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This sermon was preached on Sunday 22/04/2001 Am, by Kevin Matthews.
We return this morning to the Gospel of John, and in particular to chapter 5. When we last considered this passage together we noticed that the Pool of Bethesda was really the Pool of Self Help and Legend, it being a pool that could offer no real help at all to the masses of afflicted and sick people who had gathered at its edge waiting for the legendary stirring of the waters in the vain hope of being healed by them.
So steeped in superstition were these people that when Jesus came among them, being the only one who could render real help to them, they persisted in looking to the pool for healing and not to Jesus. Of this large group of people Jesus sought out one man, one man who did not seek him, for this man also sought the pool and its legendary healing ability. All of these others Jesus passed by, He would heal only one, and this being one who did not seek Him, but what grace for Jesus sought Him.
And while still steeped in his superstition, Jesus commands the man against the mans wishes, for he actively desired the pool to heal him, to ‘rise, take up your bed and walk,’ and immediately the man was healed. A great work of grace and mercy came upon a man who had sought it not, who deserved none of this grace and mercy for he was a sinner, and yet he was healed - but do you know what day it was, it was the Sabbath.
Here we see a great miracle, surely a Divine attestation of Christ’s true identity, a revealing of His hidden glory. At the very least this man Jesus was endowed with Divine qualities, being able to heal in such a supernatural way, in such a way that God alone is able to heal. Clearly no mere mortal or man made pool could have healed this man.
Yet with such overwhelming evidence staring them in the face, the Jewish leaders don’t seem to be able to pick up even the scent of Divinity in this miracle, but only the whiff of a Sabbath breaker who must be brought to justice for His crime. These men offer up no praises to God for this man’s restored condition, there are no expressions of amazement at such a great healing - there are only the accusations of Sabbath Breaking flying from their lips.
‘The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk (Jn 5:10-12)?’
#1. A Controversy Precipitated
Why did Jesus heal this man on the Sabbath? Do you think it was an accident? Surely He knew what kind of hornets nest would be stirred up by this action on the Sabbath? After all Jesus knew the hearts of men, He ‘And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man (Jn 2:25).’ Yes, He knew full well what would happen, it was all part of the Divine plan.
Immediately following the healing ‘Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place (5:13).’ Could it be that Jesus wanted to avoid a confrontation? I don’t think that that was necessarily so, for it would seem that Jesus wanted to be known in this instance, for He deliberately sought out the man and identified Himself to him in the temple. It would seem that Jesus was very intent on being pointed out to the Jewish authorities as the One who healed this man on the Sabbath.
Why? In order that this wonderful revelation concerning Himself and the Father would be given. Not just for those people at that time, but for the church through all ages, that we might know exactly who this Jesus is that we are called to trust in.
What Jesus had in fact done by performing this miracle on the Sabbath, was to cause a controversy and set in motion events that would lead to a meeting with the Jewish leaders for the purpose of a more thorough self-revelation than the miracle itself provided. If there was only the miracle, perhaps the people would only see an opportunity for healing from physical disease, perhaps even the opportunity to throw off the Roman yoke and take Him by force to be king, but now there is a wonderful opportunity to reveal Himself to all as He really is that they might get to know Him in truth.
And this is the purpose of the Gospel of John itself, ‘that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (20:31).’ Here in this exchange you have a wonderful opportunity to get to know Jesus better, to understand more of who He is, and what that therefore means for your life. You can begin to grasp the wonder of Jesus, of His glory, and of His Majesty.
You can learn of the One in whom you trust more fully, of His wonderful and overwhelming glory, of what He gave up in order to become Man and purchase salvation for sinners. Here is your Saviour sinner, who He truly is, look on Him as He reveals Himself here. Praise the King of Glory, for He has come to you O Israel!
However, the Jewish leaders were unable to see this. They couldn’t help themselves, their Laws had been broken, therefore they must act. Whereas the Bible speaks of not doing one’s customary work or employment on the Sabbath (Ex 20:10; Neh 13:15-19; Jer 17:19-23), the Jews had made the Law to mean all manner of ridiculous things. In fact they had come up with 39 classes of work outlawed on the Sabbath, the 39th being the prohibition of carrying anything from your house to another place, except for compassionate reasons. In your own home you could not lift anything higher than your shoulder on the Sabbath.
So instead of coming to learn about the One who had performed what was so obviously a divine act, the Jewish leaders came along ready to pounce, and the poor man who had just been healed by Jesus is assailed by them. Overwhelmed by all the hostile attention of these people in authority he is quick to shift the blame onto Jesus, and the Jewish Leaders are quick to see the opportunity to jump on the one who incited such Law-breaking, and to strike at the root of the problem. So ‘And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day (5:16).’
