Sermon Tone Analysis

Bible Study - John 5:16-32

Review:

[Last week - not in the study.

Enlighten me]

Study

V 16: Why is this persecution?

If it were anyone else doing these things on the Sabbath, would they persecute them or try to work with them to come back into the rule of Law?

Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath, not so much because He had healed a man, but because He had instructed the man to break the Sabbath (to carry his mat).

We might have offered Jesus a variety of persuasive defenses for this act: that He had done good, not evil; that He had shown mercy; that the act of carrying a mat was not really “work”; or that carrying the mat had violated only Jewish oral tradition, and not the written law.

But Jesus, choosing none of these options, seemed only to make matters worse in His reply, My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working ().

Dongell, J. (1997).

John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p.

91).

Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

It is true that Christ put an end to those shadowy ceremonies by his coming, as Paul points out (see ), but the question before us does not hinge on this.

For people are only commanded to cease from their own deeds, so that anything which is God’s work and not man’s work—for example, circumcision—is not breaking the Sabbath.

Calvin, J. (1994).

John ().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

What is the Sabbath?

Why and how do we practice it?

For the law commands men to cease from their own work, so that their faculties are free to be given over to thinking about God’s deeds.

So anyone who does not allow, on the Sabbath, free rein to God’s deeds is not only explaining the law incorrectly but is wickedly overturning it.

Calvin, J. (1994).

John ().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

After God had finished creating the world, he consecrated that day so that men might make use of it to reflect on his deeds.

But God did not stop upholding his world with his power or ruling it with his wisdom or supporting it with his goodness, so that everything on earth and heaven is done according to his will.

In six days the world was created, but it continued to be governed, and God never stopped working and upholding it.

Paul says this: “ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’ ” ().

David says that all things exist so long as God’s Spirit upholds them and that they collapse as soon as he withdraws his support (see ).

Calvin, J. (1994).

John ().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

“God ceases to think about us and we stop existing.”

V 18:

Jesus would be a god of His own making, an independent god, a second god; His followers would be guilty of polytheism (the belief that there are many gods), a foundational heresy for every Jew who confessed, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (see ). Were the accusations of Jesus’ opponents true, blasphemy would be the appropriate charge against Him, and death would be His appropriate punishment.

Dongell, J. (1997).

John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p.

92).

Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

And in the view of His opponents, Jesus had propelled himself to this lofty level of divine authority, perhaps not unlike the boasting tyrant about whom Isaiah wrote: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly.…

I will make myself like the Most High’ ” (, my emphasis).

Dongell, J. (1997).

John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p.

92).

Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

In what ways do we try to make ourselves equal to God?

Idolatry?

(obviously)

Questioning?

Learning more about science and diminishing the wonder of God?

Is it faith if we never question it?

What does that say about Thomas?

V 19: The verb is important here.

“Sees”

So we must keep Christ in our sights, as he was sent into the world by the Father to be a Redeemer.

The Jews could see in him nothing more than a human being.

So Christ argues that when he cured an ill man, he was not using his human power but his divine power, which was concealed by his visible body.

This is the principle at stake.

The Jews focused their attention on what the body did, and so they despised Christ.

Christ encourages them to raise their sights and to look at God.

The whole discourse must be viewed in this light.

People who think that they are dealing with a human being are making a flagrant mistake when they blame Christ for doing truly divine work.

This is why Christ insists so strongly that in this work there is no difference between him and his Father.

Calvin, J. (1994).

John ().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

As is often true, the NT presents Jesus in paradoxical expressions.

In some texts He is one with the Father (cf.

1:1; 5:18; 10:30, 34–38; 14:9–10; 20:28); in others He is separate from the Father (cf.

1:2, 14, 18; 5:19–23; 8:28; 10:25, 29; 14:10, 11, 12, 13, 16; 17:1–2), sometimes even subservient to Him (cf.

5:20, 30; 8:28; 12:49; 14:28; 15:10, 19–24; 17:8).

This is probably to show that Jesus is fully divine, but a separate and distinct personal manifestation of deity.

Utley, R. J. (1999).

The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John (Vol.

Volume 4, p. 52).

Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

V 20: Another important verb: “Shows”

The starting point for everything lay in the special bond between the Son and the Father: The Father loves the Son ().

The Father, then, by choice shows [the Son] all he does.

That Jesus sees the Father (5:19) places Jesus far above Israel’s prophets; for the God of Israel is veiled from human eyes, wrapped in cloud or darkness or fire (see ).

Even so-called “visions” of God became viewings of His “clothing” (or unusual sights around Him; ) or hearings of His voice ().

Whatever the Son reveals about the Father, then, is based upon His direct vision of the Father, and is therefore completely reliable.

Dongell, J. (1997).

John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p.

92).

Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

It is as if he said, “As the Father has given me his heart, so he has poured out his power on me, so that the divine glory may shine in my deeds, and, what is more, so that men cannot seek anything divine except what they find in me.”

Indeed, outside Christ it is useless to seek God’s power.

Calvin, J. (1994).

John ().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

“Yes, to your amazement …” Through these words Christ is obliquely accusing them of ingratitude when they despised such an illustrious demonstration of God’s power.

It is as if he had said, “Even though you are dull and stupid, the deeds which God will do through me later will attract you, no matter now reluctant you are.”

However, this does not appear to have been fulfilled, since we know, as Isaiah says about the reprobate who are blind in God’s light, that they were like people “seeing, but never perceiving” ().

In answer to this, I say that Christ is not speaking about their attitude but only throws out a suggestion about the splendor of the proof which he would later give about being the Son of God.

Calvin, J. (1994).

John ().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

HA!

V 21: When, previously, had the Father raised the dead?

()

Important verbs here: “Raised the dead” AND “gives them life”

Application - we are not just dead raised.

We are raised to life!