Because of Jesus Ministries - Connie Witter Book of John; Week 5 Jesus VS Religion Jesus: I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! He who believes Me has Life! Religion: Man s belief concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. (http://dictionary.reference.com) Jesus offers freedom from the law of being judged by a moral code by believing Him- trusting in His finished work on your behalf. You live and move and have your being in Him! Your value, acceptance, approval, rightness comes from His gift of Love to you! Jesus offers you rest and gives you the position of a son. Religion offers a way to control you by requiring obedience to a law and a moral code that judges you good if you follow it and bad if you don t. Your value, acceptance, approval, and rightness comes from your behavior and good works. Religion offers you human effort and makes you a slave to man s approval. I. Read John 5:1-18: Religion requires human effort to get God s blessing and puts you in bondage to a law. Jesus gives God s blessing as a gift and sets you free! After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, Do you want to be made well? 7 The sick man answered Him, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me. 8 Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. 11 He answered them, He who made me well said to me, Take up your bed and walk. 12 Then they asked him, Who is the Man who said to you, Take up your bed and walk? 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working. Verse 2-4: The sheep gate was a place where the animal sacrifices that were required by the law were kept. The sheep gate reminded the people of their sins (Hebrews 10:1-3). But by this sheep gate was a pool called, Bethesda, which had 5 porches. These 5 porches were covered walkways. The sick were sitting under the covering of the Law, the five books of the Torah that correspond with the five covered porches. It is interesting to note that the number 5 is also the number of grace. But here the sick were surrounded by the Law every day they were reminded of the requirements of the law and their failure to keep it. But in the middle was the pool of Bethesda. This word is defined as, House of loving kindness; House of mercy; House of grace. This is
where the sick were trying to get to by their own efforts so they could be healed, but their effort to keep the law could never heal them. The law only had the power to condemn and bring death (II Corinthians 3:6). But Jesus brings Life for He is full of grace and truth. In verses 5-9 Jesus approaches a man who had an infirmity for 38 years, the exact number of years that Israel had wandered in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:14). What kept the children of Israel in the wilderness for 38 years was their dependence on themselves. What kept this man from entering the pool of loving kindness, mercy, and grace was his dependence on his own human effort (verse 7). Under Religion there are those who can t be healed unless they do the work and dip themselves in the pool. They are bound by the law. But Jesus does not have the requirements of the law to put on this man. He simply desires to set him free. Notice, Jesus says, Do you want to be made well? And the man looks to himself for qualification, I ve tried, but it s not working! Then Jesus speaks Words of Life, Rise, take up your bed and walk. Immediately the man was made well and He picked up his bed and walked. Verse 9-17: Here we see very clearly the bondage of Religion. Religion cares more about controlling people s behavior by their laws and rules rather than seeing people set free from that which brings them pain. These religious Jewish Leaders were upset because this man was breaking a religious law rather than rejoicing in his freedom from that which bound him. It is interesting to note that it wasn t this man s faith in Jesus as the Messiah that healed him because he didn t even know who the man was who healed him (verse 13). Just looking at Jesus (Perfect Love) persuaded this man s heart to listen and believe the Words of Life that He spoke over him. Verse 14: For many, this verse has caused people to question, What sin got this man in his predicament in the first place? But to understand fully what Jesus means when He talks of sin, we must understand what sin is. Romans 14:23 says, Everything that does not come from faith is sin. NIV Later on in the Gospel of John in Chapter 8:34-36 Jesus said, 34 Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin. 35 Now a slave does not remain in the family permanently, but a son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! Sin is unbelief! Whoever lives in unbelief is a slave of sin. So when Jesus told the healed man in John 5:14 to Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you, He was offering this man freedom from slavery to the Law that condemned him. He was offering him a place as a son instead of a slave. Jesus is admonishing this man to leave the dominion of the law of sin and death for it will only continue to condemn you! Find your life in Me! Religion tells you that you can find life through a set of rules, but Jesus offers True Life as a gift! When people realize that they can find life simply by believing Jesus and His great love for them, Religion loses its control over them. This is why Religion wants to steal, kill, and destroy the true Good News about Jesus (verse 16), for it sets men free to live out of their new identity in Jesus rather than the rules and control of man! II. Read John 5:18-29: Religion makes slaves. Jesus makes sons. 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into
judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the 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 as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. Verse 18: Religion wants to control you by rules and define you by your behavior. In verse 18, we see the Jews wanted to kill Jesus, not only because he broke the rule, but because He called God, Father, making Himself equal with God. Jesus was secure in His identity as the Son of God. Verse 19-20: Jesus shows the relationship of union and communion He had with the Father. In so doing, He shows us how we can also live out of our identity as a son of God (John 1:12). We no longer have to live in bondage to the fear of man s opinion of us, but rather we can live secure in the good opinion of the Father. Jesus said He only does what He sees His Father doing. He lives completely dependent on His Father. In verse 20, He reveals where this sense of security comes from, The Father loves the Son, and reveals everything to Him! When we live as sons of God, free from religious bondage, we too will say, The Father loves and reveals to everything He does. Verse 21-24: The Father raises those who are spiritually dead and gives Life to them so that is what Jesus does. He gives Life to people as a gift. The Father judges no one, but gives the authority of judgment to the Son so that those who honor the Father will honor the Son as well. In verse 24, Jesus shares His judgment of those who believe: He who hears My word and believes has eternal Life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. The words Eternal Life come from the Greek word G2222, Zoe, the absolute fullness of Life that belongs to God. This Life is who God is and what belongs to Him. He is Love. He is Peace. He is joy. He is good. He is complete! The Life of God is the very glory of God! This is the Life He gives to the Son and that which the Son gives to all who believe Him. Those who believe escape the slavery of the law and its condemnation and begin to live as beloved sons of God! We have His name. We are His heir, joint heirs with Jesus of God s glory (Romans 8:15-17; John 17:22-23) Verse 28-29: Jesus said those who have done good will experience the resurrection of life. This can sound like we are back under the bondage of trying to gain eternal life through our good works, but remember what Jesus taught in verse 24! The good that they have done is believe. Those who believe have eternal life! But those who have done evil, will experience condemnation. Likewise, those who have not believed will live in condemnation. For the only escape from the condemnation of the law of sin and death is to believe and receive the gift of Life that Jesus offers, and live as a beloved son of God! III. Read John 5: 30-47 Religion seeks approval and glory from man. Jesus gives you the Father s approval and glory as a gift. 30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. 31 If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. 32 But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. 33 In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. 34 Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. 35 John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his
message. 36 But I have a greater witness than John my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, 38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me the one he sent to you. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. 41 Your approval means nothing to me, 42 because I know you don t have God s love within you. 43 For I have come to you in my Father s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. 44 No wonder you can t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God. 44 How is it possible for you to believe [how can you learn to believe], you who [are content to seek and] receive praise and honor and glory from one another, and yet do not seek the praise and honor and glory which come from Him who alone is God? AMP 45 Yet it isn t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. 46 If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But since you don t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say? Verse 30-38: Here Jesus is talking about the judgment He has of Himself. He judges Himself the way the Father judges Him. He said if He testifies about Himself alone, then it wouldn t be true, but there is one who testifies about Him and what He says is always true! In another translation of verse 30, Jesus say, I do nothing without consulting the Father. In other words, Jesus asks the Father what He says about Him and then repeats what He hears. That s how a son of God lives out of His true identity- in the freedom of the Father s good opinionreceiving the Father s glory, approval, and honor as the final authority in his life. In John 8:14-15, 25-26, 54-55: 14 Jesus told them, These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 25 Who are you? they demanded. Jesus replied, The one I have always claimed to be. 26 I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful. 54 Jesus answered, If I want glory for myself, it doesn t count. But it is my Father who says these glorious things about me. You say, He is our God, 55 but you don t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! Verse 39-40: Religion searches Scriptures to be made right, but Jesus makes men right. Jesus said You look for Life (being right-approval, acceptance) in your laws and your doctrines, but the Scriptures point to Me as the source of Life, but you won t come to me so that you can have Life. Verse 41-45: When we live one with Jesus as beloved sons of God, the world s opinion and approval will mean nothing to us because we have found our approval in Jesus! Jesus said, Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me because you don t see me the way my Father sees me! How are you ever going to believe me and find True Life if you care more about the approval, honor and glory that comes from the world, and do not seek the glory and honor that comes from God alone! Right here Jesus shows us the reason why people won t let go of their religion to find true life in the Son. They would rather strive to gain the approval, honor, and glory that comes from men rather than rest in the honor, approval, and glory that is a free gift from God! In verse 45 Jesus makes a profound statement, The Father has given all judgment to me, but it is not I who will accuse you, it is the law that accuses and condemns you! The truth is we are either living in the bondage of religion or we are living in the freedom of the Son! The only freedom from religion you will ever find is to let go of trying to gain man s approval and living under the control of the religious laws and the rules of men and simply receive the gift
of honor, glory, and approval that comes from the Father-the gift of eternal Life! Let go of religion and live as a beloved son of God.