The singular mention of God as our Father in the Gospel of John highlights the profound truth of our adoption into God's family. This adoption is not based on our merit but on the perfect work of Jesus, emphasizing our identity as co-heirs with Christ. This truth should transform our understanding of our relationship with God, providing assurance and comfort. The moment in John 20, where Jesus tells Mary Magdalene to inform the disciples of His ascension to "my Father and your Father," marks a pivotal shift in the disciples' understanding of their relationship with God. It signifies that believers are not merely followers or servants but are part of God's family, embraced by the Father through the work of Jesus. [08:24]
Ephesians 1:5-6 (ESV): "He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."
Reflection: How does knowing you are adopted into God's family change the way you view your relationship with Him today? What steps can you take to embrace this identity more fully?
Day 2: Jesus' Affirmation of Our Identity
Despite the disciples' failures and doubts, Jesus affirms their place in God's family, offering them peace and reassurance. This message of encouragement highlights the grace and love of Christ, reminding us that our identity as God's children is secure, even in the face of our shortcomings. Jesus' gentle approach to His disciples after His resurrection, despite their abandonment and fear, serves as a powerful reminder of His unwavering love and commitment to us. His affirmation is not based on our performance but on His grace, inviting us to rest in the security of our identity as beloved children of God. [25:16]
Isaiah 43:1 (ESV): "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'"
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to accept your identity as a child of God? How can you allow Jesus' affirmation to bring peace and reassurance to those areas today?
Day 3: The Intimacy of Our Relationship with God
Jesus' use of possessive pronouns when referring to God as "my Father and your Father" underscores the intimate relationship believers now share with God. This personal connection is a cornerstone of our faith, emphasizing that we are not merely followers but part of God's family. The intimacy of this relationship is a profound gift, inviting us to approach God with confidence and trust, knowing that we are deeply loved and cherished by Him. This understanding should transform how we relate to God, moving from a distant reverence to a close, familial bond. [31:06]
Galatians 4:6-7 (ESV): "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper sense of intimacy with God in your daily life? What practices or habits can help you experience Him as your loving Father?
Day 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in affirming our identity as God's children. Romans 8 speaks of the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit, providing a deep assurance of our adoption. This supernatural assurance is a gift from God, reinforcing our relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit's presence in our lives is a constant reminder of our belonging to God's family, guiding us, comforting us, and empowering us to live out our identity as His children. This assurance is not based on our feelings or circumstances but on the unchanging truth of God's Word and His Spirit within us. [46:55]
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (ESV): "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."
Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the Holy Spirit affirming your identity as God's child? How can you be more attentive to the Spirit's work in your life today?
Day 5: Imitating Christ's Love
Jesus' treatment of His disciples, despite their failures, serves as a model for how we should love others. His gentle and affirming approach calls us to imitate His love, demonstrating the reality of our adoption by how we treat one another. This love is a powerful testimony to the world of our identity as God's children. As we reflect on Jesus' interactions with His disciples, we are challenged to extend the same grace and love to those around us, embodying the transformative power of our adoption into God's family. [39:06]
1 John 4:11-12 (ESV): "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."
Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the love of Christ through you today? What practical steps can you take to demonstrate His love to them in a tangible way?
Sermon Summary
In the Gospel of John, the relationship between Jesus and God the Father is emphasized over a hundred times, yet the reference to God as our Father appears only once. This singular mention occurs in John 20, after Jesus' resurrection and before His ascension, marking a pivotal moment in the Gospel. This moment signifies the profound truth of our adoption into God's family, a truth that was not as developed in the minds of the early disciples as it is for us today. The disciples, who had witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, were now being told that God is not only Jesus' Father but their Father too. This revelation is a cornerstone of Christian identity, emphasizing that believers are not merely followers or servants but are part of God's family.
The narrative in John 20 highlights Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Christ, where Jesus instructs her to tell the disciples, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." This statement underscores the intimate relationship believers now share with God through Jesus. Despite the disciples' failures and doubts, Jesus affirms their place in God's family, offering them peace and reassurance. This is a message of encouragement and affirmation, not of rebuke, highlighting the grace and love of Christ even in the face of human frailty.
The concept of adoption is further explored in the New Testament, particularly in Romans 8, where believers are described as co-heirs with Christ. This adoption is not based on merit but on the perfect work of Jesus. It is a legal and relational reality, where God is not only a judge who declares us righteous but a Father who embraces us as His children. This truth should deeply impact our understanding of our identity and relationship with God, providing assurance and comfort in our spiritual journey.
Key Takeaways
1. heirs with Christ. This truth should transform our understanding of our relationship with God, providing assurance and comfort. [08:24] 2. Jesus' Affirmation of Our Identity: Despite the disciples' failures and doubts, Jesus affirms their place in God's family, offering them peace and reassurance. This message of encouragement highlights the grace and love of Christ, reminding us that our identity as God's children is secure, even in the face of our shortcomings.
3. The Intimacy of Our Relationship with God: Jesus' use of possessive pronouns when referring to God as "my Father and your Father" underscores the intimate relationship believers now share with God. This personal connection is a cornerstone of our faith, emphasizing that we are not merely followers but part of God's family.
4. The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in affirming our identity as God's children. Romans 8 speaks of the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit, providing a deep assurance of our adoption. This supernatural assurance is a gift from God, reinforcing our relationship with Him.
5. Imitating Christ's Love: Jesus' treatment of His disciples, despite their failures, serves as a model for how we should love others. His gentle and affirming approach calls us to imitate His love, demonstrating the reality of our adoption by how we treat one another. This love is a powerful testimony to the world of our identity as God's children.
