Knowing God - John 8:17-20

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

So the Pharisees said to him, You are bearing witness about yourself. Your testimony is not true. Jesus answered, Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I came from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one, yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true.

For it is not I alone who judge, but I and the father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I'm the one who bears witness about myself and the father who sent me bears witness about me. They said to him, therefore, where is your father? Jesus answered, you know neither me nor my father.

If you knew me, you would know my father also. These words he spoke in the treasury as he taught in the temple, but no one arrested him because his hour had not yet come. Amen. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord remains forever. So brothers and sisters and friends, by God's grace, this evening or this afternoon will bring the first section in the dialogue between our Lord and these religious men after the great I Am statement from the mouth of the Lord to a close.

Now, you might remember, we should remember, that the dialogue that's taking place here in chapter 8 is a dialogue between our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious elites called the Pharisees. And you may remember when we started this section about two months ago or so, that I said back then that verse 12 is instrumental in order for us to understand the whole of chapter 8 and actually even beyond. We need to keep verse 12 in the back of our minds or the forefront of our minds so that we know what is being said and why it's being said. Because there in verse 12, our Lord says, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

It's foundational to our understanding that we keep that in our minds. Now, the men that are standing before our Lord, these religious men, are trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to go toe-to-toe with the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. They've made an assessment in their own minds. They think of themselves as the experts of the law, the experts of Scripture, the experts of being able to interpret what God has written for His people. And based on their understanding, faulty understanding, they've determined that this Jesus is a fraud.

They've already said that. Jesus, your testimony is not true. You're speaking falsehoods. We don't believe what you're saying, Jesus. And that's, in essence, what the first section is really all about, from verse 13 through 20.

It's a grand denial of Christ by the religious leaders of the day. A rejection of the only light given by God for salvation. Of course, in doing that, these men remain in darkness. They remain blind to the truth. And so from this point, throughout the rest of chapter 8, we'll witness a pitiful and sad sight indeed.

Men who were supposedly full of knowledge, full of scripture, full of understanding, full of wisdom, so they thought, are now going to be fumbling and stumbling in the dark. Not being able to make head or toes from the words that Jesus is speaking. Because Christ is speaking high and lofty spiritual truths. Spiritual realities expressed from his mouth that they have little to no understanding about, as we'll come to see. They just don't get it.

The words of our Lord go straight over their heads. They just don't get Christ, nor do they get His teachings. And this is a massive breakdown in their understanding. A massive breakdown in what they perceive that Jesus is saying. You see, Jesus is saying one thing and they interpret it to mean another.

It's as though they're speaking a different language. Actually, that's pretty much what's going on here. They're not speaking the same language. Sure, the Aramaic or the Hebrew coming out of our Lord's mouth is common to the ears of the audience that He's speaking to. They understand the words.

These men weren't illiterate. They were well read. They were well educated. But beloved, the spiritual meaning behind the words that our Lord is speaking on this day in the temple grounds before these religious leaders, well that, as far as they're concerned, they were illiterate to. They didn't understand.

They didn't have the Spirit of God to reveal or illuminate those truths. These men were spiritually deaf. They were spiritually blind. And that was a big problem, a fatal problem. Because the only tools they had to interpret what Jesus was saying was their sinful flesh.

They were judging according to the flesh. And the flesh is no help at all in spiritual matters. We've said that on previous weeks. Absolutely no help in regards to spiritual matters. And that's all they're able to do.

Judge according to their sinful flesh. Jesus calls them out on it in this section. And as far as they're concerned, they remain ignorant to the truth of our Lord. But Jesus doesn't leave them in their ignorance. By the end of the first section, he tells them why it is that they're unable to acknowledge his words and why they're unable to believe in him.

And if they understood what our Lord was saying, it would have no doubt been the greatest shock in their lives thus far. Because our Lord is reversing the tables on His listeners. He's reversing the table on these religious leaders. You see, they thought they had Jesus in a trial. That they were trying the Lord.

And they're speaking all these technical trial courtroom language with our Lord. Because they've accused Him of falsehood. Accused Him of somehow being either a liar or self-deluded, at the very least. That was the verdict. We've made our decision, Jesus.

We've come to a verdict. You're a liar. That's what they're saying. But now Jesus is saying in no uncertain terms that these pious men, these proud men who prided themselves with superior knowledge of the word of God, men who thought they knew religion, men who thought they had exceptional understanding of God and the oracles of God, Jesus has turned the tables upon them and he's showing them in these few words that it's actually they who are guilty of falsehood. It is they who are guilty of living the lie.

Not Him. He is pure and holy and He has never spoken a lie. Because the final verdict from the only judge that matters is this. That the only true and living God is unknown to you. That's what Jesus is saying.

Sure you use His name. You know the name Yahweh. You use His name. You even call Him Father. In verse 41 they say, We have one Father, God.

These men read the words of God. They commit their minds and their hearts to Scripture, so it seems. They teach His commands. They supposedly pray to God. But none of it is genuine.

Jesus is saying, you're deceived. You're deluded. Because you neither know the Father, nor are you known by Him. That's what Jesus ends up saying by the end of this first little section that we have before us. And beloved, Jesus should know.

Because no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Matthew 11, 27. We're going to hear that verse a few times throughout the sermon. In essence, Jesus looks in the eyes of these men who stand before Him, who think they know God. who think they've got religion down pat.

He looks them in his eyes and he says, because of your continued rejection of me, the only light of life, the only light of the world, that is evidence that you've never known God. Because I've never made Him known to you. Now that's a shocking reality. And that's, in essence, what Jesus is saying. Because no amount of human witnesses, which is what these men are seemingly demanding, will change that reality.

