Category: The Gospel of John

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.” (John 5:30-38).

The Apostle John wanted his readers to understand that God the Father and God the Son are in unity with one another. The Son is the exact imprint of the Father. Or as Jesus explained it in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” This does not mean that they are the same individuals but rather one in essence and substance. The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, while distinct persons, possess the fullness of the divine nature or divinity. Therefore, what the Son does is what the Father does, and vice versa because what the Son is the Father and Spirit are.

This is what Jesus begins to teach the religious leaders of the Jews in John 5. He can heal on the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. What God the Father does is what God the Son does. There is no disharmony. In effect, Jesus was testifying to the religious leaders of His day that He was/is God.

Jesus began to explain this harmony between He and God the Father with the subject of raising the dead. God the Father raised the dead (Deuteronomy 32:39; I Kings 17:17-22). So too does God the Son (John 11). So too does God the Holy Spirit (John 3; Ephesians 2:1-10).

A second harmony between God the Father and God the Son is in the realm of judgment. Jesus said that the Father has given the right to judge the guilt or innocence of sinners to the Son: that is Jesus. This not only means the right to judge but also the authority to judge.

A third harmony between God the Father and God the Son is that both are the source of life. Physical, spiritual and eternal. Remember John 1:4 which says regarding the Word (Jesus Christ): “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Jesus will also say in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus now begins a lengthy testimony that He is in effect God in the flesh. He realizes that if He just says this, it is not a valid witness or testimony under Jewish Law. There must be corroborative testimony (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). Jesus even acknowledges this truth when He says “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.” Therefore, Jesus gives His audience, then and now, corroborative testimony that He is Emmanuel: God in human form. In doing so, Jesus sets forth a high view of the Scriptures.

The first supportive testimony that establishes Jesus’ claim to be God is the testimony of John the Baptist. John 5:32-35 says, “There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”

As a reminder, John the Baptist’s testimony regarding the identity of Jesus Christ is found in John 1:19-34. It culminates with John’s statement in vs, 34 that Jesus is the Son of God when he says, “And I have seen and have borne witness that this (Jesus Christ) is the Son of God.”

The second supportive testimony of Jesus’ claim to be God is the testimony of His own works or miracles. Remember, this discourse by Jesus is conducted in the immediate aftermath of His healing of an invalid man by the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-17). Jesus says, “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.”

Thus far Jesus has changed water in to wine (John 2:1-12), has cleansed the Temple (John 2:13-22), healed a nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54) in addition to the healing of the invalid man. All these works testify to Jesus’ identity as God. More works would follow.

The third supportive testimony of Jesus’ claim to be God is the testimony from God the Father. Jesus says, “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”

Three recorded instances of the Father’s testimony regarding the Son are found in Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, and Luke 3:22. All three recount the baptism of Jesus and the accompanying words from God the Father who says, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus has one more supportive testimony to share but before He does He condemns the religious leaders as unbelievers. This is based on the fact that (1) they have not heard the Father’s voice; (2) His form they have never seen; (3) His word is not abiding in them; and (4) they do not believe in the One who the Father has sent; notably the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “God has not left us with limited evidence that Jesus is who He claimed to be. There is an abundance of testimony to His identity, including His own teaching, the witness of John the Baptist, the witness of the Father, and the witness of our Lord’s miracles. In times of doubt, remembering this testimony can fortify our faith and encourage us to persevere.”

Soli deo Gloria!

 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:25-29)

John wanted his readers to understand that God the Father and God the Son are in unity with one another. The Son is the exact imprint of the Father. Or as Jesus explained it in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” This does not mean that they are identical individuals but rather one in essence and substance. The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit possess the fullness of the divine nature or divinity. Therefore, what the Son does is what the Father does, and vice versa because what the Son is the Father and Spirit are.

This is what Jesus begins to teach the religious leaders of the Jews in John 5. He can heal on the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. What God the Father does is what God the Son does. There is no disharmony.

Jesus begins to explain this harmony between He and God the Father with the subject of raising the dead. God the Father raised the dead (Deuteronomy 32:39; I Kings 17:17-22). So too does God the Son (John 11). So too does God the Holy Spirit (John 3; Ephesians 2:1-10). However, even though the raising of the dead back to physical life is significant, the raising of the spiritually dead to spiritual life is even more so. This too is a work of the Father, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit.

