John 5:39-47 Sermon

Juan Carlos Morales

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Introduction

Last week we covered .

We saw that Jesus in verse 30 reminded His critics that He could do nothing on His own. Which showed His humility and dependency on the Father.

He did this also in verse 19 of chapter 5. In both verse 19 and 30, Jesus wanted them to know this before He talked about His role as the Son.

Before speaking about His role, which as extremely offensive due to making Himself equal with the Father, He made sure that they heard about His humility.

Which reminded of Philippians chapter 2.

So as Jesus spoke of His role under the Father in the incarnation and His role in redemption, He provided witnesses to His claims.

First, He spoke of John the baptist as a witness to His claim of equality with the Father.

Second, He pointed to His works which were Messianic fulfillments that were written in Old Testament scripture.

Third, He spoke of the Father who sent Him.

Jesus brought these witnesses to prove even by Mosiac law that He was who He said He was.

In our passage today we have a fourth witness. Which is the Scriptures. Which includes Moses.

Outline

Our outline today is:

The Witness of Christ in the Scriptures (v.39-40)

The Glory of Christ Rejected (v.41-44)

3) The Witness of Christ from Moses (v.45-47)

Sermon

1) The Witness of Christ in the Scriptures (v.39-40)

Verse 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me

A famous rabbi of that time, Rabbi Hillel, taught the Jews that by studying the words of the law they would gain for themselves life in the world to come.

Opening Up John’s Gospel Performance Religion

One of the most famous rabbis of that time, Rabbi Hillel, had taught the Jews that by studying the words of the law they would gain for themselves life in the world to come.

The Mishnah recorded in the late first century another rabbi, rabbi Shammai saying, “Make your study of Torah a fixed habit”

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5

rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai said, “If you have studied much Torah, don’t think too much of yourself because you were created for that purpose”

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), .

Another rabbi from the first century, Yohanan ben Zakkai said, “If you have studied much Torah, don’t think too much of yourself because you were created for that purpose”

The study of the Scriptures was held as sacred and a high honor. Which it should be.

The problem here is not the study of the Scriptures.

I can see many twisting this to say something that it is not saying.

I have heard before that the study of the Scriptures is dangerous and pharisaical.

It is important to note carefully what Jesus is actually saying.

Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life.”

Question: Should a believer search the Scriptures for eternal life?

Before answering this question we have to ask what is eternal life.

Used 17 times in the gospel of John, 15 of which is spoken from Christ Himself.

We see the use of eternal life, first in .

John 3:14–16 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:14-

John 3:14–15 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

There are other passages in John where eternal life is spoken of.

Some observations I saw in John’s gospel when speaking of eternal life:

First, belief is used mostly when speaking of eternal life.

John 3:14–16 ESV

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 5:24 ESV

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:40 ESV

40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:47 ESV

47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

Belief in Jesus Christ is inseparable from its result which is eternal life.

If one is found to believe genuinely in Jesus then they will inevitably have eternal life!

And as someone who’s reformed and I would argue biblical, eternal life means eternal life!

Second, when speaking of eternal life we see the use of food to describe it.

John 4:35–36 ESV

35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

John 4:

John 6:27 ESV

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

John 6:

John 6:54 ESV

54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:

This explains the desire of the genuine believer.

Meaning that there is a hunger and a desire for God and His glory that exceeds earthly and temporal longings.

Lastly, when speaking of eternal life we see “not perishing” as the result.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 10:28 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The result of genuine faith and a desire and hunger for God is not perishing. Meaning that one is saved from destruction and ruin.

Meaning that one is saved from destruction and ruin.

The gospel of John makes it very clear that every use of eternal life is directly linked to Jesus Christ and faith in Him.

Knowing Him as who He is and believing in Him is how eternal life comes to a believer.

So eternal life essentially comes from genuinely knowing God and believing in Jesus Christ.

Jesus would say this in .

John 17:3 ESV

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

The people Jesus was talking to did not believe.

They did not have eternal life.

They studied the Scriptures without belief in Him.

They studied the Scriptures apart from seeing Jesus Christ as the bread that came down from heaven. Leaving them still hungry and unsatisfied.

Apart from faith in Jesus they were those that remained in a perished state.

Their refusal of Him and their diligence in the Scriptures created an oxymoronic picture.

They thought they had life in their study of the Scriptures but they refused to believe in the One in whom the Scriptures spoke of.

Question: So, should a believer search the Scriptures for eternal life?

Answer: The answer is no. A study of Scripture does not give eternal life. What precedes a true and good study of Scripture is saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Which is what His listeners did not do.

The problem wasn’t the study of the Scriptures. But the problem was that they refused to have life in Christ.

Anyone can acknowledge sound doctrine. But not everyone can have genuine life in His name.

The Scriptures have witnessed of Jesus Christ. And one can study the Scriptures and attain right theology even, yet lack genuine belief in Jesus Christ.

You can have biblical information without genuine salvation.

Many claim to know Jesus but in their practice, they refuse Him because they have not come to genuine saving faith in Him.

In Verse 40, Jesus addresses this.

Verse 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Remember the reason for this gospel.

