Proof Positive John 5:31-47

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August 24th 2008

Jesus healed the invalid at the ool o! "ethesda and told him to ta#e his mat with him. $he religious oli%e saw the man %arr&ing the mat and told him he was brea#ing the law. 'e de!ended himsel! b& telling them that the man who %ured him told him to ta#e u his mat. (nstead o! being awestru%# at the instantaneous healing o! someone that had been an invalid !or 38 &ears) the& were an*ious to %at%h the man who told him to brea# the +abbath rest b& %arr&ing his mat. (t,s hard to believe someone %ould be so dogmati% about their rules) but the& were. $o hel us understand how that was ossible) we have to understand Jewish histor&. -hen the Jews were %arried awa& into %a tivit&) the ro hets told them it was be%ause the& had not #e t their art o! the %ovenant with .od. /art o! that %ovenant was #ee ing the +abbath wee#l& and the on%e ever& 7-&ear +abbath rest !or the !ields. 01eviti%us 25:42 $he 3hroni%les told them the length o! their e*ile was e4uivalent to the number o! &ears the& ignored the +abbath rest !or the !ields. 0Jeremiah 17:27523hroni%les 36:212 .od gave the land that rest b& removing them. 7uring the e*ile and return to the land) movements s rang u that were aimed at seeing the Jewish eo le never %om romise again so the& would not have to endure another e*ile. $hat is how the /harisees be%ame so legalisti%. (t was motivated b& !ear o! 8udgment. 09e%hariah 7:11-122 $he& had a good desire in tr&ing to be !aith!ul to .od) but went so overboard in tr&ing to en!or%e their rules to rote%t the laws that the& ended u brea#ing the s irit o! the laws. 0:ar# 7:132 +o when the& saw the man %arr&ing the mat) their mindset wasn,t about the wonder!ul !a%t that .od was mira%ulousl& resent 0an ob8e%tive o! real +abbath #ee ing2 but instead on #ee ing the eo le obedient to the rules so that .od would not have to 8udge them harshl&. 0;ehemiah 13:17-182 $o have someone telling others to brea# their rules that the& designed to rote%t the +abbath was even a greater threat to holding o!! the wrath o! .od. $hat is what was behind this insane legalism. Jesus res onded to the legalists, a%%usations b& ma#ing some ver& radi%al %laims about 'imsel!. 'e de%lared that 'e %ould give li!e to an&one at will. 'e %laimed to be the Judge o! man#ind. 'e said 'e is +on o! :an) a re!eren%e !rom 7aniel,s ro he%& about the <ne to whom sovereign ower and authorit& would be given) the <ne whom all will worshi . $hat was so radi%al that the& %onsidered it blas hem&. 'ow %an a human %laim those things that belong to .od alone= (n our assage toda&) Jesus ro%eeds to de!end 'is %laims. 31 "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. An&one %an ma#e an& %laim. -hen someone sa&s something about them sel!) it o!ten isn,t a valid statement. <ne rabbi even wrote that a erson,s ersonal testimon& in %ourt should not be %onsidered. -e %an overrate ourselves out o! ride. -e %an understate our gi!ts and abilit& through !alse 1