No matter how credible the witnesses are, and no matter how spectacular their testimony is, your unbelieving heart requires much more. Much more than material witnesses of the truth. In fact, before our Lord drops that bombshell that these men are devoid of the knowledge of God, He shows them that if it's witnesses they want, they've had them. They had the witnesses and it made no difference. Look down at verse 17.

In your law is written that the testimony of two people is true. That's where he starts. Because earlier he said to these men that even if I testify of myself my testimony is true. You're claiming I'm a liar but my testimony is true. We spoke about that a few weeks ago.

But here in the first part of verse 17, it says, in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. Now you may remember the previous sermon, how I picked up, and it's interesting because I made remark to this, how Jesus refers to the law as your law. He's looking at these Pharisees and says your law. He doesn't say our law or the law, but he says your law. Now far be it from our Lord to distance himself from the law.

Remember, he is the one who gave the law. He's the one who spoke the law on Sinai to Moses. The law is good and it's righteous. He came to fulfill the law, to honor the law. But what I believe Jesus is doing is not distancing himself from the law, but from these men's faulty interpretation of the law.

I believe Jesus is distancing himself from that. Now having said that, Jesus will still call them out on their darkened hearts. If it's witnesses they want, they've already had them, right? Yet they refuse to believe still. Not because of shortage of witnesses, but because they've judged Jesus already.

And they've judged Him with a superficial judgment. Verse 24, in the previous chapter, Jesus warned these men, do not judge by appearance. And now He rebukes them in this section, because they have judged Him with a judgment of the flesh, or according to the flesh. Superficial, sinful judgment. And now Jesus will call them out on their pretense.

And so he declares that although his testimony is true in and of itself, he doesn't stand alone because the Father bears witness of him also. Let's look at verse 18. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me. If only these men understood what Jesus was saying. If only.

Because it's clear from their response in verse 19, as we read throughout this chapter, they don't. But beloved, we know exactly what Jesus is saying, don't we? We've followed His arguments for many chapters now, and it's clear to us at least that the other witness that Jesus speaks of, the Father that He's referring to, is none other than God the Father. That's who Jesus is speaking of. Now the man before him may not get it yet, but that's who Jesus is speaking of.

And if it's credible witnesses that these religious men were after, you can't get any more credible than God the Father and God the Son. Think about it. These men would gladly execute a man or a woman that would gladly bring a human life to an abrupt end on the basis of two fallible human witnesses if they testify to a crime punishable by death. That would have a level of certainty to establish guilt and they would be comfortable to cast a stone and end that life. How much more?

How much more certainty should these men have on the veracity of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, considering that the both persons who are testifying of himself and his words and his claims are divine? That's what Jesus is saying. And with those words, he's exposing the true motives of these men's hearts. Because if they haven't believed his words, then What excuse do they have to refuse the father's testimony? We can understand they've denied the son, but how can they deny the father, God himself?

And beloved, I'm hoping that many of us would now remember how it is that the father testified to the son. If you don't, it's excusable because it's been well over 12 months since we were last in John chapter 5. But back then, in John chapter 5, which is about 18 months or so earlier than the events that are taking place here in chapter 8, Jesus speaking to the religious leaders in Jerusalem, possibly the same men that are standing before Him now, He explains how the Father has in diverse ways bore testimony of the Son. Now the first thing that may come to our mind when we think of the Father's testimony is when the Father spoke from heaven with His own voice. You remember when that happened?

Twice we're told it happened, actually three times. But the one I'm thinking about where there was others present, other than the disciples, was at the time of the baptism of our Lord. You remember, He was being baptized in the Jordan, and a voice came down from heaven, and that voice said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am what? Well, in whom I'm well pleased. Definitely an awesome testimony of the Father to the Son.

But in chapter 5, We have three different ways the Father has testified to the Son. That the first is through sending a forerunner, a great prophet to prepare Israel for the advent of Messiah. We know him as John the Baptist. The Father sent John. As foretold of the prophets, he would be the voice crying out in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Calling Israel to repentance and preparing them for the advent of their messianic king. That was John's ministry. Now, these Pharisees knew this. These Pharisees would have known John quite well because, if you remember, they sent to inquire. They sent their own men to inquire of the identity of John the Baptist.

And John the Baptist knew who he was and what he was sent to do. And when these men came to ask him of his identity, he said, I am not the Messiah. I know that's what's on your mind. I am not He. I'm the one sent to point my finger to Him.

I'm not the Messiah. That's not me. He goes on to say, I will baptize with water, but the one who comes after me, whose sandals I am unworthy to untie, he will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He comes after me. And when Jesus came onto the scene, it was the Baptist who pointed to him and in essence said to Israel, Israel, meet your Messiah.

This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's what He was declaring. And then slowly He disappeared in the background because He believed. I must decrease but He must increase. Did they believe John?

The Father bore witness of Christ through John. Did these men believe John? The answer is He bore witness through the work. This is the second. He bore witness through the work he gave Christ to do, namely the signs and the wonders that Christ performed.

Beloved, how many signs and wonders did these religious men witness at the hand of our Lord Jesus Christ? Many. Actually, it's because of one of these signs that they began the campaign to capture and kill him. You may remember also back in John chapter 5, we know that sign as the healing of the invalid man of almost some four decades at the pool of Bethesda. They couldn't refute the fact that this man who'd been crippled for 38 years was made well and could carry his mat and walk.

That was an impossibility for them to refute it. They recognized this is the man who was crippled. They couldn't refute that. They couldn't refute, this must be the power of God working in and through this Jesus. But that didn't matter because they were offended.

