Sermon Nuggets Weds March 19, 2025 A Liar? John 8:13-16
John 8:13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not [true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I am testifying about Myself, My testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.
Who is Jesus? A Lair?
It was CS Lewis that wrote about Jesus Christ and those outside the church coming to alternative conclusions. Yesterday, I talked about the accusation that He must have been a lunatic. He thought he was the Son of God, but delusional. Today, I want to address another possibility from the non-Christian explanation and that is He must have been a liar.
The Pharisees and teachers decided he was motivated by Beelzebul. People who think Jesus made the claims that he could make if he was demon possessed or crazy, or at least he was a liar. He knew it wasn't true so He must be telling a lie. Only this accusation is worse for if he was trying to deceive people then he was in cahoots with Satan. He was false and belonged to the devil and the devil's ways.
The Scribes and teachers of the law came to see him for a special assignment- it was to observe him and how to silence him. They were the peace keeping committee from Jerusalem. They were somehow trying to explain the miracles, and the teaching and especially this phenomenon of the power that he had even over evil spirits. They concluded He must have been demon possessed himself and this claim to be of God or even from God must be Satan's lie to deceive the nation.
Of course, we have a better idea of what was going Mark 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to kill Him.”
They already had their minds made up. They wanted him dead. How would they possibly do that when he was gaining such a following? They attributed his power to the devil. That way people would be afraid to follow him.
That is what happened in the early history of the US as well as the Middle ages in Europe. If there was any healing, or religious activities outside of the established state church it was rejected and charged as demonic supernatural powers. I can't tell you the damage that has been done to the name of Jesus for the way people who called themselves Christian acted. People were burned at the stake as witches; people were boiled in oil. If people can villainize the opposition, they justify abuse. Isn't that what happened with the terrorist attacks on America? A group of people were convinced they were fighting a Satanic country and therefore it was perfectly all right to lie, cover up, steal, kill and destroy.
What is it you hear from the extremists of the Middle East about the US? Bush is Satan and the US is Satanic. We are of the devil. Therefore, the call to arms is not against a political regime like democracy or capitalism, but against evil that is out to pervert the world.
The Bible says the people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. They will not see the good in Jesus, but they have hardened their hearts to only accuse and abuse.
What is your response when someone attack you and lies about you? I am aware that the natural inclination is to get angry. Jesus taught in the Beatitudes "Blessed are those when men revile you and persecute and say all manner of evil against you falsely."
But if Jesus was a liar how could anyone call him a great teacher or a good example. It would be a sham. Only He can reveal truth from His Father in Heaven.
Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs March 20, 2025; Legend John 14:6
Is Jesus a Legend?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
When I was in college, I read Paul Little’s book, “Know Why You Believe”. I never questioned my faith since I was 12 years old and recommitted my heart to the Lord. At 9 I prayed the sinner’s prayer. I acknowledged I was a sinner. I believed Jesus died for the sins of the world. I asked forgiveness and for Jesus to “Come into my heart.” I never doubted there was a God. I believed the Bible was true. But there were times I questioned if I was truly saved.
I had to come to a place in my heart when either what Jesus said was right and true, or false and untrue. Either Jesus keeps His promise, that whoever believes in Him shall be saved. Either I take Him at His word, or I do not. From that moment on I never had any doubt about my going to heaven. I had the assurance of salvation.
Looking back at this time, I was saved at age 9, but it was confirmed by the Holy Spirit at age 12.
I believed but I decided to ask the question “why do I believe”. Faith must be placed in something real and true. Just because I used to believe in Santa Claus did not make it true. Because I had inner confidence in God’s saving grace is not true based on my feelings but must be based in facts. I searched this out and Paul Little helped confirm why I believed the Bible was true. I knew in my heart it was, but how do I explain that to my unsaved friends. Jesus doesn’t say that he merely speaks the truth; he claims to be the embodiment of Truth. He doesn’t say he can give life; he tells us he is the source of life itself. And he doesn’t say he is one pathway to God among many; he asserts he is the only Way.
If Jesus was God, then I would have no problems with His miracles. The greatest of all miracles was the resurrection. I my studies I concluded there was no greater confirmation than the way so many lives were changed. Testimonies of redeemed people cannot be ignored in all countries, societies, and languages.
Truth was easy to accept when so many prophecies were fulfilled, and some have yet to come about. It was easy to accept when I discovered more than 40 authors over 1,500 years agreed: what’s the likelihood of that? There are by far more copies and translations than any other ancient book. Archeological findings proved factually recorded in the Bible.
No, Jesus was no legend. He is real then, and He is real now. Call upon Him to save you too.
Dale
Fri. March 21, 2025; Lord Mat. 12:25-29
Matt 12” 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
Jesus is Lord. You see, Jesus had been mounting an assault on the kingdom of Satan. Never before had one so aggressively undertaken to destroy Satan’s work. When Jesus had come upon demon possessed individuals, the demons could not keep quiet but had to make themselves known. And when they did, Jesus dealt with them. He delivered those who were demon oppressed and cast the demons out. He came to destroy the works of Satan.
If Jesus was who he claimed to be, then He is Lord. He is the Son of God. He is worth following. He is the one who should be believed when he confronted fraud, money hungry religion to call for true found faith in God. For the Pharisees to accept that meant they must follow Him as Lord and that they already determined they would not do. Then they would have to admit they were wrong, and no one wants to admit they were wrong.
Jesus reasons with them instead of attacks them. He asks them a very logical question. How can Satan drive out Satan? You don't need to know the original languages of Greek or Hebrew of go to Seminary or Bible school to understand the question. The word, Beelzebub, literally means Lord, or king of the houses. It is another name for Satan. The emphasis means HE is the prince of the house of demons.
Jesus response is more interesting when he uses the illustration of the house divided against itself cannot stand. A Kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand.
In other words Satan if you think about it, I could not be on Satan's side if I am destroying his activities for then Satan would be fighting against himself. Their argument doesn't make any sense at all.
Second parable now gives more of Jesus identity. A strong man isn't going to stand around while a robber is rummaging through the house. Unless someone is carrying a gun I think most people would think twice about robbing Jesse Ventura regardless of how many security guards he has because he is a big strong man. He isn't about to stand around while some puny little guy is going around taking his stuff while Ventura is watching. He will he rob a house. The only way is to tie up the strong man so he can't move and then he can do his dirty work. The only way he can tie him up is that he is stronger or there are more of them.
So the only other alternative is that Jesus is looked at as Lord. That is the obvious point of this parable. He is who he says he is because he has more power than the evil forces and greater than Satan himself. No one else can claim that. The only way he can do that is with greater power than the owner of the house. Makes sense. Jesus was saying I am robbing Satan's house. I am taking away all of his demons and allowing people that are in his grasp to go free. These folks are no longer Satan's possession. Since Jesus is able to confront Satan and take away evil powers then there is conclusion that he is the Lord over all. All these men are able to realize that no one is strong enough to confront Satan, except God. Now for Jesus to claim he has the power is to say he is Lord.
Dale
