Who is Your Father?
- Rev. Chris Brademeyer
- Apr 6
- 6 min read
Who is Your Father?
Judica, the Fifth Sunday in Lent – 4/6/2025
John 8:42-59
Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer
That portion of God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Gospel lesson from the eighth chapter of the Holy Gospel according to St. John with special emphasis on verses forty-two through forty-seven which read as follows:
“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’”[1]
Thus far the Scriptures.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The boundaries between Christ and Satan are rather defined. Jesus’s own words reveal this basic truth. In our Gospel reading from John today, Jesus is engaged in a conversation with those Jews who had believed in Him[2] and things get heated. In this passage, Jesus isn’t just defending His identity—He’s revealing a deep spiritual reality: that there are only two kingdoms. And these kingdoms are neither political kingdoms, nor economic systems, rather they are spiritual kingdoms. These are the kingdom of the Devil, and the Kingdom of Christ. Every single person belongs to one or the other. It doesn’t matter much if a person has an awareness of this; to be absent from Christ’s Kingdom is to be in the Devil’s.
This is a challenging passage, not because it’s hard to understand, but because it’s so clear. Jesus draws a hard line and says, "You are either with Me or you are not." As I mentioned a few weeks ago when Jesus says similarly to this in Luke, we humans love the idea of shades of gray in spiritual matters, in truth, and in morals. Gray makes us feel like we are in control, gray gives us the illusion of autonomy, that we are in charge of our fates. Gray deludes us into thinking that we have a handle on reality and all the facets of it wish to manipulate to our own ends. But Jesus, God Himself, does not tolerate such thinking. And here, He notes quite simply that we are either children of our Father in heaven or children of the Devil.
Two Kingdoms: The Devil and Christ
Jesus is not talking in vague spiritual metaphors. He is revealing a concrete truth: everyone is under the rule of either the devil or Christ. It’s one or the other. There is no neutral ground. Some of those Jews gathered around Jesus believed they were automatically part of God’s kingdom because of their heritage, their blood-tie to Abraham, and their outward obedience to the law. But Jesus says that heritage, ethnicity, and religious behavior don’t make you part of the Kingdom of God. Instead, being made a citizen of the Lord’s own Kingdom comes from something else. More still, it is identifiable in the disposition of us human being. Jesus shows them this by looking the fruit of their lives. He says in verse forty-two: “If God were your Father, you would love me.” In other words, Jesus says that no one who rejects Him is really a child of God. And anyone who rejects Christ is not of the Kingdom of God, but is a citizen of the kingdom of the Devil.
The Kingdom of the Devil
Let’s look at what Jesus says about the devil’s kingdom. In verse forty-four He says, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him."[3] This is strong language. And He’s not saying it to criminals or pagans, He’s saying it to religious people, specifically, to those Jews who had followed Him.
This group is of people is interesting. They came out to see Jesus, some, no doubt, were the faithful remnant of Israel who wished to see the Messiah. Others, it seems, were drawn to Christ like gawkers at a carnival side-show. It is to these latter that Christ directs His comments; they, while having been drawn to Christ, did not come in faith, to receive salvation, to be under His rule, instead, they sought to take from Christ whatever bits they liked, while seeking to ignore the rest. The result is that they were of another kingdom, one of darkness. And this kingdom of Satan is unlike Christ’s. It is characterized by
Lies. The devil is the father of lies. Everything he does is rooted in deception.
Murder. From the beginning, he’s been about death and destruction.
Hatred for Jesus. The religious leaders claim to love God, yet they seek to kill His Son, just like Satan.
Lest we be mistaken, Jesus doubles down: those who cannot bear to hear the truth are not from God. In verse forty-seven He says, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”[4] Rejecting what Jesus says is the same as rejecting Him. Shades of gray do not work here, they are simply part of the black shadow that is the deceiver, the Devil.
The Kingdom of Christ
Now contrast that with the Kingdom of Christ. Instead of lies, murderous intent, and hatred of the Lord Jesus, the Kingdom of God has
And then comes one of the most profound statements in all of Scripture. In verse fifty-eight, Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.”[9]
This is not just Jesus claiming to be older than Abraham. He is claiming to be God.
Specifically, He is saying that He is the same "I am" who spoke to Moses in the burning bush in Exodus.[10] The eternal, self-existent One. No wonder they picked up stones to kill Him! The crowd around him saw this as blasphemy, as lying about God. Specifically, they thought He was lying about being God. But it was the truth. Jesus is not just a prophet. Not just a good teacher. He is God incarnate. And only through Him do we find eternal life.
What Makes Us Citizens of Christ’s Kingdom
Let’s be clear: we don’t become citizens of Christ’s Kingdom by being born into a Christian family, by being Lutherans from birth, being members of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, or by having German blood in our veins. No, we are saved by Christ and Him alone. And, being brought into the Kingdom by His saving death and faith in the same, live lives focused on hearing and keeping His Word.
The Unity of Truth and Love
In our world today, truth and love are often treated as opposites, in fact, they are often set up as opposing each other. But in the Kingdom of Christ, they are inseparable. Jesus tells the truth boldly, He doesn’t soften the message. But He also speaks out of love. He desires that those hearing Him then and now come to repentance and find life and salvation. Love without truth is empty sentimentality, it has no power to do much of anything except, perhaps, stir emotions. Truth without love is harsh and can be taken as cruel. But when truth and love come together in Christ, we have the blessings of both: right understanding and knowledge, genuine care, and mutual support and up-building.
Conclusion
The people gathered before Jesus thought they were close to God, but they rejected the Son of God standing right in front of them and, thereby, rejected God Himself. Jesus exposes a deep truth: Everyone belongs to one of two kingdoms. And the difference between them isn’t outward appearance—it’s the reality of our place and faith in Christ. He’s not just a teacher. He’s not just a prophet. He is the great I am. And, by the great gift of His life, death, and resurrection, He has given us to be citizens, even children, of our Father in heaven in His great and everlasting Kingdom.
In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] John 8:42-47 English Standard Version. All subsequent quotations are from the ESV.
[2] John 8:31
[3] John 8:44
[4] John 8:47
[5] John 8:42
[6] John 8:47
[7] John 8:51
[8] John 8:56
[9] John 8:58
[10] Exodus 3:14
Comments