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“An End All Defense"
• 7.14.19 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- When we were last together, Jesus
had come to a pool in Jerusalem called "Bethesda." The waters of this
pool were supposedly stirred up by an angel and the first person in received
healing.
- Among the many people gathered
there was a man who had been physically infirm for thirty-eight years. Jesus
chose to heal that man on that day, commanding him to take up his bed and walk.
- Unfortunately for the man, this
healing occurred on the Sabbath day and when it was known who healed him, in
the words of Ricky Ricardo, Jesus had some "splaining to do!"
- What John records for us is far
more than an explanation. Jesus provides them with an answer that leads them
and every person since to the point of no return.
- If your one to take notes, note
first, Christ's "Proclamation Of His Deity." Verse 16.
Text
• John 5:16-18 : "For this reason the Jews persecuted
Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
But Jesus
answered them, 'My
Father has been working until now, and I have been working.' Therefore the Jews sought all the
more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God
was His Father, making Himself equal with God." : Whether he intended to or not, the
freshly healed gentleman's report sparked a new trend for the Jewish elite.
- The Jewish elders "persecuted," a
word that speaks of driving someone away, the man with healing in His hands!
The NLT alone uses the word "harassed."
- Generally, I'd go with the majority, but in
this case, I prefer the minority translation. At every turn, the would target
Him with their cynicism and bait Him with insincere questions to entrap Him.
- This was continually their way with Jesus all
because of His supposed breach of Sabbath law. In reality, while He offended
their tradition and interpretation, He did not violate God's law.
- The Jew's method was to continually harass
Jesus, but their goal was His death, literally His slaying! What an irony!
- They were so vigilant in protecting the
integrity of the Sabbath, yet were callously careless with regard to murder!
Law keeping religion leaves men prone to this blindness.
- In His own defense, the Lord answers in a way
that leaves the Jewish leadership in silence!
- First, Jesus identifies God as His Father.
There isn't a single Jew on Earth that would make such an intimate connection
between themselves and God.
- God was the Father of the Nation, but no one
would ever dare to make that personal claim! Beyond that, Jesus claimed
intimate knowledge of the Father's activities! "He has been working!"
- The Jewish nation confessed Psalm 121:3,
that God neither slumbers, nor sleeps. Yes, He rested after the work of
creation, but only to model a pattern for His people to follow.
- Finally, the Lord declares intimate
partnership. God was working and He was working.
- The implication is that He has the authority
to work on the Sabbath or any day because He is like, on the same level with, His
Father God!
- Jesus was neither ashamed or subtle with
regard to His own claim to deity.
- It might be lost on us, but it was not lost
on the Jewish audience that first heard these words. Look at their response. They
neither bowed the knee nor did they investigate His claim.
- They sought all the MORE to slay Him! They were
more determined to rid themselves of Him, believing Him to be a Sabbath breaker
and because He made Himself equal to God!
- Had this been an ordinary man, this would
have been blasphemous and worthy of death! However, because Jesus is God in the
flesh, this claim is simply an expression of truth! Verse 19.
• John 5:19-23 : "Then Jesus answered and said to
them, 'Most assuredly, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He
sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the
Father loves the Son, and shows Him
all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these,
that you may marvel. For as
the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent
Him." : When you
read verse 19, understand that this is part of the limitation that Jesus
accepted as part of His mission. Jesus gave up the right to act autonomously.
- Jesus would not do anything of, or for
Himself. He was not here to do things His way, but to be perfectly subject to
the Father's way, to accomplish His Father's will completely!
- He was here to give a full color expression
to what the Father would do. He was seeing Him work. There is certainly a great
bit of mystery here pertaining to what Jesus actually meant.
- The word "see" is a present tense
verb and it can refer to physical sight or the sight of perception. It can
refer to the actions of God that were rightly discerned by the Son.
- The Lord lived the life that was ordered by
God in the perfect way that we could never attain.
- We live like this in glimpses, occasionally,
correctly discerning how God is working in our midst. The point is that the
Godhead acted in complete unity and harmony.
