The Work of Jesus

ILLUST: Crystals

Beautiful works of God’s Creation

Nothing mystical - Bible

No warding off spirits, energy, wealth, romance

Fallen mankind, in desperate attempt to heal self, turns to methods like this

Amounts to idolatry - occult

Pretty, though. Use them to decorate!

Jesus at Work

READ John 5: 1-18 account

(Discuss aspects of this account)

Urban legend - angel stirring waters (note the brackets) - this man’s only hope was a myth of some miraculous stirring of waters

And he’d even given up on that false hope

Jesus seems to leave the man, but then seeks him out

1) Jesus Works for Those Who Need Him

Weakest of the weak - this man, 38 years (Israel in wilderness?)

Jesus approaches those that others deem “unworthy”

Jesus seeks him out - asks him if he is willing to heal

The man is desperate, given up - seems to have lost the will to heal

(this type of suffering can affect you spiritually, too) - He had become negative, blaming others - people get to this place when they are sick

This resulted in a poor view of God’s grace

Jesus dismisses the angel legend, but He does not dismiss the man - “GET UP”

He had been waiting for someone to help him - how will the physical healing help him?

Interesting - the man did not ask for this, but he is renewed by Jesus

Nor does the man seem to be thankful

God’s grace apparently has little impact on him here

Jesus knows what He is doing, never one to dodge controversy

This miracle of physical healing, major ramifications, major issues for Jesus

Jesus uses this to talk about the real reason for His actions...

2) Jesus Has Huge Goals

The reason for His work - ALWAYS

Stop sinning, or worse will happen (NOT a threat to worse physical health)

Stop sinning - eternal picture; eternal suffering in Hell, apart from God, is much worse than suffering physically

QUESTION: Are you willing to suffer here, with the assurance of eternal life with Jesus?

I mean, He may relieve your suffering here; He’s not required to, and He has not specifically promised to

We ask WHY…a lot!

When we should be asking “LORD, how will You use me in this circumstance?”

REM:

Woman at the well - God used her because she was willing

Royal official - God used him, because he was willing

And…many people in Bible, never healed, and God used

Here - Jesus heals a man that may actually not want to be used by Jesus - he was not healed because of His faith

Jesus was more concerned about the man’s spiritual health - He did not think His work was done when He healed the man physically

He is always on point like that...

He is always busy about the spiritual

3) Jesus Never Stops Working

This man is “in trouble” for working on the Sabbath

He is carrying his pallet (the rule enhanced by the Pharisees was to not “carry your load” - not actually the original law)

The man’s response? He blames Jesus (essentially, ‘if He hadn’t healed me, I’d wouldn’t be walking and carrying this...”)

Yes, he admits being healed, but no indication of faith

His life of self-centeredness and self-preservation leads him to turn Jesus in, actually

The Doctrine of Providence

The assumption that God continues to work - always

Even on the Sabbath, or the universe would collapse, see Col 1:17

Colossians 1:17 NASB95

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

What kinds of things does God do? ( ask crowd)

Forgives

Hears prayer

Controls universe

Saves

Advocates

What would you like Him to stop doing for a day? One day, every week?

That would be a great question for these Pharisees

NOTE: They do not deny the miracle

But He healed on the Sabbath

Think this through

The man is healed, miraculously

That kind of work is done by God

They see evidence of this work, this miracle

Put it together, and this Jesus is God!

NOPE, we are mad because it’s the Sabbath

So…if it would have been the next day, would they have attributed the work to God, and praised Jesus? NO

Jesus healed on the Sabbath SO THAT THEY COULD SEE THEIR OWN NEED - SPIRITUALLY - They miss it

Just by healing the man as he did (and the water to wine, and the Samaritan woman, and the royal official....) He is already making a claim to be GOD!

Verse 17 - when He says this, though, they lose it

My Father is working, so I am (HELLO - I’m God!)

Verse 18 - definitive statement of Jesus being God (explain)

POINTS/CHALLENGES

1 - Jesus’ work must ALWAYS be done in Jesus’ name - He is NEVER anonymous

Problem with meeting physical and emotional needs only

Well-fed people will still go to Hell

People made “happy” by earthly standards will still end up in Hell

But - how welcoming are we “proper people” toward the “unworthy?”

2 - Not saying that we are required to suffer in order to go to Heaven - BUT…when we DO suffer, we are encouraged by our eternal assurance

Our job is to invoke the name of Jesus, connecting Him to what we see Him doing

Unbelieving people get healed physically

Unbelieving farmers get rain for their crops

Unbelieving people get to live next to awesome, God-fearing neighbors like you!

3 - Jesus never stops working

Because people never stop needing Him

Because we never stop needing Him

And we are part of the big goals

He works for people, even those who do not know Him

Really, stop and think about what He does for you - every day

Do you ever want Him to stop?

NOW - gut checks

He’s working for you

How are you working for Him?

Yes, He very often satisfies the physical

When He does, don’t get complacent

When He does, PRAISE HIM! Out loud, to others, too.

When He does not, PRAISE HIM - Out loud, to others

Because you know the long game, the big picture, God’s overall goal

See, Jesus does care about your physical and emotional wellness, but...

Have you let Him satisfy the spiritual need you have?

When you realize that He has, you will become the surrendered servant He desires

This man, John 5, perhaps does not

How you respond to Jesus, well, that’s up to you