Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Welcome back to John!
We have been studying through the Gospel according to John.
Today, we will be looking at John 5:24.
While you are opening your bibles to John 5:24, let’s remember the background.
John wrote his gospel so John 20:31
John wants us to have life!
As he describes it elsewhere, John 10:10, abundant life.
That life is only found in Jesus, who is the Son of God.
John 5 really unpacks what it means that Jesus is the Son of God.
John 5 opens with Jesus going to Jerusalem and healing a man who had been lame for 38 years.
He was alone, without help, and without hope.
When Jesus asked, “Do you want to get well?,” the man responded out of his hopeless condition, “I can’t.
I have no one to help me.”
Into that man’s hopeless world, Jesus brought hope and healing.
He told the man to get up and walk!
What a miracle!
That man had no life.
He was alive.
But he had no life.
He certainly did not have the abundant life that John describes Jesus giving.
But then comes Jesus! “Get up!” he commands and give the man the ability to walk.
He gives him the opportunity to have life!
However, as the situation unfolds, we find that the religious leaders were not happy.
This did not fit what they wanted to happen.
So, they began to persecute Jesus.
In response to their persecution, Jesus explains how he is the Son of God, and He is at work just as God the Father is at work to this very day.
The Jews understood that when Jesus called God the Father his Father, he was claiming to be the Son of God, who is equally God.
We see that in verse 18 of chapter 5.
As we saw a couple weeks ago, Jesus confirmed what they were thinking about him being equal with God.
The following discourse from Jesus has three sections, which Jesus begins with amen, amen.
This is translated in different translations as “Truly, truly”, or “I tell you the truth,” or “Very truly I tell you.”
In the first section starting with verse 19, Jesus says,
Jesus is confirming to these people that He is equal with God the Father.
He does what God does.
He is fully, equally God.
Even when he humbled himself and took on flesh-- becoming a man--he was still fully, equally God.
Just as the Father is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, so He the Son is fully God.
Jesus went on to tell them,
It is in this context of Jesus explaining to these people that He is fully God, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus gives life, and judges.
That brings us up to the next section, which we are looking at today.
John 5:24, which Jesus introduces again with, “Very truly I tell you.”
prayer
Very truly I tell you
Jesus begins these sections with an expression meant to grab our attention.
What I am about to say is really important.
It is the truth.
You need to hear this.
Pay attention.
In the last section, we saw the truth that Jesus is equal with God the Father.
This is important, and should not be glossed over.
There are too many through history who have thought of Jesus as being less than God.
Jesus is making a point that He does not want us to miss.
He starts it with, Truly, truly, or very truly.
This is the truth.
Don’t miss it.
I am equal with God.
What God the Father does, I do.
Now this next section, which is just verse 24, Jesus also emphasizes by saying again, “Very truly I tell you.”
Jesus does not want us to miss this.
This is really important!
So, let’s pay attention and get what Jesus thought was so important He emphasized it in this way.
whoever hears My word
Jesus starts by describing a person who does two things… the first is, “whoever hears My word.”
Maybe a better English rendition would be, “whoever hears my message.”
That is, whoever hears what I am communicating--the message I have for you.
But does this mean just anyone who is in earshot?
I think Jesus is looking for more than just someone who picks up audible noise.
He wants more than just someone who hears the words he says.
On multiple occasions we find Jesus saying, “He who has ears, let him hear...” Jesus was wanting more than hearing, he wanted listeners!
What is the difference between hearing and listening?
Listening when contrasted with hearing is when something is taken to heart, and acted upon.
Our dog hears me when I call and tell him to come.
I know because he will sit up, or turn and look at me.
He heard.
But whether he listens is another matter, right?
Listening is when he comes.
The Greek word John used when he wrote this Gospel is akouw.
He used it 121 times in his writings (John, 1 John - 3 John, Revelation).
We saw it in John 1:37.
It is at times translated as heard.
But like in this verse, in most of the uses, upon hearing, there is some action which indicates more has taken place the the shaking of the ear drum.
What was audibly heard is acted upon because it is received.
Another way it is translated into English is ‘hear’.
We will see that in the coming weeks as we continue in John 5.
But let’s look at Revelation for a moment.
Notice that the emphasis is on hearing and taking it to heart.
Here what is heard is to be acted upon to be victorious.
The emphasis is always upon hearing, and receiving.
Another way it is translated into English is ‘listen’.
The sheep don’t just hear and ignore.
They listen and follow the shepherd.
whoever hears My word
So, keeping in mind how this word for hearing Jesus message is used, what is Jesus saying?
Who is the one he is talking about?
He is talking about the one who will listen, who will hear and receive as true, and thus act upon his message.
Whoever listens...
Well, Jesus further qualifies it.
and believes Him who sent Me
Whoever listens to my message and believes Him who sent me.
Do you find that a little strange?
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