From Death to Life

From Death to Life

John 5:16-47                          

 

Illus. Death to Life.

 

While we will cover the section that includes verses 16 to 47, our theme today centers around verse 24…

 

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

 

In that verse, Jesus speak of the significance of His word, belief, judgement, and passing out of death and into life. Life and death were topics that Jesus was not afraid to speak on and pointed people to the importance of both quite frequently. But also in these verses, He reveals that He is not simply someone who was willing to talk about it, but THE One who was sent to do something about it.

           

Read: John 5:16-24

 

In the verses leading up to this, Jesus had helped a man by healing him from a physical illness that had plagued him for 38 years. Jesus directed him to walk forward physically, and also to move forward spiritually by “sinning no more” (14).

It was a beautiful and power scene, but amongst the Jewish leaders a problem arose because Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. When he was seen carrying his mat, rather that celebrate his healing, they questioned him for violating their Sabbath day tradition of not carrying a burden. He responded that the Man (Jesus) who healed him told him to pick up his mat and walk, and upon hearing this, their attention and persecution was turned toward Jesus.

 

John 5:16, For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath.

 

Instead of rejoicing in his healing, they were worrying about the manmade Sabbath rules that had been put in place.

 

Illus. Specific.

 

The man responded by telling them of the instruction from Jesus to pick up his mat and walk. After this, their questions and questioning turned to Jesus. Though they will not like Jesus’ answers, He will make it abundantly clear who He is and what He came to do. In this chapter we will realize their rejection of Him, but He will reveal to them that the only way to go from death to life was through Him!

In Christian theology there is specific area of study called “Christology,” which is theology relating to the person, nature, and work of Jesus Christ. This section could be titled, “Christology from the lips of Christ.”

As we study John 5:16-47, we will take it section by section, looking specifically at getting settled regarding Jesus’ status, getting smart about what is to come, getting the truth about His testimony, and getting to Jesus to receive eternal salvation. Jesus’ response begins by addressing the speculation regarding His status as the Son of God…So we will start there.

 

1. Get Settled Regarding the Status of the Son

 

• After they began persecuting and questioning him about his work on the Sabbath, Jesus answers them.

 

John 5:17-18, But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

 

• With the leaders already upset because of His work on the Sabbath, Jesus’ response only made them all the more upset. So upset that they were seeking to “kill Him, because not only was he breaking their Sabbath rules, He was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”

 

• What He said specifically was “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

 

• In other words, Jesus was saying that the Father was working on the Sabbath, so He Himself was working.

 

• God listens to prayers on the Sabbath, God keeps the winds in motion on the Sabbath, God doesn’t take a vacation day, or a rest…It was the Sabbath, but God was exempt.

 

Psalm 121:3(b)-4, He who watches over you will not slumber. Behold, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

 

Mark 2:27-28, Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

 

• The people who heard Jesus’ words regarding the Father, and His references to being the Son, there was no mistaking what Jesus was saying.

 

• When verse 18 reads “making Himself equal,” it was written in the present imperfect tense, which describes something habitual, or ongoing.

 

Illus. Some say.

 

John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

• He “dwelt among us,” which is to pitch His tent, or to be “tabernacled.” 

 

• This reminds of God’s presence in the tent or the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35). It would be set up wherever they went.

 

• John wrote, He pitched His tent and we saw His glory as the only Son from the Father.

 

•  Jesus was God in the flesh. In John 14:9 He said if you have seen me you have seen the Father.

 

•  “The only Son from the Father,” is elsewhere translated, “as of the only begotten Son from the Father.”

 

• The words “only begotten,” have led some to claim that Jesus is created. But the word there, “monogenes,” does not imply Jesus was created by God and therefore not eternal.

 

• But the term does not refer to a person’s origin, but is a reference to that person being, “unique, or “one of a kind.”

 

Illus. One of One.

 

John 5:19-23, Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

 

• He was equal with God in posture and priority, meeting the man at the pool of Bethesda on his day and time of need.

