Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 8:48-59)
Written by Pastor Fausel   
 Grace, mercy and peace be to you …

You ever walk into a room and find yourself right in the middle of a conversation?  And maybe a heated one at that?

Well, our Gospel reading for this morning puts us right in the middle of a hot verbal exchange going on between Jesus and some of His biggest critics.  We enter at the point when a very uncomplimentary accusation is coming from those enemies of Jesus John calls “the Jews.” They are accusing Jesus of being a Samaritan and being demon possessed.

They call Jesus a Samaritan since He came from Nazareth … a town far from Pure and Holy Judea … Indeed, the town of Nazareth was separated from Jerusalem by Samaria.   

And these critics call Jesus Demon Possessed, since they saw Jesus doing supernatural things, miracles, but signs they had to believe were the work of Satan rather than of God Himself.

You probably haven’t ever been called a Samaritan, but has anyone ever accused you of being possessed by a demon?   I hope not … but, think about it for a second … why would anyone say that about you?

Perhaps for two reasons … First, someone might think that your words or actions were totally out of character for you...


So much so … that what you were doing could only be explained by something very traumatic having happened to you… like … your mind had been taken over by something alien, something demonic.

So, out of love and concern for you… someone might point out that something's wrong … you're just not being yourself.  

That's one reason why someone might say you're acting demon possessed.  Out of concern for you, because you're acting so out of character.

But that's not the case with Jesus' accusers.  Which leaves the other alternative.  The person or persons making the accusation want to discredit you … especially in front of others whom they want to have influence over …  

Others whom they fear may be warming up to you. This is the kind of accusation we might hear at the height of a political debate … one candidate referring to the other as being out of his mind.  Or, as here, in a theological debate … as being possessed by a demon.

And that's really the kind of accusation we have here in our Gospel reading for today.  “The Jews,” as John calls them, are not concerned that Jesus' behavior is out of character with what they've observed from Him in the past … In fact, Jesus is acting very much in character.  And because He is … they are afraid.

Be very careful of people ... when they are afraid.  

And as we heard, in fear, these critics also accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan.  In today's jargon, they were playing the “race card.”

“Jesus, you're not really one of us, you're really an enemy, you're a Samaritan … that's why you're making these statements about us as you are … in fact, aren't you both a Samaritan and Demon possessed??”  

“Ha, that will get him going!”  they probably thought.  But Jesus took them exactly where they could not go.  Jesus says to them in His reply, “Before Abraham was, I am!”

And they could not accept those Words … By saying those words, Jesus was making Himself One with God the Father who had revealed His name as I AM to Moses.  And so, in response, they become the ones demon possessed, as in their fear and anger they try to stone Jesus.   Unsuccessfully.

Some years a ago a Christian writer, who had once been a staunch unbeliever, wrote that you had to consider someone who said things like, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” either to be a mad-man, and disregard everything he said … or if not a mad-man,  then you have to take his claim to be God quite seriously.  

You have to choose:  One or the other.  A mild-mannered teacher or prophet … Jesus was not.  He was either delusionally insane … or He was truly the Second Person of the Trinity.   

Now, someone might say that a delusionally insane person could talk like Jesus … but such a person doesn't usually raise people from the dead … doesn't feed 5000 people with next to nothing … and doesn't stop storms in progress at sea.

So, John puts all this evidence before us and tells us in chapter 20 that these things have been written so that You may believe that Jesus IS the Son of God and in Him have life.

You see … this incident we have recorded for us today between Jesus and His accusers is really more about us and our faith … than it was about the faith or lack of it in Jesus' critics.  

Hearts hard enough to accuse Jesus of being demon possessed were hearts that Jesus at another time warned were in danger of sinning against the Holy Spirit.  Jesus knew that by claiming to be God by using the Name which God had given Moses would send His accusers over the edge …which it did, as they picked up stones to kill Him.

But, their reaction isn’t the real issue.   More to the point is how you and I would respond to Jesus saying those words in front of us.  Jesus, in no uncertain terms, claiming to be one with God the Father.

But Pastor, what's the issue?  We all acknowledge Jesus to be God, don't we?  We say it often enough in the Apostles and Nicene creeds?

Yes, but the question today, on this Trinity Sunday is ... We say it, but do we live … like we really believe it???

And that question about living out our faith isn't about how perfect, or how Godly, we try to be...   

Think about this: there are those out there who would point to our words and our actions to show us that there's a disconnect with what we profess with our lips… and how we often act.
 
The solution to that they propose is for YOU to get right with God.  For You to Repent.  For You Be Good. For You Pray for God's grace.    

But … how can you ever know for sure … how can you know for certain … that You've done enough repentance …?  That You've done enough good deeds? … That You've prayed often enough and sincerely enough for God's grace???

For that assurance, some want you to be rebaptized … to have You, yes You, pledge again your allegiance to God.

Oww. Stop right there.  That takes us to the real question our reading wants us to consider today, which is: WHO is this Jesus ... For you?
 
Is He really … the great I Am, for you?  If He is … then know this for certain ... God Himself died for you.  And when He did … all your sins died with Him.  He took the hit … you deserve.

And so now, your faith and your life of faith is not measured in how perfectly you can walk in Jesus' footsteps.  Your faith is not about trusting in yourself… but about trusting in what God did for you … in Jesus Christ … because He did it ALL.

Jesus' words on the Cross … “It is Finished” … means that there was nothing more that needed to be done.  Your debt of sin … all of it … has been cancelled.

Now, you live in His grace.   Grace is a state of being, being forgiven and in oneness with God.

Jesus says He is the I AM…  … And so, by the Cross… and by connecting you to His cross through the water of Holy Baptism, He has declared you His.  

Being in faith, then … the faith that God has given you … means you don't have to go through life begging His grace each time you fail.

Sure, your conscience may bother you when you fail, yet, the guilt you often find yourself in is really false guilt.  

Those who would put the monkey on your back to 'get right with God’ have missed the true meaning of the Cross and the subsequent work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus made us right with God.  And He's the only one that can do that.  And that being right with God is what we are by faith.  Even if and when we fail ... Time and time again.

The truth is: ... We are not saved by our perfect faith, but we are saved by our perfect Savior.

Our words and our deeds, even our faith, will never be perfect in this life ... But what Jesus did for us is: His salvation … is Perfect and complete.

And then … by the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts, we can claim that salvation as our own ... it is our own ... In spite of the fact that we don't always find ourselves living our lives as we'd like. The truth is:  we live each day in God’s grace.

And so, on this Trinity Sunday ...  in the midst of this heated argument … Jesus speaks words of great comfort.

Because He came to give us life ... Not just in heaven, but Jesus came to give us life in the now, in the present...

A Peace with God ... that depends on Him ... not on us.

So, even though we may be far from perfect … and even though we   live in a world that reflects our communal fallen-ness ... God has not, and will not, ever abandon us ...

Jesus is assuring us today that even as God was faithful to Abraham ... So He remains faithful to ALL His Children  ... Including You and me.

So.  All praise to GOD today: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Who in Christ, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, has made Himself known to your heart.

In Him,

Amen.
 

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