I and the Father Are One, Part 3 B

This is an amazing argument.

If I do not the works of my father. Don't believe me but if I do them. So you do not believe me leave the works, so that you may know and understand that the father is in me and I am the father. Certainly, if the term God could be applied to corrupt its not a stretch for the uncorrupted Senate because a god but not that he's equal with God the father. You probably had some people knock on your door and try to convince you that Jesus is something less than the God of the Bible, not when that happens, what should you say to them.

Where can you go in God's word to prove that Jesus is the eternal God of the universe, one with the father John MacArthur is answering that question as he continues his look at perhaps Jesus clear his statement about his divinity. It's all part of our study that's focused on rediscovering the Christ of Scripture. That's the title of our series here on Grace to you and now follow along as John begins the lesson. Open your Bible if you will, to the 10th chapter of John's Gospel. This is the final public declaration by the Lord Jesus of his deity. This is also the final invitation in the temple in the face of the Jewish leaders before he leaves for three months of isolation across the Jordan with his disciples and those who came to them. There is noted at the end of the chapter. As far as John's Gospel is concerned. Here is John's final record of Christ declaring himself to be God and calling on people to believe he is not a noble teacher only he is not a religious leader, only he's not a highly moral man is not someone with unusual wisdom alone.

Although all of those things are true. He is God, and anything less than that is blasphemy against him against now needs to be stated that the Jews had made a different conclusion. And of course their responses we saw last time they picked up stones again the stone Temple was always under construction and plenty of stones and they grabbed their stones for the fourth time that John records in the last few chapters ready to stone him for claiming to be one with God. In essence, and the work of salvation.

They didn't mistake his claims. They knew he was claiming deity. They knew he was climbing the vehicle with God. So they feel their religious duty to crush out his life at that very moment with the stones may be still in their hands, but for whatever reason.

No stone is thrown and it has to be the very divine restraint imposed on them by the son of God himself any causes them to have to think and he doesn't a really interesting thing with their own law. Look at verse 34 this be rational. Stop the violence. Let's be rational. Jesus answered them, has it not been written in your law. I said you are God's. If he called them God's, to whom the word of God came in the Scripture cannot be broken. Do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world.

You are blaspheming because I said I am the son of God. This is just such an interesting thing. He says, could you just be objective for a minute. Can you just think with me for a moment, can you set aside your fury, the emotion, the hate stop and consider the Old Testament why are you so inflamed that I am calling myself God when in your own Scripture man are called gods. While this is.

This shows the mental alacrity of Jesus which would be unparalleled in the human being will relive to scour in an instant the Old Testament and pluck out an obscure section. Not even from the law and the prophets, but the songs go back to Psalm 82 because that's what he quoted in Psalm 82 is a judgment by God on the rulers of Israel. Verse one God takes his stand in his own congregation.

God shows up in Israel and he's not happy. He judges in the midst of the rulers, so talk about rulers and by the way, rulers were judges. That's essentially what they did. They were judges. They adjudicated issues, solve problems, says to the judges. How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked your corrupt you are partial to the wicked because of your corruption.

You have an affinity for the corrupt vindicate the week in fatherless you're supposed to be their protectors do justice to the afflicted and the destitute, the plaintiffs rescue the weak and the needy implied from the oppression deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. That's what you're supposed to do, but they do not know, nor do they understand they walk about in darkness all the foundations of the earth are shaken. Listen, everything that holds together society is rattling loose because there is no justice. Verse six. I said you are God's.

And all of you are sons of the most high does he mean he means luck small G you are gods because you are the representatives of the one true God.

You are God's agents in the world. You are the sons of the most high is delegated authority to you and he you receive his word. That's what it says over in John 10. If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came that they were the ones who were to teach and apply and uphold the word of God. Nevertheless, you will die like men and there's there's some irony in some sarcasm and use of God's you you you you may be saying and you you think you are God's. You think you are more than you really are, but you will die like men and fall like any one of the princes rise.

