Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
April 2, 2023
INTRO
Blaise Pascal was a child prodigy. He was born in 1623 in France, and by age 16 he had already published a pioneering treatise on geometry. In his teens and twenties, he made significant contributions to mathematics and philosophy and he was one of the first secular rationalist thinkers in the early days of the Enlightenment.
Blaise was very close with his father and his only sister, Jacqueline. His father had personally educated his children together and they gained a tight family bond. But Blaise struggled with poor health most of his life. When his father died in 1651 and his sister Jacqueline moved away to join a Christian convent, Blaise felt abandoned and alone. He thought his sister had joined a cult. And he grew increasingly despairing of the world.
But on November 23, 1654, around 10:30pm, Blaise met God. As he was at his home, he became suddenly aware of God’s presence, he was convicted of his sin and despair, and he entrusted himself to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Everything he learned as a child about the Christian faith came suddenly into focus. He immediately wrote a note that is now known as “Pascal’s Memorial.” (SLIDE 3) He sewed this note into the lining of his jacket for the next 8 years until it was discovered at his death. This is what Pascal wrote that night…
Pascal’s “Memorial”
FIRE.
GOD of Abraham, GOD of Isaac, GOD of Jacob
not of the philosophers and of the learned.
Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace.
GOD of Jesus Christ.
My God and your God.
Your GOD will be my God.
Forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except GOD.
He is only found by the ways taught in the Gospel.
Grandeur of the human soul.
Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you.
Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy.
I have departed from him:
They have forsaken me, the fount of living water.
My God, will you leave me?
Let me not be separated from him forever.
This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God, and the one that you sent, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ.
I left him; I fled him, renounced, crucified.
Let me never be separated from him.
He is only kept securely by the ways taught in the Gospel:
Renunciation, total and sweet.
Complete submission to Jesus Christ and to my director.
Eternally in joy for a day's exercise on the earth.
Not to forget your words. Amen.
(SLIDE 4) Pascal would go on to write one of the most famous Christian theological works of history known simply as “Thoughts.” For all his abilities to be a rational thinker and scientist, he spoke powerfully about faith. He said, “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing: we know this in countless ways.” Pascal said it’s like knowing you are awake. Or it’s like knowing when someone loves you. Yes, there may be rational evidence, but it is something we feel and know at a deeper level, at the heart level. Pascal says that we can be aware of God without mounting an argument from reason: “It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart.”
Let me be clear: Pascal was not opposed to the place of logic or reason to support faith. Later in the same book, he defends the historical reliability of the Gospels and the resurrection of Jesus. But he understood that the perceptions of the heart are where rational propositions move from mere logic to saving faith. In other words, it is ultimately about trust. As the Apostle Paul made clear to the church in Rome, outward truth claims must reflect the surrender and trust in our hearts.
(SLIDE 5) Romans 10:9-10, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
You see, the most important question you will ever be confronted with is this: How will you respond to the words and works of Jesus Christ? How will you respond to the evidence of his miracles, his sinless life, his sacrificial death, and his resurrection? How will you respond to his claims to be the Messiah, the Savior of the world and the Lord over all creation?
(SLIDE 6) We are returning to the Gospel of John today, and we are going to look at a passage that goes deeper into the conflict over Jesus’ claims. Open with me to John 10:22-42. As we read this text, I want you to notice a key word. The word “believe” is repeated 6 times in this passage to draw out the importance of trusting in Jesus’ words and his miraculous works that prove he is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Let’s read. READ John 10:22-42.
ORG SENT — I want to tackle this in two parts: First, Jesus explains why these people don’t believe (vv. 22-30). Second, Jesus gets to the heart of the problem: their trust (vv. 31-42).
MAIN 1 — Why They Don’t Believe (vv. 22-30). (SLIDE 7a)
Some time has passed since the Feast of Tabernacles, which usually happened in late September or early October. It is now the Festival of Dedication, which many of us know now as Hanukkah, and it is December. (SLIDE 7b) Let me give you some background:
This festival was a relatively new addition to the Jewish calendar. It is not found in the Old Testament. Rather, it celebrates a more recent event in Jerusalem.
In 167 BC the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem and desecrated the Temple by setting up a pagan altar to displace the altar of the Living God. (SLIDE 7c)
This Syrian king instituted marshal law with brutal repression of Jewish religious practices, including a new law that made it a capital offense to possess the Hebrew scriptures.
