Jesus on Trial

Intro

John 5

Jesus is on trial. There are people today who question everything about Jesus. They question His existence. They question whether He did the things the gospels say He did. They question His divinity and the miraculous signs He performed. Many of us rely upon faith in Jesus. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

This is not to say that faith can’t benefit from evidence. There are many authors and resources out there in defense of the historical Jesus as revealed in scripture. We won’t be going that far today, but the resources are available for those who are curious. Jesus on trial is not a new thing. In fact, it has been happening throughout history from now back until Jesus was physically walking this earth with His disciples in tow.

Today, we dive back into the gospel of John and take a look at chapter 5. On the surface, the passage appears to be a miraculous healing of a parapalegic. But the miracle only sets off a series of events that seeks to put Jesus Christ on trial for crimes committed against the religious leaders of the day. And yet, for those who are extra observant, you might just notice that by the end of the narrative, the trial is flipped and it is no longer Jesus on trial, but the religious leaders themselves!

All of this serves to ask but one simple question… a question that has echoed through the ages… do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God?

The Crime

Before diving into our passage this morning, I want to make a quick note that I will be reading from the NASB this morning, as it includes verse 4, which is an important detail explaining why people would come to a certain pool. Other translations have put the verse in a footnote because it doesn’t appear in the earliest copies of manuscripts.

John 5:1–15 NASB95

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted. A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’ ” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

This scene is an interesting miracle isn’t it. Let’s break it down.

There is a parapalegic man laying by a pool and ultimately was begging for food and/or money. It might seem that he was there hoping for a miracle as miracles seemed to happen here. Little did he know that Jesus could come and give him the miracle he never knew he needed.

In verse 6, we see Jesus encounter the man and ask a simple question… “Do you wish to get well.” You would think the answer would be obvious, but the man gives Jesus an excuse. Perhaps he thought Jesus was asking why he had never made it into the pool for the miraculous healing at the stirring of the waters. But that wasn’t what Jesus was asking about. He was asking about if he wanted to get well… to be healed.

The man’s excuse is that people always cut in front of him in line. I think most of us know that frustration, but this man’s existence was marked by it. 38 years he was sick and it seems the implication was that he had been at the pool for that length of time looking to be the first in the water when the waters stirred.

Jesus doesn’t waste any more time on the subject and tells him to just get up and pick up his mat and walk.

Verse 9 describes the man getting to his feet and walking… and at the end of the verse, we see the crime… it was a Sabbath.

The whole nature of the story changes at this point. We go from a miraculous healing to a legal drama. The man is interrogated by the “Jews.” This is our first introduction to Jesus’ opponents in this gospel. Here, Jesus commits a crime that they don’t like. So far, they are simply identified as Jews. It does no good to think that this is some form of racism because John is a Jew, as is Jesus, and the rest of the disciples. Rather, this might be reflective of Jewish opponents to Christianity by the time John wrote the gospel.

The man simply states that he was told to do as they found him, but didn’t know who Jesus was at this point.

Take a closer look at verse 14 and tell me if anyone of us is comfortable with what Jesus says here. “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore so that nothing worse happens to you.” The implication here is that sin in our lives can make us sick. There could be far greater depths we could dig into on this topic as we need to consider the story in John 9 where Jesus encounters a man born blind and His disciples ask Him who sinned… Jesus responds to them that it wasn’t for sin that the man is blind, but for God’s glory. We’ll get to that passage later in our walk through of John’s gospel, but let’s take a moment to appreciate the fact that our actions matter… that allowing sin to remain in our lives is a troublesome thing that will lead to other problems in life… whether health issues or other things. Jesus came to pay the price for our sins, but doesn’t want us to continue on in them.

Back to the story. After this second encounter with Jesus, the man goes back to the Jews who interrogated him and let them know that it was Jesus who made him well.

Decision to Prosecute

John 5:16–18 NASB95

For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

We see here that the decision to persecute Jesus arises very quickly. Initially it is over Jesus doing stuff on the Sabbath, which was supposed to be a day of rest. But how do you define rest? How do you define work? The Jewish religious authorities of the time went to great lengths to define what was allowed and what wasn’t… as well as how to get around most of those rules.