humilit&. -e get a mu%h more a%%urate estimation i! we as# others who observe us regularl&) es e%iall& someone that is a s irituall& mature erson. "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 ot that I a!!e"t human testimony# but I mention it that you may be saved. $hose that were atta%#ing Jesus had sent a delegation to John the "a tist to as# about his tea%hing. 0John 1:1>2 John told them o! the <ne to %ome whose sandals he wasn,t worth& to tie. 0John 1:272
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$hen Jesus said something that is ver& revealing about 'is attitude toward these religious leaders. ?irst) 'e told them it didn,t matter what men sa&. 'e 8ust %ared about what 'is ?ather thought. "ut the whole reason 'e brought u John the "a tist was to tr& to get them to hear and be saved. -hen man& read the gos els) the& %ome awa& with the im ression that Jesus didn,t li#e the /harisees and +addu%ees. (! that is the %ase) wh& did 'e s end so mu%h time tal#ing with them= -h& did 'e a%%e t dinner invitations with them= 01u#e 7:362 @emember) .od loves the world) and that means A11 the eo le in it. Jesus was harsh) but 'e was harsh in order to brea# through all the indo%trination the& had grown u with. (t would end u resulting in 'is death) but 'e #e t on telling them the truth. $hat is love not animosit&A 1ove is willing to ris# relationshi and a%%e tan%e in order to see someone,s eternal soul saved !rom wrath. A%tuall&) Jesus and the religious leaders are tr&ing to a%%om lish the same thing. $he religious leaders were 8ust misguided in how to go about it. -hile the& are rebu#ing 'im !or brea#ing their rules in order to save (srael !rom wrath) Jesus is telling them some hard sa&ings to tr& to #ee them !rom wrath. $he& %ouldn,t both be right. +o Jesus said) B-h& didn,t &ou listen to the ro het John=C $o %onvi%t a !ellow Jew o! the more serious %rimes) one had to have two witnesses that agreed. 07euteronom& 17:62 $he 1aw o! :oses re4uired two witnesses to #ee one erson !rom in%riminating someone the& were at odds with. @emember an e*am le o! this at the trial o! Jesus be!ore 3aia has. 0:ar# 14:5>2 $he& tried to get two witnesses to agree. Jesus said 'e had John as a witness) but 'e also had 'is a%tions as a witness. 3$ John was a lam" that burned and %ave li%ht, and you !hose for a time to en&oy his li%ht. 3' "I have testimony wei%htier than that of John. (or the very work that the (ather has %iven me to finish, and whi!h I am doin%, testifies that the (ather has sent me. $he original language has the de!inite arti%le be!ore Blam C. John was the lam . Jesus was re!erring to something s e%i!i%) erha s the :essiani% redi%tion in /salm 132:17. 1) "*ere I will make a horn %row for +avid and set u" a lam" for my anointed one. As Jesus is the +on o! 7avid) 7avid is ro heti% :essiani% term. 0'osea 3:52 Anointed one is Bthe 3hristC in .ree#. Jesus ver& well ma& have had this assage in mind.

Jesus ba%#ed 'is %laim u with 'is mira%ulous deeds. Dou %ould ut all the mira%les o! the ro hets together and the& wouldn,t %ome %lose to sheer number o! mira%les Jesus er!ormed. ;ot man& eo le %an sa& &ou should believe what the& sa& be%ause o! the wa& the& live. ;o one but Jesus %an as# !or belie! in them be%ause o! mira%ulous deeds. -e generall& don,t invite s%rutin&. "ut Jesus said in essen%e) B:& li!e testi!ies that ( am heaven sent and that m& %laims are true.C $hin# about that. (! .od be%ame a man) would 'e live an& di!!erentl& than the li!e o! Jesus= 'e showed 'is ower over %reation and %om assion on the si%#. 0:ar# 4:415:atthew 8:162 'e boldl& de%lared who 'e was and 'is mission to save us 0:atthew 20:282) but 'e didn,t shrin# !rom warning o! !inal 8usti%e to those who %lung to evil. 0:atthew 8:122 -hat throws us is that 'is li!e ends on the %ross. (t,s hard !or us to imagine an& god loving us enough to endure that) but that is be%ause we tend to thin# o! what we would ut u with i! we had all ower. -hat (,m sa&ing is that 'is li!e was greater in humilit&) love and ur ose than we would imagine. $here ma& be one more tradition behind Jesus, use o! two witnesses. (n that time) there were the %ommon rabbi) and then there were those who memoriEed the entire 1aw) ro hets) and salms. (! &ou were able to do that and two others who were re%ogniEed as that to level o! rabbi %on!irmed that &ou had done so and were worth&) &ou would than attain to that to level o! rabbi. $he %ommon rabbi 4uoted others who had %ome be!ore. $he& dared not inter ret the 1aw themselves. $his highest level o! rabbi %ould inter ret the law and be 4uoted b& others. $here were onl& a !ew in Jesus, da&. Jesus ma& have been sa&ing 'e was o! that level and more. 'e %ould tell others how to inter ret the +abbath 1aw. 'e #new the +%ri tures and 'is two witnesses were John the "a tist and 'is mira%ulous wor#s. 'e was %laiming authorit& e4ual to) and greater than) those that the religious leaders based their o inions on. ,nd the (ather who sent me has himself testified !on!ernin% me. You have never heard his voi!e nor seen his form, 3- nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. Dou have the ro het John) the mira%les Jesus er!ormed) and .od) 'imsel!) testi!ies o! Jesus. 'e is witness number three) and 'e is the ultimate witness. $hat should be roo! ositive !or an& sin%ere see#er o! the truth. $he religious leaders didn,t hear 'is voi%e at the ba tism) nor do the& hear 'is voi%e in their heart. 7o we= (! we are in tune with .od we will hear 'im sa&) B$his is m& beloved +on whom ( love. (n 'im) ( am well leased. 'ear 'imAC 0:atthew 3:1751u#e >:352 "ut the& didn,t hear .od,s voi%e and 'is word did not dwell in them) be%ause the& did not believe Jesus.
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$hin#) !or a moment) about that hrase) Bnor does his word dwell in you./ $he& had memoriEed huge ortions o! +%ri ture) more than an& o! us) and &et Jesus said .od,s word did not dwell in them. 0/salm 11>:112 $here must be a di!!eren%e between memoriEing +%ri ture and having the -ord live in us. $he onl& wa& ( %an inter ret this is b& John the "eloved,s de%laration that the -ord was made !lesh in Jesus. 0John 1:142 (n other words) the -ord o! .od is the +on o! the $rinit&) one with the 'ol& + irit. 3

