Jesus Said I am the Son of God

Jesus Said

I am the Son of God

Adapted from “I Am” seriesby K. Edward "Ed" Skidmore

http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?SermonID=90257

John 10:19 ESV There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said,

"He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" 21 Others said, "These

are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon

open the eyes of the blind?"

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,

23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the

Christ, tell us plainly."

25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe

because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know

them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them

out of my hand.

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is

able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." 31 The Jews picked up stones again to

stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works

from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?"

33 The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to

stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God."

34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and

Scripture cannot be broken—

36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world,

'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? 37 If I am not

doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them,

even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in

me and I am in the Father."

39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He

went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he

remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this

man was true." 42 And many believed in him there.

Of all the “I AM” statements Jesus made, which one do you suppose was the most controversial of all? Which

one was most responsible for his arrest? Which one caused the Jewish

leaders to conspire together to end his life? Jesus flat out stated that he is the

son of God and the Christ (The Messiah). That is the “I AM” statement

we will study today.

In John chapter 10, the Jewish leaders questioned Jesus about his identity.

The truth is they had no reason to wonder who Jesus was.

Jesus fed 5,000 people and then announced, I AM the Bread of Life.

He declared I AM the Light of the World, and then healed a blind man. He explained I AM the Good Shepherd --- which was a reference to a prophecy about the coming Messiah. Besides

that, John recorded many other statement where Jesus made it clear

that “He is the Son of God”.

To Nicodemus he called himself the “Son of Man” and “the only Son of

God.” We need to understand the title “Son of Man” the way the Jews understood

it. This phrase is used in Old Testament prophecy to refer to God’s Anointed One, the promised Messiah.

John 3:13 ESV No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the

wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in

him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his

only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in

order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever

does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

To the Woman at the Well he called himself “Messiah (called Christ)”

Messiah was the Jewish term, while Christ was the term used by the

GreeksJohn 4:25 ESV The woman said to him,

"I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes,

he will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am

he.”

To the Jews who opposed him he called himself the “Son of God” John 5:25 ESV "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

To the crowds on the day he preached the “bread of life” sermon he called

himself the “Son of Man” John 6:27 ESV Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food

that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him

God the Father has set his seal."

When Jesus preached the “light of the world” sermon to the crowds he called

himself “Son of Man” John 8:28 ESV So Jesus said to them,

"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he,

and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father

taught me.

To the man born blind who Jesus healed he called himself the “Son of

Man” John 9:35 ESV Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the

Son of Man?" 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in

him?" 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking

to you."

In spite of all this, the Jewish leaders acted like Jesus was trying to hide his identity. They confronted him with this

blunt question: "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the

Christ, tell us plainly." 24b

Jesus answered them just as bluntly: "I told you, and you do not believe. The

works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 25bc

Just a few verses later, Jesus told them once again: “I am the Son of

God.” 36c

Jesus had nothing to hide. And He was not hard to find. He made a practice of

attending the Temple Feasts in Jerusalem. In fact, on this occasion,

Jesus had come to observe the Feast of Dedication (now called Hanukah.)

Earlier Jesus had healed a man who had been born blind. The Religious leaders had witnessed that healing.

They even interrogated the man after Jesus gave him his sight. But far from believing, they tried even harder to get

rid of Jesus.

Jesus had every reason to give up on these men. They were obviously out to get him. They were his sworn enemies. They deserved a scathing rebuke, but

instead, Jesus --- once again --- offered them God’s Grace.

37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not

believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the

Father is in me and I am in the Father."

Notice the reaction of the Religious Leaders. They couldn’t trap Jesus with their clever arguments. They couldn’t

explain away his miracles. They couldn’t poke holes in his teachings.

So they tried one more approach. They tried to ruin his reputation with

SLANDER.

Slander Him

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" 21 Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon.

Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

Look at the three slanderous statements from the unbelievers. First

they said he is demon-possessed. Then they said he is insane. Then they

simply asked why listen to him?

Unfortunately, we see the same reactions today from people who reject

Jesus.

He is demon-possessedThis wasn’t the first time Jesus had

been accused of being demon-possessed or thought insane.

Mark 3:13 ESV And he went up on the mountain and called to him those

whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve

(whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have

authority to cast out demons…

20 ESV Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they

could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize

him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were

saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of

demons he casts out the demons."

23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan

cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is

divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is

divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

The scribes said "He is possessed by Beelzebul," Satan, the prince of

demons!Most people won’t say it so bluntly, but many unbelievers try to identify Jesus with the occult, or with other Religions.One preacher remembers a particular

home in India where he saw pictures of the Hindu god’s lining the walls.

There, mixed in with all the Hindu gods lined up between an elephant-headed

god, and another god with multiple arms was a picture of Jesus Christ.

You don’t have to travel to India or some other foreign country to see

people trying to fit Jesus in with false religions.

We have a proliferation of cults and “New-Age” kinds of religions right

here in the USA.New-Age 1. of or pertaining to a

movement espousing a broad range of philosophies and practices

traditionally viewed as occult, metaphysical, or paranormal.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/new+age

* We see a revival of the ancient religion of Earth-Worship (usually with an Environmental focus) * A cleaned-up kind of Witchcraft (sometimes called Wicca or “white magic”) is growing in popularity.

* Many people have gravitated toward some kind of vague belief that involves using Crystals and Magnets and harnessing cosmic energy.* More and more people are consulting Astrologers or calling the Psychic Hotline

Leaders of cults or new age religions, often try to include Jesus in the mix.

