The Death of Christ
A Sermon on John 8:28
Originally preached July 3, 1960
Scripture
28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Sermon Description
Every eye will see Him. Both believers and unbelievers will be brought before the judgement seat of God. In this sermon on John 8:28 titled “The Death of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses the death of Christ and its implications for humanity. The Jews rejected Jesus and thought that Jesus’s death would be the end of the matter. However, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out, their execution of Jesus would neither be the end of Jesus nor the end of their relationship with Him. In fact, His death would lead to His ascension to the right hand of God and the empowerment of His followers through the sending of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, those who wanted to be rid of Jesus would come face to face with their rejected Messiah at judgement day. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also points out that the divine character of Jesus became more clear to many after Jesus’s death. Dr. Lloyd-Jones pleads that the listener would behold Christ now while there is still time, rather than waiting until judgement day when it will be too late. Every person will one day see Him as the true Messiah and divine King. That day will be of infinite joy to His church and of incomprehensible sorrow for the unbelieving world.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus tells the Jews that they will kill him by crucifixion.
- Jesus refers to himself as the "Son of Man," referencing Daniel 7:13. This means Jesus is the Messiah, the deliverer.
- The Jews think Jesus' death will be the end of him and his claims. But Jesus says his death will prove who he is, the Son of God.
- Jesus' death released the power to forgive sins and give new life through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This shows Jesus is the Messiah.
- The Jews think Jesus' death will end their relationship to him. But Jesus says they will see him seated at the right hand of God. His ascension and current reign show he is the Son of God.
- The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was punishment for rejecting Jesus as Messiah. His second coming will be an even greater punishment for those who reject him.
- Every person will see Jesus when he returns. For those who believe, it will be glorious. For those who don't believe, it will be terrifying.
- We must come to Jesus now to be ready for his return. We can die in our sins or die in the Lord. We can see Jesus in terror or in joy. The choice is ours.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Mean by "When Ye Have Lifted Up the Son of Man"?
In his sermon on John 8:28, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the profound statement of Jesus: "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he." Let me answer some key questions about this important teaching.
What does "lifted up the Son of man" refer to?
According to Lloyd-Jones, this phrase primarily refers to Christ's crucifixion. As he explains:
"It's primarily, of course, a reference to his death. You remember that away back in chapter three, in verse 14, he said, 'as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up.' That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Lifted up? Crucified. Raised on a tree and nailed to it."
Why does Jesus call himself "the Son of man"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus is deliberately identifying himself with the messianic figure from Daniel 7:13:
"He is the son of man. Not a son of man. He appeared to be a son of men. He just looked a man like every other man. He doesn't say, 'I am a son of man.' He says, 'I am the son of man.' What's it mean? Well, it tells us the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a man. Jesus of Nazareth, born of the virgin. Certainly. A man, yes, but not just a man, the son of man. Man. But more than man, the man, son of God."
What did Jesus mean by "then shall ye know that I am he"?
Lloyd-Jones offers three interpretations:
- Some of his hearers would eventually believe in him after his death and resurrection
- The primary meaning: after his crucifixion, the truth about him would be clearly manifested
- A day would come when every single person would recognize the truth about him
How would Christ's death prove his identity rather than end his claims?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several ways Christ's death would validate his claims:
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The supernatural events surrounding his death: "The moment he died, the veil of the temple was rent entwined from the top to the bottom... the sun was darkened for 3 hours... the graves opened and some people emerged."
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His resurrection: "This is the mightiest proof and demonstration of the fact that he is the Son of God... He will be demonstrated to be such by the resurrection."
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The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: "On the day of Pentecost, he did send him... Here is another proclamation, that he is the son of God."
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The power to forgive sins released through his death: "You and I would not know forgiveness of sins tonight, and nobody would ever have been forgiven were it not that this person was crucified on a tree on a hill called Calvary."
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His ability to draw all nations to himself: "He was thought of as the Jewish messiah. He says, 'I'm not only Jewish, I'm going to draw all nations unto me.'"
What warning does Lloyd-Jones give about our relationship to Christ?
Lloyd-Jones warns that we cannot simply dismiss Christ and be done with him:
"You don't finish with the Lord Jesus Christ when you say 'I don't believe in him. Don't bother me anymore. I finished with him.' You can't finish with him. All power is given unto him. The universe belongs to him. He is its judge and he will come again and judge it in righteousness."
He emphasizes that all people will eventually see Christ:
"Every eye shall see him. And one glimpse of him will be enough to tell you that he is the son of God and the son of man. You'll see his glory, his Majesty. You'll see him riding on the clouds. You'll see the holy angels."
What practical application does Lloyd-Jones make for his hearers?
Lloyd-Jones concludes with an urgent appeal:
"O, I plead with you, come and look at him tonight. See him fall at his feet. Give yourself to him. Rise up and follow him. He won't refuse you. His heart is full of love. He's son of man, he's messiah, he's deliverer. The son of man, he says, has come to seek and to save that which is lost. He came and died for you. There's nothing he won't do for you. Come to him ere it be too late."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.