Jesus on Trial: Jesus' Defense

Jesus Defends His Deity (Part I) (Show Slide 1)

Scripture Passage: John 5:19-29

Opening Prayer

Let’s pray as we prepare our hearts to hear from God’s Word today.

Lord Jesus, as we open the Scriptures today, please allow the Holy Spirit to stir our hearts and minds and teach us the truth found in your Word. Bring clarity to any doubts that may exist, build our faith and confidence in you and lead us to action. Help us to believe and to put our faith and trust in you, for in you and you alone there is life everlasting. Amen.

Introduction

Last week we were introduced to the incident and indictment toward Jesus by the Jewish authorities. Let’s quickly review what caused this conflict. In the early part of chapter 5, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to attend a feast and while there he heals a lame man. The man had been crippled for 38 years and his situation seemed hopeless. Taking the initiative, Jesus was concerned for the man’s well-being and commands him to “Get up, pick up your mat and walk” (5:8-9). Jesus’ words had power and as the man obeyed, his body was completely restored. John tells us in verse 9 that this miracle or “sign” took place on the Sabbath. According to Jewish law, no one was allowed to do any kind of lifting, carrying or similar type of “work” on the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8-11). This incident angered the religious leaders and upon finishing their investigation they accused started to persecute Jesus for breaking the Sabbath law.

In his earthly ministry we find out that the Sabbath was a central issue that brought lots of opposition between Jesus and the religious elite (Mark 2:23; 3:4). Jesus’ theology on the topic of the Sabbath was contrary to the teachings of the religious leaders. In Mark 2:27 he had taught that the Sabbath was intended to benefit mankind. In it’s original intent, it was to be a holy day, a time for worship, prayer, joy and rest from daily “routine” work. The Sabbath laws that were added later on by the Jewish leaders had obscured or concealed the real intent of God’s Law. The original meaning had been lost and the rules had become “very complicated and burdensome.”(See Ref. 6) Edwin. A Blum, in his commentary wrote this: “The Jews’ rigid tradition (not in the O.T.) taught that if anyone carried anything from a public place to a private place on the Sabbath intentionally, he deserved death by stoning. In this case the man who was healed was in danger of losing his life.” That is why he was quick to point to Jesus, the one who had told him to “carry” his mat. In the process of accusing Jesus, the Jews had failed to realize the life-changing power Jesus possessed.

Jesus’ response to them in verse 17, added more fuel to the fire and caused this conflict to intensify. Here is what Jesus said: “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” To the religious leaders this statement was blasphemy against God. Jesus was not just calling God his Father, but he was also claiming that His work was God’s work. Notice the language that Jesus uses in the response. Jesus uses the phrase “My Father” thus claiming a special relationship with God the Father. He didn’t used the term “your Father” or even “our Father” (used often by the Jews) but uses a pronoun that clearly claims His deity (See Ref. 6). Jesus’ response regarding the unique Father-Son relationship made matters worse.

“The Jews believed in the one true God, a God infinitely greater than any human being. Thus, for any person to claim to be God or to be like God was an insult to this one true God. According to the Jewish law, the punishment for such blasphemy against God was death (Leviticus 24:16).” (See Ref. 5) This claim upset the Jews because to them Jesus was only a man. They failed to see the big picture. They focused more on their man-made laws that they were blinded to see the power of God in the healing of the lame man.

In John 5:16-18, we are told the reasons for such growing hostility and dissension, which led to Jesus facing persecution and even death (as the Jews were seeking to kill Him).

(Show slide 2)

Two things that led to this conflict:

1. Jesus breaking the Sabbath (v.16, 18)

2. Jesus claiming equality with God (v. 17, 18)

This is the context for our story today. In today’s passage, we are going to focus on the 2nd part of this chapter verses 19-29 and look at Jesus’ defense in response to the indictment by the Jewish leaders.