A second harmony between God the Father and God the Son is in the realm of judgment. First, Jesus acknowledges the subject of judgment. The word judgment (κρίσις; krisis) literally means the authority to determine a person’s guilt or innocence (Matthew 5:21). Jesus said that the Father has given the right to judge the guilt or innocence of sinners to the Son: that is Jesus. This not only means the right to judge but also the authority to judge.

A third harmony between God the Father and God the Son is that both are the source of life. Physical, spiritual and eternal. Remember John 1:4 which says regarding the Word (Jesus Christ): “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Jesus will also say in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Now it may be true at this point you are becoming overwhelmed by the theology contained in this passage. Bear with me because John continues to share significant truth regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ.

We should not forget the historical context in which John 5 takes place. I am referring to more than just the fact that Jesus healed an invalid man. The greater historical context is explained as follows:

“First-century Jews differed in their views of the Jews’ proper relationship to the Roman government, the place of oral tradition in Jewish practice, and other issues. Nevertheless, Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jewish sects held some essential theological beliefs in common. All Jews affirmed that the Lord is the author of all life because of texts such as Genesis 2:7, which says He made Adam a “living creature” by breathing into him the breath of life. Another text, Psalm 90:2, proclaims that the God of Israel is “from everlasting to everlasting.” Only He has the power of life in Himself. He is inherently alive and is incapable, in His divine nature, of death. He has always been and ever will be. As life itself, He grants life to those whom He will.”

Therefore, when Jesus proclaimed to the Jewish religious leaders that He possessed life in and of Himself, He was proclaiming to them once again that He was God. Consider what Saint Augustine has to say about the matter. He writes, “The Father has life in himself, which none gave him, while the Son has life in himself which the Father gave him.” The life in Himself that the Father possesses is no different from the life in Himself that the Son possesses, but this life is a gift from Father to Son, not from Son to Father. Nevertheless, both Father and Son have always existed.”

Additionally, Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man, which is a direct reference to Daniel 7 and once again that He was God. Jesus told His audience not to be astonished or amazed at this truth but rather consider that one day soon Jesus will raise the dead. John 5:29 should not be understood as teaching works/based salvation by the sinner. Rather, Jesus was indicating that a person’s works identify whether they have a new nature or not.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “The theme of these verses is resurrection. Jesus related that all men, saved and unsaved, will be literally and physically resurrected from the dead. However, only the saved experience a spiritual (“born again”), as well as physical, resurrection unto eternal life. The unsaved will be resurrected unto judgment and eternal punishment through separation from God (i.e., the second death; cf. Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8). These verses also constitute proof of the deity of Jesus Christ since the Son has resurrection power (John 5:25–26), and the Father has granted him the status of Judge of all mankind (v. 27).”

This section, and the one’s to follow, clearly indicate that Jesus identified Himself to many people that He was God in the flesh. Emmanuel. Do you confess Jesus Christ as God? I John 4:1-3 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

Soli deo Gloria!

“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:22-24).

John wanted his readers to understand that God the Father and God the Son are in unity with one another. The Son is the exact imprint of the Father. Or as Jesus explained it in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” This does not mean that they are identical individuals but rather one in essence and substance. The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit possess the fullness of the divine nature or divinity. Therefore, what the Son does is what the Father does, and vice versa because what the Son is the Father and Spirit are.

This is what Jesus begins to teach the religious leaders of the Jews in John 5. He can heal on the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. What God the Father does is what God the Son does. There is no disharmony.

Jesus begins to explain this harmony between He and God the Father with the subject of raising the dead. God the Father raised the dead (Deuteronomy 32:39; I Kings 17:17-22). So too does God the Son (John 11). So too does God the Holy Spirit (John 3; Ephesians 2:1-10). However, even though the raising of the dead back to physical life is significant, the raising of the spiritually dead to spiritual life is even more so. This too is a work of the Father, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit.

A second harmony between God the Father and God the Son is in the realm of judgment. Let’s begin to unpack these three verses today so we can understand what John records Jesus saying.