They were offended because that miracle took place on the Sabbath, showing the content and the state of these men's hearts in cold, legalistic religion. God was testifying of His Son. through the signs and the wonders that he performed, the many, countless signs and wonders. In fact, John says at the end of his book, what does he say? If he was to record them all, all the books in the world couldn't contain them.

But these men shrugged off the Father's testimony through John the Baptist, and they shrugged off the countless signs and wonders that Jesus was performing. Now don't get me wrong, never, never can someone believe purely by witnessing the signs. A lot more is necessary, we know that. But those signs and those wonders should have stopped them in their tracks. and have them asking the question, is it possible?

Is it possible that the Father is bearing witness about this Jesus? Because what He's doing is only possible with the divine mighty hand of God. Now the signs won't cause belief, but His words will. And so it should have caused them to sit back and assess what Christ was saying. They didn't do that, did they?

No matter how grand the sign was, they shrugged it off and found a way to rebuke Jesus. It's incredible. In fact, I might be getting ahead of myself here, but in a few months time, in chapter 11, Jesus raises a man from the dead. Dead. Dead for four days in the tomb.

This guy was dead. And Jesus raises him from the dead. And there were so many witnesses to this absolute amazing miracle. And these people, the religious leaders, were aware of this and they couldn't refute it or cover the evidence because there was way too many people who had witnessed that miracle. Instead of pushing back and thinking things through, thinking that it's God alone who is the giver of life, a very clean doctrine in the Old Testament, Maybe, maybe, just maybe, He is behind this Jesus.

Maybe we should listen to what He says. Instead of thinking that way, they plot to get rid of Christ and to get rid of the evidence, Lazarus. That's the state. That's the state of an unregenerated heart. That's the state of the moral darkness of one who has not been exposed to the light of God that comes through Christ.

It's blindness, beloved, and it's scary. There are two ways the father has bore witness of the son, and the third in that chapter is through scripture. God has given them the oracles. God has given them his word. And in his word, there are countless, countless passages and prophecies that point to what to expect when the messianic king comes.

How do you know this is the Messiah? What do you expect when He comes? What do you anticipate? What should be anticipated when the Messiah comes so that we may be able to identify that this is the anointed one of God. That this is the Messiah.

This is the one sent by God to save His people. Well, To name a few, we're told the blind will see, the lame will walk, the lepers are cleansed, death will hear again, good news will be preached to the poor, and the dead will be raised, beloved, all of which took place in the ministry of Jesus Christ. It's pretty convincing that this is the Messiah, right? Furthermore, Moses, this great prophet that all of them recognize, and they pride themselves to be followers or disciples of Moses, he was also one who prophesied about this Messiah to come. He called him the prophet, like me, from among your brothers will come.

And Moses warned them, and he said, when he comes, what are you to do? He says, when he comes, listen to him. Listen to him is what Moses said in Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 15. Do they listen? Do they listen?

Here He is. Do you give Him your ear? Have you assessed if this is really the Son of God? Have you assessed His claims? Or are you completely dismissing Him because of the hardness and the rebellion of your darkened hearts?

No, they dismiss Him. And instead, they look at Jesus and say, Jesus, your testimony is not true. Jesus gives them the remedy back then. And he says the problem was that the Word did not find residence in their hearts. It wasn't abiding in them.

They're sure they knew it up here, they could speak it, they could recite it, but it hadn't soaked into their soul. It was superficial, it was superficial. And beloved, that's a tragedy. They didn't know. They didn't even know who Jesus was speaking about, when now, here back in chapter 8, in verse 19, when Jesus brings up and refers to the Father, you and I have been following the arguments, so we know who Jesus is speaking about.

And these men, although they're following the same arguments, they couldn't see. Who is this Father? So they look at Christ and they say, where? Where is your Father? They're definitely a confused lot of people, aren't they?

You know, it's hard to understand what they meant with those words, where is your father, because there's a few things they could have meant. You see, these men had good memories, very good memories. And so they could have been taking a jab at Jesus, possibly, somehow making reference to the fact that, Jesus, we know, we know that your mother was pregnant with you at a wedlock. Maybe. Maybe that's what they're doing.

I mean, we know in verse 41 that's what they're referring to most likely. Could be a crude reference to the great area surrounding Jesus' biological father. Or they could have been quite legitimately asking, present your father that he would vouch for you. That he would indeed be a testifier to you because this would make it legal. But beloved, it doesn't really matter which side of the coin they fall.

Both responses are completely wrong. Both are wrong. because they got it wrong. It's not the earthly father of our Lord that he's making reference to, but his heavenly father. God the father.

These men were ignorant, and they remain in their ignorance of who the father is, even as the discussion continues. Verse 27, they're asking the question again, who is this father? Still in darkness. still unable to know or to understand the words of our Lord. And it's almost like Jesus is saying to them, when they ask Him, where is your Father?

You can almost see Jesus saying, you're asking the wrong question. You shouldn't be asking where, but who. Who is your Father, Jesus? Because that's what you need to know. You need to know who Jesus' Father is.

Because as it stands, you think you know, but you don't. But you don't. Verse 19b, Jesus answered, You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also. What a response.

This is literally a loaded response with profound meaning. It's just, it's incredible. For starters, anyone who's been following the conversation between our Lord and these Pharisees or the religious leaders would know that it's a given that they still don't know or have not come to recognize the identity of our Lord, right? We can see that. They're still asking all these vague questions like, who are you?

Further in the dialogue, Jesus actually reveals more light of himself, of his claims, and who he is, and his origin. He reveals even further, and even further into the discussion in verse 25, they ask again, who are you? You can see that in verse 25. They're sure they know some details about him. They know he's a 30 plus year old male.