Jesus’ supernatural power that was displayed publicly in the man’s immediate cure revealed his true identity that He was more than human, He was the Messiah, the Christ. In this miracle, Jesus is fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah who had prophesied that in the days of the Messiah the lame would “leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:1-7). The Jewish leaders should have picked up on this one. As we look closer at our text verse 19-29, we find out how Jesus supports His claims of equality with God. This long discourse with the Jewish leaders goes till the end of the chapter. Today, we will reflect at part 1 of His defense, where we find out that Jesus provides 3 major claims in supporting His deity and equality with God. Each claim begins with the expression…

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“Truly, Truly, I say to you.” (v. 19, 24, 25 NASB)

In my study, I found out that Jesus used the word “truly” often in his teachings. In the Gospel of John, this repetitive phrase is used 25 times. The Greek word used in the text is amen which means truly, and has other translations (See Ref. 1 & 2)

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“Truly, Truly” is recorded 25 times in the Gospel of John

The transliteration from the original Greek word is the word (amḗn)

The word "amen" means truly

Translated also as “verily, most assuredly and so be it”

The Late R.C. Sproul, an American Reformed Theologian and pastor, referred to “Truly, Truly” statements as the “double Amen” (Ref. 1; Ref. 3). He wrote this: “Whenever we read in the text of Scripture our Lord giving a statement that is prefaced by the double ‘amen’, it is a time to pay close attention and be ready to give our response with a double amen to it. He says “amen” to indicate truth; we say it to receive truth and to submit to it.”-R.C. Sproul (See Ref. 1)

In the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), Jesus used a single word amen in over 50 sayings, where as in John, he doubles it down. Why is that? In using these “Truly, truly” statements, Jesus was proclaiming truth and challenging His audience to listen with the intent to understand His true identity. If he used the word twice, it meant that it was twice as important. Usually, we use the word “amen” at the end of a prayer or statement or when we agree with the preacher (Amen!). The N.T writers often used it at the conclusion of their writings. In this text, however, Jesus does the opposite.

Jesus’ claims will be his defense as to who He is and why He does these things. John in this passage will allow the very words of Jesus to support the purpose of His Gospel: “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)

So, let’s unpack these claims and learn how they reveal and support his true identity and equality with God. This brings us to our 1st claim. The question we are going to answer is this:

(Show Slide 5)

How is Jesus equal with God the Father?

Jesus is Equal in His Authoritative Works (vv. 19-23)

“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.” (v. 19 NASB)

Let’s pick up at verse 19. This claim is in response to what Jesus had already mentioned in verse 17… “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

In the eternal realm, the Godhead has been working in perfect harmony with one another. From chapter 1 of Genesis and of John’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus was present and working from the very beginning. He is the Creator God. Throughout O.T. history, we see the Triune God actively working through the nation of Israel, to bring salvation to a fallen humanity. In the N.T. we see Jesus, carrying out that plan to fulfillment. In His humanity, being fully God and fully man, he lived a perfect life and did the works of the Father in complete obedience. Jesus in his works was not doing things independently of the Father. Being that He is God and perfect, He could not do anything in contrary to His nature and the Father’s will.

He imitated and submitted Himself to the Father’s works because of the perfect love and unity that has always existed in the Godhead. Jesus stayed focused on His mission and told people that He was sent to do the Father’s will. In John 4:34, Jesus told the disciples that “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His Work.” In response to “working” or breaking the Sabbath laws, Jesus was telling the Jewish leaders that God is always at work and because He is the Son of God, He cannot break God’s law. He as the Son of God has authority to heal and do great works. Jesus defends his claim to equality with God by declaring that He has been given complete authority by the Father! Earlier in John 3:35 Jesus said this: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand”

Jesus as the Son, has complete authority to carry out the Father’s mission through his works. His deity and equality with the Father point out that, their works, actions, words, power and authority are all the same. His character (nature) is equal with the Father. Since the Father is working on the Sabbath, Jesus too must also work on the Sabbath (See Ref. 5). Jesus imitated the Father by walking in love and obedience to Him. He did not act on His own accord, but did exactly the same thing that the Father was doing. Jesus was submissive, obedient and united with the Father. By doing the works of the Father, Jesus would later on finish God’s mission and fulfill the Scriptures.

In verses 19-23, we get this perfect picture of the Father-Son relationship. Here Jesus is expanding on what He has said prior in verse 17 & 19. Here the title “Father” is used 8 times and “Son” is used 7 times.

Pastor Scott L. Harris, in one of his sermons, wrote this: “We must be careful that when we see the terms “Father” and “Son” being used for one of the persons of the eternal Godhead that we do not take our understanding of a human father and son relationship and apply it directly. Our understanding of a father and son relationship is affected by our own experience of imperfect relationships between independent people. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son is perfect.” (See Ref. 3)

This perfect unity between the two, comes from God’s love for Jesus. The Father demonstrates His love by showing Jesus all that He himself is doing. This supports the point that Jesus is making in regard to the works of the Father.

