The Rejection Of Jesus' Claim

Last week look in detail at five witnesses that Jesus used to prove His authority and power. But men still reject Jesus’ claim to be equal with God. So tonight we are going to study John 5:40-47 and look at six reasons that Jesus gave for man’s rejection of Him.

READ 40-41. Man’s free will is stressed in these verses. When God created us, He didn’t make us love Him. He gave us our own free will to choose to accept or reject Him. Jesus is stressing this free will in that men still refuse to come to Christ. They deliberately reject Him. After all He has proven man still chooses by his own free will to not accept Christ and His authority and power. They refuse to accept the fact that He is God’s Son. In today’s world, who can you think of that still rejects Christ as God’s Son, as the Messiah?(Jews, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses)

So these actually exercise the will not to come to Christ for salvation. This is nothing more than obstinacy and a hardness within man, a rebellion against God.

This is nothing new. Have someone read: Acts 7:51; 2 Chron. 24:19; Jer. 32:33; Jer 44:16. So you can see this is nothing new.

Look at the facts:

1. Jesus claimed that life was in Him.

Jn. 1:4 – “In Him was life.”

Jn 10:10 – Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.”

Jn. 11:25 – Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.”

Jn. 14:6 - Jesus said, “I am the life…”

2. Men receive life by coming to Christ. They keep from dying by coming to life.

3. Jesus wasn’t claiming to be the Son of God in order to receive the praise and glory of men. READ v. 41. He was proclaiming the truth because He loved them, and the fact of His deity is the truth. He is of GOD. And a person has to face that truth if they want to be saved. When we reject Christ we cut the heart of Christ, and the hurt shows in the tenderness and the appeal of this verse. You can feel the pleading when Jesus says, “You refuse to come to me to have life.”

READ v. 42. When we get down to the nitty gritty, why does a person reject Christ? Because they don’t love God. The love of God is NOT in their hearts.

Now, the people Jesus was speaking to here professed to love God deeply. They worshipped faithfully, they knew the Scriptures, they were always praying, they were unashamed to talk about Him. Sound like anyone you know?

But even though they did all this, Jesus stated that they didn’t have the love of God in them, not really. It didn’t pour out from their hearts. They didn’t exhibit the type of love that honors and praises God. So what Jesus is saying is that if people really loved God, they would receive Christ. Maybe that’s what I should start saying during the invitation time. “If you haven’t ever accepted Christ and you still refuse to do so, then YOU DON’T LOVE GOD!” Sounds harsh, right? But that is exactly what Jesus is saying here.

The first thing Jesus says in v. 42 is “I know you.” He knows a person’s heart. He knows if a person’s profession is true and genuine or false and counterfeit. I think some of you have had doubts when I presented someone who has come during invitation time and professed that they have accepted Christ. Some have never returned for baptism. Some were baptized and then never showed up again. And I know some of you might be thinking, how can Bro. Jerry present them as saved. It’s not for me to decide. God knows their heart. We accept them on their word, on their profession of faith. If it isn’t genuine, God weeds them out. I don’t have to do a thing. We don’t have to do a thing but allow God to do it. And He will. Jesus sees right through a person’s words and actions, down deep into their heart.

READ v. 43. What is Jesus saying here? People receive false Messiahs. Jesus said, “I have come in my Father’s name.” He came in the authority and truthfulness of God. Then Jesus says, “Someone else comes in his own name.” That’s the false messiah. The false messiahs come in their own authority and word.

Jesus said, “You do not accept me but you will accept him.” Men reject God’s Son, the true Messiah, but they receive the false messiah. Why?

Man wants basically one of two things. They either want to escape the world or to get all they can from the world. Some want to escape the pressure, the tension, the immorality, the selfishness, the hatred, and the injustices of the world. Others want either prosperity, power, or recognition, or they want fame. They want to be in the spotlight.