Who’s Your Daddy? – John 8:37-59

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (8:12)

“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” (8:23)

1. Even a rich spiritual heritage is no substitute for

A. National/Family identity is

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10)

B. Claiming to know God

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13)

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14)

2. What matters is

“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:10-12)

A. Do we believe and

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

B. Do we relate to Him

“Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3:13-15)

“But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (John 6:20)

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

“When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:6)

“This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:18)

“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.” (John 10:33)