Week #21 Jesus and Legalism John 5:9-18 Presented Live on March 19, 2017 I. Introduction and review A. The first part of chapter five relates to us the third of Jesus miracles that John wants us to consider 1. Jesus found a man who was lame and caused him to walk 2. His only hope had been in a pagan superstition involving the pool at Bethesda 3. That is until Jesus arrived and his life was changed B. As we witness each of these miracles that Jesus performs, we see that each seems to authenticate His claims to Messiahship and Sonship stronger and more clearly than the one before 1. Consider Isa. 35:2b-6 They will see the glory of the LORD, The majesty of our God. 3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. 4 Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. 2. And then Matt. 11:1-5 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by Page 1 of 8
his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. C. But there is another aspect or perception to this story that we must consider D. The Son of God came into the world to bring light and truth to His people 1. A people which had allowed the darkness and division of legalism to overshadow them 2. Even with the light of the Lords s presence in their world, there were may hearts which remained darkened 3. And instead of gathering His people together in new revelation and promise, the Word of God brought about sharp and acrimonious division 4. God s truth was intended to enlighten the hearts of men, but it also found those which were willfully darkened E. As Jesus arrived in His land and among His people, it became clear to see that the noble purposes of the Pharisees and others were no longer their guiding light 1. They had instead become experts in religion 2. In other words, these Pharisaical leaders of Israel had become ardent legalists F. Legalism is the sworn enemy of God s grace and His love 1. Jesus will fight this legalism during the entire course of His ministry here on earth a. Many pastors and spiritual leaders are still fighting it today b. They have come to see that as in Jesus day, legalism has a smothering effect c. Legalism is subtle, silent and malevolent (wishing evil upon others) 2. Maybe the best place to start is with a definition a. Legalism is the establishment of certain standards selected by its purveyors for the purpose of celebrating human achievement under the guise of Page 2 of 8
pleasing God b. Legalism is righteousness as defined by man as opposed to God c. It may cite to God as its author but in reality it originates from culture, tradition and the personal preferences of those in control 3. Consider some examples: a. Saying God s name b. You can walk this far on the Sabbath, but only that far c. Modern examples 4. The legalists set themselves up not only as the interpreters of right and wrong but also the judges a. If you follow their rules you are deemed spiritually acceptable b. If you do not, you are found to be unworthy of God s blessing and the approval of your peers G. How does legalism originate? 1. Legalism is always conceived and nurtured along by religious people and organizations 2. Legalism uses religious zeal and acceptance to propagate its own agenda 3. Sometimes motivated by fear, or excessive caution, and eventually, a desire to control 4. After a while, many begin to dread the disapproval of the legalists to the point of submission 5. And as they do they feed the legalist s desire for control and prominence H. Is legalism really so wrong? 1. Legalism is all about earning God s favor by one s actions or losing it by the choice of wrong actions or inactions 2. Legalists make no place for God s grace or His forgiveness 3. It is built on human righteousness and exalts men or their rules, instead of God (remember how the Scriptures describe man s righteousness its filthy and repulsive to God) 4. And once legalism becomes dominate in a society, culture, group or family, it produces either: a. Pride in those who follow the rules faithfully b. Or depression in the lives of those who find Page 3 of 8
II. themselves unable to follow the rules 5. God so opposes legalism because it produces in people that He loves, character traits that He hates: a. Pride b. Self-loathing c. Hypocrisy d. Self-righteousness 6. But it never produces holiness I. Legalism could be compared to carbon monoxide 1. This gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless 2. But if exposed to it, one will drift off into a deep sleep from which he will never arise 3. Legalism slips in just like an accumulation of carbon monoxide 4. It lulls us into acceptance and the elimination of opposition 5. Many churches and Christian groups never recover J. What should we do? 1. Expose legalism 2. Combat legalism 3. Overcome legalism When it came to the Pharisees, there was no issue more controlled by legalism than the Sabbath A. That concern of course arose from the Babylonian invasion and subsequent deportation of Israel B. But over the years layer upon layer of codes, rules and regulations were added such that the meaning and purpose of the Sabbath was hidden and forgotten C. Let s consider the Sabbath 1. It originated by an act of God [see Gen. 1:31-2:3] a. God spent six days creating and then on the seventh day He rested b. The word Sabbath means rest c. God rested on the seventh day, not because He was tired, but in order to set an example for the beings He had just created 2. When God brought into being the Jewish nation, He included in His law a protection of the Sabbath a. Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your Page 4 of 8
