Untitled Sermon

John Chapter 5 10/21/20 thru

John 5:5-9 (NASB) 5  A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6  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?" 7  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." 8  Jesus *said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." 9  Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

Jesus now goes back to Jerusalem. He had gone up to through Samaria and then to Cana. Now, He has traveled back down to Jerusalem. In the city of Jerusalem, there was a pool of water called Bethesda. There was is theory that occasionally, an angel would stir the water and the first person who got in would be made well. There were a multitude of people laying there who were sick, blind, lame and withered. They were waiting for a moving of the waters.

There is much to be learned from the story of this healing. First, picture the scene. There is a pool of water. There is a multitude of ailing people laying around the pool, waiting for the water to be stirred. Each person there wanted to be the first one in the pool, after it was stirred in hopes that they might be healed. It would really be a sad sight with all these helpless people there. It would be like a gathering of special needs people.

Jesus is walking by the pool and sees all the people there. Apparently, Jesus was walking among the people, looking at them. I'm sure His heart was breaking for them. Jesus spotted a man laying there who had been in invalid for 38 years. Jesus went up to him and asked if he wanted to get well? On the surface, this would seem like an unnecessary question. However, there are people who learn to enjoy their illness. They use it as a crutch, maybe a way to make others feel sorry for them. But Jesus never engaged in flippant, idle conversation. In essence, Jesus asked the same question to both Nicodemus and the woman at the well. Although He did not use the same words, He did infer the same question. Nicodemus said no at the moment but later changed his mind and the woman said yes. His question served several purposes: it secured the man’s full attention, focused on his need, offered him healing, and communicated to him the depth of Christ’s love and concern. So, this question really got the man's attention.

It seems very clear that this man did not know who Jesus was. He did not see Jesus as someone who could heal him but maybe as someone who was offering to help him get into the pool after the water was stirred. This is the Jesus this man saw. He did not see Him as the Messiah or the Son of God. He did not know anything about Jesus. But in this scene, I can see the great compassion that Jesus had for people.

The man's answer to Jesus' question reveals that he was pretty much friendless and he was helpless. He didn't have friends or family to help him and encourage him. In addition, he was unable to help himself. I'm actually surprised that this man was able to live for 38 years. Then, Jesus dropped a bomb on this man's life. He told him to get up, pick up his pallet and walk. Immediately, the man because well. He must have known that he was healed because he did the unthinkable - he got up, picked up his bed and began to walk. What a miracle this would have been. I would love to have seen it. I would have loved to have seen the eyes of the people watching as this miracle unfolded.

I must remember some things about this miracle. It was different that several other miracles because this man did not know Jesus. He did not know that Jesus was a miracle maker. He did not have faith in Jesus. He did not believe in Jesus. Yet, Jesus healed him and changed his life forever. The man did not believe in the healing power of Jesus but he did believe in the healing power of the water. Yet, Jesus healed him. When Jesus chooses to move in a person's life, amazing things begin to happen!!

Jesus' healing was instant and it was complete. It was not gradual and it did not occur over a period of time. It was complete and instantaneous, with or without faith. It certainly was not this man's faith that healed him. It was Jesus that healed him. Jesus gave him a new body and a new life.

Another thought here is that people are always looking to something or at something to solve their problems or make their lives better. Unfortunately, most do not look to Jesus. They try to find some other alternative that will make things better. In this case, the guy was looking for a stirring of the water. He was not looking to God or to Jesus. He did not know anything about Jesus. People are always grasping for something to help them in their daily lives. This clearly reminds me of Pr 14.12. There are ways that seem right to a man but the end of those ways is death.

Jesus sees and knows every man’s condition. He reaches out to every man in compassion, offering help. He reaches out through the message of the Word, the witness of family or friend, the beauty of nature or perhaps just the thoughts about God that penetrate every man’s mind. Jesus does reach out and Jesus does care.

Another point here that catches my attention is that there were many people around that pool who needed help but were not helped. Jesus could have simply said a word and everyone of them would have been healed. Yet, Jesus chose to take one man and heal him. On the surface, it seems that Jesus took one man and healed him and that seems a little unfair. The truth is that Jesus never promised to be fair but He is perfectly just. Sometimes when bad things happen, we think Jesus is unfair. Even though He did not heal everyone there, He did show everyone there that they can find healing in Him. I'm sure He caught the attention of everyone around that pool. I'm sure many people were looking at Jesus and asking, who is that Man? The big question for this man and for every person around the pool is, do you want to be healed spiritually or physically. Spiritual healing was available to everyone around the pool, even though physical healing was not.

The greatest thing I can seek is spiritual healing. The greatest thing I can have is being right with Jesus. I love Rosie and my children and want them to have this spiritual healing and I'm so thankful because I believe each of them have it.

