could find better opportunity to kill him. Jesus knows this and calls them out. They will not, however, own up to their plotting. Jesus, as opposed to the devil, speaks the truth, so they don't believe him. Those who are of God hear the words of God, and those who aren't, don't. Those who aren't, don't.

So John 8, 48-51, the Jews answered him and said to him, do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? And by the way, that's not a compliment. Jesus answered, verse 49, I do not have a demon, but I honor my father and you dishonor me. That's a polite way of saying you're slandering me, right? You dishonor me. Verse 50, But I do not seek my glory, there is one who seeks and judges. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

Proof that Jesus was a Jew is in the records right across the temple courtyard. Jesus could have said, let's take a walk, it was on the north side of the temple, towards the west end. were all the records of the genealogies. They could have said, let's take a walk across the courtyard here, not very far, and you can go there, I can go there, we're all Jews, and we'll go in there and we'll see if I'm a Samaritan. In fact, the record showed, and Hebrews says it is evident that Jesus has descended from Judah. Present tense. You can check it out for yourself, even up to the time the Hebrews was written.

But that's not their point. Why are they saying you're a Samaritan? It's an insult, yes. Yeah, certainly they've got the genealogy wrong, but that's not the point. Their point was not to make a mistaken statement in genealogy, but rather to say, you know, we're insulting you in the most extreme terms possible. Yes.

Isn't it also the fact that Samaritans had They were not pure Jews, so in some cases they probably didn't know who their father was, in kind of a generalized sense. So when they're calling him a Samaritan, they're actually calling him not a real Jew. Yes, certainly that, but think about this. Jesus said, you're of your father the devil, and you are not of God.

So what are they doing? They think, well, if you're going to call us that, you know, yeah, we're going to call you something, you know, and doesn't matter whether it's true or not, we would like to be insulting. So he's telling them the truth, even if it's hard truth. They're coming back to him with a, you know, well, if you're going to slap me, I'm going to slap you, right? Not understanding that Jesus is telling the truth and they are not.

Now, So, now, when Jesus cast out demons, which you would have said, well, doesn't that demonstrate he doesn't have a demon, what did they attribute his ability to cast out demons to? In some instances they say, you know, it's by the Prince of Demons that you cast out demons, right? Yeah, but anyway, that was an accusation made more than once. to Jesus.

So there's no reality to either one of these things. They just feel compelled to throw out an insult for whatever reason. Jesus of course, this is the last paragraph on that page, Jesus of course denies that he has a demon, says he honors the Father but that they dishonor him, which is true. He tells them he doesn't seek his own glory. I'm not in this for me. I'm not in this for me. Christ tells them the gospel that keeping His word, which means believing, so that they will live eternally and so will not see death. Here's an interesting thing.

Christ could have just told these guys, you know, you guys are just going to hell. You guys are going to fry and burn. What does He do at the end of this passage we just read in verse 51? He gives them He gives them an opportunity. Isn't that amazing? They say, you're a Samaritan! Because they're really upset. You're a Samaritan and you have a demon! You know, because they're really ticked. And so what does he do? He comes back with, but you guys still have a chance to be saved if you'll believe. He doesn't say, well, you know, I told you this and then you insulted me, so I'm really going to throw an insult at you. No, what does he do?

You guys still have a chance, if you believe, to live forever. Okay, let's take a look at the top of page 4 here. John 8, 52 through 59. So the Jews, who are most elated and delighted at this point, right? The Jews said to him, now we know you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also, and you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. What's their issue? Always looking and interpreting and understanding physically. Always. It's almost genetic.

Surely you are not greater than our father Abraham who died. Abraham did die. The prophets died too. Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. This isn't about self-glorification. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say He is our God, you say. And you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. You guys don't know God. I do. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you. Oh boy, I'm sure they love to hear that. But I do know him and keep his word. By the way, what's the penalty under the law of Moses for lying? Death. Yeah, you get to study rocks up real close until you can't see them anymore. Right? Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? Oh boy. Verse 58, and this is one of my favorite verses in John.

Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. This is the Ego Emi that we've repeatedly made reference to, so we capitalize not only I, but am there. Therefore they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. Now, let's take a look at this. Before Abraham was born, I am.

One of the points we want to make here is how does God view time? In other words, we're caught in this time tunnel, right? We look back on the things that happened, and we look forward to the things that are going to happen, even though we don't have real good knowledge of exactly how that's going to work out. That's our viewpoint. We're stuck in that time tunnel. We're right now living in the moment, and that moment keeps moving through time. And that's our perspective.

Part of what Jesus is saying here, He's revealing a number of things, but one of those things is how does God see time? God sees all times as now. When God said, let there be light, we see that in the past, don't we? For God, it's right now. Christ was on the cross, and for us, we say that was about 2,000 years ago. God sees that as now. And here we are, sitting or standing, as the case may be, and we're talking about the Gospel of John, and for us, these were all events that were taking place 2,000 years ago. And we're here, and anything that he talks about, like, shall never die, we see as okay, that's off into the future, right?

God sees it all as now. So for God, it's no problem because He sees it all as now. It's no problem for Him to take our sins right now, take them back 2,000 years and put them on Christ. No problem at all. And take the payment for those sins and apply it to us back into the future now. Why?

It's all present tense with God. That's God's perspective. It's all present tense. Is it difficult for God to predict the future, like we see prophecy in the Bible? No. Why? It's all present tense. God says, I'm seeing the future long, long before it happens. But I see it right now. So then what does God do? God has the authors of various portions of scripture write about what he sees in the present.