- Jesus, appearing to the world as a man, was
able to perform the works of God Himself!
- This was a testimony to the world of the
Father's love for the Son. He was privy, even in human form, to witness the things
that the Father did and greater works were to come!
- Miracles of healing and resurrection were all
forthcoming, all of which were intended by God to cause the men that witnessed
them to be in a continal state of awe!
- God wants men to consider what it means for
Him to raise people from the dead. It should follow that His Son would be able
to give life to whom He wills!
- Ultimately, this could refer to a person's
salvation, which God gives to those that He graces with the desire to receive
it. In the moment though, He is speaking of the man that He had healed.
- Of all the people in need of a healing at the
pool of Bethesda, Jesus made a single sovereign choice to heal the man that had
the greatest need. He and He alone gave that person his life back!
- He acted in the interests, in the same way as
the Father in giving life and healing. What does that point to? Jesus continues
with what is an incredibly cryptic note.
- The Father doesn't sit in judgment over
anyone. That is what has been given to the Son to do! Why? So that the world
would honor the Son in the same way as the Father! Please don't miss it!
- When God came to judge Sodom and Gomorrah,
Abraham asked if God, the Judge of the world, would not do right. (Genesis
18:25) Jesus is telling them that He is that Judge!
- As such, He deserves and truly demands the
same honor as that which is given to the Father! By the way, notice the
theology: They are equal in rank and power, but distinct in person!
- The Father is not the Son and the Son is not
the Father! Both are One and both deserve the same honor among men! You can't
honor one without the other! Verse 24.
• John 5:24 : "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has
everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." : Consider this against what Jesus just
revealed. He is the Judge of all Mankind!
- When you read the words of the Judge and He
says, "most assuredly," read them as an appeal to the uttmost importance,
given by the One with judgment in His hand!
- "I solemly swear to you that what I am
saying is absolutely the truth!" What is the truth? The person that
comprehends the word and trusts in the God that sent Him, has everlasting life!
- This is the sole basis of judgment! You will
not be judged eternally on any other criteria except what you have believed
about the Lord Jesus Christ!
- The NLT translates this as "those who
listen to my message." The tense of the word, again, is present, meaning
that this person who has listened, is listening!
- Jesus is speaking of the proof, the
authenticity of a person's relationship to Him.
- Only a person that is found to be listening
to His message, who continually trusts in God, has eternal life.
- When you were first converted to the faith,
you were converted by hearing, listening to the gospel message and believing in
the God who authored it.
- From then on, you and I have lived our lives
on the rest of His revelation, His Word! We have daily learned to ask for Him
to open our eyes and ears to His truth, to make us obedient to it.
- That kind of person has everlasting life now!
They are living in that reality presently. These are assured by the word of the
Lord, that they will literally not be condemned.
- There won't be a question, but will pass from
death into life! Jesus is not referring to the end stage of our lives. We look
at death as the end. God looks at it as the beginning!
- You and I were born spiritually dead,
separated from the Father because of our sin. When we listened to His Word of
salvation, when we trusted the Father, we passed from death to life!
- The word "passed" can also be
translated, to "depart." We left a life of death behind us. We came
out from that lifeless state, into glorious, God-infused life! Jesus speaks
further in verse 25.
• John 5:25-27 : "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead
will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the
Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man." : The time was upon them when the Son
of God would speak to those that were dead and they that would hear would live!
- Today, we who are saved have heard God's Word
and have been raised spiritually from death. Someday in the future, the dead
physically will hear His Word and rise to judgment!
- The Father, who has life in Himself, has
given the Son the authority to dispense it and to judge men who will not
receive it from Him because He is the Son of Man!
- That is a direct designation of the Messiah,
given by Daniel in Daniel 7:13! It is the Son Of Man's Kingdom that will
go on forever and never be destroyed! (Daniel 7:14) Verse 28.
• John 5:28-30 : "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming
in which all who are in the graves will hear His
voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge;
and My judgment is righteous, because I do not
seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." : This should not surprise anyone! The
coming of the Messiah is at once, an event in which love is consummated and
justice is meted out!