John 5:10-13 (NASB) 10  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." 11  But he answered them, "He who made me well was the one who said to me, 'Pick up your pallet and walk.'" 12  They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Pick up your pallet and walk'?" 13  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.

There are four things that really strike me in this passage.

1. The great lack of compassion of the Jewish leaders.

2. How the Jews valued keeping their laws over someone's life.

3. How the man didn't have any idea who Jesus was.

4. How much Jesus values the individual.

In Jn 5.10, the Jews saw this man carrying his mat. Probably he was celebrating the cure that he had experienced with Jesus. I'm sure that nearly everyone around saw him and heard him yelling for joy. So, the Jews went up to him as told him that it was not permissible for him to carry his sleeping mat on the Sabbath. They heard his story but didn't show any joy or thankfulness for the man's healing. They were so caught up in their religious traditions that they couldn't even see or care about the man. They were so legalistic that nothing else mattered to them.

People today can be exactly the same way. They can get so caught up in doing good works and comparing their works with those of others, that they refuse to listen to grace. They refuse to accept grace. They feel more comfortable making up their own rules about what it takes to please God and be acceptable to Him. The problem is that their own rules do not make them acceptable to God. God determines what makes a person acceptable to Him and what doesn't. Jesus cleared this up in John 6.40. In Rom 3.22, I can see that it is faith in Jesus that causes a person to be righteous in God's sight. In Eph 2.8-9, it is clear that salvation is a gift from God and it is not achieved through works of any kind. In spite of all these Scriptures, many people still cling to the idea that it will be their goodness and their good works that get them into heaven. They ignore the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made for us all on the cross and content that their good works is what it takes.

This is really a picture of a dead religion trying to meet the needs of a dying world. First, a dead religion is a religion of legalism. It tries to meet the needs of people through rules, regulations, ceremony and rituals. They were more concerned about a man who was violating their rules than they were with a man who was suffering. The rules are more important to them than people are.

Secondly, a dead religion is a religion ignorant of true authority. Anyone watching this miracle take place as suddenly as it did, with just the spoken word of Jesus, should have known that it was the power of God, through Jesus, that healed the man. You would think that they would be seeking to find Jesus and get to know Him better. But they cared little about the power of God and His messenger. They cared only that the status quo be maintained, that their religious practices continue as they were and not be violated. Their thoughts were upon their own religious position and security.

Thirdly, a dead religion is a religion blind to love and good. The question of the religionists was not, "Who is the man who has healed and helped you so much?" but, "Who is the man that broke the religious law?" They did not see the good that had been done. They saw only that their position and security were threatened, that someone had more power and influence, doing more good than they were. This reminds me of the Isaiah ministry. Outside of our class, no one seems to be able to see the good that has been done. I really thought that the church would get behind this ministry if given a chance. Pastor Curtis gave them that chance and I have been reporting the things we are doing to the church. But so far, no one has given and not one has made an effort to sign up to help on projects. What the Lord is doing through us just doesn't seem to matter. The POSB asks a similar question: How many true messengers of God are criticized by powerless religionists, criticized because they do things differently or do more good than others? Men fear the loss of their position and security, fear that people may begin to wonder about their lack of true power—power that honestly helps men.

Jn 5.11 and Jn 5.13 clearly shows that this man had no idea who Jesus was and what He might be able to do. This was not a miracle of faith, it was simply a miracle of God. Everyone around there surely had to know that. It was too big of a miracle to explain away. The only explanation is that God did a work in this man's life.

The final point is that Jesus knew it was the Sabbath. Jesus knew the Jews would object to this miracle. However, this did not stop Him from doing the miracle. He was not concerned about pleasing people, Jn 12.43. He was only about being obedient to His Father. That is something that I must strive to develop in me. I must stop worrying about what people might think of me and my faith in Christ. I must only be concerned about what Jesus thinks. Another point is that Jesus slipped away from the crowd of people that gathered around such a big miracle. It is clear that Jesus never wanted to draw attention to Himself. He could have stood there and taken all the praise of the people but He moved away. He did what He wanted to do and then left. I do not want Jesus to ever move away from my praise. If I praised Him forever, it would not be enough!!

John 5:14-17 (NASB) 14  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." 15  The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 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."

After this man had been healed by Jesus, the Jews scolded him and rebuked him for doing what Jesus had told him to do. Jesus knew exactly what had happened and how the Jews were treating him. It is very encouraging to see that Jesus cared about this man and how he was being treated. He cared enough to seek Him out. The encourages me because it makes me feel that if I am persecuted for Jesus, He might seek me out and encourage me as well. It shows me that in serving Jesus, I am never alone. I have just learned that I have heart disease and it is pretty extensive. I have felt the Holy Spirit encouraging me and giving me strength and taking away fears. I'm so thankful for His attention and love.

