Chapter # 3 Paragraph # 2 Study # 8
February 4, 2024
Broadlands, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
Thesis: The quality of human experience is directly tied to the issue of whether, or not, men "believe into Jesus".
Introduction: In our studies of Author-John's record of the "problem" which the disciples of Witness-John had with the growing popular influence of Jesus and the diminishing popular influence of their "Rabbi", we have seen how Witness-John whole-heartedly embraced this transition and sought to correct his "disciples" in respect to their "glory-seeking" loyalty to him.
In this record, we have Author-John's presentation of the absolute necessity for "faith into Jesus" if there is to be any expectation of entrance into the experiences of "Eternal Life".
This morning we have come to the end of this unit of thought -- Eternal Life's "absolute necessity" of a clear-eyed "faith-unto-loyalty-to-Jesus". But, BibleHub.com has more than 26 translations into English and none of them actually translate the participle that describes the condition of those upon whom the wrath of God remains in a way that actually indicates their "condition"; they translate the result rather than the cause. The verb is "apeitheo" and it literally means "I have no confidence". This morning we are going to look into Witness-John's parting words as they are given in 3:35-36.
- I. The Foundation For Witness-John's Parting Words.
- A. The Father loves the Son.
- 1. This is a "qualifier" to Jesus' statement to Nicodemus that "God loved the world and gave up His Son in order to save people".
- a. On the face of it, 3:16 doesn't mean much if it does not mean that God loved His Son to a very great degree, but it also does not mean much if it does not mean that God chose to elevate man's need above His love for His Son.
- b. Also on the face of it, 10:17 means that the Father's "love" for His Son was rooted in the Son's "love" for those who needed Him to die in their place: both the Father and the Son set aside their "preferential love for One Another" so that a redemption price could be paid for sinful men.
- 2. The fact remains that John's words mean that, in respect to men, The Father will enforce whatever Jesus decides.
- B. The Father has given all things into the hand of the Son.
- 1. Our text declares that "The Father has given all things into the hands of the Son".
- 2. When we compare Hebrews 2:8 to 1 Corinthians 15:27 we see that The Father has turned all things over to the Son except Himself.
- 3. When we notice that this "giving of all things over to the Son" includes "all" judgment (John 5:22) and that it reaches to the decision as to who is going to be given eternal life (John 10:28-29 and 17:1-2) and who is not, the issue of whether we are going to "have confidence in the Son" is raised to the highest level of critical interest.
- 4. This action by the Father is prophesied: Psalm 110:1 declares The Father's determination to exalt the Son over all; and this determination is expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:8 and 1 Peter 3:22 by direct appeal to Psalm 110:1, as well as being the root of a host of other New Testament texts including Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Philippians 3:21; Hebrews 1:13; and 10:13.
- 5. Jesus actually used Psalm 110:1 to blunt the objections of His adversaries who did not like His identification of Himself with The Father.
- II. The Claim.
- A. Those who "believe into the Son" possess the experience of Eternal Life in real and practical terms.
- B. Those who "remain in their lack of confidence in the Son", in spite of both His words and works (John 3:2 and 10:38), live under "the wrath of God" with its eventual, unmitigated, impact when the day of its execution arrives.