They know he's a rabbi and he's amassed a certain amount of following. They know that. They probably are familiar, a little bit familiar, with his family, his brothers and sisters. They would know some of this. They even know where he came from because they know he's from Galilee.

We were told that earlier. So they know a little bit about Jesus. And for the last few years, at the very least, because Jesus had caught their attention, they've also known that He's travelled down with His townsmen in the caravans to come and to be present at the annual feasts. So they would have been looking out for Him. We know that was especially the case the last time round.

They knew something. But they knew nothing of substance. They knew nothing of the substance that Jesus was referring to. The knowledge Jesus is referring to is a genuine grasp, a genuine recognition or perception of His person as He has proclaimed of Himself. It's to acknowledge the true identity and to relate to Him accordingly, intimately, as though they knew Him, but they didn't know Him.

To know Him not in a superficial way, but a more personal way. Husbands, it's like the way you know your wives. The way you know your husbands, it's more than knowing of them. You really know them. It's a real, authentic, personal relationship is what Jesus is saying.

You don't know me. And although you claim to know the Father that way, you don't know the Father that way either. That's what Jesus is saying. It's clear. It's clear they didn't know Christ, despite the many occasions He's educated them and spoken to them about who He is, despite the credible witnesses.

The Father has in diverse ways testified of His Son, some of which we've just mentioned. They knew Him not, and they did not receive Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. John 1, 11, that prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes. They probably would have been okay with the words of our Lord that you didn't know me.

But to say they didn't know the Father. Now they don't get it straight away, but to say that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob is unknown to you, well that's just scandalous if they understood the words of our Lord. These are Pharisees. There are religious, pious men, and then there are Pharisees. These were the elites of religion.

They were on a whole new level in this time and age in first century Palestine in regards to religiosity. These men prided themselves in so much knowledge of true religion, knowledge of scripture, knowledge of God. They were the experts. They took religion more seriously than any other sect in their day. Their life was religion.

Life was religion for these men. They devoted their whole lives to holiness as far as they knew. Actually, their name means that exact same thing. Their name, Pharisee, means separated ones. It's in their name.

They memorized the Torah. They memorized the first five books of Moses. How have you and I gone with that? They fasted. regularly.

They prayed regularly. They tithed with utmost precision. They taught the scripture and they encouraged the whole of Israel to Torah purity. That they would come into obedience to the law of God because they saw that as being right. Now Jesus is saying to them, you do not know God.

That all your religious practices are superficial. None of them, none of them were a result of a genuine relationship with God. Yes, that's what Jesus is saying. And with absolute certainty He's saying, you do not know the Father. Feel the weight of those words.

Beloved, do you want to know how the Lord was absolutely certain about these words that He uttered? Now of course, his deity, we know that and we can't overlook that, praise be his name And he knows what is in the heart of man, John has already told us back in John chapter 2, he set us up for the book He doesn't need to be told what is in that, he already knows what is in the heart of man But beyond that He can be absolutely certain that these men don't know God because of the next words that come out of his mouth. Look what he says. He says, Jesus answered, you know neither me nor my father. If you knew me, you would know my father also.

So much we could say. Truths that are found in only those few words are the very center and the core of the whole gospel of Jesus Christ. Right there. For starters, our Lord is saying, I know you don't have a genuine knowledge of God the Father because you have not come to know His Son. If, you see that if there?

If you knew me, you would know my Father also. Knowledge of the Father, knowledge of God the Father, knowledge of Yahweh is conditional upon knowledge of the Son. If you don't know the Son, you can't know the Father. In other words, the father is unknowable in an intimate and personal way apart from knowing his son. That's what Jesus is saying.

The knowledge of God is exclusive through the uniquely qualified son who makes his father known. No one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the Father's side. He has made Him known. Literally, He has exegeted Him, or revealed Him. He has made Him known.

The Son makes the Father known, beloved. And the verse I began with in my intro, that verse I said I'm gonna go back to, I'm gonna go back to it again now. Matthew chapter 11, Jesus says in verse 27, all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father. I want you to hear those words. No one knows the son except the father.

What sort of knowledge is Jesus speaking about? An infinite, intimate Love relationship that goes spans back all into eternity. Jesus knows the Father as the Father knows the Son. There is nothing hidden among one with the other. A true, full knowledge of the Father.

He says here, no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son. And hear this, these are the words that I want you to take note of. And anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. How is it that Jesus can look into the eyes of these Pharisees, these men who supposedly know God, they pride themselves in the knowledge of God, how is it that Jesus is able to look into their eyes and with a degree of absolute certainty look at them and say, you don't know God the Father. Well, he can declare that chilling truth with absolute certainty because they have rejected his only begotten son.

One path. One way. One door. An exclusive door to God. No other way you can make entrance into the presence of God.

No other way you can know God and that is through the Son. That's what Jesus is saying. I am the way and the truth and the life. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one.

No one. No one. No exceptions. That word actually means no one. comes to the Father except, here it is, through me.

Through me. I'm the door. Unless you enter through that door, you have no hope of knowing God the Father. Zero. Zero.

The words of our Lord are astounding. Because after He says, I'm the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me, He'll continue to His disciples and He says, if you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him. More on that later. The words of our Lord are so definitive to the Pharisees because He Because He would know.

No one comes to the Father unless the Son has introduced Him to the Father. And Jesus is telling these men, contrary to what you think, you don't know the Father. You know why? Because I haven't introduced Him to you. And I haven't introduced you to Him.