Edwin A. Blum stated: “The Son is not doing simply a part of God’s will; He has a full disclosure of all the Father’s works.” (See Ref. 6). At the end of verse 20, Jesus told the Jewish leaders that the Father would show through the Son, greater works.

What did Jesus mean by the phrase “greater works than these” in verse 20?

The healing of the lame man, was not the only work that Jesus would do. He would do far greater things (works) to reveal His authority, glory, power as we see later in his ministry years. Many would be amazed by His miraculous signs, and that would leave no room for doubt as to who Jesus was. Because Jesus is equal with the Father, He has:

(Show slide 6)

A. Authority to give life (v. 21)

Here Jesus is prophesying to the Jewish leaders that just as God the Father, brought dead people to life in the O.T., He too would have the same power and authority to give life to anyone He desired. (Det. 32:39; 1 Kings 17:21,22; 2 Kings 4:32-35; Ezekiel 37. The religious leaders knew from the O.T. Hebrew writings that one of the rights of deity was the right over life and death.” (2 Kings 5:7) (See Ref. 6). Jesus was claiming that since I am God the Son, I too have the right to give life. In his earthly ministry, he demonstrated this life-giving power when he brought life back to widow’s son, the official daughter and even Lazarus. (Luke 7:14-15; Matthew 9:18-26; John 11:43-44). Jesus not only brought physical life but he came to give spiritual life to those who believed Him. He had offered this life to the disciples, to Nicodemus, to the Samaritan woman, and later one to all who would believe in His name. His power to give life clearly revealed that He was God and equal with the Father.

The other greater work is given to us in verse 22. Jesus would be given…

(Show slide 7)

B. Authority to judge

The Jewish leaders knew that one day God would come to judge the earth. The Bible in Psalm 96:13 says: “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth (See also 1 Peter 4:5).

Throughout the O.T. and Israel’s own history we see God exercising judgment on the wicked, Israel’s enemies, and his people when they disobeyed Him. Just like God the Father judged His creation, Jesus by the authority given to Him by the Father, would do the same (v. 27). Jesus in Matthew 28:18 said: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” The word “All” means “All”!

The prerogative (the right, ability, authority) to judge also belongs to God and in verse 22 we learn that God the Father has given this authority to His Son Jesus. The Jewish leaders failed to realize that Jesus was equal with the Father and that as God he had the right to judge them. In the indictment regarding the Sabbath law, they were judging Jesus, when in actuality He had the God-given authority to judge them. (See Ref. 4)

So what was the purpose of the Father giving the Son the authority in His works (giving life and judging)? Verse 23 lays it out very clearly “so that all will honor the Son as they honor the Father.” Jesus was implying this statement to the Jewish leaders.

The Jewish leaders had a form of godliness and were very zealous toward the Scriptures and God’s Law but in truth their zeal was without knowledge (Romans 10:2). They cared more about receiving honor from man than seeking to honor God in obedience. They denied and dishonored the Father by rejecting His Son just like they rejected the prophets in the O.T. They did not honor Jesus as deity, thus they failed to honor God the Father. They failed to realize the authority of Jesus, and that He came from heaven to earth to fulfill the Scriptures that they so “dearly” cared about. When we choose to reject and dishonor Jesus by not believing in Him, and intentionally living in sin, we are rejecting and dishonoring God the Father. Such rejection has eternal consequences.

This brings us to the 2nd claim of Jesus being equal with the Father. He has the authority to give eternal life.

(Show slide 8) 2. Jesus is the Source of Eternal Life

“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.” (v. 24 NASB)

In prior chapters Jesus taught that to have life everlasting we need to believe in Him (John 3:15-16 3:36). Jesus, in this second claim, said that because He is divine, he is able to give eternal life to those who believe in His word. Just as the Father is the source of life, so the Son is also the source of life. The eternal life that He offers is a gift received by faith and it’s a life given only to those who have become members of His family. John in chapter 1:12 writes: “but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believed in His name.” This eternal life is the abundant life believers will experience in the presence of God Almighty.

