Last week Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda who had been an invalid 38 years. “Do you want to get well?”(Excuses) “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” A group of Jewish leaders see him carrying his mat on the Sabbath and rebuke him. The Pharisees were so blinded by their legalism, they couldn’t even acknowledge that a miracle had taken place. Learning that Jesus was the One who healed the man, they begin to persecute Jesus and want to kill Him. (CONTEXT & SETTING) (Jesus Found him in the Temple)
John 5:16-18 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus doesn’t try to explain that He had not broken the Sabbath. Instead, He boldly explains to the religious leaders that His Father worked on the Sabbath, and that’s why Jesus the Son also worked on the Sabbath.
The religious leaders didn’t miss the fact that Jesus claimed here to be equal with God.
John 5:19-23 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted 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.
Jesus explains that He, as God the Son, does nothing independently. He is fully submitted to His Father’s will.
This was Jesus’ way of telling these religious leaders that He didn’t tell the healed man to carry his mat on just His authority; He did it in complete submission to God, His Father.
It’s not that Jesus simply chooses not to act independent of the Father, He cannot act independent of the Father.” John 14:9 Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. John 10:30 I and the Father are one.”
John 5:24-25 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
(Dead in our trespasses and sins) Is Jesus talking about a trip He’ll soon be making to the faithful in Abrahams Bosom. Those who died in faith, waiting for redemption to be completed.
John 5:26-30 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 judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Jesus said in vs25 that all who have everlasting life would hear His voice and live. He now extended the concept of the resurrection to all humanity, both those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
“This does not mean that salvation is on the basis of good works, for this very Gospel makes it plain over and over again that men enter eternal life when they believe in Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of life… The resurrection of condemnation: Jesus explained this to the religious leaders to explain who He was, the nature of His authority and deity. At the same time, it tells us something remarkable about humanity; that everyone, both those who have done good and those who have done evil will live forever, far beyond the physical and material life that we know on this earth. (What we did with Jesus)
Jesus did nothing of Himself, so we are called to do nothing of ourselves. This means surrendering our own desires, plans, and ambitions to the will of God. To do that requires humility, obedience, and a willingness to deny ourselves. But it is the only path to true life and joy.
John 5:31-46 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true. 33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. 36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
So Jesus is declaring, “I could testify of Myself, but you wouldn’t receive that. John testified of Me, but I don’t ask you to believe that. the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. The works are a witness, but even more than the works:
Vs 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.
When Jesus was baptized, God spoke from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased.” But Jesus wasn’t just referring to that, He was referring to the hundreds of Old Testament scriptures, Where God bore witness of His Son who He would send into the world.
BIRTH OF MESSIAH Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
BIRTHPLACE OF MESSIAH Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
MINISTRY OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 35:5–6 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
THE MESSIAH WOULD BE PRECEDED BY A FORERUNNER Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Testimony of Jesus
Testimony of John the Baptist
Testimony of the works He did
Testimony of Moses
Testimony of the Father Himself
Vs47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Jesus was calling these religious leaders to believe what Moses, what the Scriptures, what His works, what John the Baptist each testified about Him: That He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God and that through Him you have eternal life. And if they refused to believe this overwhelming amount testimony, it was unlikely they would believe Jesus’ own words.
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