Jesus sought out the man. Jesus made it a point to find him and speak with him. It is very interesting to me that Jesus found the man in the temple. Apparently, the man was there to worship God but I don't know that for sure. Maybe he was there to smooth over carrying the mat on the Sabbath with the Jewish leaders. I'm hoping he was there to worship God and give praise to Him.

The question that I have is why did Jesus tell him that he should sin no more or something worse might happen to him. The commentaries say that this indicates that it was sin that caused him to become an invalid in the first place. Jesus was teaching him that he must get rid of that sin. It has already almost ruined his life, he must get rid of it or it will do that again and things even worse. The most natural understanding of the Lord’s warning, then, is that the man’s illness was the result of specific personal sin on his part. If the man persisted in unrepentant sin, Jesus warned, he would suffer a fate infinitely worse than thirty-eight years of a debilitating disease—namely, eternal punishment in hell.

This is so very true of people today. For instance, Dan persists in drinking. About a year ago he fell and broke his pelvic bone. This laid him up for over 3 months. He ended up in a nursing home for over 2 months. Finally, he got out. He was clean and sober. We spoke about the Lord and his need for a relationship with Him but Dan went right back to drinking shortly after he got out. I don't know what is going to happen to him next but I'm very afraid for his soul and spirit. There are so many like this. They have an experience with the Lord and then revert right back to their old lifestyle. I see this happening in the Isaiah Ministry too. Many people want to have an experience with the Lord but they do not want Him to be Lord of their life or to make changes in their life. So many want their current life as it is and then just add Jesus to what they are already doing.

Jesus was warning this man and all those I know today, including me that when I come to Him, I need to renounce the habitual sins in my life. This is not always easy but it is worth it. It requires a close personal relationship with the Lord. It also requires me to use CARE. Actually, I don't know how people can survive without using CARE. The battle we fight over sin always starts and ends in our minds. That means that we must be conscious of our thoughts, the things we are thinking about. Are we thinking about sinful thoughts, fearful thoughts, judgmental thoughts, etc. What ever we are thinking about drives our behavior and our emotions. We must ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of wrong thoughts. If we work with Him, He will do exactly as He has promised, Jn 16.8.

One He convicts me or I discover that I'm thinking wrong or sinful thoughts, I must rebuke them and replace them. The Holy Spirit gives me the power to rebuke them and I must come up with some positive thoughts to replace them with. I really like to use Phil 4.8. It clearly spells out the things I should be thinking about and each one of these things describe Jesus. So, they inspire me to think about Him. Finally, at the end of the day, I evaluate my successes and failures.

In John 5.15, this man’s response to Jesus suggests that he failed to heed Jesus’ warning. He promptly went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. It is astonishing that he would accept this healing after nearly four decades of terrible distress and then walk away from Jesus and show his loyalty to the Jews who hated Him. Yet, I see people doing this everyday. Jesus does a miracle in their lives and at the moment of any sign of trouble, they walk away from Jesus and back into their old lifestyle. This has to be one of the great acts of ingratitude and obstinate unbelief in Scripture. He did not intend to praise or worship Jesus for healing him. Since the Jews had already manifested open hostility toward Jesus (Jn 5.10-12), it would have been incredibly naïve to think they would now react positively. He further aided their hostility by identifying Jesus. More likely, the man’s actions were a further attempt to defend himself for breaking the Sabbath regulations; he could now answer the authorities’ question of verse Jn 5.12 by naming Jesus.

Sometimes in the Isaiah ministry, we help someone and they basically turn on us and blame us for something that has happened to them. It is so frustrating when this happens. Or maybe we have helped them in the past and they rejected our class and church but now they need help again. I can now see that all of these things that frustrate me are things that Jesus has already experienced on a much greater level.

Jesus had already incited the anger of the Jews by healing the man on the Sabbath. Now, in John 5.17, Jesus further incites them by putting Himself on the same level as God. Jesus told them that "His" Father is working all the time and then He tells them that He too is working all the time. It doesn't matter if it is the Sabbath or not, both of them are working. So, Jesus is making Himself just like God. Both have the prerogative of working on the Sabbath. In Jn 14.10, Jesus told people that they should believe in Him for two reasons: first, the words He speaks are undeniable. People were astonished by His words and His wisdom. Second, people should believe because of the works that He is doing. He and His Father are working together to do amazing things in people's lives.

But we must be clear about Jesus’ claim. Borchert writes, "What Jesus, as the One and Only Son of God (Jn 1.14, Jn 1.18), claimed was to be sent by God, on a mission for God, doing the works of God, obedient to God, and bringing glory to God. That is not the role of one who displaces God but one who is a representative or emissary of God." As God’s divine agent, Jesus has the right and the ability to do what God does.

