Be AliveChapter 5

The Man Who was Equal with God

John 5

• Jesus’ first two miracles were private in nature. The miracle recorded in John 5 was public and occurred on Sabbath

• The Cure (5:1-5)– Pool of Bethesda

• Spelled various ways and given different meanings

– House of mercy– House of grace– House of two outpourings– Historical and archaeological evidence: 2 adjacent

pools served in ancient times– Northeast corner of the Old City near sheep Gate

• Jesus went to the feast for a purpose– Healing a man– John 5:24 – the power of His word and gift of life– People as “impotent, blind, lame, paralyzed”– Grace and mercy of God to one man (38 years)

» Deut 2:14 Jewish nation wandering in the wilderness for 38 years

– Instead of being enthusiastic, he gave excuses for he had been paralyzed for 38 years

– Jesus healed him through the power of His word– Power of fulfillment– Problems concerning the miracle

» It happened on Sabbath and religious leaders condemned

» No evidence that he might believe in Jesus» This man informed on Jesus» He was not excommunicated like the blind

man in John 9

• The Controversy (5:16-18)– The Jewish leaders didn’t persecute the

man who was healed, even though he broke the law. They began to persecute the Lord Jesus.

– The Sanhedrin (the religious ruling council) investigated new preachers and teacher.

– Jesus healed a demoniac (Luke 4:31-37) and man’s withered hand (Matthew 12:9-14), and defended His disciples picking grain on Sabbath

– He deliberately challenged the legalistic tradition of the scribes and Pharisees.

– They took the Sabbath which is God’s gift to the humanity and transformed it into a prison house of regulations and restrictions.

– When they confronted Jesus with His unlawful conduct, He replied He was doing what His Father was doing. Jesus claimed to be equal with God the Father. They immediately changed their accusation from Sabbath breaking to blasphemy because Jesus claimed to be God.

– The penalty for blasphemy was death. So, the official persecution of Jesus began leading to His crucifixion.

– The Lord confronted the enemies with their evil desire to kill Him (John 7:19, 25; 8:37, 59). They hated Him without a cause (15:18-25) and ignored His good deeds for the helpless and hopeless for they focused their attention on destroying Him.

– Jesus made Himself equal with God because He is God. He openly affirmed His deity in crucifixion and resurrection.

– Jesus did instantly what the Father is always doing slowly.

• The Claims (5:19-47)– He claimed to be equal with God (v.19-

23)• He claimed to be one with His Father in His

works– He did nothing of Himself (5:30)– “I and My Father are one” (10:30)– He submitted Himself to the Father in everything

» “Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:9)– He laid aside the use of His Divine attributes.

» Totally dependent on the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit

– Father showed His love with Jesus (5:20)» Father showed His works

– Jesus claimed to have power to raise the dead– He claimed equality with the Father, in exercising

judgment (John 5:22, 27, 29)– Genesis 18:25 “the Judge of all the earth”– “Because He (God) hath appointed a day, in the

which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:31)

– He also claimed equality with the Father in equal honor with the Father (5:23)

• He claimed to have authority to raise the dead (24-29)

– “ Verily, verily”, more than 20 times in the gospel of John

» “Pay attention to this! What I am about to say is important.”

• Resurrections:– Resurrection of lost sinners into eternal life (5:24-

25, Eph. 2:1-10)» Lost sinner is lifeless & helpless as a corpse

– How are dead sinners raised form the dead?» By hearing God’s Word and believing on God’s

Son (5:24) His Word is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12)

» Everlasting life means they can never die spiritually again nor can come into the judgment (Rom. 8:1)

» To hear God’s Word and believe means salvation

» To reject God’s Word means condemnation (12:48)

– The Second resurrection : The resurrection of the Lord Himself (5:26)

» Jesus laid down His life and took it up again (10:17-18)

– The Third resurrection: The future resurrection of life when the believers are raised from the dead (5:28-29a)

» I Thess. 4:13-18 & I Cor. 15» The resurrection body is the new body,

glorified body» The resurrection body will happen when Jesus

returns in the air and calls His people to Himself

– The Fourth resurrection: The resurrection of condemnation (5:29b)

» This involves only the lost and it will take place just before He enters in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 20:11-15)

» The resurrection isn’t the glorified body suffering punishment

» The Great White Throne» Today Jesus Christ is the Savior, but one day

He shall sit as the Judge (5:22, 27)

– “Son of man” (5:27) refers to Daniel 7:13, 14) and is messianic title. 12 times in John and 80 times in other gospels.

– Raising the dead proves that Jesus is equal with the Father and therefore, He is God.

• He claimed that there are valid witnesses who supports His claims to deity (5:30-47)

– “Witness”, key word in gospel of John; 47 times

• Besides Himself, He called in 3 other witnesses

– John the Baptist (5:30-35)» He told people that Jesus was the Lord (1:23),

the Lamb (1:29,36), and the Son of God (1:34)» He was the “burning lamp” – the publicans &

sinners accepted John’s message, but the religious leaders refused to submit (Matt. 12:28-32)

» Witness of His miracles, or works (5:36) – His works were the works of the Father (5:17-20) Moses, Elijah & Paul proved that they were sent by God, but they never claimed to be the Son of God

» “I have finished the work which thou gave me to do” (17:4)

– Witness of the Word of the Father (5:37-47)» The people didn’t permit the Word to generate

faith in their hearts (5:38) – “Ye search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life.” (39) The scribes sought the Word of God, but they did not know the God of the Word

» Minds of the Jewish leaders: They didn’t see Christ in their own scriptures (II Cor. 3:14-18, 4:3-6)

• Wills: They would not trust in the Savior– Because they did not have the Word in their

hearts, they didn’t want Christ in their hearts. They were self-righteous

• Hearts: The lack of love– “Ye have not the love of God in you” (5:42) The

claimed to love God, but their attitude toward Jesus Christ proved the counterfeit love.

– The attitude toward God’s Word hindered their faith, but also their attitude toward themselves and one another.

• The witnesses of John the Baptist, the divine miracles, and the Word of God all united to declare that Jesus Christ is indeed one with the Father and the very Son of God.

The Old Testament required the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 17:6, Numb.35:30) and Jesus met the requirements.

– Jesus warned that Moses would be their judge. The Scriptures they used to defend their religion would be one day bear witness against them. (Luke 24:27)

– The leaders would persist in protecting tradition instead of understanding the truth (Mark 7:1-13).