That's why I can tell you, you don't know the Father. Because unless you know me and I know you, you have no chance of knowing the Father. I'm the only revealing light. The light of the world. And you have rejected that light.

You remain in darkness, is what Jesus is saying. There is no place for darkness in God. God is light in Him. There is no darkness. 1 John 1.

5. What a tragedy. Until now, there's never been, as I said earlier, a sect so exposed to the light of God than the Pharisees. The light of Scripture they had in their hot little hands for centuries now. They painstakingly recited it.

They meditated upon it. They taught it. diligently to their followers. They disciplined themselves to worship exactly how they thought it prescribed. To obey the law.

They offered the sacrifices. They offered the offerings. They went to the annual feast. They tithed. They did it all.

They did it all. They even traveled over land and sea in hope to make converts to what they believed was true religion. What they thought was rooted in their true knowledge of God. But the fact that the Son of God comes onto the scene and they do not recognize him as such, well, that's evidence. If they can't see the very nature of God in the Son of God, that is evidence that they did everything they did in vain.

Beloved, hear that. That's a scary thought. The sacrifices weren't accepted. Their tithes despised. Their prayers, they weren't heard.

Their worship, detested. And in His righteous fury, God the Father looks down in judgment upon these people and He declares of them that they worship Him with their mouths. But their hearts, their being, their soul is far from Him. They don't know God. Beloved, the Word of God unashamedly, unashamedly declares that a genuine knowledge of God comes exclusively through the Son of God.

There is no other way. The world we live in hates those words. Because the world we live in is steeped in relativism. Every truth is relative to the individual. That's what they want to hear.

And when you say there's an absolute truth, and that truth is God can only be known through the Son, exclusively through the Son, they hate it. They hate it. That's hard-headed. That's narrow-minded. That's bigoted.

That's intolerant. But no matter what the opposition is, beloved, Take courage, the Bible is clear. God is unknowable apart from the Son of God. In, of course, an intimate, personal, salvific way. Because, of course, all creation testifies to the glory of God.

So how is it and why is it that the Son, or the Father, is unknowable apart from the Son? Because of our defiling sin, beloved. That's why. By nature, our sin has defiled us. And that sin has broken fellowship with God and created a deep, wide, insurmountable chasm between sinful human beings like you and I with a thrice holy God who lives in unapproachable light and in whom there is not even a hint of darkness.

Because of sin, man has departed from the light of God, from the life of God. And he is plunged, being plunged into moral darkness. And beloved, we heard it this evening, the wages of sin is what? It's death. The two cannot mix.

Darkness and light? Is there such a thing? The light pervades the darkness, it pushes it away. It can't exist. Life and death, death shouldn't be.

That's why we heard what we heard this evening. There must not be a hint of death in the camp among the people of Israel. Because he defiles them, he makes them unkind because God is the living God. You can't mix death and life. Light and darkness.

The righteousness of God and man's wickedness and depravity cannot be mixed. His eyes are too pure, he cannot look upon sin. We say these words, we would do well to meditate upon them. Because that chasm that exists cannot be crossed between simple man and holy God. It separates him from wicked human beings.

And because of that distance, an intimate knowledge of God is absolutely impossible to mankind. And if salvation and life is found in God alone, and we all know that, he is the giver of life. And beloved, all hope is lost. But God, in his mercy, made a single way, one way, to reconcile sinful people to himself. And that way is through his Son.

His eternal, divine Son, who existed with the Father from all eternity in a face-to-face love relationship, and yet he humbled himself in the condescension of the incarnation, and he became man just like you and I, flesh and blood and a reasonable soul, in order to represent simple humanity, in order to represent them and to redeem them and to make them acceptable before God. The righteousness of God, the brilliant light of life, now incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. The fullness of God found in a man, Jesus Christ. Didn't that excite you? It excites me.

It is incredible. Think about that truth. Be excited about that truth, because He did it for you, Christian, and for His glory. sinners who are tainted by sin, defiled by unrighteousness. This was the only way he could make us acceptable before God.

As the Apostle Peter says, we escape the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's the only way. humanity redeemed, God can now look upon mankind with pleasure in his eyes because his gaze is on the absolute moral purity and perfection and the brilliant radiant light of the righteousness of his only son in flesh. His favor is on his son. His pleasure is in his son.

And hear this, and upon anyone who is united into his son. And that's where you and I come into the peace, Christian. Everyone who remains in His light, everyone who is found in Jesus Christ, they will enjoy not only the light of God, but the life of God. The flowing life of God flows through the life of the Christian. How amazing is that?

Whoever has the Son has life. And whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5. The insurmountable chasm between God and man bridged in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, the God-man. Man is once again reconciled with the Father through Christ, in whom the Father is well pleased.

Paul says it this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God.

All this is from God, who through Christ, through Christ, reconciled us to Himself. So there's a reconciliation happening. God is reconciling sinful mankind through Christ unto Himself. He's making Himself known. Reconciled through Christ, reconciled us to Himself, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting us to the message of reconciliation. God's reconciling a sinful people to Himself through His Son. And when a son or the son of God introduces a sinner to God the Father, he's taken from the darkness into the light, from death to life. This is eternal life that they know you, that's God, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent, John 17 verse three. The Father and Son are so intimately united in salvation.

You can see that. You can't read much of Scripture without knowing that. Jesus is not a rogue deity. He's not doing things on his own. He is in perfect unison with the Father.

And the intimacy between the Father and the Son is so close and so united that the Bible tells us to believe in the Son is to believe in the Father. To honor the Son is to honor the Father. To know the Son. is to know the Father. We've seen these truths over and over again as we've worked our way through the fourth gospel, haven't we?

