Much argument today is made about whether religion is helpful or harmful for society.
Of course much of the discussion hinges on what we mean by religion.
It‟s a topic that many of us could really go off on. But if I had to sum up what I see it would be this: whenever religion is infused with independence, power, and control… it becomes ultimate evil… but when it leads into the way of submission, sacrifice, and service… it bears the ultimate goodness of God.
As we continue in our series, a Journey with Jesus through the Gospel of John, we come to a great divide between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day.
Last week… Jesus comes to a man who had been crippled for 38 years… waiting with hopes to get healed…and he heals him. Those who served as religious leaders were so excited… a miracle of mercy… a sign of the Kingdom… no… they said nothing to the man about being glad for him… they just wanted to know who did it… because it was the Sabbath and he should not have gotten up and carried his mat. Today we take up what flows from this point of tension…
John 5:16-30 (NIV) 16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
What is described here is the intensity of conflict that lies between Jesus and the religious leaders.
He had broken a rule they had about how the Sabbath was to be kept…. and he did so with the authority that transcended that of any human religious ruler. So John describes that they persecuted him.
> Their posture sets off something in Jesus… something needed to be set straight.
Up until now, Jesus had certainly confronted them… the whole religious system… but limited declaring his divine role. What brings out this strong response with such a clear profession?
> They had marred the goodness and glory of his Father.
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The healing and wholeness of a crippled man… was dismissed… even deemed wrong.
Their actions towards the crippled man and now Jesus seem ridiculous…yet
So much is done in the name of Christ and God – Wars, Slavery, Holocaust, Sexual exploitations
So he confronts them straight on about who is doing the will of the Father.
And in doing so he declares that he was the one serving the Father…‟HIS Father.‟The Jews had sometimes referred to God as their Father… but only meaning he was the Father of their nation… Jesus described something quite different… a unique and personal father – son partnership.
Verse 18 – „For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.‟
> „They wanted to kill him all the more.‟
It‟s important to understand this point of intense confrontation …
First because it declares so clearly the nature of Jesus as equal with God. It has become popular to try and re-cast Jesus as a good moral teacher… but it simply bears no basis in the reality of what we know. Here we are reminded again of WHY he was crucified… not because someone came to believe he was the son of God… but because HE CAME AS THE MESSIAH WHO WAS THE SON AND CLAIMED IT.
Secondly, it‟s important to understand this because this opposition becomes an increasing part of what surrounds Jesus‟ ministry as we will see as we continue to engage John‟s testimony in this Gospel.
And finally, it‟s important because that same spirit will come into opposition to Jesus wherever it lies… even in us.
What‟s at the root of such opposition… such a desire to get rid of Jesus? Was is simply because he just healed one of those crippled their whole life? Certainly such a lack of care for the man was a symptom of the problem. Jesus would later have to set right that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. Because he had broken one of their rules? Perhaps in part… but why was he SO dangerous to them?
> Because he exposed what they lacked… their lack of goodness (righteousness, compassion, etc) and their lack of true authority.
If he is the Messiah… they lose their authority to rule… WE lose our authority to rule.
They are accusing him of blasphemy… claiming to be of God… and what they are confronted with is that they are the ones who have just claimed to represent God when in fact they are completely in opposition to what He is really doing… and what really pleases God.
More than family pride at stake… the whole of mercy for the human race is at stake… if they can dismiss mercy with self serving rules… use religion to undermine relationship.
So here Jesus stakes his full identity into the hard ground… that HE represents the Father… HIS father.
Jesus is not simply defending himself but defending what he bears of the Father.
People often talk about how a son is a „spitting image of their father‟… or “just a chip off the old block” or “like father, like son.”. (Joke: Saying that to a teenager may not be appreciated. I know my boys seem to becoming blind at how cool I am.)
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Our human nature is to value our individuality. We want to be our own person, and not be compared to our parents, even if they are good people.Jesus didn‟t think that way. Instead of distancing himself from his Father, he goes out of his way to stress the close relationship that he has with God the Father. (Thought drew from Peter Schmidt)
Now Jesus sets the reality straight.
