Sons of Promise

In chapter 3 Jesus talks with Nicodemus. At this point, Jesus is known as a great teacher (3:2) and has caught the attention of the academics. In chapter 4 the Samaritans begin to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. By chapter 7 many in Jerusalem begin to wonder if Jesus is the Christ. However, they had no idea who He really was. And they had no idea who they were.

Right after Jesus confirms His identity that John declared beforehand, Jesus becomes really frank with his audience. Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here... You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.... Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God’” (8:42-47 ESV)

Jesus says, “[E]veryone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:34).

When we are born, we are slaves to sin. Jesus came so that everyone could be adopted into His family. He came to take us from being sinners to saints, from slaves to children. The moment man sinned in the Garden of Eden, we switched kingdoms. God made Adam of His own image and likeness but then Adam sinned and switched kingdoms. After this he then had a son in his own image and likeness, not in the image he was made in (Ge 5:3). No longer were men sons of God. Our bloodline changed. We became slaves to sin instead of sons. Now Jesus has come to restore mankind to the proper bloodline. He came so we could now become sons of God, children of promise (Gal 4:28).

Back in chapter one, John began to build this idea. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12-13). Now, instead of only one man being humanly the son of God (Adam), now all can have that lineage.

John 3:22-36 is the first pivotal moment. The previous three chapters are leading up to this moment. John the Baptist and John the Author are establishing who Jesus is. They tell us who Jesus is. Right after this, the book of John launches into a time of establishing Jesus’ authority as the Word of God. John does this by showing examples. Now we can see how Jesus is the Word of God. Now we can see the authority of Jesus’ words.

"I know that you are the offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my father and you do what you have heard from your father” (8:34-38). Jesus speaks out of what He has seen but they speak out of what they have heard. They haven’t experienced the truth. They think they have because they have heard but they haven’t experienced the Truth. They haven’t experienced Him yet. A slave does not get to experience what it is like to be part of the family. He only does what he is told. The slave can go from master to master, but the son is in the family forever. However, the son gets to experience what it is like to be part of the family.

“They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did” (8:39-41).

You can tell they are offended because they get personal here. “We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested” (8:41 NIV). They know that Jesus’ mother did not have a husband when she became pregnant with Jesus. Jesus ignores this personal attack against His mother and continues with His point.

“The only Father we have is God himself.” (8:41 NIV) They thought they were already of the family of God just because they were Jews, the people of God. They may be the people chosen by God, but they were not yet of the family of God.

The people Jesus is talking with completely missed their identity. They are offspring of Abraham but are not his children. They did not understand who they were. They were descendents of this great man of faith but they did not share the same faith. They were slaves to sin instead of children of the promise made to Abraham.

However, Jesus doesn’t leave them at this point and go to a different nation where He might be better received. He keeps telling them who He is. He keeps after them. He isn’t going to stop talking with you and stop pursuing you if you push Him away. He will keep after you. He loves you too much to walk away from you.