In John 20:17, what significant statement does Jesus make to Mary Magdalene regarding His relationship with God and the disciples? How does this statement mark a pivotal moment in the Gospel? [08:24]
How does the sermon describe the disciples' understanding of God as their Father compared to our understanding today? What might have contributed to this difference? [03:05]
According to Romans 8:16, what role does the Holy Spirit play in affirming our identity as God's children? How is this assurance described in the sermon? [46:55]
What examples from the sermon illustrate Jesus' gentle and affirming approach to His disciples despite their failures? [25:16]
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Interpretation Questions:
How does the concept of adoption into God's family, as described in the sermon, transform a believer's understanding of their identity and relationship with God? [08:24]
In what ways does Jesus' affirmation of the disciples' identity as God's children provide encouragement and reassurance, especially in light of their recent failures? [25:16]
How does the sermon explain the significance of Jesus using possessive pronouns when referring to God as "my Father and your Father"? What does this reveal about the intimacy of our relationship with God? [31:06]
How does the sermon suggest believers should imitate Christ's love in their interactions with others, particularly those who have failed or disappointed them? [39:06]
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Application Questions:
Reflect on your own understanding of being adopted into God's family. How does this truth impact your daily life and relationship with God? What steps can you take to deepen this understanding? [08:24]
Consider a time when you felt like you failed in your spiritual journey. How can Jesus' affirmation of the disciples' identity as God's children encourage you in similar situations? [25:16]
Jesus uses the phrase "my Father and your Father" to emphasize the personal relationship believers have with God. How can you cultivate a more intimate relationship with God in your daily practices? [31:06]
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in affirming our identity as God's children. How can you become more aware of the Spirit's work in your life, and what practices can help you listen to the Spirit's guidance? [46:55]
Think of someone in your life who has disappointed you. How can you imitate Christ's love and offer them grace and affirmation, as Jesus did with His disciples? [39:06]
Reflect on the idea of being co-heirs with Christ. How does this perspective change the way you view your spiritual inheritance and responsibilities as a believer? [08:24]
How can you actively seek to find and welcome others into God's family, as described in the sermon? What practical steps can you take to share the message of adoption with those around you? [41:18]
Sermon Clips
In the Gospel of John, how many references are made of God the Father being Jesus's Father? Then we want to take a shot at that. How many times specifically referring to God the Father being Jesus's Father? It's over a hundred, over a hundred times. Now, one thing to remember, we've got the whole Canon of scripture right here. [00:00:11]
And one of the clear things throughout John's Gospel that is emphasized is Jesus Christ and his relationship with his Father. And over a hundred times you have this reference to now how many references are made about God the Father being your Father in John's Gospel? How many times when you go through John's Gospel does it refer to him being your Father? [00:01:24]
And so the point in John's Gospel that Christ brings up that God is your Father is after Christ has been raised from the dead and prior to his Ascension, and that's in John 20. And so you could turn to John 20, John chapter 20. And as you're turning there, let me just read some verses from throughout John's Gospel that build up to this. [00:03:33]
And then you have Jesus's relationship to us. John 20:17, but go to my brothers, and we saw us, the disciples, he's calling his brothers. That's Jesus's relationship to us. He's our elder brother. You grew up wanting an older brother to look up to, you have it in Jesus Christ, right? The perfect example. [00:13:41]
And you know, obviously most people in our world, they think everyone is a child of God. They just have this idea we're all children of God. John is very clear, you're either a child of the devil or you're a child of God. That most people in humanity are children of Satan, children of the devil. [00:14:56]
And as I mentioned, adoption, people tend to blend adoption and justification together. That's not a good thing to do. Justification deals with legal reality that we've been reconciled to God and we're declared legally righteous in a courtroom. But our Salvation goes far beyond being legally reconciled to God. [00:31:59]
And you know what Paul says, this is something the Spirit does. That's what he said, the Spirit himself bears witness. This isn't, I'm not saying there's some experience you go and you speak after that experience, you make an idol out of an experience, but children of God, as you walk with your Father, as you seek to obey him, he might indeed pick you up. [00:47:55]
And you know what, Paul says this is something the Spirit does. That's what he said, the Spirit himself bears witness. This isn't, I'm not saying there's some experience you go and you speak after that experience, you make an idol out of an experience, but children of God, as you walk with your Father, as you seek to obey him, he might indeed pick you up. [00:48:55]
And you know what, Paul says this is something the Spirit does. That's what he said, the Spirit himself bears witness. This isn't, I'm not saying there's some experience you go and you speak after that experience, you make an idol out of an experience, but children of God, as you walk with your Father, as you seek to obey him, he might indeed pick you up. [00:49:55]
And you know what, Paul says this is something the Spirit does. That's what he said, the Spirit himself bears witness. This isn't, I'm not saying there's some experience you go and you speak after that experience, you make an idol out of an experience, but children of God, as you walk with your Father, as you seek to obey him, he might indeed pick you up. [00:50:55]
And you know what, Paul says this is something the Spirit does. That's what he said, the Spirit himself bears witness. This isn't, I'm not saying there's some experience you go and you speak after that experience, you make an idol out of an experience, but children of God, as you walk with your Father, as you seek to obey him, he might indeed pick you up. [00:51:55]
And you know what, Paul says this is something the Spirit does. That's what he said, the Spirit himself bears witness. This isn't, I'm not saying there's some experience you go and you speak after that experience, you make an idol out of an experience, but children of God, as you walk with your Father, as you seek to obey him, he might indeed pick you up. [00:52:55]