Gospel of John - 5

Gospel of John – 5

4:46-5:47

4:46-54

- v. 46 – official – term used for one who serves a king. So this is a Gentile Roman Centurion who works for King Herod. Capernaum is 16 miles N of Cana

o Jewish Teacher – 3:1-21

o Samaritan Woman – 4:1-42

o Gentile Roman Officer – 4:46-54

§ These constitute the entire world

- V. 48 – Unless you see signs

o ‘you’ is plural…referring to all Galileans (4:43-45)

o Failed to see signs as pointing to truth of Jesus’ identity

o Not to be taken that signs are negative…John uses them to help people believe

§ 2:11,23; 3:2; 4:53-54; 6:2,14; 7:31; 11:47-48; 12:11,18; 20:31

o Similar, but different account

§ Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10

- V. 50 – Healing from a distance

o Centurion slave – Mt. 8:5-13 // Phoenician woman’s daughter – Mt. 15:21-28

o ‘your son will live’

§ Not a prophecy, but a healing word of power

· V. 54…sign that Jesus did

§ Repeats in v. 53 – shows purpose of sign is to reveal Jesus has power over life itself (5:21)

o Notice progression of official’s faith

§ V. 46-48 – believes enough to ask for help

§ V. 50 – believes (purpose of sign/Gospel) and obeys

§ V. 53 – entire household believes

· Prepares for discourse on life in the Son – 5:19-30

- V. 54 – second sign in Galilee

o In between Jesus had done signs/miracles in Jerusalem at the Feast, but John does not record them

§ 2:23; 3:2; 4:45

5:1-18

Escalating conflict with Jews, during “festival cycle” in chapters 5-10.

- V. 4 – missing from the text but is in a footnote in the ESV. Not in earliest manuscripts and contains words and phrasing not common in Johannine writing. Was likely an early centuries addition to provide context.

o Legend of angel stirring waters…Jews were highly fascinated by angels, elevated them to high position. Hebrews lowers them for this reason.

o Early witnesses say water in this pool was red, meaning it had minerals in it and thought to have healing powers. Likely fed by an intermittent spring that caused it to be periodically stirred up.

- V. 5 – invalid – Greek word for ‘disabled.’

o 38 years – emphasizes gravity of illness and the genuineness of the healing (Acts 4:22)

- V. 6 – knew – divine foreknowledge (like Nathaniel in 1:48 and Samaritan woman in 4:18)

o Man didn’t ask for help, Jesus offered it. He had lost all hope.

- V. 8 – statement of healing…just as God spoke to created order to create, Jesus speaks to re-create.

- V. 9 – mean is healed, proven by his taking bed and walking

o Typically, faith is required for healing

§ Matthew 9:22; 13:58; Mark 6:5-6

o Emphasis is on Jesus’ power, not man’s faith

- V. 10 – Sabbath – no such OT law exists. This is their oral tradition, recorded in the Mishnah. 39 activities were forbidden on sabbath, including carrying an item from one place to another.

o Jesus is confronting their religious hypocrisy and ultra-legalism.

- V. 14 – sin no more

o May indicate that his suffering was caused by some sin in the past…natural consequences.

§ Not all illness is caused by sin

· John 9:1-3

§ But illness can be tied to issues of sin

· 1 Corinthians 11:28-30

· James 5:15

o Something worse…this is an invitation to salvation. He had been healed but did not have faith in Christ. Jesus is confronting his sin, letting him know the truth that sin has far more devastating consequences than some illness.

- V. 16 – persecuting…verb tense lets us know that this was ongoing persecution, not a one-time act. Jesus was the one actually fulfilling the OT law of loving others, but they were ready to kill him for it.

- V. 17 – this is where Jesus draws the line in the sand. This is a claim of divinity (proven by v. 18).

o Genesis 2:2-3 shows God resting (shabat) – but Rabbis agreed that God upheld the universe, yet without breaking Sabbath.

o Jesus says God is working on the Sabbath…and so is he. Just as God is Lord of the Sabbath, so is he (Mt. 12:8; Mk. 2:28; Lk. 6:5). Jesus has same authority as one who created the Sabbath.

o ‘My’ Father…unique Son of God (1:14,18)

§ This is likely intended to provoke a confrontation with the religious leaders and their hypocrisy.