Many Jews fought back with guerrilla warfare and eventually gathered enough numbers to overthrow the Syrians under the leadership of Judas Maccabaeus. His name means “Judas the Hammer”. (SLIDE 7d)
They recaptured the Temple and reconsecrated it to God in 164 BC, (SLIDE 7e) holding an 8 day celebration that was marked by the lighting of candles in homes to symbolize the miraculous oil found in the Temple and the growing light of God coming to his people as the Jews are set apart for exclusive worship to the Living God.
Don’t miss this: John picks up the story at the Festival of Dedication, at a time when the Romans are occupying Jerusalem and the Jews were desperately waiting for a Messiah to overthrow their oppressors, and now the Light of the World himself is walking in Solomon’s Colonnade on the south edge of the Temple courts, and his light is growing brighter as he teaches and more and more people follow him.
Yet, there are opponents. They want Jesus to just plainly state his intentions. (SLIDE 8a) Is he going to overthrow the Romans or not? Look at what they say: READ v. 24.
What does Jesus say? Look at his response: (SLIDE 8b) READ v. 25-27.
Jesus had just taught earlier in chapter 10 that he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. His whole mission is NOT to be the political messiah who overthrows the Romans by an armed rebellion or by guerrilla warfare.
He is speaking plainly, they just don’t have eyes to see. Jesus has been performing miracles and teaching about how he is fulfilling the Father’s will.
Jesus is doing something deeper: He is conquering sin and death. (SLIDE 8c) He is achieving a deeper redemption than mere political freedom, he is freeing his flock from the curse of sin and freeing them to gain a new kingdom, one not of this world!
You see, all Jesus’ words and works have pointed in one direction: He is revealing the Father’s will (words) (SLIDE 8d) and he is operating in the Father’s power (works). (SLIDE 8e) Together, these prove that the Father has sent Jesus.
Cf — These are two key markers of a Christ-centered church! We will see the Word proclaimed and we will see the works of God in our midst. In other words, we will stick to the truth and we will see God’s presence and power working in us.
APPLY — This is powerful witness in evangelism and missions: God’s Word and good works combine to point to the free gift of salvation in the gospel of Jesus Christ!
And yet there are two challenging lessons here:
(SLIDE 9a) Even though Jesus offers forgiveness, some people still won’t believe. This is a hard teaching, but a reality we see everyday. Hardheartedness is alive and well. Spiritual blindness is a global pandemic. Many will plug their ears, never hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd.
(SLIDE 9b) Yet those who do believe are protected by the Good Shepherd. If you trust in Christ, no earthly power, physical ailment, circumstance, or tragedy can prevail against the power of God, because he is greater than all!
This gets to the heart of the matter, because as Jesus ends his explanation of why these Jews at the Festival of Dedication don’t believe, he concludes with a statement that becomes the dividing line in verse 30: “I am the Father are one.”
MAIN 2 — The Problem: Trust (vv. 31-42). (SLIDE 10a)
This conversation reveals the heart of the problem in the 1st century, and indeed in every generation since: It is not ultimately good works or miracles that trip people up. It is the subsequent claim: Jesus is God. (SLIDE 10b)
When the Jews pick up stones, Jesus asks them which good works from the Father are they mad about? In other words, are you really going to kill me for healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and feeding thousands of people? Jesus asks this on purpose, knowing that it will illuminate the heart of the problem!
They reply that they don’t want to stone him because of the good works, but because of his supposed blasphemy. He is claiming to be God.
You see, for a mere human being to claim oneness with the Father would create two theological problems in the minds of a 1st century Jew: (SLIDE 10c)
It elevates a human being to divine status (SLIDE 10d) — This violates the creatureliness of a created being. It is pure pride. It is hubris taken to the extreme.
It lowers God to be in competition with other gods (SLIDE 10e) — This violates the holiness, sovereignty, and all-encompassing power of God as God! It is pure heresy. It is something a Jew could hardly imagine.
This is why their reaction is SO STRONG! They are ready to be the judge and jury right now…guilty as charged, death sentence, time for your execution!
But Jesus is no mere human being! Yes, he is fully human, but is also fully God. This is a category the Jews didn’t have, and it is a claim that is extraordinary and must be received by faith. You see, Jesus’ response here crystallizes the problem: READ vv. 34-36.