Oh God judge the earth or is you who possess the nations well if those corrupt judges could be called gods if he called them gods, God himself in Scripture called them gods, to whom the word of God came do you say of him whom the father set apart and sent into the world. You are blaspheming because I said I am the son of God. You see, the analogy make a comparison is if I do not the works of my father.

Don't believe me but if I do them, though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the father is in me and I am the father. This is an amazing argument.

He goes right into the Old Testament to make his case. Certainly, if the term gods could be applied to corrupt rulers. It's not a stretch for the un-corruptible perfect sinless righteous son of God, to be called God think what you're doing before you start throwing stones think what you're doing. The footnote in this encounter Jesus makes an amazing statement that the basically the translators have put in parenthesis in verse 35 it's so unique that it shows up here.

He says to whom the word of God came and by the way the Scripture cannot be broken. There's couple of things going on here the word of God and the Scripture are parallel, you see that their synonyms the word of God and Scripture are synonyms. Therefore, Scripture is the word of God. Therefore, the word of God is Scripture that the Holy Spirit here inspires John to write the words of our Lord Jesus accurately in the Lord Jesus equates the word of God with the Scripture.

The Scripture with the word of God. Now that one phrase has been massive massive importance while in the discussion. It's merely a footnote kind of digression. It is a treasure that needs to be lifted out. What is he mean Scripture cannot be broken. The word for broken is not a word like broken English, the word is Luo in the Greek, a very, very familiar Greek word all Greek students because it's the model of the verbs that are conjugated to everybody knows about Luo Luo means dismiss dissolved removed released annihilated eliminated. So what is our Lord saying Scripture cannot be changed. Scripture cannot be loose released removed dismissed nullified. This passage is Christ's view of Scripture that it is a seamless chain and not one link can be pulled out that one.

The passage itself in the Psalm 82 has no connection to his deity but he uses that that word God's there to make a point from the lesser to the greater is very often rabbis did and he did but he stops in the middle of that it makes this powerful overarching statement, but Scripture cannot be broken. And while he's very busy proving that his claim to deity is valid by his works he doesn't try to prove this statement Scripture cannot be broken. Why doesn't he prove it because they don't question. They understand it's a chain. All the links have to be in place. Scripture is the final word. They knew it. You can't tamper with Scripture you can't tamper with Scripture. In fact, he makes his whole argument on one word in one obscure verse in the Psalm. You can't touch a word you can't loosen up a word and pull it out.

That's because all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Second Timothy.

That's because no Scripture comes by any private interpretation, but holy men were moved by the spirit of God to write second Peter one.

You can have a more elevated view of Scripture and Jesus. So whenever we get into discussions about the authority the inerrancy the accuracy the inspiration of Scripture. I like to start with what Jesus think of Scripture because I want to have his view and if you don't have his view, I'm sticking with him and our Lord in a discussion about the most serious claim he could ever make turns his argument on one word on just one word. This was his view, Scripture let me show you another illustration go back to Matthew 22 Matthew 22 verse 23. The Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection. Why did they say that because they believed that the five books of Moses, the Pentateuch first five books of the Old Testament were authored by God and all the rest of the Old Testament was human commentary on the first five books K so they believed in the first five books as the inspired word of God and since Moses didn't write about resurrection in the first five books they don't believe in resurrection, they they were very, very narrow, hard line fast studious preservers of all the stuff in the Levitical system that was part of the Mosaic section saw themselves as the preservers of the true religion rejected all oral tradition. All written tradition all rabbinical tradition, all of it. They rejected every bit of it.

They were the hard-nosed hard-line fundamentalist. Some people think they deny the resurrection because they were like theological liberals know they deny the resurrection because they were hyper fundamentalists who accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament say want to stump Jesus about the resurrection so they telling this crazy sort of story about seven brothers and there was a little along the Old Testament that if a man died his brother if he was unmarried would take up his wife and and care for her in the this was this was what brothers did so in the case of this hypothetical situation seven brothers. The first marriage and dies no children.

