John 5 Thats Just Lame
John 5 – That’s Just Lame!
Secular:
Sheepgate…
The Pool of Bethesda…
Clean the Sheep for the Temple offerings…
Equivalent of Vancouver’s East End…
A little unsavoury…
No 5 star restaurants…
Not the stomping ground of the elite…
Home to the sick and hurting…
Cleaning to the hope of a miracle…
It is here Jesus heals the man who has been an invalid for more than 30 years…
… some see a prophet… some see a Rabbi… some see the Messiah… some see a blasphemer…
- What do you see?
- It is right in front of you…
- Do you see the Old Lady…. Or do you see the Woman with the Feather Hat…
- We have all had to deal with people who don’t see what we see…
- Maybe its our blind spot… maybe it is theirs…
- Jesus’ ministry was in the blind spot for so many of the Jews… Rocked their world…
Biblical:
John 5:16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." 18 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. 19 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. 20 "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. 21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 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. 24 "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. 25 "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. 26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 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. 30 "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. 31 "If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. 32 "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. 33 "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 "But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 "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. 37 "And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. 38 "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. 39 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. 41 "I do not receive glory from men; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 "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. 44 "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? 45 "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. 46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
Personal:
- Ever been in an accident….
- Where somebody said… I saw you but I ran into you anyway…
- Often it is about being unseen…
- Just not looking
- Blind spot
- Undue Care and attention
Bridge:
- Jesus is steadfast and unmoving truth…
- We don’t want to miss out…
- See him
- In creation
- In World
- In the Word
- Through the Father…
- Introducing people to Christ is often telling them to look to their blind spot…
- Just as the response reveals Christ…
- We need to reveal Christ…
Body:
The Tirade Against Jesus
John 5:16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." 18 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.
He heals on the Sabbath v 16
· Was it the healing that upset the Jews?
· Was it teaching another to take up his mat (against their legalistic rules)…
· Was it because of an ongoing battle (Persecuting… these things) (IMP)
o shows an ongoing disregard for their legalism
o Standing Firm… not on what is easy… but what is true…
o Imagine if Jesus had of done things their way…? (heralded as Messiah… Royal treatment… hmmm)
· Challenging their Faith… what they believe in…
· Challenging their authority… Authority comes from God
· Challenging their idea of truth
He makes himself Equal with God v 17-18
· Answers the unasked question… Who do you think you are?
· Answered – aorist middle… legal overtones…
· If this is about the Sabbath… Jesus answers them clearly!!
· My Father who created… rested on the Sabbath or 7th day…
o but he continues to uphold creation…
o and just as he continues working…
o I am (the Son) working too…
o it is the same work… upholds creation
Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
· They got the message… it was very clear to them
· Jesus remarks were not only to defend his Sabbath day activities…
· Jesus is claiming to be the Son of God…
· Have the same “work” as God…
· And be subject to the same relationship to the Law as the Father…
· Equality with God!!
· Jesus does not back down in the face of challenge…
· He is the Ongoing God of Creation
· He is the God of Truth
· He is the Steadfast Lord Almighty
· We reveal Christ when we point to his Steadfastness and we his followers are steadfast
· … So appalled are the Jews that they Tirade Against Jesus
The Trinity and Jesus
A Demonstration of Loving… (to a seething audience)
19 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. 20 "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….23 so that all will honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him.
Confirming the Unity with the Trinity-consistency
The Father Loves the Son v 19-20
· The Father show the Son “All things He is Doing”… Act of Love… I remember with my Dad… it gave context… demonstrated love
o but I didn’t drive the truck
· What ever the Father does the Son does also…
o Spectacularly close
o Spectacularly God
o Great God of the Universe (Uncomp to human mind)
o Truly the activity of God is assigned to Jesus
o What Jesus does… what He says shows perfect devotion, love and submission to the Father
o The Father is completely open, completely revealing himself to the Son…
§ Openness / transparency – Love relationship
o Jesus reveals the Father < Perfect Source… Perfect Relationship… Perfect love>
The Father honours the Son v 23
· The Father is worthy of all honour <Jews no Dispute>
· The Father honours the Son… with Love… shared tasks…
· Because the Son handles the roles of Deity assigned and shared with the Father… He is Worthy of all Honour and Praise
· It all demonstrates the relationship between The Trinity and Jesus
· We reveal Jesus when we point to his relationship with the Trinity and his Love and Power as God…
The Tasks Assigned to Jesus
So you’re God…
21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 24 "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. 25 "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. 26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 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.
He imparts eternal life v 21, 24,26
· Jesus imparts Eternal Life
o and the Jews would be seething
· Jesus as the source of life… Just as the Father is…
· No one gave life to the Son… just as no one gave life to the Father… the Eternal Reality of God… before all things… after all things… there was and always will be God… not dependant on Human beings… or anything else… the very source of Life
· God gives life… and takes it away
· God is the very source of eternal life…
· Jesus said… John4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
·
He will raise the dead v 25, 28-29
i. Some to everlasting joy v. 25, 28-29a
· Jesus will claim his Father’s Children
· Jesus will raise the dead…
· … resurrected to eternal joy in the presence of God…
ii. Some to everlasting punishment v. 29b
· But he will also raise some to everlasting punishment
· God is Holy…
i. The Father is Holy
ii. The Spirit is Holy
iii. The Son is Holy
· There will be those who deny God… who will die in their sins and will perish…
· Urgency!
He judges all men v 22, 27
· Everyone will be judged by Christ
· Jesus will be the that judge
· The Son of Man…
· We need to testify to the tasks of Christ…
The Testimonies Concerning Christ v 30-47
Witness to the supernatural claim of Jesus comes from four sources…
30 "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. 31 "If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. 32 "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. 33 "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 "But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 "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. 37 "And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. 38 "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. 39 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. 41 "I do not receive glory from men; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 "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. 44 "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? 45 "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. 46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.”… Great God… if the only one who recognized Him was himself how could that be true… Witness to the supernatural claim of Jesus comes from four sources…
The Prophet
The Works
The Father
The Word
From John the Baptist v 31-35
He preached truth
· He can’t add to the truth about his relationship to the trinity…John can’t make him more God…
· But for the sake of those who hear John’s Words and trust them…
o He confirms they are right and true!
o Not for himself but the hearers
From his own works v 36
His teachings and miracles come from the Father
· His preaching… his teaching and the miracles he performed testify to Him as the Son of God
From the Father v 30, 37-38
The Father has testified about him
· Whether the voice at his Baptism Mark 1:11
· The Father’s Testimony in Scripture… in creation… through his Prophets…
· Testify to Christ
From the Scriptures v 39-47
The Scriptures point to him, the people say they believe the Scriptures, but they don’t believe in him
- Moses Points to Jesus
· And Jesus points out to this men of great knowledge… that the very book they hold dear… the revelation of God points to him…
· But they have missed it…
Conclusion:
The Tirade against Jesus
· Bold for truth in the face of Challenge
· Strong in our understanding
· People are counting on us to help them see
The Trinity and Jesus
· We need to demonstrate the Love shown in the Trinity…
· Testify to the Truth of the Trinity…. Father, Son and Spirit
· Testify to the Power of the Trinity…. Father, Son and Spirit
· People are counting on us to help them see
The Tasks assigned to Jesus
· Jesus is fully God…
· Jesus is interacting with Humanity…
· Jesus will Judge…
o Some to Glory
o Some to Hell
· People are counting on us to help them see
The Testimonials concerning Jesus
· The People
· The Creation
· The Father
· The Word…
· People are counting on us to help them see
NAU 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.