Like Father, Like Son

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

John 5:16-30

S: Deity

Th: Jesus as He is

Pr: JESUS IS GOD.

?: How? How is it made known?

KW: Claims

TS: We will find in John 5:16-30 three claims Jesus made to establish His equality with God.

The _____ claim Jesus made is that He is the…

I. SON (16-20)

II. SAVIOR (21-24)

III. SEPARATOR (25-30)

RMBC 17 March 02 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL camper

In the mountains of the Northwest, a man was sitting beside a campfire while he roasted some kind of bird over the fire with eager anticipation. About this time, a forest ranger came upon the camp and asked the camper what he was preparing for dinner. The camper replied that it was a seagull. A frown came over the ranger’s face as he informed this fellow that it was against the law to kill that particular bird, and that he would have to give him a citation.

The camper responded by telling the ranger how he had lost his way and had consumed all of his food. In desperation, he had managed to kill this seagull to maintain his strength. After listening sympathetically, the forest ranger told the fellow he would let him go this time with just a warning, and the camper thanked the ranger profusely. Just as the ranger was about to leave, he asked the camper, "Just out of curiosity, what does seagull taste like?" Thinking for a moment, the camper responded, "Well, I would place it somewhere between a spotted owl and a bald eagle."

Have you ever discovered it is often better to say less?

Well, this was certainly true for this man!

The same also might be said of the text we are studying today.

We might be tempted to think that it would have been better for Jesus to say less rather than more.

But Jesus does not hold back.

TRANSITION:

First, let us remember our context.

Last week, we considered the story of the healing of the invalid who had been sitting by the pool of Bethesda, hoping to be healed.

He had been an invalid for 38 years and Jesus asks Him if he wants to be well.

After he explains his situation, Jesus commands him to get up, take up his bed and walk.

And the man does.

1. Context: In healing the invalid, Jesus demonstrated His desire to give wholeness.

Jesus was interested in providing physical wholeness.

Even more importantly though, He desired to give him spiritual wholeness as well.

But there was a problem.

The Jewish leaders were not happy with Jesus, because…

2. Controversy: Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

Jesus has quickly become a thorn in the flesh to the Jewish leaders.

To them, He is a renegade that does not conform to the status quo.

The matter that strikes me in this passage is that if Jesus is trying to avoid confrontation, He sure is doing a lousy job.

The fact of the matter, though, is that…

3. Jesus does not avoid the truth.

He will not try to get along with the Jewish leaders if it means compromising truth.

He is going to say who He is and they either need to embrace Him or reject Him.

It is meant to be that simple.

He lays it out very simply.

He is God.

4. JESUS IS GOD.

So…

5. We will find in John 5:16-30 three claims Jesus made to establish His equality with God.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first claim Jesus made is that He is the SON (16-20).

[16] And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. [17] But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” [18] This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. [19] So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.”

1. Just as the Father continually works for that which is good, so does Jesus.

Have you ever stopped to consider what would happen if God would suddenly stop working?

God is constantly at work.

It is because of Him we breathe.

It is because of Him that the universe continues to exist.

It is because of Him that the creation is continually sustained.

God never stops doing that which is good.