He is quoting Psalm 82 to these Jewish leaders. (SLIDE 10f) And he is invoking the language of “set apart” that harkens to the very Festival of Dedication that is happening right in front of them at the Temple. Let me explain:
Psalm 82 is a fascinating poem that depicts a cosmic court-room in which God calls the rulers of Israel to account for their abuse of the Law and their wickedness, injustice, and pride.
Here’s how the Psalm goes. It’s short, so let’s just read it: (SLIDE 11 and 12) “God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”: “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.” Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.”
(SLIDE 13a) The “gods” in this Psalm are the human rulers of Israel who failed to lead justly and rightly, even though they had God’s words and God’s power. So God presides in judgment over them. All are held to account.
Similarly in John 10, here are the Pharisees and Sadducees who are the human leaders who have God’s revealed word and God’s power at work. Yet they still don’t judge justly or rightly. They don’t see the truth, they don’t respond correctly to the revealed reality of Jesus Christ, God’s own Son!
KEY — And now, God himself, the Word made flesh, the very power of God in living reality, is presiding in judgment over them, the Jewish leaders! This Psalm is being fulfilled, “Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance” (Psalm 82:8).
There are a couple key lessons here:
“Scripture cannot be set aside” (v. 35) (SLIDE 13b) — you can’t ignore Scripture just because it is inconvenient or goes against your personal feelings or your notion of truth.
And, the phrase “whom the Father has set apart as his very own and sent into the world” points to Jesus’ entire mission culminating in his death and resurrection.
The fact that Jesus is “set apart” (v. 36) echoes the theme of the Feast of Dedication (SLIDE 13c), when the Temple was rededicated for 8 days after it had been desecrated.
The Jews here still don’t see the connection: (SLIDE 13d) Jesus is the new Temple (cf. John 2:19-22). HE has been set aside for God’s exclusive use as the pre-incarnate Son for the mission of saving his people from their sins by offering the perfect sacrifice on the sacred altar once-for-all! He is superseding the Feast of Dedication! It points to him! He is the Light that gives light to the world!
His challenge to these Jewish leaders is this: If you can’t believe my words, at least believe in my works. If you see people being healed, if you see divine power, if you encounter the very presence of God through me, if you sense in the “perception of your heart” that I am who I say I am, as Blaise Pascal put it, then choose to trust in me. (SLIDE 13e)
In other words, Jesus’ works corroborate his claim to be the Son of God. (SLIDE 14a)
It reminds me of what Nicodemus said in John 3:2, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Or the blind man said in John 9:33 after he was healed by Jesus and he confronts the Jewish leaders, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
This is why Jesus puts the challenge very bluntly in John 8:42, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.”
And if this is true, if Jesus really is the Son of God, then the evidence demands a response. (SLIDE 14b) In light of Jesus’ words and power, you can’t be neutral.
As I said earlier, this passage confronts us with the most important question we will ever encounter: How will you respond to Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah, the Savior of the world and the Lord over all creation? This is the dividing line of history, the dividing line of your life.
The stark reality we need to face from this text today is that whenever someone is confronted with this question, there are only two possible responses: (SLIDE 14c) you will either pick up stones, or you must lay down your life. You will either double-down on your idolatry and your desire to be on the throne of your own life, or you will fall at his feet in surrender, trusting in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
This passage ends with an ironic and pointed contrast:
Jesus leaves the Jewish leaders who want to stone him. They don’t believe his words or his works.
By contrast, he goes to the wilderness where John had been baptizing, and the masses of people come to him. They testify that Jesus is fulfilling John’s prophecies through his words and works. And the text says, “In that place many believed in Jesus”!
Yet, these same crowds who will welcome him to Jerusalem as king a few months later on Palm Sunday, still hoping he will deliver them from the Romans, will be the same ones who shout, “Crucify!”
They had yet to understand Jesus’ deeper mission, his work to defeat sin and death, his work to redeem them by making them new creations through a spiritual rebirth that is a foretaste of his enteral kingdom!
APPLY — This is what I want us to contemplate this week. Pastor Steve has produced a devotional for Holy Week that starts tomorrow morning. It is an opportunity to move toward Easter with our hearts surrendered to Jesus in full trust and in a deep and abiding faith. As Blaise Pascal said, let these devotionals call you to “what faith is: God perceived by the heart.”
I’ll also encourage you to come to our Good Friday service. We have some special things planned to help us remember Christ’s death. And then on Easter morning we have some fun music planned with participation by our kids.