TEXT: JOHN 5:16-30 SERMON: “Resurrection Authority & Power”
Paraphrase:
Because the Jews believed that Jesus broke the Fourth Commandment by healing at Bethesda on the Sabbath they persecuted him. And, when he called God his Father and said his relationship with God gave him the authority to preserve the creation by healing whenever necessary, the Jews plotted to kill him because they believed he had blasphemed.
Jesus answered the Jews’ charges by telling them his authority to do whatever God does resides in his relationship to God, who as His beloved Son has full knowledge of God’s purposes and plans which will be revealed through his doing much greater things than healing an invalid on the Sabbath. And, Jesus tells the Jews if they do not honor him as they do his Father when he does even greater things - like raising the dead and judging them at the end of time - they will be dishonoring God as well.
Jesus tells the Jews that the truth about eternal life is that it will come to whoever accepts that he is who he says – the Son of God sent into the world to save those who believe from the damnation of eternal death that otherwise awaits them as sinners. Jesus tells them that when those who are otherwise dead in their sin have accepted him as the Son of God they will receive eternal life because the Son, as God, is life itself and the Son, as Man, has been given the authority to judge whether he has been believed or not. Because of this, Jesus tells them they shouldn’t be surprised when the time comes for the resurrection of the dead that those believing he is the Son of God will arise to eternal life and those not believing he is the Son of God will arise to eternal damnation.
In today's passage, John tells his first century readers that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal vv 16-17
B. to Know. vv 19-20
C. to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
2. God's Power -
A. of Life. v 21
B. of Salvation. vv 23-26
C. of Resurrection. vv 28-29
The first thing John tells his first century readers is that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal vv 16-17
B. to Know. vv 19-20
C. to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
Explanation:
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.” 18 (For this reason they tried all the more 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: “Very truly I tell you, 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, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 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. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.)
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
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.
A. God's Authority - to Heal (and to do so at any time!) vv 16-17
v 16 "Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath" - continuous action
began to persecute him - violation of the 4th Commandment
Exodus 20:8-11 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Allaying human need doesn't violate the Sabbath!
Luke 14:5 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”
v 17 My Father is always at work - His close relationship with God justified his actions -the Jews did not use this intimate language in referring to God
-Jesus exemplified the way the Sabbath should be observed: God's compassion never stops!
Luke 2:49 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
John 14:10 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
John 9:4 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
Laws of nature take no break, no holiday
A continuation of the creative works of God
v 18 He was even calling God his own Father making himself equal to God - a special relationship with God that made Himself equal to God
Matthew 12:14 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
John 10:30, 33 30 I and the Father are one.”... 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
John 19:7 7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
Anger at Deity claims GREATER THEN anger over healing on the Sabbath
He didn't claim identify with the Father as "one person"
Claimed identity with the Father based on a relationship - a "Sonship"
B. God's Authority - to Know. vv 19-20
v 19 "the Son can do nothing by himself" - His total dependence on the Father because of who He was
John 5:30 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.
John 14:24 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
- A Son, not slave, of the God - perfect agent for carrying out the divine purpose - complete revelation of the divine nature
v 20 the Father loves the Son - therefore the Father revealed His plans and purposes - therefore the Son obediently carried them out
He will show him even "greater things" than these... - the Son raising the dead and judging
John 3:35 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
John 14:12 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
- united by love
C. God's Authority - to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
v 22 entrusted all judgment to the Son - a heretical teaching to the Jews because God is the judge of all
John 5:27 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Genesis 18:25 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Judges 11:27 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
John 9:39 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Acts 10:42 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
- equal dignity - equal honor = shares judicial and executive authority
v 27 authority to judge - granted by the Father to the Son
"Son of Man" - John 1:51 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[a] you[b] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[c] the Son of Man.”
John 5:22 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
-Jesus qualified to judge humankind because he belongs to it - understands human need and viewpoint
Hebrews 2:17 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
v 30 By myself I can do nothing - Jesus stresses his dependence on the Father - Judging as he hears from his Father makes his judgment fair
John 5:19 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, 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.
Isaiah 28:6 6 He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
John 8:16 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.
Matthew 26:39 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
- transition from self-affirmation to testimony: 1. not arrogant self-assertion 2. commissioned by the father (25 X's asserts being sent by the Father in Gospel) = Son of God
Illustration:
Authority to heal, know and judge...
Authority Definition:
1. a power or right delegated or given
2. a person or body of persons in whom authority is vested
"By the authority invested in me"
By the authority vested in me as President and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America...
