The Holy Trinity, June 15, 2025 (John 8:48-59) by Rev. David Domanski
Probably one of the most important characteristics that we want to see in a friend, or perhaps in the people we work with or work for, is that they keep their word. It’s about integrity, isn’t it? We know how frustrating it can be when someone says, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” and then we find out later that the task we asked them to do went undone. Or when someone says something like, “Yes, I’ll be at the meeting tomorrow, and I’ll support you,” but then the day of the meeting comes and your fellow employee either doesn’t show up or shows up but doesn’t speak up on your behalf. It’s about keeping your word. It’s important to us that our friends keep their word, so we can trust them to be there when we need them the most.
In our Gospel today, we hear about keeping a word also. It’s not about keeping our word or our promises, but rather about keeping the Word of God. Keeping the Word here takes on a whole new meaning, because it’s not about putting our trust in ourselves or in other human beings, but about putting our trust in the Word of Him who is completely trustworthy, Jesus Christ. Jesus says in our text, “I do know [the Father] and I keep his word” (v 55). And then later Jesus says that there are great benefits for those who keep His Word. So today, let US keep the Word of Christ.
Let us keep the Word of Christ because He is the Son of God. The Jews in their spiritual blindness could not understand who Jesus was (v 48). They were aware of His earthly ancestry but could not apprehend His divinity (vv 52–53). So they insulted Jesus, accusing Him of being a Samaritan and having a demon. Soon their hostility escalated, and they were ready to stone Him to death (v 59).
In our day, the question “Who is Jesus?” still attracts attention. Some see Him as merely a great teacher or prophet (for example, Islam). Others are very hostile, seeing Jesus as a fraud or as the cause of violence in the world today. Those who would neglect God’s kingdom are not just indifferent, but they are hostile, even as we are spiritually enemies of God unless we have faith in Christ (Rom 5:10).
For some people today, religion in general, and Christianity in particular, is seen to be one of the great problems of humanity. Remember the old song “Imagine,” written by John Lennon? It’s one of the most popular songs of modern times, but the words imply that the world would be a much better place without religious beliefs. It says: “Imagine there's no countries, It isn’t hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too, Imagine all the people—living life in peace...”
Even we would have to confess that we sometimes fail to remember just who Jesus is and we forget His love for us, causing us to doubt His goodness or to struggle inwardly with His authority over us. But Jesus makes His eternal nature clear by stating, “Before Abraham was, I am” (v 58). He is the Son of God, who is both God and man. And like the Jews in His own time, we cannot fathom that mystery of Jesus being both God and man. How could it be? It is grasped only by the power of the Holy Spirit, and thus we see the economy of the Godhead at work: The way to the Father is through faith in the Son, which is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit.
But let us keep the Word of Christ because He has made us precious promises through His Word. We get to know God: who He is and we learn His love for us. His Word promises that Christ has overcome the devil and hell and that sin cannot harm us (Acts 2:31–36).
And in keeping the word of Christ, we rejoice that His Word promises eternal life. Those who are not of God will find only death. But those who are of God through the Word will find life, as he has said, “Whoever keeps my word shall not see death eternally” (8:51, author’s translation). So we keep the Word of Christ because it brings joy and gladness to our lives here and now.
As our text notes, Abraham saw the day of Christ, and it brought him joy and gladness too (v 56). He knew that God would someday send the Messiah. Even though Abraham lived some two thousand years before Christ, he trusted in the promises of God that the Savior would come. For Abraham, the promise of God was as sure as having seen it himself. Abraham rejoiced in the knowledge of the Savior because he knew it would bring great spiritual blessing to the world.
And that spiritual blessing has come in Jesus! Two thousand years after Abraham and two thousand years ago from our time, Jesus came and honored and glorified the Father perfectly with His obedience in our place--proving God’s great love for us on the cross.
So we can see in Abraham’s time and today that keeping the Word of Christ brings blessings far beyond what we could ever expect to receive from any other human being. To keep the Word of Christ means that we can have faith in who He is, the Son of God. It means also that we can trust in His promises, that He has overcome death and sin for us, and we will not see eternal death. And finally, to keep the Word of Christ means that we can be encouraged and have joy and gladness in this life, knowing that no matter what happens, God’s love for us in Christ is an eternal reality. As you leave worship today, rejoice in the Truth, and go in peace to love and serve God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.