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The history of the world revolves around a war between two families, the determinative family feud. From the beginning, two fathers have been bearing children who can’t help but fight; their quarters are too close to each other and each side is passionate about its priorities. Both groups claim the truth, but one group is lying. The family that lies together will kill together.

In the passage we’re studying this morning, Jesus is still hanging around Jerusalem, a week or so after the Feast of Booths. He’s talking with fellow Jews, many of whom believed in Him (verse 30). Jesus followed up with “the Jews who had believed in him” (verse 31), pressing that true disciples abide in His word, they know the truth, and they are free like sons. Jesus called these men slaves and they hated Him for it.

He proves that they are slaves by pointing out that everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. They attempted to prove that they weren’t slaves by claiming that Abraham was their father.

They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” (John 8:39a, ESV)

This is a religious objection. They trust their family name. They’re right, and wrong.

Jesus will prove that they’re wrong with an age old principle: children behave like their father. The argument of the paragraph depends on the reality of paternal likeness, an argument Jesus introduced in verse 36. It’s a powerful truth, an irrefutable and inescapable truth, but one that many of us ignore. We cannot escape our family; we will learn to act like our dads. This paragraph provides two paternity tests, two conditions that identify what family we belong to.

If Abraham Were Your Father (vv.39b-41a)

The Jews claimed Abrahamic heritage but Jesus argued that their conduct proved otherwise.

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.” (John 8:39b-41a, ESV)

Here is the first condition of paternity: if you were Abraham’s children, (then) you would be doing the works Abraham did . Sons act like their father. Instead of acting like Abraham, Jesus said you seek to kill me . The reason that they wanted to kill Him was because he was a man who has told the truth . Jesus knew the truth because He heard from God . This is not what Abraham did .

What did Abraham do? What were the works (he) did ? Abraham received and believed those who told him the truth. God told Isaac:

Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Genesis 26:5, ESV)

Abraham had some problems but, when God spoke, or when a messenger came with truth from God, Abraham believed it, he certainly didn’t try to kill anyone. Abram believed God when God told him to leave his homeland (Genesis 12). Abraham received the messengers who foretold the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18). Abraham believed God when he was told to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). Abraham was the first man to be counted righteous because of believing (Genesis 15:6). That’s why Abraham is the father of those with faith (Galatians 3:7).

Abraham did not reject the truth, and he certainly did not try to take out his rejection on the messenger. Abraham didn’t ever try to kill a truth-teller.

The Jews claimed Abraham as their father but they didn’t act like him. They failed the first paternity test. Abraham heard the truth and he believed. They heard the truth and they wanted to kill the one who told them the truth. So Jesus says, You are doing the works your father did . He hasn’t named their father, but they’re not going to like it.

Proving the point about rejecting the truth, the Jews respond by rejecting what Jesus just said.

They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” (John 8:41b, ESV)

They raise the ante. Not only do they claim that they are children of Abraham, they claim that they are children of God. It’s not really a separate claim, it’s a ratcheted claim. They also make a not so subtle allusion to Jesus’ paternity. We were not born of sexual immorality , illegitimately born out of wedlock. In other words, they aren’t bastards like Him. But they’re lying again, even if by innuendo, just like their father.

If God Were Your Father (vv.42-47)

Here is the second paternity test that follows the same principle above: children act like their father.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 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 does not stand in 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. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8:42-47, ESV)

The pattern is the same as in previous verses, if this, then that. If God were your Father , (then) you would love me . Jesus said similar to this before. He and the Father are a family; you can’t have one without the other. The Jews claimed that God was their Father but, if that were true, they would have received the Son for I came from God and I am here . Jesus declares both His pre-existence and His incarnation.

