Sermon Notes - John 5:15-24 - Littleby Baptist Church - January 15, 2023

1.     Jesus performed His 3^rd sign as recorded by John on the Sabbath.

a.      This was a very public miracle at the pool Bethesda.

b.     It was done for a man; many had known was paralyzed for 38 years.

c.      The man Jesus healed risked being sentenced to death for picking up his mat and walking with it.

d.     The Jews were angry that their rules were not being followed.

e.      But nothing being done was breaking the true Old Testament Law.

f.      Nothing being done was impeding the intent of the Sabbath.

g.     The Sabbath that we are to honor, is meant as a time of rest, a time of worship, and a time to enjoy the blessings our Lord has given us.

h.     It is not meant to impede in our caring for others.

i.       It is not meant to be painful to follow.

2.     Jesus relieved the man from 38 years of suffering and pointed him to an eternity in Glory on the Sabbath day.

a.      He met a physical need and a spiritual need.

b.     The people did not understand.

c.      They were narrowly focused on what they saw as a violation of what was important.

3.     The conversation that follows stems from the peoples reaction to Jesus performing a miracle on the Sabbath.

4.     John 5:15

a.      The man likely thought he was sharing good news with the Jews.

b.     Jesus healed a man, should have been great news for any to hear.

5.     John 5:16

a.      The Jews did not take the man being healed on the Sabbath as the good news it was intended to be.

b.     Jesus understood that the Sabbath was made for man, not the other way around.

c.      Meaning He knew that the Sabbath was meant to give man rest, a time to worship, and a time to enjoy the blessings in his life.

d.     It was not meant to be a hinderance to doing good.

6.     Jesus was once again going against the societal norms.

a.      This pushed the Jews the wrong way and they began to persecute Jesus.

b.     They did not want to see Jesus grow in popularity.

c.      They did not want to see their traditions overturned.

7.     John 5:17

a.      The Sabbath day rest is built around God resting.

b.     Genesis 2:2-3

c.      God completed His work in creation and rested.

d.     Jesus in this verse is stating that ‘My Father is still working’…

e.      Not a conflict with what was said in Genesis, but a different type of work.

f.      Every moment of every day, God sustains the universe.

g.     Every day, new life is created.

h.     Every day, Judgment is passed.

i.       If God is at work in this way on the Sabbath, there is no reason why works of Grace and Mercy cannot be done.

j.       Jesus was following the Father’s lead when He healed this man.

8.     If doing what the Jews considered work on the Sabbath wasn’t enough, Jesus stated that God was His Father.

a.      This was not like us calling God our Father.

b.     It is not a general term.

c.      Jesus was claiming to come from the Father, to be just like the Father, to be one with the Father.

d.     While this statement seems simple enough to us, the Jews heard it as Jesus is God.

e.      Not something they would have expected to hear.

f.      Something that would be considered sacrilegious.

9.     John 5:18

a.      Breaking the Sabbath was bad.

b.     Claiming to be God, brought the hate to a whole new level.

c.      They wanted Jesus to die.

d.     This was too much for them to tolerate.

e.      In the mind of the Jews, Jesus saying that God is His Father is right along the same lines as Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar claiming to be gods to be worshipped.

f.      They did not see Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy, they saw Him as a man who was claiming to be God.

g.     A man who should not be allowed to continue with His blasphemous teachings.

h.     A man who must die.

10.  John 5:19

a.      In response to the Jews belief that Jesus was falsely claiming to be God, Jesus responds.

b.     He is telling them:

c.      He is not doing these things on His own.

d.     He is not doing anything against the Father’s will.

e.      God the Father sent the Son and directs the Son.

11.  John 5:20

a.      There is no defiance here, instead there is a relationship built on Love.

b.     Jesus as the Son is not doing just a small piece of the Father’s will, but He understands it and is part of it.

c.      By the will of the Father, the Son will do more than signs of healing.

d.     Jesus is pointing to what is to come.

e.      He is hinting at the Salvation He will bring.

12.  John 5:21

a.      I would expect that those who were out to get Jesus were in a full-fledged frenzy at this point.

b.     Jesus has been talking about knowing Father God’s will.

c.      He has stated that He and the Father are in a loving relationship, that they are alike, the same in nature.

d.     Now, Jesus has the audacity to say that He has the ability to give life just like Father God does.

e.      Jesus is claiming to have the same power that the Father does.

f.      As we sit here today, we have some additional insight.

g.     Colossians 1:15-17

h.     Jesus is responsible for all of creation.

i.       He is capable of more than we can truly imagine.

j.       We have these words from Paul to help us understand.

k.     The Jews saw Jesus as some deluded man who was claiming to be equal with God.

l.       They did not understand who He is.

m.   There were likely many that did not want to hear what He had to say.

13.  Jesus did not stop there.

14.  John 5:22

a.      That Father has given authority to the Son.

b.     Jesus has been given the authority to Judge those before Him.

15.  John 5:23

a.      People are to honor the Son as they honor the Father.

b.     Those of us who have knowledge of Christ’s death and resurrection, can fairly easily come to terms with honoring the Son and the Father.

c.      Those who just saw Jesus heal someone on the Sabbath and claim to be one with God, these are fighting words.

d.     Without understanding who Jesus is, you cannot see the truth found in these words.

16.  Knowing that Jesus is God.

a.      Knowing that He and the Father have a plan to bring Salvation to the human race.

b.     Knowing that Jesus gave of Himself to the point of paying our debt by hanging on that cross.

c.      Knowing that death did not stop Jesus as He rose again.

d.     Knowing that Jesus is currently with the Father waiting for the time of His return.

17.  We can read Jesus’ response here and Celebrate all who Jesus is!

18.  Those hearing these words really struggled with it.

19.   John 5:24

a.      We can celebrate that belief in Jesus and what He has done for us.

20.  Those who were accusing Jesus of blasphemy, could not see the truth.

a.      All they saw and heard was a man who did not honor their rules.

b.     A man who was a poor carpenter claiming to be something so much greater.

c.      They heard a man who was claiming to be a god, like Nebuchadnezzar had.

d.     They were blind to the truth.

e.      They were blinded by sin.

21.  Today we have two types of people.

a.      Those who have accepted the truth of who Jesus is.

b.     Most likely, those of us sitting here today.

c.      We know that we are lost on our own and that it is only Jesus who can pave the way for us.

d.     We have put our trust in Jesus.

e.      Then there are those who have not or don’t want to hear the truth.

f.      They hear things like what Jesus was telling the Jews and either get mad or think it is a joke.

g.     They don’t think they need a Savior.

22.  This morning…

a.      If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, I want to encourage you to pray for those who would find fault in what Jesus was saying.

b.     If you cannot say that Jesus is your Savior, but you want Him to be… I would love to talk to you.