He describes the intimate interplay between Father and Son. There are four aspects that we can discover…
1. Jesus flows with the eternal work of the Father
The religious leaders had become like „independent contractors‟ to what they thought was the work of God. Independent contractors are not dependent on the entity they provide services for. In contrast, Jesus is declaring he doesn‟t do anything except what the Father is doing… and is totally dependent.
When we become religious in the negative sense… we tend to become independent. We fulfill duties and provide services but in a way that becomes disconnected and independent from God.
Jesus leads us into the life of a dependent working partnership.
This reflects a value that we have held as a Vineyard movement. We don‟t just sit back as spectators… nor do we try to stir up our own form of experience. We seek to see and hear what God is doing and join it.
It‟s vital to understand that Jesus is describing a working relationship.
> It‟s a working relationship To experience God, we need to work with him. Have you ever thought. God must be behind that? If you have, did you help him out? If you see God working in someone‟s life, work with him. Encourage that person. Help them grow closer to God. If you feel that God is really doing something in a certain ministry, work with him. See what God is doing and work with him. If you see God comforting someone who is hurting, work with him and give comfort. If you see God convicting someone of their need of Jesus Christ, work with him and witness to that person. If you see someone growing in their faith, tell them you‟ve noticed and encourage them. Wherever and whenever you see God working, jump right in and work with him! That is what Teamwork is all about. That is how you experience God. We experience bonds not merely through words and touch… but working together.
The greatest bond… intimacy I have developed in life… was never developed in a setting of merely talking and sharing… it has come with those I have worked with. It wasn‟t with my college classmates… but my college roommates who shared in taking people in off the streets. I love all I have had the privilege of talking with… but the deeper connection is felt with those who I have shared in some sort of redeeming venture whether serving others or praying for others.
God is the same way. You will never know him like many people do if you do not work with him. Spend time working with him, seeing that his will is accomplished in your life and the lives of others. It will change the way you think about God, because you will experience him in your life.
Jesus said his Father was „always at work.‟
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This is a rather provocative statement… not so much because we don‟t believe it… but because we don‟t live in the reality of it.
Many of us may feel that God does not seem to be working at all. We sort of feel out of touch… like God is no where. Such a feeling is very real and I don‟t want to be simplistic about what it feels like.
However I do think it is helpful to consider that our perceptions about the activity of God is about our perceptions…what we FEEL. It may say more about our feelings and perceptions than the reality around us.
I have found that when I feel detached from God, it is often related to having become anxious or self focused… there is downwardness… and darkness…and my perceptions are defined more by an inward state than reality.
The other day I walked outside in the midst of reading these words… and I saw life all around me… the sun the birds the elements that God is at work both to sustain but also redeem life.
Someone has noted that the difference between perceiving that
“God is nowhere.”… and “God is now here.”… is just that simple movement of space that changes everything. Just as the same set of letters can declare two opposite perceptions based on a slight shift… so it is that sometime the same elements of life around us can be perceived in very different ways by a slight but significant shift in perspective.
Jesus lived in the reality that God is „now here.‟
This does not mean that our individual human bound lives are involved in everything he does but that there is plenty of work to join him in.
God‟s purposes are alive and in movement.
2. Jesus shares in the eternal honor of the Father
Verse 22 – „Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
The religious leaders were claiming to honor God… while dishonoring the Son... when what Jesus was doing as the Son was exactly what the Father was doing.
This is vital to grasp… because we can have a tendency to create two different natures… the nature of God we associate with the Old Testament… Creator – creates and gives life, judges, who we are told should be honored,,, and Jesus who is intimate and sacrificial.
Today this can become a two sided problem. There are some who love the idea of God as Creator… but have a hard time with the giving Jesus such honor. Then there can be a tendency for many to really like the way of Jesus but struggle with God as the all powerful Creator. (It often becomes a love for the New Testament against what is revealed in the Old Testament.)
We have to get through this separation.
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John 1:17-18 (NIV) “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.”
Hebrews 1:3-5 (NIV) “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being…”
Jesus is not an exception to God‟s nature; he is the fullest expression of it.
Jesus is making it known that they are in perfect harmony.
