Sermon - Judica 2026 - John 8:46-59

The Sacrifice of Isaac, Caravaggio, 1603

Whoever is of God shall not see death

1. What does it mean to not see death?

1. To see death is to go to hell and suffer damnation, and those who are of Christ will die on earth, but live forever with the Lord in the resurrection, like Abraham.

2. Who are those who will not see death?

1. Only those who are of God through faith, by hearing and keeping God’s Word, are children of God.

2. Just because you claim Abraham or claim God or claim the traditions doesn’t actually rescue you from death.

3. What has happened to prevent us from seeing death?

1. Jesus Christ’s death is the substitutionary atonement for us, who through His blood sacrificed Himself in order to provide the lamb for the burnt offering.

These last two weeks of Lent are ramping up to Good Friday. As such, these two weeks are called Passion Tide, and there are various traditions and such that the church has adopted for these weeks. But in spite of how somber these texts are, where today we see Jesus calling the Jews sons of Satan and them attempting to stone Him to death, we ought to learn to see this season of the church year not so much like a funeral, but a reminder of what is at the heart of Christianity. We don’t read about Jesus’ death in order to feel sad and emotional, but in order to emphasize the effects of Jesus’ death for us. So today our Lord Jesus reminds us of that wonderfully comforting Word that whoever is of God hears and keeps God’s Word, and shall not see death.

So in order to help us reflect on God’s great promise that those who keep His word will not see death, let us answer some questions about what this means. Firstly, what does it mean to not see death? Admittedly, this is a bit confusing! The Jews sure didn’t understand what it meant. “Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’” Their logic is understandable. Abraham and the prophets were certainly God’s children, and they died, so what Jesus says doesn’t seem to make sense. If God’s children don’t die, why is it that God’s children still die?

Since Jesus doesn’t lie, we need to figure out what it means to not taste death. In this particular instance, the book of Revelation is actually clarifying! John’s revelation refers to a first and second death, and that some will not experience the second death. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” What is the second death? Again we read in Revelation: “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Who goes into the lake of fire, the second death? “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Thus, those who conquer through the blood of the Lamb will not be hurt by the second death, but those who are faithless will forever live in the lake of fire, the second death. It’s as Jesus describes at the end of Matthew’s gospel: “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Thus the second death in Revelation, and the death Jesus talks about not seeing in today’s Gospel reading, is the eternal punishment, hell, God’s condemnation over sins.  So to not see or taste death is to not be held eternally accountable for our sins.

This helps us understand what it means to not taste or see death. Just because someone dies in a serene or peaceful manner doesn’t mean they aren’t tasting death. Both Christians and unbelievers may die content and at peace with what’s happening, or both may die upset and in great pain and frustration. But the Christian is not going to be suffering God’s wrath and damnation, is not going to be sent to burn in the lake of unquenchable fire, and thus that is what it means to not taste death. For this reason Jesus can say that of Abraham: “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” The Jews were actually mistaken about Abraham and the prophets; they have not seen death because they shall not be condemned. Instead, Abraham and the prophets live, even now, and since they live they saw Christ and they rejoice.

Understanding what it means to taste death, when hearing Jesus’ promise about not tasting death, it ought to drive us to seek after what He is offering! Afterall, if one can escape God’s eternal wrath, surely one would do so. So, let us ask our second question today: Who are those who will not see death? Jesus answers quite plainly: “Whoever is of God hears the words of God… Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Whoever hears God’s word and keeps it will not see death.

The Jews then, as they are today, were mistaken about who belongs to God. The Jews in speaking to Jesus claim Abraham as their father, and thus believe that belonging to God is a matter of blood and ancestry, and if you have the correct parentage you are God’s people. Just because some claim God is their father doesn’t mean he actually is their father, because He is only the Father of those who hear and keep His Word.

Jesus confronted the Jews with this reality when He said: “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 has nothing to do with 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.” I know this is a harsh word, but those who do not believe and keep the word of Jesus, do not have God as their father, but the devil. 

This means that religious groups like Jews, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and others who claim to worship the God of Abraham, do not actually worship God the Father, but are children of their father the devil, because they do not hear and keep the Word of Christ Jesus. I would guess that’s relatively obvious to at least most of us here. But, Jesus’ words hit even closer to home when we consider that there are also many so-called Christians who also fit this bill. All those who do not keep God’s Word do not have God as their Father. Just because you claim to be a Christian, or a Lutheran, or a member of this congregation or another, or just because you were baptized or confirmed, does not necessarily mean that God is your father. For God to be your Father, and for the promise of Jesus to not see death to be true for you, then you must hear God’s Word and keep it. You must hold fast to it and strive to live by it. You must conform your life to God’s Word, because life is found in His Word, and so His word is that which gives you this profound comfort and joy. You who hear and keep God’s Word will not taste death.

So, hearing this great promise and learning what it means to not taste death, and now know who it is who will not taste death, let us also answer one more question: What has God done in order to prevent us from tasting death? Our reading from Hebrews says it very succinctly: “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without blemish to God.” Through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, through His atoning sacrifice, God’s judgement has been carried out on Christ Jesus instead of on us.

The testing of Abraham and Isaac from our Old Testament reading is a very powerful illustration of this. Abraham was instructed by God to offer up his only-begotten beloved son, Isaac, as a whole burnt offering. Abraham was an old man, and Isaac was a young man (not a small boy), and so Isaac willingly carried the wood for his own sacrificial death up the mountain and was willingly bound by his elderly father and was prepared to be slaughtered. But Abraham and Isaac, through it all, believed that “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” Abraham was convinced that both him and Isaac would go up on the mountain, worship, and “come again” down the mountain. And indeed, God provided! “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.”

This is an incredible illustration for us! We are all like Isaac, and for our sins we ought to be condemned by God. We are wholly deserving of God’s full wrath. Yet, God the Father actually sent His beloved only-begotten Son, Jesus, to die in our place. Jesus is the willing Son who laid down His life for us. Jesus is the ram caught with a crown of thorns and sacrificed upon the wood in our stead. Surely, it is all by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, by His precious blood shed for us, that we shall not see death.

How wondrous and glorious it is that the Lord Jesus is our substitute, and by His blood has atoned for our sins! Jesus not only tasted death, but He drank the full cup of God’s wrath to the bitter dregs so that we would not even have to taste or see death. For us who hear and keep His word, death is but a portal to heavenly bliss, it is no more than a slumber from which we shall awaken. So as we ponder the passion of our Lord the next couple of weeks, let us delight and rejoice in all that Jesus suffered for our good.