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John

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Wholeness and Holiness

John 5:9b-15

It is always disappointing when religious people get angry when God does what they do not expect.  A paralysed man, disabled for thirty-eight years, had just been healed by Jesus (John 5:1-9); but the religious people disapproved because it was their holy day.  The law said that no work should be done on a holy day (Exodus 20:8-11), but they interpreted that to mean carrying anything, and so carrying a bed roll was ‘work’.  Therefore, they considered that because the man had defiled the Sabbath, he must be unholy.  They ignored the wonderful miracle that a disabled man could walk – an act o

Has God Stopped Working?

John 5:16-18

Religious leaders persecuted Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath.  But why did Jesus do it?  Every Jew knew the Ten Commandments, and 'remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy' has the longest explanation of all the commandments (Exodus 20:8-11).  'Doing work' was forbidden because God had finished His creation-work on the sixth day.  Therefore, the seventh day was a day for worship and rest: working to earn more money was prohibited.  However, the Pharisees said that carrying anything (the poor made a living like that) or healing (the doctors were well paid too) was wrong. 

The Son and the Father Work Together

John 5:19-23

The relationship between God the Father and God the Son is difficult for some to understand because it is a unique relationship - there is no exact parallel in our human experience.  So, it is wonderful to have the words of the Lord Jesus telling us how He relates with His Father.  Firstly: Jesus is not independent of the Father: He only does what Father God does, and there is nothing the Father does which the Son does not also do.  Secondly: Father God hides nothing from the Son; the Father and Son totally trust each other because they totally love each other.

The Life-giving Authority of Jesus

John 5:24-27

Jesus always tells the truth. But when John reports Jesus saying, "Very truly I tell you …", it is the linguistic equivalent of bold type or underlining - a saying that is vitally important.  His religious listeners had believed that it was impossible to have eternal life without believing and obeying God's Word. Then Jesus made His announcement, "... 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!"  Jesus claimed to be the life-giver: it was a claim of being equal with God.

The Dead-raising Authority of Jesus

John 5:28-30

What will happen after we die?  That great question is found in every society, and many different answers are suggested.  Physically, the body decomposes; but what about the person who used to live in that body?  In today's passage, Jesus says that every dead person will hear His command to meet Him, and nobody will refuse to attend (Daniel 12:2).  The interview will reveal every living moment, and Jesus will judge what was right and what was wrong.  His verdict will be divinely just, determining the eternal destiny of everyone in a way that is pleasing to Father God.

John the Baptist Testified to the Deity of Jesus

John 5:31-35

Jesus fascinated but also puzzled the people.  With Jesus making amazing statements about people having eternal life if they believe in Him, and His being appointed to judge all of humanity (John 5:24-27), people were asking, ‘How do we know who Jesus really is?  Is it possible for Him to be the Messiah of God?’  These are good questions.  If Jesus is not the Son of God, there are only two possibilities: either He was deluded or wicked.  But if He is Divine, then we must all submit to Him.

His Works Testified to the Deity of Jesus

John 5:36

When you want to know the truth about a person, examine what they do.  Jesus used the evidence of His life as a second witness to His claim of being the Son of God (the first was the evidence of John the Baptist (John 5:33), and the third would be what the Scriptures say about Him (John 5:37-40)).  Jesus’ miracles were truly remarkable; they were supernatural, and John uses them as authentic signs of His divinity.

Father God Testified to the Deity of Jesus in the Scriptures

John 5:37-40

It is a bold statement for Jesus to claim that Father God had already spoken clearly about His Son.  The religious leaders of the day had never heard God’s audible voice, but His Voice still kept calling to all who would listen – from His Word.  That Word written down in the scriptures validated Jesus, His person, His work, and His words (John 14:10).  

Do You Love God In Your Heart?

John 5:41-44

Jesus was very special.  Some people wanted to make Him their hero (John 6:15); others wanted to stop Him being more popular than them (Matthew 27:18).  While the crowds applauded Him, those who were jealous of His power and wisdom wanted to kill Him (John 5:18).  But Jesus was not interested in what people thought of Him.  He knew that popularity would never achieve His purpose (John 2:24).  As with every true relationship, Jesus wants people to love Him for who He is.  

Jesus Did Not Come to Accuse

John 5:45-47

Jesus came into the world to be its Saviour, not its Accuser (it is Satan who is described as ‘The Accuser' in Revelation 12:10).  As Jesus said in John 3:17: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."   The finger of blame which pointed out sin, was already in the writing of Moses.  He said that everybody must listen to another prophet God would raise up, and those who refused to listen would be accountable to God (Deuteronomy 18:15).  Jesus was to be that prophet and yet the religious leaders of His day refused to believ

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