Is that a challenge to God? Not at all. Let's take one more thing. You are identified with Christ in His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension, and His seeding, right? Think about, does that apply to Christians or unbelievers? Does that apply to believers or unbelievers? The identification with Christ. Believers only, not unbelievers.

So here's God who knows who is going to be saved and who isn't. and takes you and identifies you with Christ, which is now 2,000 years ago, in his death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seeding, and then applies that truth to you right here and now. So God takes you, knowing that you're going to believe, makes application of it 2,000 years ago, and carries the consequences back into the present, at least our idea of what's present. You see that? So God does these spiritual things without any thought for time being a challenge at all. Because He sees it all in the present.

Before Abraham existed, I am. Not I was. Not I was. I am. Before Abraham existed, There's an earthly time reference, right? I see it in the present. The time before Abraham existed, I see it in the present. That's what Jesus is saying. This is amazing stuff.

God's perspective on time is not at all like ours. It's all in the present to Him, and it is no difficulty at all for Him to know who is going to believe and who isn't. It's no difficulty at all for Him to take our sins and place them upon Christ no matter what the historical time frame is. It's no difficulty at all for us to be identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seeding. Knowing who's going to believe and who isn't. And applying that truth to us here at whatever time later. Because later is our word. For God, He created time. No challenge. And it's all now. That's His perspective. He's not in the time tunnel that we're in. God's not limited by that. So before Abraham existed, I am.

And along with that, you can go back to verse 55, and it says, that you have not come to know him. That's in perfect tense, because I looked that up, because I was curious about it. And that know is gnosko, or come to know. So correct me if I'm wrong, but what he's saying is that even though we've had the law for this long period of time, you have yet not come to know God through and all the things that were supposed to help you teach you about sin and who God is, right? And then the other no here is oida, which is Jesus just knows God because it's not through the law or anything else. He just has a relationship. Let's think about that perfect tense. You have not come to know God. You have not as a completed past action with ongoing results in the future. You didn't know God back then. From the beginning you haven't known Him and you still don't.

And it's going to continue on. Unless you, what? Believe. Unless you believe that not knowing God is going to stay stuck that way. You didn't know Him A while back, you don't know Him now, and it's going to continue that way unless you believe you're going to die in your sins, and that's not good. Jesus is telling them, I will pay the price for your sins, but if you refuse my incredibly generous offer by faith, then you will pay for those yourselves. Which one do you pick? Yeah, Tom? Here we have at the bottom of page 4, John Walvoord, and that's actually John Walvoord's son, This isn't John Walford, the one who was president of the Dallas Seminary. John Walford's son.

It's, Love was when God became a man locked in time and space without rank or place. Love was God born of Jewish kin, just a carpenter with some fishermen. God stepped into time in the form of Christ to be subject voluntarily to time. But even in that, he retained his perspective of deity. So he could speak in time terms before Abraham existed, but he could also speak in divine terms. I am. See that? In one sentence, he spoke in time terms, and then he spoke in divine terms. I am. I am.

So love was when Jesus walked in history, lovingly he brought a new life that's free. Love was God nailed to bleed and die to reach a loved one such as I. So God voluntarily stepped into this time that he had created and to be subject to all the frailties of this time to accomplish what had been determined and settled upon between God the Father and God the Son, before God said, let there be light.

We're going to talk about that as we go through Hebrews, what's called the Eternal Covenant. The Father and the Son, before they said, let there be light. Because when God created the world, did He know that there was going to be sin? Yes, He certainly did. He said, before we even start this, and I'm using time terms, before we even start this, Let's have this as a settled understanding between us.

You, the Son, will die. You will die for the sins of the whole world for all time, from Adam to the last person born on the planet. You're going to take all those sins for the whole world upon you, and the Father agrees, and I will turn my face away from you at that painful moment. And I'll turn my face away from you.

And then, after you are dead, portions of three days will have gone by. There's a time term, right? And then I will resurrect you. So before God said, let there be light, that was settled. As a matter of fact, Revelation 13.8 says, positionally, Christ was slain before the foundation of the world. Slain before the foundation of the world. So what that says, before God said, let there be light, before God told Adam, you will surely die if you eat of this tree, it was already agreed, Christ would step into time as a human being and would pay the price for all the sins for you and for me. And that was a settled thing. That was already determined.

Interesting, as we've been going through the Gospel of John, a number of times, including this chapter, we see the term, it's not Jesus' time or His hour, either one term or the other. It's not His time or His hour. As we step into just a few chapters, chapters 12 and 13, we will see it is His time and it is His hour. It's the one that was agreed to before God said, let there be light. the time and the hour will come.

And God knew it beforehand. He knew before He said, let there be light, that He would have to step into time and pay the price for you and for me. Not ignorant of that fact, it wasn't a surprise. It was something that was settled before God created anything. Love was when Jesus walked in history. Let's pray.

Lord, we do give you thanks. We thank you that as we see these words and hear them, we thank you that you have indeed revealed tremendous truth, truth about your character, truth about your having stepped into time so as to be able to talk face-to-face with us human beings and to express time truths and yet express eternal truths as well. And Lord, thank you for the insights from this passage. Thank you for the insights into your very character and even how you see time and see the world. We thank you for that. We give you praise and ask that you would teach us. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.