Second, Mary's and dies. The third, Mary's and dies all the way down to the seventh. I would say frankly, folks. The last four guys were stupid because everybody in front of them has died in this there is one common denominator here is the same lady in the kitchen. But anyway, that's not the point. They all die and so they think this is so ridiculous because if there's a resurrection whose wife will she be. Jesus said you're mistaken you don't understand the Scriptures goes back to the Scriptures again nor the power of God for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. No marriage in heaven regarding the resin. Let's get back off of your stupid story.

Let's get back to the resurrection regarding the resurrection verse 31. Have you not read what was spoken to you by God to me take you back to the Old Testament. Jesus goes right back to the Old Testament. Have you not read what was spoken to you by God."

Exodus 36 where God says I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living was at about when God said that in Exodus 3 Abraham was dead. Isaac was dead. Jacob was dead. If there's no resurrection. God should've said I was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But when he says I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is to say that they are alive, and the whole argument turns not only on a word, but on a tense present tense but was Jesus view Scripture you can't loosen a word you can't touch a tense so that's Jesus view Scripture cannot be broken and go back to John 10 so why don't you just go to the Scripture. Think objectively put down those stones think objectively that when someone comes from God and speaks for God is a sense in which they they could be called God's with a small G because of that representation. If that's true of corrupt men. How much more is that true of the perfect sinless incarnate God himself, and I'm not asking for something that can't be validated. Verse 37. If I do not do the works of my father do not believe me make an objective judgment. But if I do them, though you do not believe me my claims, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the father is in me and I and the father that we are one. What he said in verse 30.

How does Jesus prove that he is God by his works and this is a final call. Believe. Believe, believe the works believe the works, so you may know and understand the only way to eternal life is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to believe he is God in human flesh. This is a final gracious invitation you can call me a blasphemer because of my words but you can't possibly call me a blasphemer if you look at my works.

They all came from the father to honor the father and the notion that I do what I do. By the power of hell is merely a revelation of the corruption of your own heart. One last gracious invitation come to verse 39 here's the first response consequences consequences final scene of the five seeds consequences they were seeking again to seize him and eluded their breath this point. I told it did matter what he said didn't matter what appeals you may didn't matter how merciful or gracious or kind, they were fixed in their unbelief and they would scream for his blood all the way till I saw the Romans nailed into across that the same response that they had back in verse 31. This time they try to seize him again for the same reason to stone them to death and he disappeared. They wanted to haul them off and stoning. They do the same thing to the apostle Paul try to do it in acts 21 in the same place in the same Temple, but was impossible. Why, because his hour had not come.

He says that in chapter 7 he says in chapter 8. They were going to get their hands on him for three months until God's timing was perfect. The final Passover. So the first consequence. Their ejectors are confirmed again in their damning unbelief.

But then there is a delightful ending. There are not only were ejectors there are receivers of the truth. Verse 40 he went away and went away for three months. Where did he go went beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing.

Where's that place called Bethany in chapter 1 verse 28 house of the poor is what it means, sometimes called Beth Amara.

This is different than the Bethany which was adjacent to Jerusalem where Mary, Martha, Lazarus lived different. Bethany.

That was where John began his ministry.

So where John began his ministry is where Jesus ended his so he went back there and he was staying there until Chapter 11 when he comes back near the Passover time to enter Jerusalem to die. Verse 41, many came to him and were saying. While John performed.

No sign. Why didn't John do miracles wasn't an apostle, signs and wonders belong to the apostles. He performed no sign yet everything John said about this man was true know there's a mandate for a preacher we don't do miracles. This John performs no signs but hopefully everything this John says about Jesus Christ is true. That's what ministries it was true. In John's case they they remit John instead John had his head cut off, but they remembered it might've been that there was a community of people there.

That's where he started his ministry.

