John 8: Bible Storying for Muslims: Dr. Cashin Lecture
Dr. David Cashin delivered a series of lectures on chronological Bible Storying for Muslims during a CIU course. Here, Cashin presents the seventh lesson on chronological bible storying of John 8 with Muslims.
Here starts the auto-generated transcription of Dr. David Cashin Lecture:
We now come to lesson 15 in chronological Bible storying for Muslims. This is study number 7. That is our 7th study, in, the Bible and this is our second study in the New Testament. And here, we want to discuss the topic of Jesus and Abraham. Now, you may be aware that for Muslims, Abraham is really the seminal figure of history.
He is the source of all the great monotheistic religions of Judaism, of Christianity, and of Islam, and, Muslims look back to Abraham as really being the father of the faith in that sense. So, it’s very important, I believe, in studying with Muslims to see the role of Jesus as he envisioned himself in comparison to Abraham. Helping Muslims to see that Jesus is superior to Abraham and makes some very startling claims about himself. As we move through this study in the New Testament, Testament, over and over again, we’re going to see that Jesus is explaining primarily who he is as the Kalimatullah, as the word of God. So we’ll be looking today at John chapter 8 verses 31 to 59 and, this is a fairly extensive passage.
I have provided the entire passage here, and we’ll read it fairly rapidly. I don’t want to spend a lot of time in the reading, but I think it’s worthwhile to look at that as you think and prepare, for talking with your Muslim friends. And, the story here is really about how Jesus sets us free. Beginning at verse 31. To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. John 8
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered him, we are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be free? Jesus replied, I tell you the truth. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Now, a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Now, these are some pretty remarkable statements by Jesus. What does Jesus refer to when he speaks of the truth? Now keep in mind that to know the truth means to experience it, to live it, to have it within yourself, and really what Jesus is talking about is what we talked about right back in Genesis 12.
We were created for intimate relationship with God. Why is it that sin breaks, is such a problem for us as human beings? Well, simply because it breaks the intimate relationship with God. So, what does the Son do? He sets us free from that breakage of relationship and restores us to being sons of God.
So, that knowing and experiencing the truth is a word that refers to relationship at the deepest possible level. How does the truth set you free to be a son instead of a slave? You see, those who sin are slaves to sin, Jesus says, and they cannot know God. But through what Jesus does, you can be set free to become a son of God and I put this wonderful picture of a dad and his son together because it illustrates for me and this is clip art so it’s okay to use here, this illustrates for me the intimacy and the warmth and the closeness of relationship that humans were designed to have with God. By the way, there’s a passage in the New Testament, Galatians chapter 4 verse 31, which is almost like a prophecy concerning Islam in New Testament, where it talks about the fact that those who follow the law are enslaved and are following in the pathway of Hagar, who signifies from Mount Sinai the slavery of those who think they can come to God through the works of the law. John 8
But we follow the true Jerusalem, which is found in Sarah and Isaac, who were not coming to God through the law, but who are coming to God through the adoption as sons. It’s a powerful passage and it really illustrates the difference between Islam and Christianity. Romans chapter 8 tells you the same story, around verses 10 to 14. That those who, have come to God through Jesus Christ are sons of God not slaves, and are set free from the fear and the bondage to sin. So these are important points as you walk through this particular passage with your Muslim friend.
John 83437 to 47 goes on to say, they answered him we are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free? Jesus replied, I tell you the truth. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now, a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Now, you are Abraham’s descendants, yet you are ready to kill me because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. Abraham is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham’s children, said Jesus, then you would do the things Abraham did.
As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does. We are not illegitimate children, they protested. The only father we have is God himself. John 8
Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me, for I come from God, and now I am here. I have not come on my own, but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?
He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear that it here is that you do not belong to God. Now, before I move to the next passage, there are a couple of things in this last paragraph in particular that are quite powerful. The issue of lying, the issue of being children of the devil, we’re not talking directly about Islam here. We’re talking about the leadership, amongst the Jews at this particular point in time, but there are many things here that will speak to the Muslim’s heart.
You don’t need to point them out yourself, but this aspect of lying in the cause of religion, this is something Mohammed taught. This idea, that you are speaking on behalf of your own father. A very powerful idea within Islam. And Jesus, of course, is challenging the religious hypocrisy of the day and notice over and over again he’s emphasizing who he is. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ? John 8
So, you can ask the question of your Muslim friend, why did Jesus say such harsh words to the Jews? And get their reaction to that. Now, in many ways, Muslims, because they’re taught to dislike the Jews, they’ll have a lot of things to say about this, but what they don’t realize is that underlying that really is a finger pointing at them as well because of the lies that get told. What does it mean to be a slave of sin? And the powerful reality of that and how it separates us from intimate relationship with God.
And then finally, not all of Abraham’s descendants are truly children of Abraham. What does Jesus say it really means to be a child of Abraham? Let them ponder that for a little bit. What Jesus really says is that a true child of Abraham will recognize Jesus for who he is. Powerful.
Powerful reality. The remaining part of the passage versus 48 to 59. I’m not gonna read all of this, but I do wanna point out what he says towards the end beginning at verse 54. Jesus replied, if I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My father whom you claim as your God is the one who glorifies me.
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad. John 8
You are not yet 50 years old, the Jews said to him, and you have seen Abraham? I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am. At this they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself slipping away from the temple grounds. Now, the Jews accused Jesus of being demon possessed and you can talk about that from that part of the passage. In what ways does Jesus, however, make himself greater than Abraham?
Well, he says that he existed before Abraham did and that Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Christ as if he was looking forward to that. So in essence, Jesus is saying he is primary, not Abraham. He is really the father of the faith. And then, that powerful short phrase in verse 58 before Abraham was I am. What does the I am statement of verse 58 mean in Jewish culture?
Well, the word I Am is the name that God gave to Moses concerning who he was in the burning bush. Say that I Am has sent you. Literally, it’s a statement that Jesus is God. How do the Jews respond to this? Well, they pick up stones to kill him because in their thinking he’s blasphemed.
He has made himself to be God. You have the same issue as what was said in Mark chapter 2. Who can forgive sins but God alone? Here Jesus said, I am superior to Abraham. So who is Jesus according to Jesus? John 8
Well, frankly, Jesus is the I am. He is the source of salvation. He is the Kalimatullah. He is the one who can heal but who can also forgive sins. He is the one who enables us to come to God and how does he do that?
Well, that comes in the next lesson. We’ll stop right here.