Classic Christianity – Book of John Part 20 (05-14-19)
Bob continues sharing from John 4 and John 5. In John 4, we read about Jesus healing a Father’s son. His father came to Jesus begging him to heal his son, having heard all that Jesus did, knowing of his healing power. In John 5, we read about a man who was disabled for 38 years, in a state of self pity, and was asked by Jesus if he wanted to get well.
Bob explains the more important reason Jesus came. He came to heal the person, spiritual healing, as of utmost importance. Even in today’s world, so many people are infatuated with signs and wonders and healing. Do you want to get well or would you rather remain in your condition? Do you come to Jesus for signs and wonders or do you come to Jesus by faith in what he accomplished for you at the cross? He came to rise again from the dead in order to give new spiritual life to you. Do you recognize your state of spiritual death? Do you know that the only available life for you is in Jesus Christ? Are you in Christ Jesus?
Bob then continues to elaborate more in regard to the question Jesus asked, “Do you want to get well?” Every person has to answer this question in their own hearts. Do you really want to get well? Bob then contrasts people blind by religion with those who came to place their trust in Christ. Bob also explains how religion blinds people from receiving truth and receiving new life. Religion also hinders others from receiving truth that they may have walk in truth and freedom. Jesus came to expose your sinful condition or behavior so he can ask the question, “Do you want to get well?” If the answer is yes, then you can be made well. You can walk in the newness of life. The choice is yours.
People have problems with temper, with bad responses. So you ask, “Do you want that changed”? “No, not really, it feels good to rip somebody off.” “Probably does, but do you want to get well?” Do you want to get the heart of Christ in you? Do you want information in you to set you free? Do you want to get well?
James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
Romans 8:11
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
James 1:19-20
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Do you ever have kids who woke up grumpy? But they never succeeded in that. Children would get up grumpy. Amy said, “You are not going to wake up grumpy.” Kid said, “Yes I am.” Amy said, “No, you are not”. You do not have to wake up grumpy. Do you want to wake up with an attitude of gratitude? Do you want to get well?
Colossians 3:15-17
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
You say, “I like to get depressed”. You do not have to stay depressed. That depends on whether you want to think depressing thoughts and be miserable or whether you want to think upon things, as the bible says, that are pure and good and holy and be joyful. Do you want to get well or do you want to stay grumpy?
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Do you want to be a control freak? Do you want to do things your own way? Do you say, “I am not interested in serving. I want to get my own way.”
Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Philippians 2:5-7
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Mark 9:34-35
34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Do you want to get well?
Do you want to serve people or do you want to get from others? Do you want your own way? Someone says, “No, I do not want to serve. I want to get my own way.” You reply, “If you do, it does not lead to a happy relationship.” Do you want to get well?
Jesus, at the center of marriage, is the key to marriage. It is not that I want my way and she wants her way, but we want His way. If we each want our own way that is head knocking but we want his way. So our minds go to Him and His way instead of “my will be done”. Do you want to get well? God can change that if you let him. Thy will be done. Let us go to Him and His will instead of “my will be done”.
Matthew 26:41-42
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
Hebrews 12:4-5
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
That question, “”Do you want to get well?”, is a very important question when we found ourselves trapped in a mindset that we do not want to be in. Do I want to get well? At times, our answer is “I do not want to live this lifestyle. I want to have my own way.” And if you decide to do so, there are repercussions. You reap what you sow.
Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows
Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Bob now continues reading from John 5, commenting as he reads.
John 5:7
7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
The invalid said that whenever he wants to get in the pool someone else goes on ahead of him and he never gets a chance to get in the pool.
As it would happen traditionally, the first person who gets in the pool, God would heal him. So you can see that when the man is trying to get into the pool, nine other people get in ahead of him. The man is having a pity party beyond measure. He is saying, in pity, “There is always somebody getting in ahead of me”. Tradition is that when the water gets stirred, the first person in gets healed. Jesus ignores talking about the pool.