I'm sure there were people who attached to him and were still there and remembered well that the the several years the John carried on his ministry. I think John showed from the Old Testament how Jesus was the Messiah. John was an Old Testament preacher pointing to the fulfillment in Christ. We don't know the whole story of John's ministry, but lasted for several years and they come in they say with everything John said about the man was true that David heard John and Dave seen Christ and Dave seen what Christ has done. These are the people who saw the miracles and believed they were from God and John's ministry comes to fruition long after he was dead long after John was dead.

There was the echo of what he said about Jesus that was proven true through the works of Christ. Nice to know that even before downloading sermons of ministers.

Messages can be remembered and as a result, many believed in him there.

Many believed in him there and to as many as received him, he gave the right to be called the sons of God, even to those who believed on his name. That said that's the final exposure publicly Jesus stayed out there with his disciples and with the gathering believers until it was time to go back to Jerusalem to die. The compelling question here is obvious. Do you believe do you believe the works of Jesus, a supernatural that's not debatable if there supernatural.

They had to come from heaven or hell do you believe that Jesus was an agent of Satan. If you don't then he had to be God and if he is God, then you must believe that he is who he claimed to be. It is blasphemy to deny him to reject him in a cut you off forever from eternal life. If you believe you receive salvation, eternal life forgiveness of Sins Pl. in God's family. The gift of the Holy Spirit promise of heavenly glory everlasting bliss, joy starts with believing in Jesus as the son of God. That's the gospel that's the Christian message and it comes from Scripture and Scripture always tells the truth you're listening to Grace to you featuring the Bible teaching of John MacArthur. He is the pastor of Grace Community Church, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and his study today is called rediscovering the Christ of Scripture will John this is been a great series, and just sort of tie things together. What would you hope this series has helped listeners rediscover about Jesus Christ or even to see for the first time. Well I think it's a combination of both. Based on our study of John nine and 10.

We have tried to clear out the fog for people when they think about Christ of their people have sentimental views of Christ. There are people who have, I guess got you could say greeting card hallmark views of Christ to see him as a baby in a manger. This e-cards about the resurrection they don't have a theology of Christ to have a biblical Christology so these past three weeks we have been looking in detail at the person of Jesus Christ as revealed through his miracles and through his teaching, and the whole point of this is to make Christ clear, the Christ of Scripture is none other than the living God of eternity. That is the point. And if you have just discovered that you made the greatest discovery in your life and if you sort of were confused about that, and you've got tighter grip on the reality of Christ. You have the most necessary truth. There is because it's your faith in Christ and confessing him as Lord. That is the way of salvation.

There's no salvation apart from Christ, and that means believing in Christ, but believing in the Christ, who is Christ and not a false Christ. So we've tried to make that clear.

For the sake of salvation and for the sake of the honor of Christ, who is worthy of all praise as the living God, rediscovering the Christ of Scripture is at the heart of the Christian message in gospel.

It's available in an eight CD album exclusively from Grace to you. Shipping is free on US orders. So if you want the CDs you can get them from us or you can download all eight messages free of charge from GT wide.org and it's true that the more you know Christ, the more you will love him experience victory over sin and no supernatural joy so to pick up this in-depth study of our Lord's character and grace again.

It's titled rediscovering the Christ of Scripture getting touch today. You can order this series on eight CDs and to do that. Call us toll-free 855 grace or go to our website. GT wide.org and keep in mind the CD album for rediscovering the Christ of Scripture comes with a lot of material that we don't have time to air again to order this study, call 855 grace or go online to GT wide.org and while your online member, you can download the entire series free of charge. All eight messages are available on MP3. You can also read the sermons in transcript format. A great resource for pastors, Sunday school teachers. Any student of Scripture. Again, you can download this study or read the transcript free of charge@gtwide.org and thanks for remembering that we are listener supported now for John MacArthur and the entire grace to you. Staff I'm Phil Johnson, a reminder that you can watch grace to you television this Sunday on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channel and times and then be here next week when John begins a series on why you can pray to God with boldness. Title. Don't be afraid to ask. That study starts Monday with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to