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

That is the purpose of not only the gospel of John but of every word inspired in Scripture.

We do not study the Scriptures to gain eternal life.

We study them because we have been given eternal life and because they speak of the eternal life giver.

Because of grace given to us we now have a genuine desire to know Him more through the study of His word and prayer.

The Scriptures spoke of Him but they rejected Him.

And verses 41 to 44 shows us what is at the center of their refusal and rejection.

2) The Glory of Christ Rejected (v.41-44)

Verse 41 I do not receive glory from people.

It’s important to note that in verse 41, Jesus is talking about not having need to receive glory from man.

Jesus did not need man receiving Him.

The NLT reads,

John 5:41 NLT

41 “Your approval means nothing to me,

If you remember in verse 19 and 30, Jesus had already made the point that He could do nothing of His own accord.

Proving that He did not come with the need to receive glory from man but rather He came with the approval of the Father.

Jesus then goes into the heart of the issue in verse 42.

Verse 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.

Question: How does Jesus know that they do not have the love of God within them?

First, they thought that in their study of Scripture they could have eternal life apart from belief in the Son.

Second, they thought that in their study of Scripture they could have eternal life apart from being satisfied in who the Father has sent.

Lastly, they thought that in their study of Scripture they could have eternal life apart from life in the Son.

Their refusal of believing, being satisfied and seeing Jesus as life proved that they were set for destruction and ruin.

Apart from faith in Christ we would perish.

Which proves that one is seeking their own glory. Meaning that one is set on self glorification.

Which is the path that leads to destruction.

Verse 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

They refused to receive Christ who did not come in His own name.

Question: Why?

Answer: Because they wanted someone to come in their own name.

A man centered on themself gives men who do not love God hope in their own glory.

John 5:43 ESV

43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

Anyone apart from faith in Christ would receive someone who’d come in their own name.

Which means someone who was man centered.

A man centered on themself gives men who do not love God hope in their own glory.

The reason for this is mainly because apart from desiring God’s glory we are those who desire our own glory.

So when someone comes in their own name they come with what we desire most. (emphasize)

Someone coming in their own name appeals to the need of a person who desires the same thing. Namely, one who refuses Christ.

Namely, one who refuses Christ

Someone who does not have the love of God within them comes with hope for those who need self glorification.

Which was at the heart of their issue.

They did not have the love of God within them and proof of this was their not receiving Christ because He did not appeal to their man centeredness.

Someone coming in their own name would come with self entitlement and self advancement

Someone coming in their own name would come with reading the Scriptures and finding self improvement for self that has nothing to do with the glory of God

Someone coming in their own name would come with an exegesis that exalts man to a place equal with God

Someone coming in their own name would come with a message that has nothing to do with Christ in the Scriptures

Someone coming in their own name would cater to carnality and worldliness

It would affirm and look like the world and it would elevate man over Christ.

There would be a preoccupation with the glory of man and not God.

Saints, this is so prevalent today.

And a one of the clearest examples is the false teaching of word of faith.

Got Questions defines the word of faith heresy as:

“the belief in the "force of faith." It is believed words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God's sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to these laws. This is nothing short of idolatry, turning our faith—and by extension ourselves—into god.”

Kenneth Copeland Quote

“God’s reason for creating Adam was his desire to reproduce himself. I mean a reproduction of himself. And in the Garden of Eden he did that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God, even. Now this is hard on the human mind, but I’m telling you what the Bible said.”

Kenneth Copeland Quote

When Adam originally sinned he gave his god nature to Satan. God could not intervene since He had made Adam the god of the earth. God was left on the outside looking in.

Kenneth Hagin

When Adam originally sinned he gave his god nature to Satan. God could not intervene since He had made Adam the god of the earth. God was left on the outside looking in.

“You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was…the believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth”

Joel Osteen

“Why did God take away the voice of Zacharias ()? Because God knew his [Zacharias] negative words would cancel out His [God] plan.”

Benny Hinn

"He [Jesus] who is righteous by choice said, 'The only way I can stop sin is by Me becoming it. I can't just stop it by letting it touch Me; I and it must become one.' Hear this! He who is the nature of God became the nature of Satan where He became sin!"

This is exactly what it looks like to be self glorifying in our reading of the Scriptures.

Jesus is pointing out here a universal problem.

We are seekers of self exaltation. And we seek that in other people who come in their own names because that is what we desire and need.

The word of faith teachers draw thousands upon thousands of people. Because they teach a self exalted doctrine that appeals to the need of self exaltation.

Which proves that one has not come to saving faith.

In fact, it is impossible for one to believe and be about their own glory.

Receiving man centered glory from one another proves that one is not seeking the glory that comes from God.

Which is exactly what the word of faith doctrine promotes.

There are many example out there that proves the universal problem of man. Which is a refusal to receive the One whom the Scriptures spoke of.

It is a refusal to believe in what the Scriptures have said specifically about Jesus Christ.

Verse 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

There is a difference in encouraging one another and receiving glory from one another.

The Jewish leaders here sought their own glory in their works.

They studied the Scriptures while refusing to believe in Christ.

So in their hearts they sought their own glory in one another through their own accomplishments.