So, what does this mean for me? Jesus and His Father are always at work. They are working today, right now. I have just been given a bad diagnosis of having heart disease but Jesus is working in my life. Through His Holy Spirit, He is keeping me calm, unlike anything I have thought possible. He is so faithful and good and kind and comforting. Honestly, I don't know for sure if I will make it through the week, yet I know that Jesus is at work and His will is going to be done.

All of this explains the Jews reaction in Jn 5.18. The Jews said that Jesus was not only breaking the Sabbath rules, but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. The Jews didn't have any doubt about who Jesus was claiming to be. They knew He was claiming to be God's Son and they hated Him for that. They were not open to any truths about Him that did not fit with their way of religion. John 5:19-23 (NASB) 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. Jesus explains to the accusing Jews that He does not do anything other than what He sees His Father doing. In other words, Jesus is saying that He does the same kinds of things that He sees His Father doing. As He sees God working, Jesus joins Him and does similar things. Jesus is saying that He is one with His Father. They both do the same things. So, that means the are completely insync with each other. This is really what I want. I want to be insync with the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father. I would love to be able to see what He is doing and be able to join Him. Over and over Jesus said that He is focused on doing what He Father asks Him to do. He is completely obedient, Mt 26.39, Jn 5.30, Jn 6.38, Jn 8.28, Jn 12.49, Jn 14.10. From this I can see that Jesus was perfectly obedient to His Father. This is exactly what I need to be as well. Jesus said and knew that His Father loved Him (Mt 3.17, Jn 3.35, 2Pet 1.17). Jesus said that His Father was showing Him all the things that He is doing. I would love to have such a close and intimate relationship with Jesus that He would reveal to me the things He is doing. What a wonderful thing it would be to have this kind of relationship with Jesus. I obviously don't have this kind of relationship but I really would like to have it. The thing that Jesus did that I don't do so well at is be obedient. Jesus was obedient to everything His Father asked Him to do. I am just not that obedient. I don't pay enough attention to the Holy Spirit. I allow too many other things to be a part of my thoughts and it keeps my thoughts away from Jesus, things He is doing and things He might want me to do. I think it starts with always being in the presence of the Holy Spirit - focused on Him and alert to Him. Then the second part is to be obedient to Him the second He asks me to do something.   So, the two things I need to do are: 1. Be in the presence, practice His presence, be aware of His presence and focus on His presence. 2. Immediately obey anything He puts in my mind to do. Jesus went on to say that His Father would do greater and greater works through Jesus. Jesus said that these works would stun and marvel and astonish those who saw them. To marvel means to be astonished. It means to impress a person so much that it makes them think and wonder. The works of Jesus did exactly that to those who saw them. In addition, Jesus' works really surprised the people who saw them. Look at the words that are used to describe Jesus in a few of these Scriptures, Mt 7.28, Mt 8.27, Mt 9.33, Mt 12.23 amazed; Mt 9.8, awestruck; Mt 13.54, astonished; Mt 15.31, marveled. The list goes on and on. I'm really surprised by the number of times that people expressed awe at Jesus and His works. The people saw Jesus control and change nature. They saw Him heal people with all kinds of health problems. They saw Him change people's lives and make them new creations. They saw Him raise people from the dead. How could anyone who saw Jesus do all of these things and more ever question His relationship with God? In Jn 5.21, Jesus said that His Father could raise the dead any time He wishes. Just like His Father, Jesus too could raise the dead any time He wants. I can see evidence of this in Jn 11.43-44 where He raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. In Mt 9.24-25, Jesus raised a dead girl up to live again. In Luke 7.11-15, Jesus raised a widow's dead son to life again as they were carrying Him to be buried. Jesus has the power to raise people from the dead. Jesus has authority to do that and everything else that He would like to do. If any miracle clearly showed the fact that Jesus is God, to me, it is raising people from the dead. Who could ever raise someone who has been dead for 4 days from the dead but God? In Jn 5.22-23, Jesus tells the Jews and myself that God has chosen Jesus to be the judge of everyone. Who could be a better judge than Jesus. He came to live life on earth, He made a huge sacrifice for all of us and it cost Him dearly. It was Jesus who gave His life so that I might live. Praise Jesus!!! Not only did Jesus give