work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (1) Holy vd;q' qadash {kaw-dash'} Meaning: 1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be set apart, be consecrated 1a2) to be hallowed 1a3) consecrated, tabooed 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to show oneself sacred or majestic 1b2) to be honored, be treated as sacred 1b3) to be holy 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate 1c2) to observe as holy, keep sacred 1c3) to honor as sacred, hallow 1c4) to consecrate 1d) (Pual) 1d1) to be consecrated 1d2) consecrated, dedicated 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to set apart, devote, consecrate 1e2) to regard or treat as sacred or hallow 1e3) to consecrate 1f) (Hithpael) 1f1) to keep oneself apart or separate 1f2) to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God) 1f3) to be observed as holy 1f4) to consecrate oneself (2) God wanted a day that would be set aside and be different from the remaining days of the week b. That was how the concept of the Sabbath was incorporated into the law by God 3. The Pharisees, in their legalism, decided to add to what God had prescribed a. They, over time, added 39 categories of work that was not permitted b. They added many other tedious restrictions or regulations c. Even providing medical care on the Sabbath was forbidden d. Rabbis began to teach these to the people and the Page 5 of 8
III. Pharisees and their court system would enforce them 4. Upon a closer look at these rules and restrictions one can see that they go way beyond the original command of setting apart the seventh day of the week as a day of rest and relaxation a. They would record all of these rules in compilations and record keeping works like the Talmud or the Mishnah b. One such regulation recorded in the Mishnah prohibits biting or tearing or cutting ones finger or toe nails on the Sabbath, or grooming one s hair or putting on makeup D. With these understandings, verse 9 of Chapter five carries a great deal more impact 1. Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 2. This editorial comment by the Gospel writer, falls like a wet blanket on the excitement of healing and new life E. Because of their focus on Jesus violating their traditions, they completely missed the connection to Isaiah 35 and its statement of Messiahship Now we will see how legalism seeks to destroy a relationship with God [5:10-13] A. As this man walks away and towards his home he carries his pallet just as Jesus told him to 1. But he doesn t get far before he is seen by the Pharisee 2. What does he think he is doing working on the Sabbath? B. All he can say is that the man who gave him this wonderful gift of healing, is the one who told him to take up his pallet and to walk C. The Pharisees response is who told you to do that, but the man who was healed doesn t even know who healed him D. Was this man healed as a result of his faith? IV. The second meeting [5:14-18] A. The rule was that if God heals you, you must go and present yourself to the priests at the Temple in order to confirm and announce your healing B. So this man headed to the Temple and there Jesus found him Page 6 of 8
again 1. Now Jesus introduces Himself to this man 2. And He warns the man He just healed 3. If he (the lame man) (continues to) sin a worse condition may befall him C. But in spite of the fact that Jesus had healed him, and given him this important warning, he betrays the Lord by reporting Him to the Pharisees D. Their response was not to prosecute the one carrying the pallet, they didn t care what happened to him E. But instead to persecution and eventually, bring destruction upon the Healer F. Did the Pharisees ever consider that a noteworthy miracle of grace and mercy had been performed? G. What did Jesus mean when He said: My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." (Jn. 5:17) 1. Did God rest following the creation of the world 2. Was it: a. Because He was tired b. Because He needed to rejuvenate c. Because He needed some relaxation or recreation 3. God does not need rest or relaxation (Isa. 40:28a Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, Does not become weary or tired.) 4. The creature, on the other hand is not like his God in that regard, and needs rest and relaxation to recharge and rejuvenate himself V. Who is Lord of the Sabbath? A. Lord = Master or Owner B. If He created the Sabbath, who knows better how to observe it C. See Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. D. And Luke 6:5 And He was saying to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. VI. The way that sin controlled men, groups and movements work A. First they struggle for equality and equal rights B. Then they demand tolerance of their sin C. Then they want to silence your opposition to their sin D. And finally, they seek to destroy their opposition Page 7 of 8
VII. The Sabbath from God s perspective A. God designed the Sabbath as a gift to man B. An opportunity for rest and relaxation C. It was to result in rejuvenation of our bodies and our minds VIII. Understanding the goals A. The Word (Jesus) didn t become flesh to institute a new religion B. He came and walked among us in order to 1. Restore a broken relationship 2. Bring back the true worship of both Him and His Father C. But in human beings, the roots of pride grow deep D. And the ability to accept grace, especially which is given to someone else, does not come easily An Important Part of our Class Ministry - - - We have 2 Website Locations: www.believersbibleclass.com and www.believersbibleclass.podbean.com where the notes and recordings of the lessons for the past 8 years are found and are available to people all around the world. And now the legal stuff: 2017 - Believer s Bible Class, & Douglas W. Brady Page 8 of 8