 

• Vs. 19, He did nothing independently from God. Vs. 20, He was seeing all the Father was doing. Vs. 21, He had power of God to raise the dead and give them life. Vs. 22 He had authority to judge. Vs. 23 to worship and honor Him was to worship the Father who sent Him.

 

John 10:30-33, I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus replied to them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

 

John 14:8-9, Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus *said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

 

Illus. Who He says He is.

 

Quote – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say….You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

 

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

 

• If a person is going to go from death, they must get settled on Jesus’ status as equal in essence and status with God, believe in Him and upon Him, as the only One, God the Son, given to save us from our sins.

 

1. Get Smart About the Time That is to Come

 

John 5:25-29, Truly, truly, I say to you, a time is coming and even now has arrived, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

 

• In verses 25 to 29, Jesus reiterates His power to give life and those who live, or are given life, are here called “the dead.”

 

• Jesus speaks of a time coming, and a time that has even now arrived when the dead will hear His voice and will live.

 

• When Jesus spoke of the “dead” in verse 25, the word used was “nekros” which refers to a person who is lifeless, or without life.

 

• “Who hear,” the dead who hear the voice of the Son of God, will live. The word for “hear” is to attend to, give audience to, or to understand. And the word for live is zaó which is to be among the living, true life, or endless life.

 

• Life and death are spoken of frequently in the Bible. What is important to note is that these terms can be spoken of in the physical sense, but other times in the spiritual sense.

 

• There are also times where both are referenced in the same section.

 

• This would be true here, in verse 24 Jesus spoke about the one who hears his voice and believes has eternal life and has passed out of death to life.

 

• In verse 25 He speaks about a time that is coming and a time that has already come.

 

• Then in verse 27 a time that is coming where Jesus will execute judgement…

 

John 5:28-29, 28 Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come out: those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

 

• If we look back at verse 22, we read Jesus’ words surrounding judgement…Not even the Father judges anyone, but all judgement has been given to the Son

 

• The words for “judgement” in verse 22 is the word “krisis,” it is where we get our word crisis. There is a crisis coming, a coming judgement.

 

Hebrews 9:27, It is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment.

 

James 4:12, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy.”

 

• While it is not something that many often think about, the Bible speaks to the reality of the lives we live and that there will be a future day of accounting.

 

• In Matthew 25, Jesus gave a parable about the talents a person is given in this life and what they do with them, for Him. Jesus says the master will return for each servant to give an accounting.

 

• All will stand before Jesus in the end. And we must realize that all judgement authority has been given to Jesus, He will take His seat as King and Judge.

 

• All will be judged, but some to a resurrection of eternal life, and others to a resurrection of eternal judgement.

 

• Those who are not in Christ will be judged according to their own deeds, apart from Christ:

 

Revelation 20:11-13,15, Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds… if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

• The judgement at the great white throne is where those who have rejected Jesus are judged according to their deeds.

 

• The are the called the dead, who remained spiritually dead in not receiving the Son.

 

• The books are opened, everything that a person has done, it is written down. If a person’s name is not in the book of life, they will be judged based on their works, or deeds on this earth.

 

Galatians 2:16, By the works of the law no flesh will be justified.

 

• Our deeds, our works outside of Christ are not sufficient. On that day, when the books are opened, every deed will be written.

 

• When the books are opened, the weight of one’s sin will come to light. In seeing it all, it’s as if man will cry “depart from me; for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

 

• Understand however, that those in Christ will not be judged at this great white throne, nor will they be judged according to their sins.

 

• For those in Christ, scripture reveals that the “certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us,” He has taken away, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14).

 

• In other words, the pages containing our unrighteous works and deeds were taken away, removed, and blotted out by the blood of Jesus.

 

• Those in Christ are judged in Christ.

 

• The judgement which we deserved fell upon Christ, because of His love. He died to make a way for you.

 

Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow…”

 

• It is important to understand however, that we don’t escape God’s judgement, it has been satisfied in Jesus.

 

Romans 4:25, He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

 

• While we have overcome death through Christ, we also must realize that there is a specific judgement of believers and we too will stand before Christ. The judgement for believers is called the “Judgement Seat of Christ.”