life to dead bodies, He also gave life to many, many people who are spiritually dead, like me. As I study about life, especially eternal life, Jesus had much to say about it. Here are places that where Jesus spoke about brining life to people. In Jn 4.14, Jesus spoke about giving me water that springs up into eternal life. In John 6.27, Jesus teaches me that I should not work for food which perishes but for food that gives me eternal life - and only Jesus can provide me with that food. In John 6.33, Jesus proclaimed that He is the bread of life and He gives life to the world. In Jn 6.35, Jesus said that He is the bread of life and because of Him I do not and will not hunger and thirst spiritually. Jesus will hand has filled me. In Jn 6.48, Jesus lets me know that my faith in Him is not misplaced because He is the bread of life. In Jn 6.54, Jesus teaches me that if I absorb and eat up Him and His teachings, if I live by them, He will raise me up. In Jn 1.4, John made it clear that he knew that life is in Jesus. In Jn 10.28, Jesus assures me that He gives eternal life and those who believe in Him will never perish and that no one can snatch me out of His hand. Heart disease cannot snatch me out of His hand. In John 11.25-26, Jess says that He is the resurrection and the life. Jesus assures me that if I believe in Him, I will never die. In Jn 14.6, Jesus said that He is the way, truth and life. I can only get to God through Jesus. There is no other way. In Jn 17.2, Jesus gives me eternal life because I believe in Him and God has given me to Jesus. So, according to all of these passages and according to Jesus, based on the authority of Him raising people from the dead, including Himself, Jesus says that if I believe in Him, I have eternal life. That means that I am eternal right now. It doesn't start when I die, it starts right now. John 5:24 (NASB) 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. This is one of my memory verses. It is such a great verse and I always enjoy thinking about it. Jesus begins by saying "Truly, truly." He is putting great emphasis on what He is about to say. He is saying, Gary, pay close attention to these words. Ponder them and work to understand them fully. Then Jesus goes on to explain what it takes to have eternal life; what it takes to not come into judgment and to pass from death to life. It takes two things: 1. Hear Jesus' words. It is not merely hearing them but also living them, as James 1.22 explains. Josh 1.8 teaches me to mediate upon the word and to be careful to obey it. Ps 19.11 teaches me that if I keep or obey God's word, there is great reward!! In Mt 7.24, I can see Jesus teaching me that if I hear His word and act upon them, I am like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock. When the storms of life come upon that house, my life, then I will stand. As storms come, it is important for me to look for the bigger picture of what God is doing. In Luke 11.28, I can see that I am blessed if I hear His word and then obey it and follow it and live it. The word observe means to keep and to guard. I must guard it in my heart and not let anything or anyone take it away from me. So many things want to take God's word away from or get me not wanting to follow it or keep it. All of these things are enemies of mine, Mt 16.23. I must get rid of or at least be aware of things that can become a stumbling block to me. In Jn 8.31, I can see that obeying God's word and following it makes me His disciple. I want to be His disciple and this also leads me to Luke 9.23. If I want to be His disciple, I must deny myself, pick up my cross and follow Jesus. This is denying myself, being willing to die to any of my desires and goals and then following Jesus. God where He wants me to go. Rev 1.3 says that if I read Scripture and hear it or understand it and heed it, then I am blessed. 2. Jesus' second point is that I must have faith in Him. Having faith in Jesus means several things. It means that I believe in Him and that I believe and obey the things He teaches. Among many things, this means that I must renounce my sins and repent of them. It means that I must make Jesus the new Lord of my life and obey and follow Him. Rom 8.1 teaches me that there is no condemnation for those who believe. So, to get the gift of eternal life, I must believe in Jesus and all that means. I must read, study and obey Jesus' words. This is precisely what Jesus did. He believed in His Father. He believed His Father knows best and that He could trust His Father completely. He believed so strongly that He was willing to take risks on His Father. Pr 3.5-6 really describe how Jesus lived and how He trusted His Father. Secondly, Jesus was always obedient. He always did what His Father asked, even when it was very difficult. Jesus said that everyone who hears, accepts and practices His word; everyone who believes in God and Jesus; that person has passed from death unto life. This is an amazing promise and I am trusting in this promise. John 5:25-29 (NASB) 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.