The idea expressed in this verse is one of a continuing hostile reaction to Jesus. They were constantly moving against Him, planning and scheming some way to get rid of Him for good. This event marked the beginning of this persecution and opposition. They would not cease until they had Him where they wanted Him. There was a determination in these men to stop at nothing in order to destroy this Jesus.
What had He done? According to the Jewish leaders Jesus had broken the fourth commandment, and in particular their 39 prohibitions regarding the Sabbath. He had healed a man on the Sabbath who had been afflicted for 38 years, and as far as the Jewish leaders were concerned this was not on, therefore he had to be stopped. But not only did He do this, He also incited others to break the fourth commandment, for He had told this man to carry his bed. Surely Jesus had to be stopped!
#2. The Defence of Jesus
John records for us here Jesus’ first reply to those who opposed Him on account of His Sabbath work. This passage records the defence of Jesus, His own testimony regarding His right to work on the Sabbath.
‘But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work (5:17).’
What do we see in Jesus’ defence here? We see no earthly attempts to defend Himself, only the Divine slam-dunk as it were. What Jesus does is to pull out the big gun answer. There is no real explaining of Himself to these men at all. This is the answer that you would expect from God - ‘I don’t have to explain myself to you at all, you are the clay, I am the Potter. You are mere mortals, I am God.’ Do you see that in the answer, for that is in effect what the response of Jesus is, and rightly so. Who were these men that they should speak to Jesus as they did?
There are no attempts at self-justification in Jesus, only a simple identification of Himself alongside the Father. ‘God the Father works on the Sabbath, and so do I - the rules that apply to God apply also to Me, for He is My Father - Yes, I too am God!’
Jesus is saying that He has a special relationship with the Father that is uniquely His own, He is ‘My Father’ in a way that He is not yours. ‘Why should it be thought strange that I work on the Sabbath if My Father also works on the Sabbath - surely it is to be expected!’God had created the world in six days, and on the seventh He rested, but only from His creative work - His other work continued on. The work of God’s providence and His governing of the world continues on throughout human history, it doesn’t rest. God doesn’t stop every seven days from sending the rain, from feeding the creatures of the world, from giving men their breath, from spinning the earth on its axis, from maintaining the cycle of light and darkness, and from a host of other works - ‘Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust (Ps 104:29).’
How can God rest on the Sabbath? Who would keep the universe going? If He stopped it would all be over and fall apart. You would no longer have your breath and you would die.
As God continues on working in providence, maintaining and sustaining creation, so Jesus continues working right through the Sabbaths also, ‘upholding all things by the word of his power (Heb 1:3).’ ‘If the Father has a right to continue working, so do I,’ says Jesus. Whatever applies to the Father also applies to Jesus.
‘Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (5:18).’
Unlike the Jehovah’s Witnesses of our day, the Jews knew exactly what Jesus was getting at, He was ‘making Himself equal with God.’ This was clearly more serious than Sabbath breaking, for this was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders. But surely even the work of healing had made Jesus equal to God? These men were blind to all the evidence!
Though indeed Jesus was making Himself equal with God, the Jewish Leaders thought that this meant that Jesus was putting Himself up as another God, and they knew that this was not Scriptural. How can this man claim Divinity when Deuteronomy 6:4 plainly declares, ‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD’
Surely what Jesus was saying was impossible - how can there be two Gods? ‘He has to be guilty of blasphemy, for our minds cannot accept what He says.’ They never once considered that perhaps they never knew all there was to know about God.
‘Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea (Job 11:7-9).’
Didn’t the miraculous healing also point to Jesus being God? What arrogance it is for man to think that He has God all worked out according to his own thinking! To the Jews it was blasphemy, but we can see from Scripture that they misunderstood what Jesus was saying, for He was not saying that He was another God alongside the Father at all. Jesus was not saying that there was more than one God, only that there is more than One who is that God.
Do not be content with your own opinions, but satisfy yourself with what the Bible says. Sure, you may not understand all that you read in it, but it is far more stable ground upon which to stand then your own thinking and sentiment. Surely God can understand more than you, and His thoughts above your own - take what the Scriptures say, and lean not on your own understanding.
#3. The Father and Son - One.
‘Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise (5:19).’
Jesus recognized the hostility of the Jewish leaders to His claim of divinity, and quickly sought to assure them of the truthfulness of what He was saying. ‘I am not a rival God, but I am so united to the Father that what He does I also do.’ Jesus is not independent from the Father at all, as though He were some totally separate other, though He most certainly is distinct from the Father. There is a Unity, but also a distinction of Personality.
