Grace Bible Church
Basic Training in Doctrine
Guest Speaker: Pastor Joe Sugrue
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
1. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, verses 12-20.
2. Jesus Christ is the liberator of the world, verses 21-36.
3. Jesus Christ is the founder of the Jewish nation, verses 37-51.
4. Jesus Christ is the victor over death, verses 52-59.
“Where is your Father?” Notice that they said “where” rather than “who.” They understood His implication, His remarks, that He was saying that God was His Father.
“You neither know me” – the first witness; “nor my Father” – the second witness. Therefore they will not accept the testimony of God the first person and God the second person.
If they are ever going to know the Father they must believe in Jesus Christ.
“I go away” – present active indicative of hupago which means to operate under the framework of a plan. Jesus Christ is still operating under the plan of God even though He faces tremendous Satanic opposition.
“and ye shall seek me” -the future active indicative of zeteo = to find something you have. The word that is not used iseurisko = to find something you don’t have.
He is going to pursue His course right to the cross, resurrection, ascension, seated at the right hand of the Father in glorification, operation footstool.
They will seek for His body in an attempt to prove that He wasn’t resurrected and they will not find it. In like manner, they will continue to seek their Messiah and will not find Him.
It is possible to say no so long that they habitually stay negative – locked in negative volition.
This is the strong delusion concept in the Tribulation; it is the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart; and that is what happened to the Pharisees.
“You shall seek” – active; “You shall die” – middle; when the middle voice follows an active voice in a sequence of action it means they are responsible for that situation.
ISA 5:4
What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?, Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
“die” – The future tense refers to the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:12-15.
“in the sphere of your sin [singular]” – referring to the old sin nature. This is a reference, then, to the second death.
Jesus is prophesying right now that these Pharisees who have constantly said no are going to seek in the future. They are going to seek what they have, but they have lost it, it is too late.
The “second death” is described in this verse by the verb apothnesko, the strongest word for death = ultimate death.
To die (second death) in the sphere of your sin or sin nature is a reference to an unbeliever who dies a second death at the GWTJ.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:36
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
While Christ was judged for all personal sins on the cross He was not judged for the sin of unbelief.
“where I am going you cannot come” – refers to the right hand of God, from which place all unbelievers are excluded because they do not possess perfect righteousness.
Jewish theology taught that anyone who took his own life went to Gehenna [the Lake of Fire], which is not true.
This is a rhetorical question of suggestion. They are suggesting that if He wants to play Messiah, leave the temple and leave the earth – commit suicide.
“Surely” – meti: a rhetorical question of sarcasm, and it also expects a negative answer – ‘No, He will not kill Himself but we are suggesting it.’
This is a combination of blasphemy and sarcasm and it is always the way religion regards our Lord.
You can only reject God for so long and then His discipline will come fiercely.
And through the cross the two are reconciled – the barrier between God and man has been destroyed. Now there is a line that can be stepped over through faith.
At the cross sin was judged and human good was rejected. “Sins” in verse 24 refers to the sins of human good.
They will remain in their sins, in the sphere of their sins, because unbelievers don’t take advantage of reconciliation so as to be justified.
The unbeliever has no choice but to live in sins and human good because he does not possess the 40 things imputed at salvation.
“You who I am?” is again a question of sarcasm. Jesus answered, “essentially that is what I have been telling you from the beginning”.