First, Jesus is acknowledging the subject of judgment. The word judgment (κρίσις; krisis) literally means the authority to determine guilt or innocence (Matthew 5:21). Jesus said that the Father has given the right to judge the guilt or innocence of sinners to the Son: that is Jesus. This not only means the right to judge but also the authority to judge.

Let’s be honest! Most do not want to hear about judgment. Many certainly do not want to hear that Jesus is going to judge. What will be the basis of either being judged by Jesus as either being righteous or sinful; innocent or guilty.

The answer is given in the text for today. “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

In the immediate context, the people who did not honor God the Son, and therefore did not honor God the Father, were the religious leaders John simply identifies as the “Jews.” They did not honor Jesus when He revealed Himself as God when He healed the invalid man on the Sabbath (John 5:1-9). They may have thought that their religious piety and position would endear them to God, but this was not the case. By the way, to honor (τιμάω; timao) means to show respect and to give recognition.

Jesus made it clear to them that if they did not honor Him, they were not honoring the Father. Therefore, they would come into judgment by the very Son of God they were ready to kill (John 5:18).

Those who would not come into judgment, that is be declared guilty, are those who hear and understand the Word of God and believe in the Son of God. As we have already seen, this can only occur when the individual is born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:1-8).

It is not sufficient to simply believe in the existence of God. I hear this statement a lot: “I believe in God.” What is it that is believed? Do they understand that belief involves trust, commitment, dependence and worship of this God? Do they understand that unless they believe in the person and work of the Son of God, Jesus Christ to solely provide redemption, that they will come into judgment? This is what the religious leaders in this text did not understand. Do you?

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

The promise Jesus makes is that all who place their faith and trust in Him as Lord and Savior, will immediately possess eternal life. They will not come into judgment as one who is guilty, but rather possess eternal life as one Jesus has resurrected from spiritual death.

Is this your testimony of faith in Jesus Christ? It must be for this is the heart and soul of the gospel. Therefore, repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior thereby receiving His righteousness as your own.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” (John 5:19-21).

The writer of Hebrews begins his epistle with these significant words: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

The writer of Hebrews wanted his readers to understand that God the Father and God the Son are in unity with one another. The Son is the exact imprint of the Father. Or as Jesus explained it in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” This does not mean that they are identical individuals but one in essence. The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit possess the fullness of the divine nature or divinity. Therefore, what the Son does is what the Father does, and vice versa.

This is what Jesus begins to teach the religious leaders of the Jews in John 5. He can heal on the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. What God the Father does is what God the Son does. There is no disharmony.

Jesus begins to explain this harmony between He and God the Father with the subject of raising the dead. God the Father raised the dead (Deuteronomy 32:39; I Kings 17:17-22). So too does God the Son (John 11). However, even though the raising of the dead back to physical life is significant, the raising of the spiritually dead to spiritual life is even more so. This too is a work of the Father, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit.

One commentator writes, “The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit act as a unified whole in everything that They do with respect to creation. This working is not like that of a committee that is trying to achieve a common goal but that assigns different responsibilities to each committee member. No, what the Father does is what the Son does is what the Spirit does. Note that we can distinguish the persons in each work; each person performs the one and same work, but He does so according to His own personal property. The Father does the work in a manner fitting to His being eternally unbegotten. The Son does the work in a manner fitting to His being begotten of the Father. The Spirit does the work in a manner fitting to His eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. But it is the same work. Another way of stating this is to say that every work of God is from the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Salvation, for example, comes to us from the Father through the mediation of the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

While this may be difficult to initially understand, we can be grateful to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for our salvation. It is a work of all three members of the Trinity. Today, may we strive to live in harmony with all three members of the Godhead by being obedient to the Word of God.

Soli deo Gloria!

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. [for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” (John 5:1-9).

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the response was heartfelt belief. In John 5:1-9 it was apathetic superstition.

The setting is most likely the spring of Jesus’ second year of ministry. The feast is most likely Passover, although we cannot be sure. John’s Gospel consistently constructs his narrative to various Jewish feasts (2:13—Passover; 6:4—Passover; 7:2—Booths, or Tabernacles; 10:22—Hanukkah, or Feast of Dedication; and 11:55—Passover). However, this is the only time when he did not identify the particular feast.