Jesus responds in verse 17 “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” This statement is perhaps the greater “sin” in the eyes of the Jewish authorities as it is a statement of equality with God. Jesus Christ is the only human being in all of history who can make such a claim truthfully as He is God in the flesh. Jesus is declaring that just as His Father works, so too does He. They do the same work together.

Verse 18 reveals the Jewish opposition and their realization of what Jesus is saying and doing. “Violating” the Sabbath is but a fascade to their true intentions… they want to silence Jesus because he is “making Himself equal with God.”

What transpires next could be seen in a court context where Jesus is on Trial before a Jewish court presenting evidence of His authority and this relationship with His Father. Watch for the turnaround where Jesus switches from defence to offence and begins to accuse His accusers of unbelief.

Jesus Goes To Trial

John 5:19–24 NASB95

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Jesus lays out a quick salvation plan (verse 24 is a great one to memorize), all the while explaining His justification for doing what He is doing. He is the Son of God and is engaging in the things that He sees His Father doing.

For the sake of time I want to read further in today’s passage and I would like for us to see how Jesus progressively calls for witnesses of who He is and what He does.

A Call for Witnesses

John 5:22–32 NASB95

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. “There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

Witness of John

John 5:33–35 NASB95

“You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

Witness of Works

John 5:36 NASB95

“But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Jesus appeals to that which He has done.

Witness of the Father

John 5:37–38 NASB95

“And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

It seems clear that Jesus doesn’t think anyone in the current crowd was present at His baptism when the Father spoke out audibly about Jesus being His Son.

But notice how Jesus is subtly starting to turn things around, accusing his accusers of unbelief in the Father based on their rejection of Him whom He sent.

Wtiness of the Scripture

John 5:39–47 NASB95

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. “I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

This is the ultimate counter-argument from Jesus. The Jewish religious authorities that have such a great problem with Jesus are now being accused of not knowing their scriptures.

The scriptures testify about Jesus and point to Him, and yet they not only don’t see it, but have Jesus on trial defending Himself.

The ultimate insult added to injury is where Jesus accuses them based on the word of Moses. Verse 45 would have been a slap in the face of religious leaders because their study of scripture would have started with the first five books of the Bible… the books of Moses. And yet they missed how Moses was pointing to Jesus.

One commentary puts it this way: “If Moses is possessed and not obeyed, if Judaism is exploited as a mark of identity instead of a path to God, the very tenets of the Bible, the very words of Moses, will come back to haunt and to judge. To possess the Bbile and to know the Scriptures but to not know God is to be in the most precarious place of all.”

Gary M. Burge, NIVAC: John, p. 180.

Conclusion

As I bring this message to a close this morning, I want to remind us that we all have a decision to make about Jesus. The fact that you are here is a good indicator of which side of the courtroom you are sitting on and that you have chosen to side with Jesus. But the world at large is still putting Jesus on trial and demanding a verdict.

Whether you are dealing with someone who doubts His existence, or a part of Him such as His divinity, it is important for us to take time to read scripture daily so that we are able to give answers to questions that might arise.

Some might be more hostile towards Jesus… more particularly the church itself. And let’s face it, church history is riddled with examples of how we have failed to properly represent Christ to the world. All we can do is acknowledge that the church is made up of human beings prone to sin and error. But rather than proof of something against Jesus, all that proves is that we need Jesus all the more! As John clearly states throughout His gospel, salvation comes through Jesus Christ. Let’s review some verses that we’ve looked at today.

John 5:21 NASB95

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

John 5:24 NASB95

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 5:25 NASB95

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

John 5:39 NASB95

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world! We are His ambassadors and represent Him to those who need to find Him. Not all will come to Jesus, but everyone needs to hear about Him to decide for themselves.

Yes, Jesus is still on trial today, but He is the one uniquely qualified to sit as judge, not as defendant. And ultimately, one day all will see Him coming to judge the world and separate the sheep from the goats… the saved from those who have rejected Him. Let us be found faithful and let’s do our best to show the world how great our God truly is!