The knowledge of the Father and of the Son is one and the same. You cannot know one without knowing the other. They are so united, one with the other, that to know Christ is to know the Father, to know the Father is to know the Son and Beloved. As we think those words through, those realities through, think of the people that you may know that believe that they know God, they pray to God, that they do religious activities, but if Jesus Christ is not in that equation, not only in that equation, but at the very core and center of that equation, then they don't know God and they are under the judgment of God. I don't care who it is.

The Bible has spoken. It matters not who they are or what they believe. If they think there's a route to God and the Son is not at the very center and the gospel is not at the very center, then they don't know God and they're deceived and self-deluded. And we ought to peer these people and bring them the exclusive gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way.

There's no other way. Jesus said with his own words, I and the Father are one, John 10 30. You know, in his final public address in Jerusalem, before he's betrayed and crucified, our Lord cries out these words. Whoever believes in Me, believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. You hear those words?

Whoever believes in Me, believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And whoever sees Me, sees Him who sent Me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness. You see the unity between the Father and Son? You see Christ?

You've seen the Father? I mean, if that wasn't true, this is blasphemous beyond anything we can imagine. But praise God, it is true. And Jesus is saying that you see me in the face of Christ. You see Father.

You see God. No other passage in Scripture I think speaks clearer to this truth than John chapter 14. Actually if you want to open there, let's open to John chapter 14. Let's start from verse 7. John chapter 14 from verse 7.

John chapter 14 from verse 7. A glorious passage. I'm hoping most of us would know so many beautiful truths in this. But Jesus says, if you have known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

We referenced that before. Now Philip comes into the piece and he says these words, Lord, show us the father and it is enough for us. And Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me." This is an incredible, incredible testimony to the unity of the Father and the Son. Of course, there's a unity with the Spirit of God also, and that will come a little bit later in the Gospel of John around the 14th Mark.

But blow it back to John chapter 8. Essentially, Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, right now in the temple area, even if the Father was to come and appear before your very eyes, and we know that's not going to happen, but even if He did, you're not going to recognize Him because you don't know Him. So you don't know what you're asking for, basically. Where is the Father? In other words, can you bring him to us?

You don't know what you're talking about. Because you won't recognize the Father, because you don't recognize me. Sure, you see me, but you don't recognize who I am, is what Jesus is saying. You neither know me, nor do you know the Father. Because if you recognize me, you would recognize him, and if you know me, you would know him.

Beautiful unity, beautiful unity. Because you either know us both, or you don't know us at all. Or better yet, you're either known by us both, or you're not known by us at all. So if you can't see the Father in me, then you're blinded by the corruption of your hearts, because He's only seen through me, is what Jesus is saying. Probably fitting, Probably fitting, of course, that the Apostle John tells us in verse 20 that this all took place in the treasury in the temple.

You see, the last seven days in the temple would have been absolutely bustling with activity. We've been here for a while. Chapter 7 and chapter 8, we've been here for many, many months. And the context is the same. There was music, and there was dancing, and there was singing, and there was celebrating, and there were sacrifices and offerings.

There was much activity in the Feast of Boots, and the temple was the place to be. That's where it all took place. But we know that the conversations that are taking place before us in chapter 8 are on the eighth day of the Feast of Booths. And the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Tabernacles, spans seven days. And so therefore, the eighth day, we're told, is a holy convocation or a holy assembly.

No festivities, just a reverent assembly before the Lord. Things have now quietened down. Things are now settled. And come tomorrow, all the props and all the utensils and all the equipment that was used for this feast will be slowly disassembled and packed up for the next year until the feast comes about again. And they're not gonna do that today because Yathday is a Sabbath day, it's a day of rest.

That will take place tomorrow. Now, as I said a few weeks ago, it's not certain, but most scholars place the treasury, the treasury, because we're told this is taking place in the treasury, that most scholars place the treasury in the court of the women. Because both men and women had access to the offering chests. We know Christ was sitting watching a widower, a widow I should say, putting her last two mites, if you remember. And according to the history books, the huge candles that we spoke about several weeks ago and I made reference to along the way as we worked our way through Chapter 7 and Chapter 8, those candles that stood some 15, 20 meters high, according to the history books, they were placed in the court of the women.

So it's very likely, very likely, that that was there while Christ was speaking to the Pharisees. And it seems to me quite fitting that these huge candles that are so capable of producing a brilliant light to illuminate the whole city, if you remember. The whole of Jerusalem was lit up by these massive candles. They're now standing right beside these men, very lightly, completely dormant. The lights are off.

They're just standing there. Such potential, yet they stand unlit. And unlit, they are of no benefit to anyone. They're just standing there. Beloved, the light of the world stands before these proud religious men.

A light so brilliant, no other light can expose the deepest secrets and sins of the heart. No other light that will show their need for forgiveness of those sins, and no other light that reveals the mercy and grace of God that is on offer to forgive those sins. No other light that makes the unknowable God knowable. And despite the words of our Lord that have potential to light up their whole world, Because of continued unbelief, his words have the same effect on their hearts as those massive candles standing there dormant. The light is snuffed out as far as they're concerned.

Why? Because they preferred the darkness rather than the light. What a sad state to be in. This is also very scary, I must add. Because although these men had the scripture and they had the incarnate Son of God before them, they didn't see the light.

And they didn't believe the truth. Not willing? Yes, we've got to give them that. They were not willing. To bow their knee, that's true.

But this is why I said it's a scary thing. They were also not able either. Not willing, and not able. The insurmountable chasm that I spoke about earlier, the one that separates God from man, well, Jesus has bridged that gap. Praise be to God, but sinful man is unable to recognize that truth, apart from divine help.