Jesus again puts the positive words of truly, truly before His comment. Jesus tells His listeners that the hour has now come when the dead will hear the voice of Jesus. To me, the key word here is dead. The Greek word is nekroi. It seems pretty clear from my study of this word that it means physically dead. Jesus was not speaking of the spiritually dead. Although it can refer to the spiritually dead, it nearly always refers to the physically dead. Also, Jn 5.28, Jesus is speaking about those who are in the tombs will hear His voice. This is another indicator to me that Jesus is speaking of the physically dead.

Jesus is saying that the time has come when those who are physically dead will hear His voice. To me, He is referring to all the people who have lived and died before Jesus paid for their sins. The time is Him dying on the cross and then being resurrected from the dead. So, this to me, answers a question about what happened to those who died before Jesus was resurrected? Jesus said that those who hear His voice will live, they will have eternal life with Him. Those who do not hear, they will not receive eternal life with Jesus. This really reminds me of Eph 4.8. It speaks of Jesus ascending and taking captives with Him. I have never really seen this before.

The question that I have always had is why wouldn't the dead all hear His voice and respond to Jesus. However, I recently learned that when a person dies and they don't believe in God, they take their sins with them into eternal life. They do not have the influence of the Holy Spirit so they are not going to suddenly renounce their sins and repent. They don't have anyone convicting them of sin, so they will not repent. Now, I will check the commentaries and find out how wrong I am. I didn't really see anything that changed my mind on what I have learned here. Some of them think Jesus was simply referring to those who are spiritually not but that is not what the word dead normally means. The spiritually dead are not all in their graves. But Jesus speaks of those who are in their tombs or graves.

Who are the people who will hear Jesus' voice? Jesus said it is the ones who live a good life on earth. Their deeds were good. It was not about what they said but about what they did, James 2.17. Those who lived godly lives will hear Jesus' words. Those who lived lives of sin and selfishness will not hear. Just like they would not listen to Jesus in life, they will not listen to Jesus in death. The things he says and teaches will not appeal to them and they will not be convinced. The fact that they sought sin rather than God in this live is a clear indicator that they will reject the voice of Jesus in the next life.

John 5:30 (NASB) 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.

Jesus said that He doesn't do anything without confirming with His Father when it comes to judging people. Jesus said that He judges but it is base on His Father's words. This way, Jesus never lets His feelings and emotions to get into play. As a result, Jesus' judgments are always just.

This is such a big problem for all humans. We tend to judge based on emotions. It could be emotions of love that cause us to not exercise justice or it could be emotions of anger that cause us to be too harsh in judgment. We are flawed by our emotions. Since Jesus was human and well as Godly, I wonder if perhaps this is why He was always consulting His Father before making judgments.

This is another key thought for me. I must guard against allowing my emotions to control my thoughts, values and judgments because emotions are not intelligent. Instead, I must seek God's council and ask Him to help me be just. Jesus said He always seeks His Father's will, knowing that His Father's will is always perfect, pure and right.

John 5:31-32 (NASB) 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.

The Bible gives me eight witnesses to Jesus, that He is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is who He claimed to be. Here are those eight testimonies:

1. John the Baptist in Jn 1.34.

2. The works that Jesus did testify that He is God, Jn 5.36.

3. God testified about Him, Jn 5.37.

4. The Old Testament testified about Jesus, Jn 5.39.

5. Jesus testified about Himself, Jn 8.14.

6. The Holy Spirit testified about Jesus, Jn 15.26.

7. Believers testify about Jesus, Jn 15.27.

8. Even evil spirits even testified about Jesus, Mt 8.29.

9. Jesus' resurrection clearly testifies that He is God.

The question that Jesus seems to be commenting to is "Why should we believe you?" Jesus knows full well that a single person testifying about Himself is not very valid. A person needs others to testify about him to give him a real sense of validity. Jesus is saying that He is the Son of God and He cannot life, Heb 6.18. But Jesus knew that many would not believe Him if He just testified about Himself. Jesus was so different than other men, so Godly. However, to satisfy the demands of justice, Jesus called forth 7 other witnesses. Those other witnesses were John the Baptist, the works He was doing, God, the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit, believers and even evil spirits. All seven of these testified about Jesus that He is the Son of  God.

It is interesting that the reason we just don't always believe someone when they proclaim something is that man's word, his honesty and integrity cannot be trusted, even in a court of law. Our flawed human nature has caused us to lie and be dishonest. We tend to love ourselves much more than we love the truth. As a result, people wonder if they can trust us. But Jesus was seeking to save every single person and He knew that it might be important to many that He have other witnesses. In Scripture, He gives us 7 other testimonies to convince us. The bottom line to all of this is that I can trust Jesus completely. If I should choose not to trust Him, it would put me into great danger, Jn 8.24.

John 5:33-35 (NASB) 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.

Jesus reminded them that they had sent some men to ask John about his witness of Jesus. Jesus said that John testified to the truth. John often testified that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, Jn 1.7, Jn 1.15, Jn 1.19, Jn 1.32, Jn 3.26-30. He didn't say it once, he said it over and over.

Jesus was offering them everything He could to get them to believe. He mentioned John's witness in an effort and in the hopes that some would believe and be saved. John's ministry was rather short lived. While he was ministering, the people were very willing to hear him and rejoice in the things he was preaching but their rejoicing did not last. The people were not willing to turn from their way of life for very long.

This is the big decision that each of us has to make. Are we going to follow Jesus, obey His teachings, deny ourselves and believe totally in Him or are we going to do our own thing? There is a cost to following Jesus. The cost is in the things that we must give up. The cost is denying ourselves. The cost is dying to our dreams, wishes and desires to pick up His. The cost is following Jesus instead of charting our own course and career. Many, many people are not prepared to pay those costs. They want Jesus in their lives as long as it doesn't cause them to change what they are doing or what they want to do. This reminds me of Ps 66.18.

