Why Jesus: Guess Where He’s From (John 8:23)

Series: Why Jesus

Sermon: Guess Where He's From

Scripture: John 8:23

Date: November 25, 2018

 

And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world."  (John 8:23)

At its core, every religion is exclusive.

"To deem all beliefs equally true is sheer nonsense for the simple reason that to deny that statement would also, then, be true."  -Ravi Zacharias

One of the unique claims about Jesus is His claim that He was from eternity.  Let's look at the claim, confirmation, and the change that this claim brings.

1. Claim
   • And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world."  (John 8:23)
   • Jesus looked around and saw them following.  "What do you want?" he asked them.  They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"  "Come and see," he said.  It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.  (John 1:38-39)
   • We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
   • And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Phillip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  (John 1:46-47)
   • Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  (John 1:48-49)
   • Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  (John 1:50-51)
   • Then he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants....  Then Jacob awoke form his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."  And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place!  This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"  (Genesis 28:12-13, 16)
   • Were they aware that the Lord who fashioned the heavens and the earth was standing beside them?
   • And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world."  (John 8:23)
2. Confirmation
   • There is His miraculous birth.
     • When Mary and Joseph claimed a very unique birth, they put themselves at great risk.
     • Even the Koran, written 600 years after Jesus, affirmed His virgin birth.
   • There is his sinless life.
     • His life has always been regarded as the purest that has ever been lived.
     • "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?  If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?"  (John 8:46)
     • There never was a time when He was not (sinless).
     • There never will be a time when He will not be (sinless).
3. Change
   • "The primary purpose of a home is to reflect and to distribute the love of Christ.  Anything that usurps that is idolatrous."  -Ravi Zacharias