They may present him as a great Guru or a powerful Spirit Guide. People with all sorts of false beliefs like to throw in

some misquoted scriptures and attempt to remake Jesus in their own image. It’s the same kind of SLANDER Jesus suffered when the unbelieving Jews said He is demon-possessed.The next statement they made was:

He is raving mad

Even His family had said at one time, "He is out of his mind."

You may not hear the exact words, “He is raving mad,” but if you watch TV or go to Movies, you’ve seen Jesus and

His followers made to look like a bunch of kooks. Christians are an easy

target for ridicule.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I know Church people offer plenty to laugh at. But I’m not referring to good-natured

humor. I’m referring to media that depicts Jesus and His Church in the

most negative way possible.

Except for Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Christ in THE PASSION, most big-

budget Jesus movies present him as confused, conflicted, inconsistent, or

even immoral. When a movie or TV show includes a token Christian

character, you can bet he will either be the villain or the buffoon.

Maybe that’s because it’s easier to reject the claims of Christ if you laugh

it off. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV For the word of

the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being

saved it is the power of God.After calling Jesus demon-possessed and a mad man the unbelievers asked

this arrogant question.

Why listen to him?

Think about it. The Son of God was standing right there, willing to talk

personally with any one of them. But they had better things to do. They had seen him feed over 5,000 people and

heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind. He had promised that he would

lay down his life for them.

He had opened his heart to them … the very heart of God. But all they could say was, “Why listen to him?” Sadly, many people today respond the same

way. You won’t find them sitting in church this morning. They flip past the Christian radio or TV stations. If they

own a Bible, it gathers dust on a shelf. Why should they listen to Jesus? They

have better things to do.

As bad as it is to turn away from the Son of God, the Religious Leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to do more than ignore him. They wanted to destroy

him. In our TEXT today, Jesus told the Jews, 30 I and the Father are one." 31 The Jews picked up stones again to

stone him.

Stone Him

Once again, Jesus was facing enemies who wanted to kill him then and there.

The power of his character really shines through in the way he faced

them down. 32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are

you going to stone me?"

The answer these men gave is chilling. 33 The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to

stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God."

That is a very telling statement. These men did not want to kill Jesus because

of a misunderstanding. They understood that Jesus was claiming to be God in the flesh. And they rejected

His claim. In fact, they were determined to kill him for claiming to

be the Son of God.

All across the world there are people who clearly understand the message

of Christianity but who have chosen to reject Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Just like in the days

when Jesus was on earth, some people will do anything to silence His

message.

In our country, we have to deal with people who want to slander the name of Jesus. But in many other parts of

the world, people face death for believing his message.

An Afghan pastor in India said the number of Christian converts in

Afghanistan began to grow as the United States’ presence increased after

the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. As the region stabilized, Christian

converts from Islam began fleeing Afghanistan in 2005, fearful of a

Muslim-ruled government and society.

In May 2009, after a Kabul-based TV station aired video showing the faces

of converts at secret Afghan churches, about 100 Christian converts fled to

India. In 2010, a member of parliament (not involved in the recent declaration) called for the execution of Christians.

“The Afghans who appeared in this video should be publicly executed,’’

said Abdul Sattar Khawasi. “The House should order the attorney general and

the N.D.S. [National Directorate of Security] to arrest these Afghans and

execute them.”https://www.persecution.com/public/

newsroom.aspx?story_ID=NjE1

We need to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of

the world. They know what it is to face death because of their faith. Jesus also

knew what it was like to face death.

We also need to realize what is happening in Afghanistan so openly is beginning to happen right here in the

US. Dennis Prager, in an article submitted to Town Hall.com explained that Christians are doing battle on two important fronts right here in the US.

Here is his quote:

“America is engaged in two wars for the survival of its civilization. The war over same sex marriage and the war

against Islamic totalitarianism are actually two fronts in the same war – a war for the preservation of the unique

American creation known as Judeo Christian civilization.

One enemy is religious extremism. The other is secular extremism. One enemy

is led from abroad. The other is directed from home. The first war is against the Islamic attempt to crush

whoever stands in the way of the spread of violent Islamic theocracies.

The other war is against the secular nihilism that manifests itself in much

of Western Europe, and parts of America like in San Francisco, and in

many of our universities. America leads the battle against both religious and secular nihilism and is hated by both because it rejects both equally.

Most of the activists in the movement to redefine marriage wish to overthrow

the prominence of Judeo-Christian values in American life. Those who

oppose same-sex marriage understand that redefining the central human institution (of marriage) marks the

beginning of the end of Judeo-Christian civilization.”

http://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2004/03/02/san_francisco_and_islamists_fighting_

the_same_enemy

Seek Him

This time, when the Jews took up rocks to stone him, Jesus left

Jerusalem. He would not return again until the Passover when he would be betrayed and crucified. Then we see some words of hope. Not everyone rejected Jesus. Some people were

willing to go out of their way to SEEK Him. Look at the last verses of John

chapter 10:

John 10:40 ESV He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and

there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said

about this man was true." 42 And many believed in him there.

When the Son of God came to earth, some people wanted to SLANDER him.

Some people wanted to STONE him. But others were willing to go out of

their way to SEEK HIM. Which group would you have joined if you had been

there?

More important, what is your response to the Son of God today?

When people come to confess belief in Jesus and be baptized, or when people come forward to join our congregation,

we have a statement of faith that we say together. I believe that Jesus is the

Christ, the Son of the Living God.

That statement is based on what Jesus said about himself. Jesus announced

that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And he has offered to be

your Lord and Savior. What is our response to Him?