John 5:36 (NASB) 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.

After mentioning John's testimony as a reason they should believe Him, Jesus now turns to His words that clearly testify that He is of God. The works of Jesus are greater than John's testimony. Some might argue with John and say that he may not know. But no one ever argued with the miracles that Jesus did. They sometimes accused Him of having a devil but they never said that He did not do them. No one can argue Jesus' works. They are clear for everyone to see, Acts 2.22. Jesus' works caused Nicodemus to confess in Jn 3.2 that no one could do the works Jesus was doing unless God is with Him. In Jn 7.31, the crowds of people realized that no one could do more than what Jesus was doing among them. Even His enemies knew He was doing all of these miracles but stangely, they never stopped to think that Jesus is of God, Jn 11.47. The gospels record at least 3 dozen of Jesus miracles and there were many others that were not recorded, Jn 20.30-31.

That Christ did only the works which the Father had given Him to accomplish in no way implies that He is inferior to the Father (1:1; 5:18; 10:30; cf. Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9). As noted in the discussion of 5:26 in chapter 16 of this volume, Jesus voluntarily gave up the independent use of His divine attributes during the Incarnation. That self-emptying included submission to the Father's will and the Spirit's power. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus was conscious of carrying out the mission that the Father had given Him in the energy of the Spirit (Luke 4:14). In John 4:34 He told the disciples, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work," while in 14:31 He added, "I do exactly as the Father commanded Me." In His High Priestly Prayer to the Father Jesus declared triumphantly, "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do" (17:4).

Because Jesus' works were in perfect harmony with the will of His Father, they testified that the Father sent Him. Not only were His works supernatural; they were also in keeping with God's exact wishes. Yet, despite Jesus' incredible works—unmatched by anyone else (15:24) and unexplainable outside of God's power—there were many who still rejected Him (cf. 1:11). MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - John 1-11.

Jesus said that His Father had given Him works to do. Jesus was on a mission from God. The works that He was doing were of God. God empowered Him to do all the things He was doing. Jesus said that if you really want to know that He is from God, then just look at the works He is doing. How else would anyone ever explain those works other than it is God doing them. Who speaks and nature obeys? Who speaks and the dead are raised? Who heals sick people, blind people, lepers, etc? The healing of Jesus was immediate. It did not take them a month to get well, they were changed immediately.

According to Jesus, His Father planned and originated the works that Jesus was doing. The Father oversaw the works that Jesus did. I can see that I have been looking at things a little wrong when it comes to miracles and works of the Father. It is the Father or Jesus who plans and originates the works that I do. They teach me so I can teach others. They do miracles in the Isaiah ministry and they plan those out for me to do. I hope they can count on me to do the works they would like and have planned. It scares me to think that I might not be close enough to Jesus to be able to know what He wants me to do.

Jesus' works proved that the Father had sent Him. They were works which had never been, or ever would be, done by others (John 15:24). They were so unusual—so full of power and wisdom, love and care, glory and honor to God—that all men who failed to see and believe were without excuse. Remember, He had just performed one of the Godly works, healing the paralyzed man. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - John.

John 5:37-38 (NASB) 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.

Jesus said that He also has the witness of His Father who sent Him. It was His Father who sent Him to earth and it is His Father that testifies about Him. Several places speak about God testifying about Jesus, Mt 3.17, Mk 1.11, Luke 3.22, Lk 24.27, Jn 8.18, 1Jn 5.9. I can see this again in Mt 17.5. It is also mentioned in Mt 12.18. It is also mentioned in Jn 12.28-29. So, it is pretty clear that God testified about Jesus and many people were there to hear it.

When God's word truly abides in a person, that person naturally accepts what God says and lives as God says, and that person believes God's Son. It would be impossible to accept what God says and not accept what He says about His Son. To reject what God says about His Son is to reject God's Word. If a person does not believe God's Son, to whom God witnesses, then God's Word does not abide in that person. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - John.

Some people say that they might believe in God but they don't believe in Jesus. The Muslim's come to mind in this case. But the truth is that God is the One who spoke about Jesus. So, if I am to accept God, I must also accept Jesus. If I do not accept Jesus, then I am rejecting what God says and therefore God's word does not abide in me. Jn 12.48. Heb 4.12.

John 5:39-40 (NASB) 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.

Finally, Jesus says that Scripture (Old Testament) is a witness to Him. Jesus said to the Jews that they diligently study the Scriptures because they thought that if they knew Scripture, that would give them eternal life. The Jews thought that if they searched the Scriptures, that would be all that is needed to gain eternal life. It is interesting that it is "their" searching, their efforts and their work. Even searching Scripture becomes a religious work that results in the idea of earning salvation and eternal life. This is clearly something that I must guard against. Searching does not give eternal life. Only Jesus gives eternal life.

