John 5
From John's Journal
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| Photo by Mary Vee Jerusalem |
We just left the pool of Bethesda and walked toward the temple. This is the Sabbath. A day when so much is forbidden. I say this because none of this would have happened on another day.
Who dictates what is forbidden on the Sabbath? Mostly the priests, pharisees, and Rabbis.
Scriptures tell us to rest and remember this day or set aside our regular routine and treat this day special, one to honor God. The leaders of the temple have made the requirements for what is acceptable to do on this day ridiculous. To disagree with them is to make them angry and we don't want to make them angry, they get mean.
Jesus, only moments ago healed a man who hadn't been able to walk for thirty-eight years. Jesus told him he should pick up his mat, which meant he wouldn't have to come sit by this healing pool anymore, and walk, which meant he could work and care for himself.
The leaders who saw the man carrying the mat questioned him, asking who told him to carry his mat. I have a sneaky feeling they didn't even notice this man could walk, or realize Jesus had healed this man. The leaders searched for Jesus ready to accuse him of violating the Sabbath.
They stopped Jesus in a court and said, "What right have you to tell that man he could carry anything on the Sabbath? This violates the Sabbath laws."
Now, most people would step back, maybe look at the ground when these leaders yelled and accused them of violating the law. Not Jesus. He looked them square in the eyes and said, "My Father is always at work, even to this day, so I am working, too."
The leader's faces turned red. Their eyes narrowed. They talked among each other and weren't quiet about it at all. They discussed ways to officially accuse Jesus of what he did and get rid of him. "He isn't just breaking the sacred laws for the Sabbath, he says God is his father, you know what that means. He thinks he is equal to God."
"Blasphemy," another one said.
They hadn't spoken directly to Jesus, but we all heard them.
Jesus said, "The truth is this, everything the Son does is because he sees his Father do them. The Father loves the Son and doesn't hide anything from him. And the things you haven't seen yet will be beyond your understanding. You will be amazed. See, the Father can give life to the dead. The Son also gives life to whomever he chooses.
"The Father doesn't judge, instead he has given all judgement to the Son. The reason he has done this is to bring honor to the Son just as honor is given to the Father. So, anyone who doesn't honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him.
"I'm speaking the truth. Eternal life belongs to whoever listens to what I say and believes in the One who sent Me. These are the ones who have nothing to fear judgement because they have crossed over from being dead to being alive.
"I'm telling the truth. A day is coming, in fact it is here, when the voice of the living Son of God will crack open death's dominion and those who hear will live. See, the Father radiates life and energizes the Son of God with the same life giving power to judge all creation.
"Don't be amazed at this because there is coming a time when all who are buried and have lived long ago will hear his voice and rise up. Those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will be raised up and sent to their punishment."
The conversation didn't end here. And the debate was interesting, especially hearing Jesus outwit the Pharisees.
I'll tell you more about that next time.
Come back to read the next story.
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sources:
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version.
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version.
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
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