How Do You Respond to Jesus? John 5:16–47 :Daily Devotional, Daily Bible Study

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spk_0 Hey friends, I'm Rachel Gull and I'm your host for the Hearing Jesus podcast, where I

spk_0 help you to know God and to make him known.

spk_0 Have you ever heard the phrase border bullies?

spk_0 It's a phrase that a pastor I knew used to use, where essentially described those times

spk_0 when you are doing what God has called you to do and the people around you misunderstand

spk_0 you and even question you.

spk_0 They question your motives or they criticize the way that you're doing it and they try

spk_0 to shut you down.

spk_0 He called those people border bullies.

spk_0 And if that's ever been your experience, then this next part of John's Gospel might

spk_0 feel a little familiar.

spk_0 Today, we're going to hear what happened after Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda

spk_0 and how that one moment stirred up not just amazement in what happened, but also opposition.

spk_0 And so it wasn't just about a healing.

spk_0 We recognize that it now becomes about authority and when it truly means to listen to God's

spk_0 voice, even when there are border bullies.

spk_0 And so I'm reading today from John chapter 5, we're finishing out the chapter verses 16 through 47.

spk_0 So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to

spk_0 persecute him.

spk_0 In his defense, Jesus said to them, my father is always at work to this very day, and I too

spk_0 am working.

spk_0 For this reason, they tried all the more to kill him.

spk_0 Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making

spk_0 himself equal with God.

spk_0 Jesus gave him this answer very truly.

spk_0 I tell you, the son can do nothing by himself.

spk_0 He can only do what he sees his father doing because whatever the father does, the son

spk_0 also does.

spk_0 For the father loves the son and shows him all he does.

spk_0 Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these so that you will be amazes.

spk_0 For just as the father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the son gives life

spk_0 to whom he is pleased to give it.

spk_0 Moreover, the father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son, that all

spk_0 may honor the son just as they honor the father.

spk_0 Whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him.

spk_0 Very truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal

spk_0 life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

spk_0 Very truly, I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice

spk_0 of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

spk_0 For as the father has life in himself, so he has granted the son also to have life in

spk_0 himself, and he has given authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

spk_0 Do not be amazes of this for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear

spk_0 his voice and come out.

spk_0 Those who have done what is good will rise to live and those who have done what is evil

spk_0 will rise to be condemned.

spk_0 By myself I can do nothing.

spk_0 I judge only as I hear and my judgment is just.

spk_0 For I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

spk_0 If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.

spk_0 There is another who testifies in my honor and I know that his testimony about me is true.

spk_0 You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.

spk_0 Not that I accept human testimony but I mention it that you may be saved.

spk_0 John was a lamb that burned and gave light and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

spk_0 I have a testimony way to you than that of John, for the works that the father has given

spk_0 me to finish, the very works that I am doing, testify that the father has sent me.

spk_0 And the father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.

spk_0 You have never heard his voice nor seen his form nor does his word dwell in you for you

spk_0 do not believe the one he sent.

spk_0 You study the scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.

spk_0 These are the very scriptures that testify about me yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

spk_0 I do not accept glory from human beings but I know you.

spk_0 I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

spk_0 I have come in my father's name and you do not accept me but if someone else comes in his own name,

spk_0 you will accept him.

spk_0 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from only God?

spk_0 But do not think I will accuse you before the father.

spk_0 Your accuser is Moses on whom your hopes are set.

spk_0 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

spk_0 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?

spk_0 This scene picks up after Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda and things quickly escalate.

spk_0 The religious leaders begin to literally persecute Jesus not because the man was healed

spk_0 but because the healing took place on the Sabbath.

spk_0 And so again, they have this rigid interpretation of the law

spk_0 that performing work, including healing, was considered a violation of his side with commandment.

spk_0 Never mind the fact that God is the one who heals.

spk_0 They completely forget that part.

spk_0 This was more than just this minor disagreement.

spk_0 The Pharisees, the religious leaders who held the authority were enforcing the traditions of man.

spk_0 Their obsession with rules and control

spk_0 lined them to the heart of who God was and what he wanted to do.

spk_0 The Greek word that's used there for persecuting.

spk_0 It actually shows that their opposition was ongoing and that they were deliberate and persistent.

spk_0 They had targeted Jesus now.

spk_0 And so John is painting this picture here that there's this growing tension between Jesus

spk_0 and the religious establishment.

spk_0 It's a sign that God's kingdom is moving into the spaces that the leaders cannot control.

spk_0 And so Jesus responds with this statement that would have shocked them.

spk_0 He said, my father is working until now and I myself am working.

spk_0 And so that kind of sounds simple to us, but there's a lot of layers there

spk_0 in the Jewish way of thinking.

