John 5:16-30 Jesus, The Judge REVIEW divine appointment the Pool of Bethesda wonderful & miraculous event sick for 38 years in an instant V:8-9

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1 John 5:16-30 Jesus, The Judge REVIEW: Jesus was visiting Jerusalem during one of the Religious Feast Days While there, He had a divine appointment at the Pool of Bethesda. Though the area was crowded with a multitude of lame, paralyzed and sick, Jesus chose one man out of the crowd and healed him A wonderful & miraculous event This man had been sick for 38 years, but in an instant V:8-9 This would be an absolutely awe-inspiring event to anyone but a religious legalist (V:12 & 16 ) Why are the religious like that? Because They are more interested in controlling people than curing people. They are more interested in looking righteous before man than being right before God Religious people are driven by PRIDE = Religious people are SELF RIGHTEOUS When you are saved by the grace of God, you know you have no reason to be proud For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8, 9, NKJV. Page 1 of 7

2 But the religious Jews were depending upon a righteousness based upon their ability to keep the rules. Righteousness based upon law! But the New Covenant teaches us knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2:16, NKJV. Living by the law brings death! (Romans 8:2b) It brings death to those who try to live by it It brings death to those who break the rules READ today s text John 5:16-30 & PRAY V:16 Today, we agree that the Muslim extremists are religiously wicked But consider this verse Any religion not submitted to the one true God becomes controlling, wicked & murderous V:17-18 Do you see what Jesus was saying? God is working all the time. God is my Father. I m just being like my Dad! Now (V:18) they have 2 reasons to want to kill Him!... Did the Jewish leaders misunderstand Jesus? WAS He making Himself equal with God? Page 2 of 7

3 The Jews knew that God was The Father of all But they recognized that Jesus was describing a special and exclusive relationship. i.e. I can do whatever my father does. Jesus would later say I and My Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me? The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God. John 10:30-33, NKJV. V:19-20 Jesus was indeed describing His relationship with God the Father as a joint cooperation in love V:21-23 This is getting deeper and more intense by the moment Do you catch what Jesus is saying? V:21 God the Father has the power and authority to give life and raise the dead So does the Son! This was indeed a blasphemous thing to say. (If Jesus were not truly God) Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. Deuteronomy 32:39, NKJV. V:22 Another blasphemous thought But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. Psalms 9:7, 8, NKJV. Page 3 of 7

4 Yet Jesus declares that this job is handed over to Him! V:23 Here is the reason God the Father has handed all judgment over to The Son STORY: Sign witnessing to the JW s Conclusion: "Jesus claims the same right to worship from men that the Father has." Religions such as Judaism and Islam that consider Jesus merely a great prophet do not represent the truth about God, because they fail to worship and honor Jesus Many of today s Christian cults do the same If what Jesus has been saying isn t shocking enough, He goes on to hit it out of the park V:24 should be every Christian s memory verse EXPLAIN And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11-13, NKJV. Jesus lifts Himself far about the level of any mere man. Think of it: "Hear My word and have everlasting life." This is either the babbling of an insane man or the words of God Himself. There is no neutral ground to be found here. - Guzik V:25 And now is making spiritually alive! Page 4 of 7

5 V:26 Life in Himself (G) None of us has life inherent in ourselves. Our life is derived from our parents, and the fragile environment around us. Jesus claimed that His life was derived from no one; it is inherent and uncreated. Theologians call this quality of self-existence aseity and recognize that God alone possesses it. V:27 Because He is The Son of Man? A? I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. Dan 7:13-14 V:28-29 Question: Does this mean that everyone will be judged according to their deeds? Not exactly Those who have done good those who have done evil does not imply that people's deeds in this life are the basis on which judgment is pronounced (for that would contradict John's strong emphasis on belief in Jesus as the way to gain eternal life: see John 3:16; 5:24 25; etc.). Instead, good works function as evidence of true faith, and if good works are lacking they show an absence of true faith (John 5:28 ESVSB) Consider Galatians 5:19-23 Works of the flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit EXPLAIN Listen how Paul worded it in Romans that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of Page 5 of 7

6 the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Romans 8:4-9, NKJV. What is The resurrection of life? What is The resurrection of condemnation? TELL of the parable of the sheep & the goats Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Matthew 25:34, NKJV. Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: Matthew 25:41, NKJV. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Matthew 25:46, NKJV. This is not a new concept And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2, NKJV. Rev 20 reveals that the resurrection of the righteous will be separate from the resurrection of the wicked (John 5:29 & Daniel 12:2 give us the general concept) V:30b This should be the highest aim of every follower of Christ! Page 6 of 7

7 God help us to align ourselves with your will that we might also be able to pray Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9, 10, KJV. END / PRAYER Page 7 of 7