Jesus is seeking to point out to the Jewish leaders that their understanding of what God is like is wrong. They understood God to be One, and in one sense He most certainly is One - yet within this One Subsistence that we know as God, there are more than One. One God yes, but more than One within that God.
Existing within that One who is God is not only the Father, but another also, the Son. And though the passage does not deal with the Holy Spirit, we know He also is also present within the Godhead. The Son is One who is in subordination to the Father, doing ‘nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise (5:19).’
Jesus is not saying that He is lesser than the Father, but is rather stressing the unity that exists between He and the Father, for they work as One. He is not saying that the Son does not possess the same omnipotence and nature as the Father, for He does the works of God. There is however a subordination of function within the Godhead, whereby the roles that the Father and Son play are different, and this in part is what gives meaning to the Names of the Father and the Son.
Theology knows this as the Economic Trinity, and it is a vital part of who God is. Not only is this functional subordination a voluntary subordination, but it is also an expression of who God is, and of who the Son is. This is who God is essentially as part of His constitution and nature. The Father is always the One who leads, and the Son is always the one who responds. It is the way God has been, the way God is, and the way God will be for all eternity.
The Father is the One who initiates, who sends, who commands, and so on. The Son is the One who responds, who goes, who obeys, and so on. There is no lesser footing or nature for Jesus in this, only a difference in roles. They have the same nature being equally God, they have the same objective as each other, but they each play a different role in order to bring about that objective.
Whatever the Father does, so also does the Son in like manner. As God created the Universe, so also the Son created the Universe. As God continues working throughout history in maintaining and sustaining the Universe, so also the Son continues maintaining and sustaining the universe throughout history.
As the Father is God, so also is the Son. Whatever the Father does, so the Son also does, such is the Unity of God.
‘For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel (5:20).’
In this verse we see deeper into the relationship between the Father and the Son. Within this relationship that is unique to the Father and the Son we see the principle of love in action. Existing within the relationship of the Godhead is the bond of love, and it is love that unites the Father and Son together in this relationship of equality, unity, and functional subordination.
It is because the Father loves the Son that He shows Him all His plans and decrees, and keeps nothing back from the Son. It is not because the Father is greater than the Son that the Father plans and decrees and the Son responds and obeys, but because of the bond of love. And it is because of love that the Son continues in His role of functional subordination, fulfilling the plans and decrees of God. Because the Son is God He is able to actually fulfil His role of subordination within the Godhead, and carry out the plan of God.
How does God show His love for the Son? He does so by revealing His plans, by commanding the Son, by showing the Son, by sending the Son, and so on. How does the Son demonstrate His love for the Father? By agreeing to fulfil the will of the Father, by obeying the Father, by going when the Father sends Him - by doing ‘he Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do (5:19).’ As Jesus said when at the well in John 4:34, ‘My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’
Do you understand the relevance of this to your situation? Maybe you think that this is something for theologians alone and something you don’t need to look into - but you would be wrong.
Without this relationship existing within the Trinity there would be no salvation for you. Without the Father’s plan of salvation for lost humanity and the Son’s willingness to follow that plan to the letter, you would perish in your sins. It is because of the relationship that exists within the Trinity that sinners can be saved in Christ.
Christian you are saved because the Son loves the Father, because His relationship to the Father is one of functional subordination, and because He in love obeyed and fulfilled the Father’s plan of salvation. You would be damned for all eternity without this relationship existing within the Trinity, never forget it. Thank God for it, not just the Son, but the Father also.
Here also you have an example of the sort of love that should exist between you, the child of God, and God. God expresses His love for you by revealing His ways to you in His Word, and you are to express your love for Him through obeying, through following, through serving, and so on.
The example of the relationship between the Father and the Son, and the Son and the Father, stands as the standard or example that we are to follow in our relationship with God. But more than this, surely it is the standard and example for all our relationships, whether it be between parent and child, pastor and flock, and so on.
The expression of love for one is to lead, teach, command, send, and so on, and for the other party it is to follow, learn, obey, go, and so on. Surely there is much to be learnt from the relationship that exists within the Godhead, and the understanding of this relationship is not just the realm of theologians but is the realm of Christians in general.
By healing this man on the Sabbath then, and commanding that He take up his bed and walk, the Son was simply doing what was His role to do, fulfilling the Father’s will. This was something that was simply a small part of His role, there would yet be much greater demonstrations of His Divinity and Sonship that the Son would fulfil in His role of subordination to the Father’s will that would amaze Jesus’ accusers of blasphemy - and it is to these that we will turn our attention next week.
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