spk_0 Even on the Sabbath, their expectation would be that God himself

spk_0 would never cease his work because he continues to sustain the universe and to keep creation alive

spk_0 and to accomplish the things that he's going to accomplish because he's God.

spk_0 And so by claiming that his own actions mirror the work of the Father,

spk_0 Jesus is aligning himself with this authority of God, this divine authority.

spk_0 He's essentially saying, I operate in perfect unity with God because my work is not my work alone.

spk_0 It's the Father's work that he's doing through me.

spk_0 It reveals this intimacy with God that is deep and relational.

spk_0 And it's this idea that everything that the Son does, he shares with the Father,

spk_0 everything that the Father does, he shares with the Son.

spk_0 That the authority that is over Jesus is the Father.

spk_0 Everything that Jesus does is an expression of God's heart.

spk_0 As of the religious leaders, they are outraged.

spk_0 The fact that he's aligning himself with God the Father,

spk_0 they're so outraged that they want to kill him.

spk_0 Because from their perspective, Jesus is committing two offenses.

spk_0 First, he broke the Sabbath.

spk_0 So according to their interpretation of the law, he's in violation of the Sabbath.

spk_0 Second, by calling God his Father, he's claiming this unique divine relationship with God.

spk_0 And they viewed that as blasphemy.

spk_0 And so in the cultural context, the historical context of the time,

spk_0 remember, we're talking first century Judaism.

spk_0 That was huge.

spk_0 Calling God his Father in such a personal way had this implication that he was

spk_0 qualifying himself to be equal with God, which, if untrue,

spk_0 that was a capital offense under the Levitical Law, meaning they could kill him for that.

spk_0 And so John wants us to see that those leaders were seeing all of that as rebellion.

spk_0 But actually, it was revelation.

spk_0 Jesus was revealing himself to the religious leaders as the Son of God.

spk_0 He was not just another rabbi, he was not just a prophet, he was the Son of God.

spk_0 He was fully divine and fully human.

spk_0 And he was revealing the fact that God's kingdom was happening.

spk_0 He was part of the action of God's kingdom.

spk_0 And Jesus doubles down on this.

spk_0 In verse 19, he explains that the relationship between the Father and the Son is unique.

spk_0 He says, the Son can do nothing of himself.

spk_0 Unless it is something he sees the Father doing.

spk_0 For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way.

spk_0 And so he's basically saying that he doesn't act independently, he's not being selfish.

spk_0 He's doing what the Father wants him to do.

spk_0 He's reflecting the will of the Father.

spk_0 And that's critical because he is fully submitted to Father God.

spk_0 But he is also fully equal to Father God.

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spk_0 And so his obedience is the source of his power and his authority.

spk_0 Verse 21, he takes the stakes even higher.

spk_0 He says, for just as a father raises the dead and gives him life.

spk_0 So the son also gives life to whom he wishes.

spk_0 And so in Jewish theology at the time, giving life,

spk_0 especially resurrection life, was something that only God can do.

spk_0 I mean, it's still something only God can do, but he did it through Jesus.

spk_0 From their perspective, for Jesus to claim that he has this ability to resurrect,

spk_0 to bring people back to life,

spk_0 he isn't just healing people and restoring them to health.

spk_0 He's revealing that he is on this divine assignment from God,

spk_0 to grant both physical life and spiritual life, eternal life, life in the kingdom.

spk_0 And so Jesus continues and he emphasizes two things, both judgment and authority.

spk_0 He says, for not even the father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the son,

spk_0 so that all will honor the son just as they honor the father.

spk_0 Again, so don't miss this.

spk_0 This was a radical claim for that.

spk_0 Honor and worship and ultimately authority,

spk_0 Jesus is saying belong to him in the same way they belong to God the father.

spk_0 There's no lesser honor for Jesus than there is for God because he is God.

spk_0 And so he's trying to explain to them to reject Jesus is the same thing as rejecting God.

spk_0 That whole truth today,

spk_0 to reject Jesus is to reject God.

spk_0 And so for the Pharisees hearing that, it would have seemed scandalous.

spk_0 But Jesus is connecting himself to eternal life.

spk_0 He says, truly, I say to you, the one who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life,

spk_0 and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life.

spk_0 Believe in Jesus is not just in the mind, it's relationship, and they're literally staring in the face.

spk_0 They're literally seeing God in the flesh.

spk_0 And they are so caught up in what they think is true, their interpretation of the law,

spk_0 that they are missing the fulfillment of the law.

spk_0 And so Jesus goes on and he says, a time is coming and it's already here, it's right now,

spk_0 when the dead will hear his voice and live.

spk_0 And so he's talking about people that are spiritually dead, like these guys.

spk_0 And we see that the people around him, the disciples and the people that were following Jesus,

spk_0 they respond to that message and they are literally coming alive spiritually.

spk_0 But then physically, there's this promise of resurrection.