The setting shifts from Galilee (John 4:46-54) to Jerusalem and particularly to the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was located at the northern wall of the city which surrounded the temple compound. Located outside the gate is a pool called Bethesda which means “house of grace” or “steadfast love.”

It should be noted that John 5:3b-4 is not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts. It is a textual variant. It contains a superstition regarding the Pool of Bethesda. A superstition is (1) a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of a cause leading to a concluding effect; and/or (2) an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition. Let us understand that the text in question is not a textual variant because it contains a superstition, but rather because the text (5:3b-4) is not found in the most reliable Greek manuscripts that we presently possess.

At this pool were a multitude of invalids including the blind, lame and paralyzed. John 5:3b-4 explains why they were there. It was a common held superstition that an “angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.”

The worldly culture is filled with superstitions. However, so too is the church. Sometimes our superstitions or traditions may take on more authority in our lives than the actual Word of God.  

We do not know if the superstition mentioned in John 5 was true. By definition a superstition is a non-truth. However, this did not dissuade many people from coming to the pool with the hopes of being healed.

One such person was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. The text does not tell us how old the man was, whether he had been afflicted with this ailment since birth or if it was the result of an injury. In fact, the text does not tell us exactly what kind of ailment the man actually had. The word for invalid (ἀσθένεια; astheneia) simply means incapacity, illness, disease or weakness. What we do know for certain was that he was one of the many who were hoping for a healing.

As with the woman at the well (John 4) and her life of immorality, Jesus omnisciently knew that the man in question had been at the pool for a long time. Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?” We should note that the man did not know who Jesus was and claimed no faith in Jesus to heal him. This is proven by the man’s response: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” The man’s faith to be healed was placed in his superstition of the pool and not in the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to the man, ““Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Jesus gave the man three commands: (1) Get up; (2) Take up your bed; and (3) Walk. This the man immediately did. Wow! What a moment it must have been for one who had walked in 38 years.

Yet, in spite of this great miracle, the man does not thank Jesus for healing him. It seems that it was no big deal. Oh, by the way. John adds one more detail at the conclusion of John 5:9. “Now that day was the Sabbath.” This seemingly insignificant detail sets us up for the overall response by the religious leaders of the day to this miracle. It will also provide significant meaning for us to the man’s response to Jesus for healing him.

Have you ever prayed for something to happen and when it does your response is less than one filled with gratitude? Take the time today to thank God for all of your blessings and to reveal to you where and when you trust in superstitions. Perhaps the greatest superstition we have is that we are good enough to earn acceptance before God. What a superstition this truly is.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:10-18)

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the response was heartfelt belief. In John 5:1-9, and in 5:10-18 it was apathetic superstition.

What was the invalid man’s response to Jesus Christ who healed him? Was there any gratitude, any worship or even an expression of thanksgiving? There is none found in the text.

What we do see are the religious leaders of the day (more about them tomorrow) questioning the man as to why he was carrying his bed or sleeping mat. The man’s response is matter of fact. “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” John even adds the disclaimer that the healed man did not even know who Jesus was or even His name.

The text continues by saying that later on, perhaps even that very same day, Jesus found the man at the temple. Was the man there to give thanks to God for his healing? Was he there to be examined by the priests? Was he there to offer a sacrifice? We do not know.

What we do know is Jesus said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” Jesus’ words may indicate the man’s suffering was due to some sinful behavior in the past. Jesus cautions the man to pay careful attention when tempted to sin in the future. Something worse than being an invalid for close to four decades could happen. What could be worse? Total rejection by God due to a lack of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the healed man displays no such repentance or faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

One commentator says, “Note that Jesus selects the lame man out of a crowd of many people who were unwell. He exercised His sovereign prerogative to heal when and where He would choose, thus asking only the man if he wanted to be healed (John 5:6). It is also notable that there is almost no indication that the man had faith in Christ when Jesus healed him. Later verses state that he did not know who Jesus was at the time of his healing, and he later reported Jesus’ activities to the authorities who were out to accuse Him of sin (vv. 12–13, 15). That Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed may also imply a lack of faith on the man’s part or at least that he did not know who Jesus was. Anyone familiar with the pool and those gathered there, as Jesus no doubt was, would have known that an invalid such as the lame man came to the pool for healing. Some commentators suggest that Jesus was probing a little deeper, asking the man not about mere physical healing but for healing from his sin (see v. 14), though it is hard to be certain of this.”