John 5:8
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
He just told him to get up, pick up your mat and walk. At once, he did what he was told and was instantly healed.
John 5:9
the day on which this took place was a Sabbath
Jesus did this on the Sabbath. Do you not think that Jesus knew what the Pharisees would react? Jesus knew that was quite possible he would get in trouble by healing this man on the Sabbath. Remember you cannot push an elevator button in Israel today on the Sabbath. If you push the button on the Sabbath that is considered work.
John 5:10
10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
The Jewish leaders said to the man who was healed, “It is the Sabbath; God forbid you heal on the Sabbath”. These men knew he was an invalid for 38 years. That is a long sit. They knew he was invalid. They knew he could not walk. What are they griping about? You are picking up your mat on the Sabbath.” They do not care if he was healed. All they are concerned about is that he picked up his mat. That is how stupid religion is.
John 5:11
11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
Would that not be a natural answer? I was an invalid. This guy who healed me told me to get up and walk, so I did. What was I to do?
John 5:12
12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
The Jews asked, “Who is the person who told you this? Who told you that you could work on the Sabbath?”
John 5:13-14
13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
Jesus found him and told him he was well. He told him to quit sinning. Quit remaining in your unbelief. The world’s sin is unbelief in Jesus (John 16:9).
John 5:15
15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
The man went away and told them Jesus made him well. Jesus just made the man well after 38 years being an invalid. He told him to pick up his mat and walk and the leadership got mad. The leaders demanded, “Who is this man?” He replied, “I don’t know who he was?”
Why do you suppose Jesus found him?
He said to this man. “See, you are well again, stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
What is sin in the bible? Unbelief.
John 16:9
9 The world’s sin is unbelief in me
Romans 14:23
everything that does not come from faith is sin
John 5:15
15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Stop living in your unbelief! Stop listening to what these religious leaders are telling you! Stop being fearful of them and start learning to trust me! What did he do? He went away and immediately went to the Jews to identify the one who made him well. He told the Jews that this man Jesus is the one who healed him. He essentially believed God and said, “He just made me well and I am going to tell on him.”
John 5:16-17
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
Would that have been good news to the Sabbath keepers?
The Jewish leaders are besides themselves, “What are you talking about that your Father is at work on the Sabbath and you too are working on the Sabbath? Who do you think you are?”
John 5:18a
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;
Why? Because he healed a cripple on the Sabbath and told him to pick up his mat and walk. Well, how is that worthy of death? This is how ridiculous this is. It is like saying, “It is okay to kill you on the Sabbath just do not pick up your mat before you do it”. There is nothing more stupid than religion! People are all wrapped up in their religion. Someone once said, “There is nothing more ridiculous in the world than a small package that covers people who are all wrapped up in themselves”. So religious people are all wrapped in themselves, in everything, except truth.
John 5:18b
not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Was he breaking the Sabbath because he healed somebody? No, but to them he was.
There was a law that said you cannot spit on the ground on the Sabbath because spitting on the ground makes mud, and that is constituted as work. So if you are going to spit, spit on a rock, but do not spit on the ground. That is how nit-picky this got.
Recall the story when Jesus healed a blind man by spitting on the ground, making mud, and then putting mud on his eyes.
John 9:14-16
14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
What did he do? He spit and then he got down and made the mud. Did he have to do that to heal the man? Absolutely not. Why did do it? To drive them nuts. So he is driving them nuts here too.
The Jewish leaders were so upset that Jesus was calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal with God. This ties into the gospel of John, the declaration what these people were hearing what Jesus was saying about himself, that he is equal with God. If you are equal with God, then what are you? God. People cannot understand that truth. They do not want to understand that truth. They do not know that God is Spirit.
John 4:24
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Truth about what? Who he is. What he is. What he came to do. All of those things about God. Do not put flesh and blood on God. The only face that we have ever had on God is the face of Christ Jesus.