In this verse, Jesus directs his attention to the Father. He tells the audience to “believe Him who sent me”. Faith in Jesus comes from realizing that Jesus is sent from the Father. Jesus’ words are the very same words of God (3:34). Later in the book, Jesus tells the disciples “you believe in God, believe also in Me.”(14:1) We cannot separate God the Father from God the Son! They are ONE, though distinct personalities, they are part of the Godhead. By believing in the Son, we also believe in the Father who sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

We have to hear the word of Jesus and respond in faith. Our faith comes from knowing and believing that Jesus is the Son of God. That faith is shown in our obedience toward the Son of God and in how we live our daily lives. If we don’t believe the Son, and dishonor him through our disobedience and disbelief, then we will not see life eternal. There is deliverance from judgment for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He is the key to eternal life. Jesus said: I am the Way, and the Truth and the life; No one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6). When we put our faith and trust in Jesus and believe His finished work on the cross and in His Resurrection, we pass from being spiritually dead, separated from God to being spiritually alive in Christ Jesus.

This brings us to the last part of the text for today, verses 25-29. Here we find the 3rd claim about who Jesus is.

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3. Jesus is the Eternal Judge (vv. 27-29)

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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.” (NASB)

In response to verse 25, Jesus is saying that in this lifetime “an hour is coming, and now is” (meaning at the time of his earthly ministry) that those who are dead will hear His voice and live. Jesus was prophesying about what would happen to many who were dead. This is not just referring to only physical death but also those who were spiritually dead during the time of Jesus. There were many who heard and believed in the true identity of Jesus. In John 4:41-42, John writes: “many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “it is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” The Samaritans believed and thus experience a new spiritual birth. At His resurrection we learn that many who were dead were raised to life (Matt. 27:52-53). We also know the story of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life. Jesus, as the Son of God, as the Son of Man, has authority and power to restore those who are dead in their sins back to God the Father (Eph. 2:1). Jesus can make you a new creation and give you a new life in Him. He proved that through the resurrection when He rose from the grave and defeated death. This is what the Gospel is!

Jesus in verses 27-29, is also teaching that one day in the future, in the age to come, there will be a resurrection day for all humanity. One the day of judgment we will stand before God and His Son, and He the Son will be our judge. The Son has authority, glory and sovereign power to judge all of humanity. He will judge in truth and righteousness and judge us according to our deeds. There will be two destinations for all humanity: heaven or hell (Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10). John 3:18 tell us: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This teaching about the end times we also find in Matthew 25:46 where Jesus also said the He “the Son of Man” would come in His glory and will sit on His glorious throne to judge humanity. The Eternal Judge will separate the wicked from the righteous and determine their eternal destiny. The wicked “will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”. (Dan. 7:13-14; 12:2; Matt. 25:31, 46; Acts 24:15; Rev. 20:11-14; Rev. 21:8) For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus, have demonstrated true repentance from our sins and living a life of obedience to Jesus, we will be delivered from such judgment. The apostle Paul said this in Romans 8:1: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Our belief in Jesus as the Son of God, sets us free from the power of sin and death and eternal judgment. Amen

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The righteous will receive eternal life

The wicked will receive eternal judgment

In closing,

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Closing: Questions to Ponder

What does this text reveal about Jesus?

Do you truly believe that He is the Son of God?

What is at stake if we choose to reject Him?

Today, Jesus is inviting you to make a choice. What we decide to do here on earth will determine our eternal destiny. If you are interested in knowing more about Jesus, please reach out to me, Pastor Joel, or any of our church leaders this week and we would love to help you start this journey of faith and obedience in Christ Jesus.

Let’s pray, Lord Jesus, Salvation is by faith in you and you alone! As we have heard the truth of your word, please lead us to genuine faith and believing that you are who you claim to be. Thank you for your perfect obedience at the cross and your display of power and authority in your Resurrection, which brings us from death to life. Help us today to make the decision to follow you not based on fear or mixed feelings but one that is grounded in your truth. Amen.

References & Bible Study Sources:

Whitney V. Myers-- The “Truly, Truly” (“Verily, Verily”) Statements of Christ

Whitney V. Myers—When Jesus Said, “Truly, Truly,” What Did He Mean?

Scott L. Harris—“Equality with the Father” Sermon

Lawrence O. Richards “Bible Teacher’s Commentary”

The Applied New Testament Commentary

The Bible Knowledge Commentary Edwin A. Blum (pgs. 288-291

Life Application Study Bible: NLT (pgs. 1760-1762)

D.A. Carson “The Pillar N.T. Commentary: The Gospel of John”