- The Messiah's role is to judge the nations,
the living and the dead and what a staggering way to say this. The grave is
silent and those in it are no longer responsive.
- But the dead will hear His voice and they
will rise again to judgment. Verse 29 closely resembles the words found
at the end of the book of Daniel.
- At the end of the end of the "Last
Days," those that have died in Christ are assured that they will resurrect
to life.
- They will awaken in the presence of Christ,
who will look upon them and declare, "Well done my good and faithful
servant. Enter into the joy of your rest!"
- Is that where your hope is? Is that what you
are living for today? This world is not all that there is and it's pleasures
and opinions are far less important than the opinion of heaven!
- I caution, remind and beg you to consider
this yet again: There is a resurrection to life and if it costs you everything
to have that, understand that you will have made the best investment!
- Similarly, for those that think of evil
lightly, there is also a resurrection in which you will awaken to the fierce
wrath of Almighty God, who will utterly and justly condemn you!
- Like the righteous one who basks in the warm
glow of God's acceptance, you will stand in the fiery presence of God's eternal
wrath, forever ashamed in His righteous presence!
- This isn't something that Jesus will do of
His own accord. He will add His agreement to the decree of God. His judgment
will conform to the will of the Father who sent Jesus.
- We have seen the Lord's "Proclamation
Of His Deity." He is equal to God, has the authority to dispense life
and to execute judgment. He continues with the "Proof Of His Deity."
Verse 31.
• John 5:31-36 : "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is
another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses
of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things
that you may be saved. He was
the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a
greater witness than John’s; for the works
which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." : In a court of law, a person cannot
stand up and verify what he is saying and have that be entered into evidence.
It's not considered valid even if it were true.
- Their law demanded that, "by the mouth
of two or three, a word was established."
- For the Jews to believe Jesus alone, simply
on His own testimony, even though it was completely true, would have been
against their law and Jesus doesn't expect them to follow blindly.
- Consequently, Jesus provides them with four witnesses
to His deity. He is not alone in affirming His deity. There is another that
bears witness of Him.
- There are two words for "another."
One refers to another of a different kind, "heteros" and the other
refers to another of the same kind, "allos." Jesus uses the second
one here!
- There is One just like Jesus that affirms the
testimony of Christ's deity and it is God the Father. Jesus knows that
testimony is true and He begins there for their benefit!
- The God that they rightly revered had already
put His stamp of approval upon Jesus! He moves from the greatest One to the
greatest of the Prophets, John the Baptist.
- John had borne witness to the truth of who
Christ was when he very publically proclaimed Jesus to be the "Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29)
- When the Jews sent their delegation to him,
he very clearly spoke of the worthiness of the Messiah and that He was there
among them. Jesus didn't need men to validate Him.
- He is bringing this up to them that they
might be saved! What they would or would not believe about Him was vital to
their status in eternity! It meant nothing with regard to reality!
- To ignore John's witness was to ignore a
bright shining lamp! Even they had to admit that John's ministry was exciting.
That's why they sent a delegation to him!
- The Father testified of His deity, John
testified to His deity and the works that Jesus performed provided an even
greater testimony than John because it had just happened before them!
- The things that Jesus did spoke clearly that
God had sent Him. That was the admission of Nicodemus, who admitted that the
Jewish leadership knew that He was a teacher come from God.
- Why? Because "no one can do these signs that You
do unless God is with him." (John
3:2). Jesus gives His fourth witness in verse 37.
• John 5:37-39 : "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any
time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He
sent, Him you do not believe. You
search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." : Jesus tells the Jews that the Father
had testified of Him.
- From the standpoint of literal, audible
testimony, God the Father had proclaimed Jesus to be His well pleasing Son at
His baptism. (Matthew 3:17) This isn't what Jesus is referring to.
- God's audible testimony could not be accessed
by the Jews but they had His written transcript! That testimony was right
before them, but it was not dwelling in them.
- This is quite a statement to make and one
that deserves our contemplation. The Jews were people of God's Word. Many of
them had large portions of it memorized.
