2.6.9 1.30.2022 Life from the Source John 5.19-30 (2)

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Entice: Not everything in life is simple and obvious.

There is deeper impact when we understand something complex and profound than when we understand something simple and obvious.

Think about Jesus for a moment.

Jesus shared traits with every other great prophet Israel had known.

The commonalities are fairly clear.

He was known for His authoritative teaching,

compassionate deeds,

and for confronting abuses of the powerful.

Yet

Jesus was different

in kind

not just by

degree.

What He said and did was never as simple and obvious as either His friends or enemies assumed it was. He was always something more.

Engage: Understanding the nature of Jesus and the relationship between Father and Son is essential to understanding out mutual saving faith.

John 5:19–30 ESV

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Expand: This passage is profound.

It reaches to the heart of the theological significance of Jesus.

Without that theological significance

there is no transforming impact.

It is because of His divine nature that Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost.

It is because He is God in flesh that His words give life.

We share in His own intimacy with the Father.

We share their mutual eternal life.

What I have just read is not the most famous or the least famous passage in this Gospel. However, when we understand the unity of the Father in heaven and the Son in flesh we have the key to unlock the saving power of the Gospel message.

Excite: My goal as a preacher of the Word is not just to help you

to love Jesus,

to serve Jesus,

and to obey Jesus.

I work constantly

to help you understand Jesus.

The process is never complete, and it is often imperfect but the better we understand the word in writing the better we can understand the Word in flesh.

Explore:

Jesus extends the unity of Father and Son to those of us who respond to Him in faith.

Explain: Today we are going to look at Several keys to understanding this divine unity into which we are invited.

Body of Sermon: The first key is...

Relationship.

Unity of Deed

Unity of Disclosure.

Unity of Desire.

Three characteristic phrases of this mutual desire of Father and Son...

"To Whom He Will."

"I can do nothing on my own."

"The will of Him who Sent me."

The next key to this divine unity shared...

Responsibility

Divine

Judgement

Honor.

Human

24

Faithfulness=Life

Faithlessness=death

The last key to understanding the unity Father and Son share with us is...

Resurrection.

25-29

Call and Response.

Vitality & Authority.

Shut Down:

Revivalism created the trend of talking about having Jesus in our hearts. this is a relatively recent and emotional way of describing faith.

This is a passage of scripture which encourages us to take the older, path of making sure that the truth of Jesus is first solidly understood by our minds. This may seem like merely a semantic difference. It is not. When we understand who He is, that understanding will command our affection, deepen our commitment, and expand our obedience. If we want a heart filled with Jesus, speech steeped in the words of Jesus, attitudes which emulate Jesus, it will only be truly possible when our minds are filled with understanding of who Jesus is.