 

2 Corinthians 5:10,  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.

 

• And the word for “judgement seat,” is perhaps a word you have heard before. It is the word “bema” or “bema seat.”

 

• It is a raised platform in Greek cities where judgements took place. Paul, when writing to the church at Corinth referenced the “bema seat.”

 

Romans 14:10-12, We will all appear before the judgment seat of God. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee will bow, and every tongue will give praise to God.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

 

• This is not a judgement or punishment of sins; it is a judgement of rewards.

 

1 Corinthians 3:12-15: Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work.  If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.

 

• Here Paul is speaking of the coming assessment of each one’s work before the Lord. What we have done, and our motive for doing it, will be tested by fire, and the purifying fire of God will burn up everything that was not of Him.

 

• There are many “judgement seats” we might stand before in the life, the judgement of another, or the court of public opinion. So easy it can be to recant or recoil to change your mind about things God’s word has clearly defined.

 

Illus. GP.

 

John 12:48, The one who rejects Me and does not accept My teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day.

 

• Many often get so overcome and fixed on what is happening “these days” that we lose sight of what will take place on the last day.

 

• Jesus said, do not be amazed about this, Jesus does not want us to be surprised about this. He is giving us a heads up, how we live our lives, who we believe, what we believe, and what we do with that belief, matters.

 

Illus. Forgot.

 

John 16:33, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.

 

III.  Get the Truth About the Testimony Given

 

• As Jesus was giving His testimony, telling those who the people who were out to get Him just who He was and is, it was important that something wasn’t missed.

 

• Throughout his testimony, in verses 19, 24, and 25, we see the words “truly, truly” repeatedly.

 

• Other translations read, “verily,” or “”most assuredly.”

 

• The Greek works used were “amen, amen.”

 

• The word amen means, “let it be…” Typically we use this word at the end of a prayer when making our prayers, or petitions to God.

 

• Jesus uses it hear at the beginning of several sections of His testimony. What that meant was that He was speaking truth and had the authority firsthand knowledge to say what He was saying. 

 

• Still, the people would continually question Him. It was not enough for Him to claim things about Himself without added witnesses. His audience would have been looking for this.

 

• Deuteronomy 19:15, a matter would be established by two or three witnesses.

 

• Jesus knew this so He pointed them to additional testimony…

 

John 5:30-31, “I can do nothing on My own. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.

 

John 5:32-35, There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true…” You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth.  But the testimony I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

 

• In John chapter 1 we studied the testimony of John the Baptist in depth. He is the one who people were thinking might be the Savior, but he pointed people to Jesus when he saw Him saying, “behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

 

John 5:36 But the testimony I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

 

• Jesus performed over 35 miracles in the gospels. Many more than that took place, but not all of them were recorded.

 

• The Jewish people believe that miraculous works would come with the Messiah.

 

• From Isaiah 35:5-6 we know that the eyes of the blind would be opened, ears of the deaf unstopped, those who limp would leap like dear, those unable to speak would shout for joy.

 

John 5:37-38, And the Father who sent Me, He has testified about Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. Also you do not have His word remaining in you, because you do not believe Him whom He sent.

 

• In all Jesus did and said, the Father testified of Him.

 

• Giving prophecy of the “seed of the Woman” who would crush the head of the serpent.” Here is Jesus, Son of God, born of woman.

 

• At His baptism, Matthew 3:17, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”

 

John 5:39-40, You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

 

• It is said that there are over 300 prophecies regarding Jesus Christ that God gave in detail and have already come true.

 

Illus. Authenticated.

 

John 5:45-47, Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

 

• Moses wrote about a Prophet who would rise up from their midst (Deuteronomy 18:15). About the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Moses was the one who lifted up the bronze serpent on a pole which pointed to Jesus being lifted up (John 3). Jesus says, Moses wrote about me…But you still wont believe.

 

1. Get to Jesus to Receive Eternal Salvation

 

John 5:39-40, You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

 

John 3:16-18, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 5:16-47