Should we address our prayers to the Father or to Jesus? Should our worship honor the Father or Jesus (or the Holy Spirit)? I believe the answer is ALL because they represent ONE GOD whose nature is that of honoring one another.
Jesus leads us into a life with God marked by mutual honor for the role of Father and Son.
3. Jesus is the source of eternal life with the Father
The religious leaders wanted to find the right way to live life… the Torah was life giving… but our inability to embody it was death. So while they wanted to find life…they could only offer more rules. The rules simply could not offer life.
John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus leads us beyond the rules to eternal relationship through his path of death and submission… which leads to the resurrected life.
This is the way of life for us…
2 Corinthians 3:6 (TEV) „It is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.‟
4. Jesus bears the eternal judgment of the Father
The religious leaders were so focused on rule breakers.. because they put their hope for goodness and righteousness in the rules. So here they are judging Jesus… and in reality what have they just done? They have judged God… and judged mercy.
Jesus says guys… you don‟t have the role of ultimate judge… I do. In the end it will be my life that settles justice.
Verse 22 - … the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son
Verse 27 - And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Here we face the vital reality of eternal life… of judgment… and mercy.
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On one level, judgment is an uncomfortable idea in our western phase in which no one is responsible… we want to claim we are good enough…. Nothing „really wrong.‟
Perhaps the most common problem people express today regarding the Christian faith is that „Christianity is exclusive. ‟ Now perhaps in many ways there has been an inappropriate exclusiveness… when any spirit of personal or moral superiority gets mixed in.
However, we do well to consider the nature of what is implied by being too exclusive.
All truth claims are, by definition, exclusive.
The common alternative is the proposition that good people should go to a heaven and bad people should be judged. Jesus declares that there is mercy for all who will receive it.
Verse 24 - "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Which is really more exclusive?
In truth, we all have this desire for things to be set right.
If there is no judge then this world is a story told by an idiot with no meaning.
(Drawing from Tim Keller)
There is a deep need to believe that there is eternal justice because so much in life is unfair… evildoers and those good who get destroyed. There has got to be vindication. Unworthy people who make it and worthy who do not.
Problem –We want the rule of righteousness but not the righteous ruler.
We want justice… but like idea of the curve even though it would really not be righteous.
The Scriptures reveal that there is a beginning a true source of these desires… and a true end… a fulfillment.
We have a judge who is not only the subject of judgment but the object of judgment… not only to dispense judgment but to absorb judgment.
With so many jokes about eternal life beginning with one arriving at a set of pearly gates…the reality gets a bit skewed.
It won‟t be St. Peter… or Oprah Winfrey… it will be the One who himself absorbed judgment.
Jesus was sent to worthy to be judge because he took judgment.
The actual pain of judgment day will be separation. The word „condemnation‟ refers most closely with separation. Romans 1 says „He gives them up‟… giving what they want. Unless we bow a knee at some point and say „Thy will be done‟… he will one day say… “thy will be done.‟
Jesus makes clear his submission to Father… to honor the Father by submitting… in weakness he proved the strongest… in lowering he was raised to the greatest.
Jesus leads the way from separation to submission.
Wherever religion is rooted in power, control, and independence… it will end in separation.
Conclusion:
Jesus sums it all up in the last verse…
30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
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When someone asked William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, the secret of his success, Booth remained silent for several moments. Finally, with tear-filled eyes, he said, "There have been men with greater brains or opportunities than I, but I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was."
Several years later when General Booth's daughter heard about her father's comment regarding his full surrender to God, she said, "That wasn't really his secret--his secret was that he never took it back."
We may never be a William Booth; but all of us can, in response to God's grace and mercy in saving us, give Him our all--and never take it back.
The Jewish leaders understood you have to submit to him… or kill him.
Which will you choose?
Resources: I am grateful for the great thoughts of those I may draw from. I will usually study the text and form my own shape and points. In the process I may insert various ideas and statements from others (commentaries and messages related to the same text) which are related to the points I have developed. I do not use these notes as a manuscript that is either memorized or read… but rather as a guide for the thoughts I offer. If I actually read or quote another I will refer publicly to the source. This message drew thoughts from Gary MacDonald, Jason Hefner, Peter Schmidt, and Tim Keller.
