Sermon Tone Analysis

John 5 – That’s Just Lame!

Secular:

Sheepgate…

The Pool of Bethesda…

Clean the Sheep for the Temple offerings…

Equivalent of Vancouver’s East End…

A little unsavoury…

No 5 star restaurants…

Not the stomping ground of the elite…

Home to the sick and hurting…

Cleaning to the hope of a miracle…

It is here Jesus heals the man who has been an invalid for more than 30 years…

… some see a prophet… some see a Rabbi… some see the Messiah… some see a blasphemer…

*  What do you see?

*  It is right in front of you…

*  Do you see the Old Lady….

Or do you see the Woman with the Feather Hat…

*  We have all had to deal with people who don’t see what we see…

* Maybe its our blind spot… maybe it is theirs…

* Jesus’ ministry was in the blind spot for so many of the Jews… Rocked their world…

*  

Biblical:

John 5:16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."

18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless /it is /something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and /the Father /will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is /the /Son of Man.

28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good /deeds /to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil /deeds /to a resurrection of judgment.

30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative.

As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 31 "If I /alone /testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.

32 "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

33 "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

34 "But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

35 "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

36 "But the testimony which I have is greater than /the testimony of /John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish-- the very works that I do-- testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 "And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me.

You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.

38 "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

39 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

41 "I do not receive glory from men; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

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.

44 "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the /one and /only God? 45 "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.

46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

Personal:

*  Ever been in an accident….

*  Where somebody said… I saw you but I ran into you anyway…

*  Often it is about being unseen…

* Just not looking

* Blind spot

* Undue Care and attention

Bridge:

* Jesus is steadfast and unmoving truth…

* We don’t want to miss out…

* See him

* In creation

* In World

* In the Word

* Through the Father…

* Introducing people to Christ is often telling them to look to their blind spot…

* Just as the response reveals Christ…

* We need to reveal Christ… 

Body:

*The Tirade Against Jesus*

John 5:16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

17 But He *answered* them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."

18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

*He heals on the Sabbath v 16*

·         Was it the healing that upset the Jews?

·          Was it teaching another to take up his mat (against their legalistic rules)…

·          Was it because of an ongoing battle (Persecuting… these things) (IMP)

o       shows an ongoing disregard for their legalism

o       Standing Firm… not on what is easy… but what is true…

o       Imagine if Jesus had of done things their way…?

(heralded as Messiah… Royal treatment… hmmm)

·           Challenging their Faith… what they believe in…

·         Challenging their authority… Authority comes from God

·         Challenging  their idea of truth

*He makes himself Equal with God v 17-18*

·         Answers the unasked question… Who do you think you are?

·         Answered – aorist middle… legal overtones…

·         If this is about the Sabbath… Jesus answers them clearly!!

·         My Father who created… rested on the Sabbath or 7th day…

o       but he continues to uphold creation…

o       and just as he continues working…

o       I am (the Son) working too…

o       it is the same work… upholds creation

Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and *upholds* all things by the word of His power.

* *

·         They got the message… it was very clear to them

·         Jesus remarks were  not only to defend his Sabbath day activities…

·         Jesus is claiming to be the Son of God…

·         Have the same “work” as God…

·         And be subject to the same relationship to the Law as the Father…

·         Equality with God!!

·         Jesus does not back down in the face of challenge…

·         He is the Ongoing God of Creation