Manchester Lutheran Church

Why do people hate Jesus’ undeserved love?

This week I told a young Muslim man that Jesus loves him unconditionally and has freely forgiven him. And he was angry and frustrated at this.

And you’ve had conversations like that haven’t you? Perhaps with an atheist, an LGBTQ+ friend, a religious leader, or even someone inside church.

The message of the Gospel is that Jesus loves you: freely, unconditionally, unilaterally; that you are freely forgiven, justified, made righteous. But there are people who respond to this message, not merely by saying “thank you, I don’t agree”, but in anger.

Why?

The person reading John’s Gospel saw in chapter 5, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, upsetting religious leaders, leading to an argument about his authority.

In chapter 6, Jesus then fed the 5,000 and walked on water, upsetting people, leading to an argument about whether he is our true provider.

In chapters 7 and 8 people continued to debate Jesus’ identity, and the religious leaders get more and more angry—leading the reader of John to start asking this same question: Why do people hate Jesus’ undeserved love?

We pick up the story this week in the middle of this heated argument: Where we see two reasons why people hate Jesus’ undeserved love:

1) A legalistic mindset cannot bear free grace and
2) Jesus will never stop offering free grace

So, first: A legalistic mindset cannot bear free grace

Please look again at vv. 46-47, as the catch the end of Jesus’ last answer to this opponents:

“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.”

Jesus is saying that these people are not of God… …and so they don’t think like him. The problem is they have a legalistic mindset.

A legalistic mindset is the feeling that I have worth, value, righteousness, or am “good”: because of something about me: I keep rules; or I am a success; or I’m a nice person; or I am an inherently good person.

And, if that’s the way I think… …then of course, the idea that God loves you in a way you don’t deserve because he freely loves you and is merciful to you, because he is forgiving and cares about you… …of course that’s going to be offensive!

A legalistic mindset thinks: I deserve to be loved. But God’s grace is: God gives you undeserved love.

A legalistic mindset is not of God and so it cannot bear free grace.

And what we see next is that this kind of legalism is self-protective and so lashes out in accusations. Do you see that in v. 48?

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

Now, all of us here have a legalistic mindset… …all of us are self-righteous, think we deserve things …and that’s why all of us have this tendency to lash out.

When was the last time you jumped to making accusations against someone? I don’t have to think back very far, because it’s so natural to me.

And that’s why we find even the idea that God makes promises so offensive. Take a look at vv. 52-53:

The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Each of us deserves death because of our sin, which is our failure to trust and love God.

But, Jesus promises that we will live forever, and so we will die physically, we won’t taste the true nature of death, because we will rise again to new life and eternal joy.

But, these religious people cannot take that! They are offended by that promise! So they make up complicated arguments against it!

They are legalistic and think they deserve things… …so they even argue against God’s free promises.

This is why these people fail to see that Jesus is God, v. 57:

So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

And why they are so angry they want to kill him, v. 59:

So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

A legalistic mindset cannot bear free grace

The problem is that you and I have this legalistic mindset. We think that we have worth, value, righteousness simply because of who we are: Maybe one person is a rule keeper. Or another imagines we’re the fun one. Or this person thinks you’re inherently good. While that person is trying to prove the world you’re worth it.

However it bears fruit in your life, these attitudes all boil down to the same thing: a legalistic mindset.

And if that is the only way we think… then we are not of God… …because that way of thinking is not God’s way of thinking.

The reason why a Muslim can be so offended at Jesus’ free grace …is not because they’re Muslim: it’s because they think they are good because they obey rules.

The reason why a gay friend can be so offended at Jesus’ free grace …is not because they have a different view on sexuality and relationships: it’s because they think they deserve things because of their identity.

And the reason you and I can be so offended at Jesus’ free grace …is because at least part of us thinks in exactly the same way.

So, A legalistic mindset cannot bear free grace

But, John doesn’t end there, because… Jesus assures us that he will never stop offering free grace

Take another look at vv. 49-51:

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

The religious people have thrown some shade and slur at Jesus, and Jesus could so easily get lost defending his reputation.

He doesn’t do that, he doesn’t even respond to them calling him a Samaritan. He is not seeking his own glory or reputation.

All he does is calmly tell them where his teaching comes from… …it doesn’t come from the devil, it comes from God.

And why? What is intention and focus on Jesus’ teaching? He honours Father God, and let’s Father God honour him. And Jesus gives people his Word, not for his own benefit, but for their benefi—so that they may have eternal life.

Everything Jesus does is for your benefit, not his. You don’t deserve it: but he does it for you anyway. Because that’s the way that God is. He loves you, not because you deserve it, but because he’s loving. Jesus died for you, not because you deserve it, but because he cares about you. Jesus gives you eternal life, not because you deserve it, but because he wants the best for you.

And this is why if we only have a legalistic mindset, we are not of God: because it is in God’s very nature to be freely giving.

Take another look at vv. 54-56:

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

God exists as a Trinity. There is one God, who is three persons. That means that part of his very nature, his existence, is love.

God has not been lonely for all eternity, waiting to make us so he could learn what love is like.

God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have been loving one another for all eternity. Love is part of who God is.

So, Jesus can be humble and not glorify himself, because he has full confidence his Father will glorify him.

This is eternal trust and confidence, based on a Father, Son and Spirit who love one another unconditionally.

And Jesus invites other people into this love. That’s why Abraham, who lived 2000 years before Jesus, was so excited to one day meet Jesus. Because God showed Abraham his uncondicitonal love.

And God unconditionally loves you. The Father invites you into the Trinity’s love. Because by faith we are connected to Jesus, so the eternal love the Father has for his Son he has for you.

Jesus is all about free, undeserved, unearned love, and as God, he has been and always wil be like this. Look again at v. 58:

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

There is one God who is three persons. And for all eternity, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have been loving each other unconditionally.

Before Abraham was, God the Son was loving the Father and the Spirit and God the Son made free, unconditional, unilateral promises to Abraham. Genesis 12:2-3:

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abraham did nothing and could do nothing to deserve this. Very simply, God gave him trust, and through this trust, Genesis 15:6:

And [Abraham] believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Jesus will never stop offering free grace. Jesus will never stop loving you unconditionally.

So, Why do people hate Jesus’ undeserved love?

Well, A legalistic mindset cannot bear free grace. By nature, we are legalistic. We think we deserve to be loved because of what we do, or who we are, or what we’re like. But, this is not true. And to think this way is not to think in God’s way.

But, Jesus will never stop offering free grace. Everything Jesus does is for your benefit, not his. Not because you deserve it, but simply because he loves you. Because this is what God is like: he is a God of unconditional love, a God of free, unilateral grace and mercy. A God who loves you simply because he is a God who loves.

And Jesus makes this promise in v. 51:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

Which just means to keep Jesus word in your heart. Hold onto and look at Jesus’ free promises. Don’t set your assurance, your confidence, your hope, in any ideas to do with you: your actions, your identify, or your achievement. Perhaps stop and ask yourself each day: “What am I trying to prove?”

Instead, set your sense of assurance, your confidence on this:

before Abraham was, I am.

Jesus is the God who has and will always love you unconditionally.