In verse 43, Jesus asks and answers a crucial question. Why do you not understand what I say? Is it because Jesus wasn’t clear? Maybe He was a bad communicator. Is it because the Jews don’t have enough information? Maybe they could read a book, download a message… No. The reason is because you cannot bear to hear my word . They were incapable of receiving the Son. D.A. Carson comments, “there exists a fatal flaw in the character of Jesus’ opponents even before he comes to them” (353). The presupposition is that paternity affects the ears.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires . There are some really important issues raised in this statement. First, the devil is real. Jesus, who claims to be the ultimate truth-teller, states as fact that there is such a creature. Second, the devil has children. The seed of the serpent may be physically born by moral parents, the offspring of Satan may be well connected to revelation and worship, but the seed of the serpent will act like the serpent. Third, the devil does evil. He lies and murders, using lies to kill. And, fourth, the children of the devil desire evil like their father. This is not the same as saying, “The devil made me do it.” We always do what we most want to do. And the children of the devil most want to do what their father desires.

We learn by imitation. We learn to love what our fathers love as we hear them and watch them (think again about verse 36). That’s how God made the world to spin. A man’s behavior shows who that man has been beholding, whose character he’s taken, because it shows his desires.

Jesus clarifies the devil’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning . This could be a reference to Cain killing Abel in Genesis 4. But based on the continuing description, this murdering appears to happen before Cain’s murdering act. This murdering is the murdering of the human race in Genesis 3. The desire of the devil has been to kill humanity and he started in the Garden with Eve and Adam.

The devil does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him . He is outside the sphere of truth and, within his sphere no truth is found. Therefore, When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for is a liar and the father of lies . Lies are his native tongue. His lies to Eve led her to death. That’s how the devil rolls, or, that’s what rolls off his tongue.

The devil kills with his mouth. He speaks lies out of hatred and for the purpose of death. He deals in error and falsehood because he loves murder.

The Jews Jesus was talking to had the same heart. Hatred was in their heart, just like their father. Lies came out of their mouths, just like their father. And killing was their goal, just like their father. Lies and murder and death go together, and the family lies to protect itself. These leaders were lying about Jesus. They were lying to themselves.

Liars have a taste for lying. Liars get along with other liars. Liars don’t get along with truth tellers, and you can see who’s who by watching for a while. The closer liars get to the truth the harder time they have, not the opposite, and certainly not without outside help.

In verse 45, Jesus returns to application. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me . They can’t handle the truth. They hate the truth. Liars will not hear the truth. Like father, like sons. The truth pushes them further into unbelief.

He follows with a challenge. Which one of you convicts me of sin? There wasn’t one who could convict Him in truth. They totally accused Him with lies, but they had no proof of any wrong in Jesus. Jesus’ confidence comes from His clear conscience before the heavenly court.

He asks again, If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He’s already answered that question, but He’s pointing His finger at their consciences; Jesus convicts them of sin.

He summarizes in verse 47, Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not here them is that you are not of God. They not only told lies, they believed their own lies. In addition, they received liars, they could not receive those who told the truth.

Conclusion

If you were Abraham’s children then you would act like Abraham - who received the truth Instead you are acting like another father.

If you were God’s children then you would love God’s Son - who revealed the truth Instead you are acting like another father:

• unwilling to hear the truth
• willing to murder and lie
• unwilling to believe the Son.

They will kill to protect their lies. Jesus will die to prove the truth.

Two tests: do you receive the truth and do you love the Son?

What is the reason that men don’t believe? It isn’t because they don’t understand; ignorance doesn’t cause disbelief. It isn’t because they don’t choose, unwillingness doesn’t cause unbelief. Unbelief causes ignorance and unwillingness. Men don’t believe because they are, by nature, in a different family. Men love lies by nature. Men hate God, and God’s truth, by nature.

Wouldn’t we expect these Jewish sons to love the eternal Son? The obviousness doesn’t mean that they were capable, it means that they were culpable.

How does one go about getting a new father? According to John 3, one needs to be born again, born from above by the Spirit. According to John 6, the Father must draw one to the Son.

We can’t reason a man into truth with truth who naturally hates truth. We can’t fill a cup full of holes no matter how wet the water is. We can’t make two negative sides of magnet stick together no matter how close we hold them.

According to John 1:12-13:

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 of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13, ESV)

The Son sets free, the Father sets free, the Spirit sets free. Do you hear the truth? Do you love the Son? Then your Father is in heaven.