The Constitution of the United States gets its authority from the people of the United States. It's preamble begins with these words:
Preamble: a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathers' intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped the Constitution would achieve.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Application:
What is John telling us this morning?
He told his readers 2 centuries ago that if they believed Jesus was the Son of God he would resurrect them to eternal life on the authority of God...
And he is telling us this today.
John is telling us Jesus is able to resurrect us if we believe he is the Son of God because as the Son of God he is God.
Jesus' authority to heal, know, and judge are indications that as God's Son he is invested with God's authority, i.e. he is of the same essence, even though he is a different person within the Trinity.
God is the ultimate authority - there is no greater authority.
And his authority is inherent - it doesn't come from anywhere or anyone-it is part of who he is.
His authority isn't like a President's that comes from a Constitution, from the People.
That is why he has authority to heal, and the authority to know and the authority to judge.
The question is will you trust yourself to someone with this kind of authority?
Does Jesus having this authority, God's authority, lead you to believe he is the Son of God?
The "Son of God" as John 3:16 says "takes away the sin of the world?"
Do you believe someone with this kind of authority can resurrect you from the grave?
Will you trust your eternity to someone with this kind of authority?
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
John 17:2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
John may also be reminding us this morning where our authority to do things comes from as well.
Our authority to heal, to know, to judge comes from God as well.
So when we work in the healing fields, when we work in the knowing fields (in education, in academia), when we work in the judging fields (of law & politics) - we need to remember that the authority we have to do what we do ultimately comes from God .
What Jesus said to Pilate applies to us as well: John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above...”
Transition:
The second thing John tells his first century readers is that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
2. God's Power -
A. of Life. v 21
B. of Salvation. vv 23-26
C. of Resurrection. vv 28-29
Explanation:
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. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, 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 also to have life in himself.
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 what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is 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.)
A. God's Power - of Life. v 21
v 21 the Father raises the dead - firmly believed among the Jews - also believed only God could do this
v 21 the Son gives life - gift of abundant life in the here and now but also to the future resurrection
- Son empowered by the Father
1. God = source of life
2. alone has power to reverse the process of material world: life out of death
3. supreme power conferred on the Son: raising of Lazarus (11:41-44)
John 11:25-26 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 4:17 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[Genesis 17:5] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
Romans 8:11 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.
2 Cor 1:9 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
Hebrews 11:19 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
B. God's Power - of Salvation. vv 23-26
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
v 24 believes him who sent me
- belief = the connection between faith and life
- Son = arbiter or judge or intermediary of destiny
1. determination of destiny is immediate: at time of acceptance
2. future judgment: confirms what has already taken place
John 20:31 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Luke 10:16 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
1 John 2:23 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
has eternal life
- possessed in the present
John 3:15 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[a]
has crossed
- decisive action has taken place
- death no longer rules!
25 Very truly I tell you, 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.
v 25 is coming and has now come - refers to the future resurrection:
- refers to Christ giving life now: e.g. women at the well
the spiritually dead who hear his voice receive life from him
John 4:23 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
John 16:32 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
John 8:43, 47 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say... 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
v 26 has life in himself - understood against the background of the OT: life belongs to God & life is a gift of God
- inherent life: 1. power to create life 2. power to renew extinguished life
Deuteronomy 30:20 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Job 10:12 12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.
Job 33:4 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Psalm 36:9 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
John 1:4 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
C. God's Power - of Resurrection. vv 28-29
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 what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
v 28-29 refers to the future raising of the dead
"double resurrection" - both righteous and wicked receive bodies in the future
John 16:2 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
v 29 done good-live... done evil-condemned
- judgment throughout Scripture is based on "works" - what we have done
- salvation is a "gift" from God in response to "faith"
John 5:24 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Matthew 25:46 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Illustration:
Presidential Powers: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Presidential+Powers
1. Veto Power:
2. Executive Orders:
3. Powers of Appointment:
4. Pardon Power: The president is given the power under the Constitution to "grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." The president may grant a full pardon to a person accused or convicted of a federal crime, releasing the person from any punishment and restoring her or his Civil Rights. The president may also issue conditional pardons that forgive the convicted person in part, reduce a penalty a specified number of years, or alter a penalty with conditions.
A pardon is generally a private transaction between the president and an individual. However, in 1977, President JIMMY CARTER granted an Amnesty that was, in effect, a blanket pardon to those who were either deserters or draft evaders during the Vietnam War.