It requires the hand of God, beloved, to move. God, it's necessary for God to move, to shine His light into the heart of a sinful human being. He is apart from their will, because they're not willfully looking for God. They're obstinant, hard-hearted, unbelievers, loving the darkness and the sin in the darkness, and His light pervades the darkness, apart from their will. All their religiosity of these Pharisees came was to no avail.

No avail at all when it comes to the light of God shining in the heart of man. Saying you believe the Bible won't cut it. Trying to obey his commands, it just won't do. Coming to church regularly is not the answer, beloved, nor is preaching the gospel to your friends. Not even sitting under faithful preaching of the word for years will guarantee salvation.

These men, these men were sincere. They were sincere in their religious practices. They sacrificed many creature comforts in order to live the pious lives that they lived. But Jesus says, you neither know me nor do you know my father. How terrifying is that?

Everything they could do within their own power was not enough. Nothing they've ever done in the name of religion. will count to anything spiritually speaking, because they did not know God. The relationship with God was a counterfeit relationship. Jesus says, you don't know God, because you don't know me.

The same can be said of countless people who sit in congregations around our world, just like this one. It's a scary reality. It's a scary reality. Because nothing these men have ever done would be pleasing in the eyes of God. And the scary thing is, there are many in our world today who think they know God.

But on the last day, they'll hear the most chilling words, I believe, that are contained in the New Testament. On that day, from the mouth of our Lord, he says, on that day, many, many, not a few, many. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, not teacher, not rabbi, not prophet, not friend, right? Lord, Lord. Lord, Lord.

We all know that Lord is the Old Testament name for God. Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name or cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you. We've never been acquainted is what Jesus is saying. You don't know me, and I don't know you, and I've certainly never introduced you to my father.

I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. See, at this point, we're sort of left thinking, what needs to happen here? This is what needs to happen. God needs to move.

For God who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4, 6, if you can commit a verse to memory, commit that one to memory. Simply being exposed to the gospel. Simply reading the scripture, simply knowing details about Christ or attending church is not enough. The same God who spoke into the dark universe.

Darkness was everywhere. He spoke his brilliant light into a darkened universe. That God needs to shine his light into our hearts. to make Himself and all His wonderful glory known. And don't miss this.

Don't miss this. In the face of Jesus Christ. In the face of Jesus Christ. God is known through Christ. This whole passage, this whole sermon was about that.

That God is knowable. The unknowable God is knowable through His Son, Jesus Christ. And this verse that I just read shows that God takes the initiative. That He's the one who pervades the darkness of the morally dark, sinful, depraved soul. And He pervades it with His brilliant light.

The light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Beloved, this is the reality and it's a bit of a scary one. That you and I are people, are able, to possibly sit down with their Bibles in their hands and read it for 12 hours a day. And the other 12 hours on their knees in prayer before mighty God. But if God doesn't move with his mercy and his grace, they will never know him.

They'll remain in darkness. remain under the wrath of God for the day of wrath. A little bit longer, we're almost done. That's why I said earlier this is a very scary truth. Christian or not Christian, this is a terrifying truth.

And it's at this point that hearts might be experiencing a little bit of dread Maybe some trepidation. People who hear these doctrines, they sometimes fall into maybe even a bit of a panic. Because we feel helpless and we don't want to be helpless. We like to be in control. It's out of our hands.

We know that. So the natural thing we ask is, what can we do? That's what we're thinking when we think about the sublime truths that are revealed to us in sacred scripture. When the heart and the mind of God is revealed to us, it puts us into place. His ways are perfect, and all that he does is good.

But beloved, I want you to know this one thing. I'm infinitely grateful that God has revealed some of these high and lofty eternal truths. That He's exposed His heart and His mind to His people, to the Christians. I'm so grateful that He's given us snippets of His eternal mind. And we find that in the pages of Scripture.

How His mind works to some degree is wonderful. But I know this for sure. You and I have no right in going beyond what is written. Remember that. You and I have absolutely no right to go beyond what is written.

Because yes, salvation is purely from the Lord. And yes, if he doesn't move, there is no hope for that person at all. And yes, he is completely free to elect some in Christ before the foundation of the world, and not others. But why he does what he does, or chooses some and not others, beloved, we don't know. Because this all took place before you and I were even created.

Before a single atom was created in the universe. the bride of Christ was united in. And if He hasn't told us, let the secret things belong to the Lord. If He hasn't told us, let us not dare go beyond what is written. Therefore, when someone is concerned, concerned to be forgiven of their sins, they are not to ask What if I'm not one of the elect?

What if I'm not one of those chosen ones? What if God hasn't chosen me for salvation? What if Jesus never intended to introduce me to God? What if God doesn't take the initiative to shine His brilliant light in my heart to know Him through the face of Jesus Christ? Every one of those questions is beyond what is written.

We have no right to ask them. None. None. We have no right to ask them. But beloved, on the other hand, we are not paralysed to do nothing either.

You see, we must have the same confidence in the Scripture that reveals the heart of God from eternity past and the workings of His mind, that which He has revealed to us. We must have the same confidence in that Scripture as we do in Scripture that tells us what we must do. And yes, I am using that word, do. Ultimately, it's under His sovereignty. But beloved, let's not emphasize one part of Scripture over the other.

This is very important, otherwise we end up wanting to answer questions that we don't have answers for, and then we go beyond what is written. Because in the same breath, our Lord testifies to both. And it's a beautiful passage. You can open, if you like, Matthew 11, 27 through 30. Again, that scripture that I said I was going to refer to.