§ Jesus will not launch into full-scale argument of his divinity.

John 5:19-29

5 Claims of Equality with God

1. Equal in Person (v. 17-18)

- This one we have already established…he has made himself equal with God (v. 18). Just as the Father is…so is Jesus.

2. Equal in Works (v. 19-20)

- These verses combined with v. 17-18 show the Immanent v. Economic Trinity.

- V. 19 - Can do nothing…not an inability, but a unity of purpose in the Godhead.

- Does only what he sees his Father doing. Perhaps Jesus has some ability to see the providential hand of God that is invisible to us.

o How did Jesus choose invalid man at the pool and ignore others?

- V. 20 – greater works – references to resurrection (proven in v. 21). Lazarus will be raised in chapter 11, Jesus himself raised in chapter 20.

3. Equal in Sovereignty (v. 21, 24-26)

- V. 21 – another clear claim to deity…life is the sole prerogative of God

o Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6

- Life – New life now (v. 24)

o 2 Corinthians 5:17

o Can face final judgment with confidence

§ 1 John 4:13-19; 5:11-13

o V. 25 – now here…not talking about final judgment…the spiritually dead now

o V. 26 – explains v. 25…granted does not mean to give, but to authorize to use

§ Expounds 1:4…in him was life (self-existence)

- And Resurrection at the Final Judgment

§ 1 Corinthians 15:42-57

§ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

§ Daniel 12:2

4. Equal in Judgements (v. 22, 27-29)

- V. 22 – given judgment to Son…another claim of divinity…only God is judge

o Genesis 18:25; Judges 11:27

- V. 27 – Son of Man…Daniel 7:13…he is Eternal Ruler, therefore the judge

- V. 29 – not teaching a judgment based on works…contradicts John’s teaching on ‘believe’ to have eternal life

o Good work is to believe; bad work is to reject

o Works are an evidence of saving faith

5. Equal in Honor (v. 23)

- V. 23 – this is Jesus showing his right to be worshiped.

o Jesus turns their accusations of blasphemy back onto them. By denying the Son, the Jews were the ones who were blaspheming the Father.

John 5:30-47

- V. 30-31 – trial motif…Jesus places world on trial and proves his innocence

o Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Numbers 35:30

4 Witnesses to Jesus

1. John the Baptist (v. 33-36a)

- John has already bore witness to him (1:6-8, 19-42; 3:22-36)

- V. 35 – lamp (Psalm 132:17)

2. Jesus’ own Works (v. 36b)

- Attested to by Nicodemus (3:2)

3. God the Father (v. 32, 37)

- V. 32 – the ‘another’ is not referring to John the Baptist, but to the greater testimony of God himself.

o John’s own testimony was ultimately from God (1:6,33…sent by God)

- V. 37 – all miracles sent to do, all teaching, Scripture…all from Father

o Specific voice…Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22

4. Scripture (v. 38-47)

- V. 37-38 – voice have not heard…reference to Scripture…deaf to its truth

- V. 39 – Bible is not divine, but divinely inspired

o Points to Jesus, the one who gives life.

o Study of Bible ought to lead to genuine faith in Christ, obedience, transformed life.

- V. 43 – in Father’s name…by his authority, on his behalf

§ ILL – admin at Cornerstone would attend meetings on my behalf

o If another comes…string of false Christs before AD 70 (Josephus)

- V. 45 – Moses explicitly wrote of Jesus

o Genesis 3:15; Numbers 21:9; 24:17; Deuteronomy 18:15

- V. 46 – wrote of me

o Luke 24:47,44; John 1:45; 3:14; 8:56; Acts 26:22; 28:23; 1 Corinthians 10:4; Hebrews 11:23-26; 1 Peter 1:10-12; Jude 5

Application

When you bring a problem to the Lord, do you leave it with him and obey what he says? Or do you continue to fret and worry?

Do you want to get well? Jesus is source of life, of hope, of peace. ILL – reading biography of John Wesley…holiness and happiness (peace, joy, etc.).

Don’t lose hope…38 years is a long time to suffer. But then that day finally came.

He has given new, eternal life now…do you live in that reality?

Do you face death, final judgement, with confidence?

All these witnesses testify to the truth of who Jesus is…do you do that? Acts 1:8