God gives us daily blessings. Are we aware of these many blessings, including our eternal salvation? Do we take the time to thank God for not only what He has done, but also Who He is? Or, do we take Him for granted and only approach Him when we are in need and then forget Him when the need is met, or criticize Him when it is not. Let us not follow the example of the invalid who Jesus healed. May we not only place our faith in Jesus Christ to save us but also daily thank Him for that salvation.

Examine your heart today for any apathy or disinterest you may have towards God. Repent of it and ask God to increasingly give you a heart which is grateful to Him and not apathetic.

Soli deo Gloria!  

 

 

 

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. [for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” (John 1:1-9).

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the response was heartfelt belief. In John 5:1-9 it was apathetic superstition.

The setting is most likely the spring of Jesus’ second year of ministry. The feast is most likely Passover, although we cannot be sure. John’s Gospel consistently constructs his narrative to various Jewish feasts (2:13—Passover; 6:4—Passover; 7:2—Booths, or Tabernacles; 10:22—Hanukkah, or Feast of Dedication; and 11:55—Passover). However, this is the only time when he did not identify the particular feast.

The setting shifts from Galilee (John 4:46-54) to Jerusalem and particularly to the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was located at the northern wall of the city which surrounded the temple compound. Located outside the gate is a pool called Bethesda which means “house of grace” or “steadfast love.”

It should be noted that John 5:3b-4 is not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts. It is a textual variant. It contains a superstition regarding the Pool of Bethesda. A superstition is (1) a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of a cause leading to a concluding effect; and/or (2) an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition. Let us understand that the text in question is not a textual variant because it contains a superstition, but rather because the text (5:3b-4) is not found in the most reliable Greek manuscripts that we presently possess.

At this pool were a multitude of invalids including the blind, lame and paralyzed. John 5:3b-4 explains why they were there. It was a common held superstition that an “angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.”

The worldly culture is filled with superstitions. However, so too is the church. Sometimes our superstitions or traditions may take on more authority in our lives than the actual Word of God.  

We do not know if the superstition mentioned in John 5 was true. By definition a superstition is a non-truth. However, this did not dissuade many people from coming to the pool with the hopes of being healed.

One such person was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. The text does not tell us how old the man was, whether he had been afflicted with this ailment since birth or if it was the result of an injury. In fact, the text does not tell us exactly what kind of ailment the man actually had. The word for invalid (ἀσθένεια; astheneia) simply means incapacity, illness, disease or weakness. What we do know for certain was that he was one of the many who were hoping for a healing.

As with the woman at the well (John 4) and her life of immorality, Jesus omnisciently knew that the man in question had been at the pool for a long time. Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?” We should note that the man did not know who Jesus was and claimed no faith in Jesus to heal him. This is proven by the man’s response: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” The man’s faith to be healed was placed in his superstition of the pool and not in the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to the man, ““Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Jesus gave the man three commands: (1) Get up; (2) Take up your bed; and (3) Walk. This the man immediately did. Wow! What a moment it must have been for one who had not walked in 38 years.

Yet, in spite of this great miracle, the man does not thank Jesus for healing him. It seems that his healing was no big deal. Oh, by the way. John adds one more detail at the conclusion of John 5:9. “Now that day was the Sabbath.” This seemingly insignificant detail sets us up for the overall response by the religious leaders of the day to this miracle. It will also provide significant meaning for us to the man’s response to Jesus for healing him.

Have you ever prayed for something to happen and when it does your response is less than one filled with gratitude? Take the time today to thank God for all of your blessings and to reveal to you where and when you trust in superstitions. Perhaps the greatest superstition we have is that we are good enough to earn acceptance before God. What a superstitious lie this truly is.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” (John 4:46-54)

John begins to show us the different responses by people to the signs and wonders Jesus performed. In John 4:46-54, the first response was heartfelt belief.

Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee where He had turned water into wine (John 2:1-12). Some 16 miles NE was the town of Capernaum. Stationed there was a royal official who was serving in the royal court of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee (Matthew 14:1-12; Luke 23:1-7). This official’s son was ill, resulting in him being weak and incapacitated.

The official sent for Jesus and asked him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son. John indicates that the official repeatedly asked Jesus to come. The text reveals the reason for the official’s continual pleading was that his son was near death. The man was desperate. What parent wouldn’t be.

Jesus’ response was not only directed to the nobleman but also to the entire Galilean region. “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The phrase “you see” is plural. Jesus was referring to the whole Jewish community. However, the nobleman becomes even more desperate and commands Jesus to come and heal his son. This becomes an indication that the faith of the nobleman was not simply superficial.

Jesus tells him that his son will live and the nobleman believes what Jesus says. Notice that Jesus did not actually go to where the son was. He simply told the nobleman that his son would live and recover from the illness which plagued him. The nobleman took Jesus at His word.

The son did recover at the very hour Jesus told the nobleman that he would. This event only strengthened the nobleman’s faith in Jesus Christ. It also displayed Jesus’ graciousness in healing.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Of course, this is not to say that signs and miracles cannot be used of God to create and strengthen faith. Our Creator used signs for that purpose, as today’s passage reveals. In Galilee, Jesus met a royal official—probably an adviser to the local ruler Herod Antipas—who begged our Savior to heal his dying son (4:46–47). Jesus in His initial response seemed to be rebuking the man for requiring signs in order to believe (v. 48), which is in line with His later pronouncement of blessing upon those who have not seen Him in the flesh and yet believe (20:29). But the problem is not in desiring to see the Lord do a supernatural work, for God tells us to ask Him for healing (James 5:13–15). The problem is when we seek signs as ends in themselves or when miracles are the sole foundation of our faith and not the promises of God. This was not the case for the royal official in today’s passage. He took Jesus at His word that He would heal his son before he was actually healed; the miracle then confirmed faith that was already present (John 4:49–54)”

It is not wrong to ask God for a miracle. It is not wrong to ask God for the healing of a loved one, comfort during times of difficulty or even for a new job. However, we must not have our faith in the Lord rely upon such miracles. Rather, we must rely on the character of God who gives us precious promises in His Word.

Be comforted today by Gods’ graciousness whatever comes to pass.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.” (John 4:43-45).  

What does it mean when something is referred to as “superficial?” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines this adverb as (1) relating to or located near the surface; (2) lying on and not penetrating below the surface; (3) concerned with only the obvious or the apparent; (4) presenting only an appearance without substance or significance.

What does this word have to do with today’s particular text from the Gospel of John? Only that vs. 43-45 serve not only as a transition from vs. 1-42 but also as a contrast. John points out the contrast between the fervent and passionate faith in Jesus exhibited by the Samaritans with the superficial faith of the Jewish Galileans. While the Samaritans were culturally condemned because of their interracial heritage, they displayed a truer faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord than most pure bloodline Jews.

John describes Jesus as now venturing back to Galilee. Located there is His hometown of Nazareth. John inserts the comment that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. John is explaining that not only the people of Nazareth in particular (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:24) rejected Jesus but also the Galilean region in general. The Galileans’ welcoming of Jesus was more than likely superficial based upon their need to see signs and wonders (I Corinthians 1:22-25) in order to believe. Their reception of Jesus was mostly out of curiosity to see some miracle like those done in Judea and Jerusalem. See John 2:23-25.

One writer posed the following question: “What is the foundation of your faith? The signs and wonders recorded in Scripture can help confirm our faith, but they are by themselves no sure foundation for faith. We know, in fact, that many people saw Jesus do great signs and yet never believed. Our faith must be grounded in the promises of God. When we are convinced of His trustworthiness, our faith will persevere.”