Matthew 11, verse 27. I began with that text in the intro and then through the body of the text or the sermon. And slowly we're just getting more snippets and a bit more of a bite and more of a taste as we go on. But this time we're going to read three verses, four verses from 27 through 30 and it reads this way. Jesus speaking, all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the father except the son and anyone whom the son chooses to reveal him.

The divine initiative, right? Because it's the son who makes the decision to whom he reveals the father. Divine initiative. And then, he continues, and he says, come to me! Come, come to me!

But you're in control! Christ, you're the one who takes the initiative of salvation. It's God who shines his light in the heart of a person so they can know the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And Jesus says, yes, I'm the one who reveals the Father to you. I'm the one who makes that choice.

And then in the next breath, he says, come to me. all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Beloved, all I can say is, let God be God. And as for you, come to Jesus.

Come to the feet of Christ. Come to Christ, believe upon Him, and be saved. Never mind you asking, who is the elect? What if, and what if? That's up to God, in the mind of God.

It's His choice, His prerogative, and He hasn't revealed that to us. But what He has revealed in Scripture is for you to come. And for us to tell the world, come. Come. Come to Christ.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified. And with the mouth, one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame. Is it He who gives us faith?

Yes, but He calls us to come. This is how we carry it. That passage was Romans 10, 9 through 11. The question is, do you believe? Because that's what Jesus is calling us to.

Believe. Trust. And here we go. And obey. Trust and obey.

Because a heart that is truly concerned with being forgiven of sins and a heart that is really concerned with the greatest privilege to mankind. And beloved, hear this well, there is no greater privilege for mankind than to know God. No greater privilege. There's not a single better, greater privilege than to know God and have an intimate relationship with Him. This is why Jesus came and became man, to suffer and die on the cross, so that He can make known God to us, to reconcile God to sinful human beings, because there's no greater privilege.

for mankind than to know God in an intimate way. Someone who does desire that, someone who has that in their heart, whose motives are pure, doesn't sit back, hear this, it doesn't sit back and moan and groan and complain because I don't have the insurance on my salvation. I don't mean to be insensitive. Because we are not meant to ask the question, how do I know? How do I know that I'm elect?

How do I know that I'm chosen? How do I know that God has me? How do I know that my relationship? How do I know? How do I know?

We're not meant to ask those questions. Those questions are sometimes very selfish if you think about them. They seek to appease our own conscience and settle our own emotions. Those motives aren't pure. Rather, a person who desires to be forgiven and to know God and to dwell with Him in a love, intimate relationship with God.

He or she would throw themselves at the feet of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and stay there. You come to Christ in obedience and you remain with Him. Because you know, only in Christ can I receive forgiveness of sins. Only in Christ can I be forgiven. Only in Christ can I know God.

Only in Christ will I find rest for my soul. All the blessings, all the infinite blessings in the heavenlies are found in whom? In Christ. Not asking the questions that belong to God, we come to Christ because that's where we find salvation. That's where we find comfort.

That's where we find the unknowable God who he reveals and introduces us to. That's where we find rest. It's at the feet of the Saviour. It's at the feet of the Saviour that I know. It's at His feet that I know that I'm known to Him.

And I know Him. Because it's there He reveals to our hearts by His Spirit that testifies to our spirit Abba, Father. It's in that light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ that I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that to know Him is everything. It's everything. Nothing else matters outside of knowing God through Christ Jesus.

The Pharisees couldn't see it and that's a tragedy. They preferred the darkness than the light. They rejected the only way to the Father. Beloved, I pray that none of us in this place falls in that tragedy. Because nothing else matters.

Nothing else will satisfy the deepest longing of the human soul than to know God. And we know Him through Christ, His Son. And we will do well, all of us, to come to Christ. He's the one who reveals the Father to whom he chooses, but he says to his children, come. And his children who love him, who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, his children who have had desires of God placed in their heart that cannot be satisfied in anyone else day, they come.

They come wholeheartedly. And there's no better place for the heart of the Christians to be at the feet of their Savior, Jesus Christ. And beloved, it's at the feet of Jesus Christ that those questions of doubt, they disappear. They disappear. I'm not doubting that some have those doubts, but I'm telling you, the only remedy is to come to Christ.

Because you'll find solace nowhere else. You'll find rest nowhere else. You'll find comfort nowhere else. You'll find security nowhere else. Christ is everything.

Because in Christ we know God the Father. He's brilliant. He's glorious. The Pharisees couldn't see it. There's nothing more beautiful than to know God beloved and I want to end with this.

God knows it also. Don't take my word for it. Because this is the declaration of God from the mouth of God. He's the one. If he says it, though he says it, don't believe it.

But if God says it, then you can believe it as absolute truth. And God himself says, there is nothing more glorious for mankind than to know me. And he says it in Jeremiah chapter 9. Let's open there. Jeremiah chapter 9.

And let's start from verse 23. Jeremiah chapter 9 from verse 23. Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches.

But let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows me. That I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. Don't declare. Don't boast in your riches.

Don't boast in your strength. Don't boast in your accolades. Don't boast in your accomplishments. Don't boast in what you have achieved. You're going to boast in anything.

Boast in the only thing worthy of boasting. And that is, I know God in Christ Jesus. I'll boast in that. That's my only boast. The Apostle Paul says.

And God Almighty says that this is the only justification for boasting, to boast that you know God. And that is a divine work of God. He takes the initiative, but you and I are called to come. No one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. And in our passage, we've got Jesus saying, if you knew me, you would know my Father also.

The question is laid there, do we know God? Let's pray.