But in a local church with Saints who do desire the glory of God, we can encourage one another for the glory of God.

Someone coming in the name of Christ would remind others of His glory and worth

Someone coming in the name of Christ would read the Scriptures and find Jesus as the central figure of it all

Someone coming in the name of Christ would

Reminding each other of the finished work of Christ and His glory!

Which has brought to believer benefits.

Because we believe and are about the glory of God we must encourage one another.

We cannot allow abuses like the word of faith heresy cloud the reality of what Christ has done for the believer.

We do not seek glory from one another. Meaning that we are not to be man centered in our encouragement of one another.

We seek the glory that comes from God only. Which is on full display in the gospel!

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

One proves that they do not believe when receiving glory from one another. Meaning that self exaltation is promoted to the point of not believing and being satisfied by and from Christ and in what He has done!

We believe and we seek the glory that comes from the God only. His glory is our joy! And He is our hope!

We are not to set our hope in anyone. Even on genuine believers.

Jesus went right to who they set their hope in. Which was Moses.

3) The Witness of Christ from Moses (v.45-47)

Verse 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.

The ministry of Jesus was not to accuse but to save.

Jesus points back to Moses and tells the very ones who believed Moses to be from God, that he will accuse them.

They believed they were disciples of Moses according to:

John 9:28–29 ESV

28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

There was only rejection and refusal from them.

Which proved that they did not have the love of God in them.

They set their hope in Moses while refusing Jesus in whom Moses spoke of.

Verse 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.

Question: Where did Moses write of Him?

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

1. Moses wrote of Jesus Christ as the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head ().

[For of me he wrote, περὶγὰρἐμοῦ—emphatically placed first—ἐκεῖνοςἔγραψεν.—Moses wrote of Christ, as the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head (), as the seed of Abraham by which all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (. ff.), as the Shiloh unto whom shall be the gathering of the people (), as the Star out of Jacob, and the Sceptre that shall rise out of Israel (), as the great Prophet whom God will raise up, and unto whom the Jews should hearken (). Moreover, the moral law of Moses, by revealing the holy will of God and setting up a standard of human righteousness in conformity with that will, awakens a knowledge of sin and guilt (; ), and thus serves as a school-master to bring us to Christ (). Finally, the ritual law and all the ceremonies of Mosaic worship were typical of the Christian dispensation (), as the healing serpent in the wilderness pointed to Christ on the cross (; ). This is a most important testimony, from the unerring mouth of Christ, to the Messianic character and aim of the whole Mosaic dispensation, and to the Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch. Comp. ; .—P. S.]

2. Jesus is the seed of Abraham by which all the nations of the earth shall be blessed ()

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: John Exegetical and Critical

[For of me he wrote, περὶγὰρἐμοῦ—emphatically placed first—ἐκεῖνοςἔγραψεν.—Moses wrote of Christ, as the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3), as the seed of Abraham by which all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 12. ff.), as the Shiloh unto whom shall be the gathering of the people (Gen. 49), as the Star out of Jacob, and the Sceptre that shall rise out of Israel (Numb. 24:17), as the great Prophet whom God will raise up, and unto whom the Jews should hearken (Deut. 18). Moreover, the moral law of Moses, by revealing the holy will of God and setting up a standard of human righteousness in conformity with that will, awakens a knowledge of sin and guilt (Rom. 3:20; 7:7), and thus serves as a school-master to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Finally, the ritual law and all the ceremonies of Mosaic worship were typical of the Christian dispensation (Col. 2:17), as the healing serpent in the wilderness pointed to Christ on the cross (Numb. 21:9; John 3:14). This is a most important testimony, from the unerring mouth of Christ, to the Messianic character and aim of the whole Mosaic dispensation, and to the Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch. Comp. Luke 24:44; Rom. 10:5.—P. S.]

3. Jesus was the Shiloh by whom shall be the gathering of the people ()

4. Jesus is the Star out of Jacob, and the He is the Sceptre that shall rise out of Israel ()

5. Jesus is the great Prophet that God would raise up, and unto whom the Jews should listen to ().

6. The Law Moses wrote was to serve as a school-master to bring us to Christ ().

7. The ritual law and the ceremonies of Mosaic worship were typical of the Christian dispensation ()

8. Jesus was spoken of as the healing serpent in the wilderness pointing to Him on the cross (; ).

This is a most important testimony, from the unerring mouth of Christ, to the Messianic character and aim of the whole Mosaic dispensation, and to the Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch. Comp. ; .—P. S.]

Moses spoke of Jesus but they did not see and believe.

Verse 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

They searched the Scriptures but refused to believe in whom they spoke of.

They thought that in searching the Scriptures they would have eternal life.

But they did not have eternal life. Because eternal life is to know the Father and the Son.

They proved not to believe because of their rejection.

They did not see the Scriptures as bearing witness to Jesus Christ.

They did not believe and thus reading Scripture without eternal life.

and it is they that bear witness about me

They had biblical information without genuine faith.

Our study of the Scriptures are not for information. It is out of devotion for Christ! Because they testify of Him!

It is because we believe Jesus to be the Son of God!

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.