Not only must our faith in Jesus Christ be grounded in the promises of God but also in the character of God who makes the promises. 2 Peter 1:2-4 says, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

May your faith in the Lord be rooted not in superficiality of style but rather in the substance of Scripture.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42)

In John 4:27-42, the Apostle John provides five proofs supporting his overall theme (John 20:30-31) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first one is found in vs. 27. It is the proof that Jesus was in immediate control of His immediate circumstances. He did not allow circumstances to control Him.

The second is found in vs. 28-30. It is the impact Jesus had upon the Woman at the Well. Remember, the woman came to the well to draw physical water. Upon encountering Jesus, she received living water. Jesus made the astonishing claim that He is not only the source of spiritual life, but also that He is God. She left her water jar and went to share what had happened to her. She had to tell somebody. Everybody!

The third proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 31-34 and His intimacy with God the Father. He compared His relationship to the Father to food or nourishment. Paralleling the metaphor of salvation being like “living water,” Jesus told His disciples that much like physical food sustains the body, so the spiritual food of doing the will of the Father and accomplishing the work He had sent Jesus to accomplish was His food.

The fourth proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 35-38. He possessed insight into men’s souls. He knew those who were the elect and ready for salvation. He also knew that the method and means to reach these people with Gospel would be through the preaching and teaching of His disciples. The Holy Spirit would use such means as the way to accomplish the eternal goal of God: the salvation of sinners.

The fifth and final proof of Jesus’ identity as God is found in vs. 39-42. Jesus made an efficient impact upon the Samaritans. These people were born again and received the living water of the gospel. He changed their thinking and their lives through the gospel. Jesus does the same work today.

The Samaritans asked Jesus to remain with them at Sychar and He remained two days. What began as a necessary journey through Samaria now became an opportunity to remain in Samaria. The result was that many people believed in Jesus. Jesus left the unbelief of the Judeans and came upon the harvest of the Samaritans before He would journey and minister to the Galileans (John 4:1-3).

The Samaritans did not regard Jesus as simply as prophet (vs. 19, 29, 39), but rather as the Savior of the world. I John 4:14 says, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

One pastor writes, “This phrase (Savior of the world) occurs also in 1 John 4:14. The verse constitutes the climax to the story of the woman of Samaria. The Samaritans themselves became another in a series of witnesses in John’s Gospel that demonstrated the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. This episode represents the first instance of cross-cultural evangelism (Acts 1:8).”

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “From Jesus the Samaritans learned that He is the “Savior of the world” (John 4:42). This title had a rich background in the first-century culture. The ancient Greeks referred to their gods as saviors, and the Romans applied the title to the emperors. Such claims—and others like them—are declared false when Jesus is proclaimed as Savior of the world. In proclaiming Jesus as Savior of the world, we are claiming that He is the only possible avenue of salvation for sinners and that He is the fulfillment of the promise of the God of Israel—the one true creator God—to save both Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 45:22). To recognize Jesus as the Savior of the world is not to promote universalism—the teaching that all people will be saved regardless of whether they have faith in Christ—for John’s gospel recognizes that some, in fact, will be condemned, not saved (John 3:18). Instead, to recognize Jesus as the Savior of the world is to recognize that if anyone in the world is saved, it is only in and through Him.”

The Samaritans confessed that they believed in Jesus. They trusted in, committed to, began to depend upon and worshiped the Son of God. It was not upon the testimony of the woman in which they relied but rather upon the living Word of God.

John Calvin explains, “We believe.” This expresses more fully the nature of their faith, that it has been drawn from the word of God itself, so that they can boast of having the Son of God as their Teacher; as, indeed, it is on His authority alone that we can safely rely. True, indeed, He is not now visibly present, so as to speak to us mouth to mouth; but by whomsoever we happen to hear Him, our faith cannot rest on any other than on Himself. And from no other source proceeds that knowledge which is likewise mentioned; for the speech which comes from the mouth of a mortal man may indeed fill and satisfy the ears, but will never confirm the soul in calm confidence of salvation, so that he who has heard may be entitled to boast that he knows.”

Are you trusting in, committed to, depending upon and consequentially worship Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord alone? Remember, salvation from the penalty, power, and eventual presence of sin is by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Repent of your sins and receive His righteousness today.

Soli deo Gloria!