(! the + irit o! .od does not reside in them) there ma& be a million words memoriEed in their head) but the -ord o! .od is not at home in them. $he letter is dangerous without the + irit. 023orinthians 3:62 -hen the + irit is at home in &ou) &ou hear .od,s voi%e and believe the one 'e sent. Jesus, manner o! s ea#ing is uni4ue. 'is statement wasn,t a su osition or a suggestion5 it was a de%laration o! !a%t. BDou don,t hear .od and 'is word isn,t living in &ouAC +ometimes we meet eo le that are genuinel& see#ing the truth. $he 'ol& + irit has been at wor# in their li!e) but 'e does not &et live in them. $he& almost seem to be a %hild o! .od) but the& don,t re%eive Jesus as the +on o! .od and 1ord o! all. 'is word does not dwell in them. $he& have not &et heard 'is voi%e. 'ow intolerant o! Jesus to sa& su%h a thing= ;o) how auda%ious o! man to 4uestion +on o! :an,s de%larations o! truth. (! &ou thin# &our o inion is better than 'is de%laration) let me as# &ou i! &ou %an oint to &our li!e as a reason to believe &ou= Jesus %an oint to 'is li!e and we are still in awe o! how 'e lived even to this da&. You dili%ently study the 1!ri"tures be!ause you think that by them you "ossess eternal life. These are the 1!ri"tures that testify about me, 42 yet you refuse to !ome to me to have life. $he religious leaders had !allen into a tra that we %an easil& !all into as well. $he& worshi ed the +%ri tures. 0note2 $he& thought b& #nowledge o! the details the& %ould lease .od as i! .od was the great rule ma#er in the s#& that doles out 'is love and mer%& on those who er!orm e*a%tl& as 'e has res%ribed. $he& missed the sim le de%laration o! the /salmist) B$here is none that does good) no not oneAC 0/salm 14:32
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Jesus is sa&ing something here that the dis%i les too# as a new aradigm. 3orre%t inter retation o! the +%ri tures 0the <ld $estament2 is to see Jesus throughout those writings. $he %hur%h toda& does not em hasiEe this oint enough. BThese are the 1!ri"tures that testify about me./ Jesus said. $he !irst thing Jesus did a!ter the resurre%tion was to e* lain the <ld $estament to the two on the road to Fmmaus. 01u#e 24:272 $hen when 'e showed u in the room that the dis%i les were hiding in) 'e e* lained it to them as well. 01u#e 24:44-452 $hroughout the boo# o! A%ts the dis%i les and /aul rea%hed Jesus !rom the +%ri tures. $hat was their main message. 0A%ts 3:182 $hat is wh& ( wrote that boo#) Jesus 3on!ealed in the 4ld Testament. $he sovereign .od o! histor& ainted i%ture a!ter i%ture !or us o! 'is +on. $hat is witness number !ourA Jesus is sa&ing) BDou,ve got these !our undeniable witnesses that all agree and &et &ou re!use to %ome to me to have li!eAC ;ow we are getting down to wh& eo le reall& re8e%t Jesus. (t,s not !or la%# o! roo!. $he ro het John said Jesus is the <ne. 'is mira%les roved it. .od s ea#s to our hearts and tells us. $he <ld $estament is !ull o! ro he%ies and i%tures o! Jesus. -hat more %ould &ou as# !or= $he roblem is we re!use to %ome to 'im be%ause we #now that to do so means to a%#nowledge that 'e is 1ord and we aren,t. Det) i! we don,t) we will never re%eive li!e. Des) &our heart is beating and &ou are still breathing) but li!e is #nowing .od and Jesus. 0John 17:32 -ithout that) as alive as &ou thin# &ou are) &ou,re still dead. 4