- All of the nation was at the very least
conversant in scriptural matters. They knew the trivia, but Jesus tells them
that the word of God did not abide in them.
- The word was not dwelling, continuing in
them. It was not remaining in their consciousness. It was not guiding them.
What a warning to you and I!
- Who here is more zealous about scripture than
the Jewish nation was at the time of Christ? -
You must ask yourself and be honest: "Is the Word of God living and active
in and through my life? Are it's dictates my rule of life?"
- The first sign that it is not abiding in a
person is that they cannot come to the conclusion regarding Jesus Christ! They
will not believe upon Him.
- The Jews thought they had eternal life simply
because they made a habit of poring through the scripture. Jesus tells them
that the purpose of the scripture was to point to Him!
- The scriptures testify of Jesus! That is the
voice of God speaking with clarity for all time! The Jews were without excuse.
- God affirmed it. Their prophet repeated it.
The works confirmed it and the scripture contained! Why won't they believe it?
Jesus exposes men's "Problem With His Deity" in verse 40.
• John 5:40-43 : "But you are not willing to come to Me that you
may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if
another comes in his own name, him you will receive." : The issue wasn't that the Jewish
leadership couldn't understand. The Jews WOULD NOT come to Jesus to receive the
life He offered!
- They claimed to have love for God, but Jesus
had come in God's Name and they didn't love what He looked like! They loved
their power, their position, their money and prestige!
- Jesus didn't cater to their position and
doesn't need their validation. Their lack of approval revealed their lack of
God's love! If they had possessed God's love they would have loved Jesus!
- Like most idolators, the Jews wanted a
Messiah that was a more powerful version of themselves. This is why others will
come in their own name and they will be received.
- Someday, the nation will embrace the ultimate
deceiver in the Anti-Christ and will be ashamed when they realize their error!
The pride expressed in their choice will be their undoing! • John 5:44-47 : "How can you believe, who receive honor from one
another, and do not seek the honor
that comes from the only God? Do not
think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But
if you do not believe his writings, how will you
believe My words?'" :
Their second problem is the matter of honor that proceeds from other men! The
fear of man is a snare, a trap.
- How can you believe who receive honor from one
another? How many in history have failed to trust Christ because of what other
men have said or believed about Him?
- How sad would it be to spend eternity
separated from God because you were unwilling to courageously stand up in front
of your unbelieving family, friends or co-workers!
- Wouldn't it be better to be dishonored by
every human being on this planet if it meant that you were pleasing to God? Seek
the honor that comes from the only God!
- The final problem that men have comes from
this final statement regarding Jesus standing to accuse the Jews. Jesus is the
Judge, but the witness that will seal the deal is Moses.
- The problem for the Jews was that they
misplaced their loyalty. They came to honor the vessel, the servant, rather
than the Lord Himself! They trusted in Moses.
- The trusted in their ability to connect to
his law, but they missed Moses' point entirely! If they really believed Moses,
they would have believed in Christ because that is who he wrote of!
- Jesus is the Creator of Genesis 1 and the
Lamb of God in Genesis 22. He is the Deliverer of Israel in Exodus 13
and the Passover Lamb of Exodus 12.
- He is the High Priest and the Atonement Lamb
of Leviticus. He is the Bronze Serpent of Numbers 21 and He is
the City of Refuge, the protector of God's people in Deuteronomy!
- In Luke 16, Jesus tells a dramatic story of a
man that has died and gone into torment, who asks Abraham for a leave of
absence to tell His family of his fate.
- He believes that his own resurrection would
give the final proof to the reality of eternity. Abraham tells him that they
have Moses and says this:
• Luke 16:31 : "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded though one rise from the dead.’" : Moses wrote four books and if you can't find Jesus in them, your
doomed!
Conclusion
- Jesus is the
Son of God, endued with the same power and authority as God to give life and
execute judgment.
- God the
Father affirms this, the Prophets repeat it, the works confirm it and scripture
contains it! The question is and will always be, "Will you believe it?"
Your eternity depends on your answer!
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