spk_0 Jesus is speaking about what's getting ready to happen.

spk_0 He has been given authority to be the one to execute judgment.

spk_0 He's talking about his authority as God.

spk_0 And it ticks them off. They refuse to accept it.

spk_0 And you know, the reality is, as there are people now that still refuse to accept it.

spk_0 When Jesus talks about the resurrection in this passage,

spk_0 he's not just talking in theory about something that's going to happen far off.

spk_0 He's talking about what it means to live and response to who he is right now.

spk_0 There's this tension between the future promise of resurrection and the present call to live

spk_0 in a way that reflects God's heart.

spk_0 This idea that everyone who has ever lived will one day hear his voice,

spk_0 even people that are dead.

spk_0 That should be enough for us to stop and say, wait a minute.

spk_0 What does that actually mean?

spk_0 Remember, Jesus is not just a prophet or like a teacher or a regular rabbi.

spk_0 He is the one that holds authority over life and death.

spk_0 He is the one that holds that power.

spk_0 And so when we know the heart of God, when we know the heart of Jesus,

spk_0 the heart that's for healing and restoration, that's comforting, but they were not comforted by that.

spk_0 Now, there will be a resurrection for everyone, but not everyone is going to experience it the

spk_0 same way. For those of us that have made the decision to believe Jesus and to follow him,

spk_0 the time of resurrection will be into eternal life.

spk_0 For people that have rejected him, that resurrection will be into judgment.

spk_0 Now, I realize that that feels heavy, but I just want to remind you that the justice of God is real.

spk_0 He sees what's done in the dark. He sees what's been hidden.

spk_0 He sees the things that you hide from everyone else. Nothing escapes his notice.

spk_0 But here's the part that brings hope.

spk_0 Jesus is not looking for perfection. He's looking for hearts that turn toward him.

spk_0 You know, it's not like a list of good deeds get us into heaven.

spk_0 I think a lot of people think that some of our political leaders have said as much.

spk_0 Good deeds should be a natural overflow of a heart and a life that is rooted in love for Jesus.

spk_0 We serve other people as an overflow of that love. When we know him and we are known by him,

spk_0 our lives begin to reflect that relationship in the way that we treat others and the way that we

spk_0 serve others. But that's not what gets us into heaven. What gets us into heaven is belief in the

spk_0 Lord Jesus Christ. And so I think the question that I would ask you is how are you responding

spk_0 to the voice of Jesus in your life? When he tells you something, are you allowing his words

spk_0 to shape the way that you live and the way that you move throughout the world?

spk_0 Because he's not just telling us about one day in the future, this future resurrection,

spk_0 he's telling us that we can have restoration in our lives now. And how we respond today is going

spk_0 to make an impact for all of eternity. Where are you going to go when the time comes for your

spk_0 resurrection? You're going to experience resurrection. You're either going to go to eternal life in

spk_0 heaven or you're going to go to eternal judgment and hell. The choice has to be made today.

spk_0 And I would challenge you, not even just we're in a season of decision, you need to make a decision

spk_0 today. Because we don't know what tomorrow holds. We don't know what this afternoon holds.

spk_0 We need to make a decision today.

spk_0 Let's pray. Jesus, we are in awe of your power. But even the grave responds when you speak.

spk_0 Lord, I thank you for the promise of resurrection that we can have hope because of the eternal life

spk_0 that will be with you. But Lord, we also recognize that you bring justice.

spk_0 And you know what we confess that sometimes we live like this world as all there is. And we forget

spk_0 that our choices today will impact eternity. Or would you help us to live today in light

spk_0 of what's to come? Or would you shape our hearts so that our actions reflect who you are and

spk_0 your goodness and your truth? Or would you teach us to listen for your voice and follow you?

spk_0 Lord, thank you that we don't have to fear judgment.

spk_0 If we believe in you, but Lord, I thank you that you are both righteous and merciful.

spk_0 Lord, for my friends that are listening, I pray that you would move upon their hearts

spk_0 to trust you, to believe in you. Lord, help us to live lives that honor you. Amen.

spk_0 Friends of today's episode, impacted you, I would ask that you would just right now text it to a friend.

spk_0 If you're thinking about how to respond to the voice of Jesus today,

spk_0 and how that shapes your life and your eternity, I want to invite you to go deeper. My book,

spk_0 Knowing God's Voice walks through scripture in a way that helps you not only hear him,

spk_0 but respond to him. It has practical guidance and testimonies and encouragement to help you

spk_0 live a life that is fully aligned with what God is saying. You can pick up your copy today anywhere

spk_0 books are sold. It will help you recognize his voice and walk in his will. Thanks for listening,

spk_0 friends. The Hearing Jesus Podcast is so excited to partner with Compassion International. We

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How Do You Respond to Jesus? John 5:16–47 :Daily Devotional, Daily Bible Study

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