"I do not a!!e"t "raise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of 5od in your hearts. -hen the love o! .od is in our hearts) we don,t reall& %are what men sa& about us. -e want to lease the ?ather. As long as 'e is leased) we are satis!ied. $his desire !or the raise o! man is what has led to the down!all o! so man&. 0.alatians 1:102 ( value &our en%ouraging words o! a re%iation) but ( alwa&s have to ta#e them to the 1ord and a%#nowledge that i! an&thing good %ame !rom me) it is all be%ause o! 'im. (! the raise is valid and not !latter&) it deserves to be laid at the !eet o! Jesus. -ithout 'im) ever&one o! us would be in the sandals o! these religious leaders) re!using to %ome to 'im to have li!e. 0John 15:52
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-hat a sho%#ing statement this was) and &et what %onvi%tion it must have %arried. $he& #new the& loved the raise o! men. 0John 12:432 $hat,s wh& their religious li!e was a big show. 0:atthew 6:52 $he& believed the& loved .od too) but Jesus was sa&ing i! one is true the other isn,t. (! &ou love raise !rom men) the love o! .od %an,t be in &ou. I have !ome in my (ather6s name, and you do not a!!e"t me# but if someone else !omes in his own name, you will a!!e"t him. A!ter Jesus as%ension) a number o! men %ame on the s%ene and %laimed to be the :essiah. $he& wanted to oust @ome) and the& did obtain ba%#ing !rom the religious leaders. Jesus, redi%tion o! their a%%e tan%e o! !alse :essiahs and the destru%tion o! the $em le %ame to ass. 0:atthew 24:52 (! &ou need even more roo!) there it is.
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*ow !an you believe if you a!!e"t "raise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the "raise that !omes from the only 5od7 (t 8ust isn,t ossible. (! &ou are see#ing the raise o! men) &ou will never ma#e an e!!ort to re%eive the raise that %omes !rom .od) and there!ore &ou will never believe. (t is onl& when we turn !rom the things the world lauds that we %an trul& see# what leases .od) and then we %an trul& believe in Jesus. 0:atthew 6:242 $his is a #e& %hallenge !or ever&one that %omes to 3hrist) but es e%iall& !or those who are in the ubli% e&e. -hose raise are &ou see#ing=
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"8ut do not think I will a!!use you before the (ather. Your a!!user is 9oses, on whom your ho"es are set. 4' If you believed 9oses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 4) 8ut sin!e you do not believe what he wrote, how are you %oin% to believe what I say7" $he& invested their lives in stud&ing the boo#s o! :oses. Jesus is re eating 'is oint that the +%ri tures are all about 'im. (! the& re!used to see that) :oses will one da& stand and a%%use them. <n that da& the& aren,t going to tell :oses that isn,t what he meant or that what he wrote wasn,t ins ired revelation o! the +on o! .od.
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$he Jews o! that da& believed :oses was in heaven inter%eding !or them. Jesus !li ed that idea around and said he is in heaven a%%using them. (! the& don,t believe :oses) whom the& %ontinuall& studied) the& will never believe the words o! Jesus. 5

$hese religious leaders had invested their lives in boasting about what the& do. 01John 2:162 Along %omes this %ar enter rabbi !rom a little rural town and tells them ever&thing is about 'im) but that the& are in%a able o! re%eiving it. 'e laid out the roo! !or them and !or us that we might %ome to 'im !or li!e. $he boo# o! A%ts tells us that a!ter the resurre%tion man& o! them did believe. 0A%ts 6:72 'is words got through to their hearts and the& were able to leave their worldl& ambitions behind and !ollow. :an& more %ontinued to re!use to believe. 0'ebrews 12:252 $hat is the oint o! this assage. -e have enough roo!. Jesus laid it out !or an& honest see#er. -ill &ou %ling to the world and re!use to believe or will &ou let go o! &our own ambitions and %ome to Jesus !or li!e) real li!e) eternal li!e= Are &ou see#ing the raise that %omes !rom .od alone=