The Scriptures proclaim the message of eternal life and show me how to attain eternal life. But Scripture does not impart or give eternal life. Only Jesus does that. A person never secures eternal life by:

1. Reading Scripture, not matter how much he reads.

2. Knowing and memorizing Scripture, no matter how much he knows and memorizes.

3. Being religious.

4. Doing good works or religious works.

I can only receive and possess eternal life by renouncing my sin, turning to Jesus, repenting and inviting Jesus into my life as Savior and Lord. It is my faith in Jesus that gives me eternal life, not my study or searching Scripture. I must give my heart and life to Jesus if I want eternal life. 1Jn 5.11-12.

The Scriptures, even the Old Testament Scriptures, testify about Jesus. Lk 24.27, Lk 24.45. Yet, Jesus said that they refused to come to Him so they could have eternal life. They were unwilling to come to Jesus. It is the "will" of man that is stressed. They are actually exercising their will to refuse to come to Jesus for salvation. There is an obstinacy and a hardness with man that causes him to rebel against God, Jn 1.11, Mt 23.37. I can't help but think of Dan. He is unwilling to give his life to Jesus because that would mean he would have to stop drinking. The bottom line is that He is unwilling to give up drinking. There is a hardness and a stubbornness about him that becomes a barrier that keeps him from Jesus.

Acts 7:51 (NASB) 51  "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.

This Scripture really reminds me of Dan. He is stiff-necked and He is always resisting the Holy Spirit. This exactly pictures the heart of Dan.

2 Chronicles 24:19 (NASB) 19  Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

God has sent many people into Dan's life to tell him that he needs to change but he refuses. He will not listen even though many others tell him what he should do. He refuses to go get treatment. He would just rather drink.

Jeremiah 32:33 (NASB) 33 "They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction.

Jeremiah 44:16 (NASB) 16  "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you! The Word of God must abide in a person for a person to know God in a personal way. Two things are necessary for the Word of God to abide in a person. 1. The Word of God must be accepted as God’s Word. The Word must be must be accepted as truth, as fact, as gospel.

2. The Word of God must be abiding in a person. This means two things.       a.      The Word of God must be “in you” not just among you (Jn 5.38). A person can have the Word of God all around him: on his desk and table, in his home and church, on his tongue, and sounding upon his ears. However, the person does not really have the Word unless it is in his heart.       b.      The Word of God must be “abiding.” It must not only be allowed to come into a person’s mind and heart, it must be grasped and clung to. It must stay within and remain and not be allowed to depart. Abiding means the Word of God is …          •      living, moving, ruling, and reigning in a person’s life and heart          •      stirring, convicting, and challenging a person          •      leading to confession, repentance, growth, and maturity          •      teaching love, compassion, forgiveness, goodness, and just behavior          •      causing one to believe and trust God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as his Savior and Lord When God’s word truly abides in a person, that person naturally accepts what God says and lives as God says, and that person believes God’s Son.  Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (2004). The Gospel according to John (pp. 118–119). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

John 5:41-47 (NASB) 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?"

In Jn 5.41, Jesus says that He does not accept, seek or desire glory and praise from men. This reminds me of Jn 12.43. There are so many people, including myself, who work for the praise of men. They do things in order to gain the praise of men. I hope that this is not describing me but I'm afraid that it could be. This can be a huge trap that can take a person down. The question for me becomes, am I working for Jesus or for the praise of men?

Jesus was not claiming to be the Son of God in order to receive the praise and glory of men, Jn 5.41. He was just proclaiming the truth. He did this because He wanted people to repent and accept Him as Savior and Lord. In Jn 5.40, I can see how refusal to come to Jesus is very hurtful to Him. He said He has all these witnesses and yet they were not willing to come to Jesus so He can give them eternal life. What a sad thing this is as I can see in Luke 13.34. Jesus wanted to gather them like children to Himself. But they were unwilling. This truly must cut the heart of Jesus.

Jesus said that He knows these people. He knows that they do not have the love of God in them. Jesus knows their hearts. He can see right through a person's thoughts and intentions. He knows what they are thinking and what they are valuing. He can easily see if they are true and genuine or if they are false and counterfeit. Jesus sees right through a person's words and know their heart. He knows when God's love is not a priority in their lives. He knows if they do not have the kind of love that is loyal to God or honors God and sincerely wants to please God. Men can be in love with many different kinds of gods. It might be a made up god or it might be a job, a person, a pet, a family, money, etc. But the person who does not believe in Jesus, cannot believe in God. The truth is that they cannot fool Jesus. They might fool other men but not Jesus.

In John 5.43-44, Jesus says that He has come in His Father’s name but they would not receive Him. Yet, when others come in their own name, they do believe and accept them.