5. Power of Impoundment:
6. Foreign Policy Powers: The president or his designated representative, such as the Secretary of State, has the exclusive authority to communicate with other nations, recognize foreign governments, receive ambassadors, and make executive agreements. Throughout U.S. history, Congress and the courts have granted the president great deference in conducting foreign policy. This deference is based, in part, on the need for one person, rather than 535 members of Congress, to represent and speak for a national constituency.
These powers were illustrated in the aftermath of the SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, TERRORIST ATTACKS on New York City and Washington, D.C. President GEORGE W. BUSH warned the Taliban government of Afghanistan to surrender Osama bin Laden and other terrorists or face the possibility of war. In the months leading up to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and other representatives lobbied the United Nations for support of the U.S. position on Iraq.
In addition to the authority to recognize foreign governments, the president is empowered by Article II to make treaties with foreign nations, subject to the consent of the Senate. A treaty is an agreement between two or more nations containing promises to behave in specified ways.
7. Presidential War Powers: An integral part of the president's foreign policy role is the enormous power of the U.S. armed forces, over which the Constitution makes the president commander in chief. The president may threaten a foreign nation with force or actually conduct military actions to protect U.S. interests, aid U.S. allies, and maintain national security.
Although the president is commander-in-chief, Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Despite this apparent constitutional impediment, presidents since Thomas Jefferson have dispatched troops to combat situations without the prior approval of Congress. The Supreme Court held in the Prize cases, 67 U.S. 635, 17 L. Ed. 459; 70 U.S. 451, 18 L. Ed. 197; 70 U.S. 514, 18 L. Ed. 200; 70 U.S. 559, 18 L. Ed. 220 (1863), that the president has the authority to resist force without the need for special legislative action.
In times of crisis, the president has the power to commit U.S. forces, but the Vietnam War led Congress to place limits on the presidential war power. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 (50 U.S.C.A. §§ 1541 et seq.) restricts the president's power to mobilize the military during undeclared war. It requires the president to make a full report to Congress when sending troops into foreign areas, limits the duration of troop commitment without congressional authorization, and provides a veto mechanism that allows Congress to force a recall of troops at any time.
Application:
So we know John wants us to trust in the authority Jesus has been given by His Father.
We know that John wants us to believe that this kind of authority reveals he is the Son of God and that as the Son of God he has the authority to do all things - even reverse the process of material death in resurrecting us.
In this section John is telling us we are to believe that Jesus is the Son of God because of his authority in action - "his power" has been revealed to be that of God as well - the power of life, of salvation and of resurrection.
Do we recognize Jesus is the light and life of the world?
Do we believe as he asked Martha that he is the resurrection and the life?
Do we believe we have life in his name?
Do we believe that He can liberate us from our sin, that He has power over death, that He can give us eternal life?
Does Jesus' power - God's power over the life of his creation - impact our belief?
Does Jesus' power over sin, death and eternity convince us of who he is, of what he has done for us?
And do we consider that the power we have in this life, the power we have to forgive sin, the power we have over death, the power we have over eternity come from Him?
Jesus tells us that He can do nothing without the Father and that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him and that He and the Father are One.
Isn't this also true of us?
We are told we can do nothing apart from the vine: John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
We are told that nothing can separate us from the love of God: Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are told that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.
Isn't it because of the vine, the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, the Holy Spirit in us that we have the power to forgive others, the power to fight death in this world, the power to live in eternity today, now - not some new period we move to at some later point in time?
The President of the USA has several powers including the power to make treaties, pardon, and war. This power is invested in the Constitution and comes from "We the people", but like Pilate, really comes from God.
And it is because of His Son that we are able to pardon, forgive; make treaties or war, live in peace or not.
Do we recognize this?
Do we recognize and believe that because of His Son, not only are we forgiven, saved, and resurrected but we are able to live in this world in peace when we forgive, when we allow ourselves to be liberated from conflicts that stand between us and others, when there is resurrection or reconciliation of broken relationships from the ash heap that otherwise wears away and tears at our soul?
When Peter asked Jesus how if he was to forgive his brother who had sinned against him seven times he was told he should forgive him seventy-seven times.
We can't forgive like this on our own power.
And without being able to forgive like this we live as slaves, not as a liberated people, not as a people with peace.
Transition:
In today's passage, John tells his first century readers that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal vv 16-17
B. to Know. vv 19-20
C. to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
2. God's Power -
A. over Life. v 21
B. over Salvation. vv 23-26
C. over Resurrection. vv 28-29
Conclusion:
In today's passage, John tells us that if we believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect us to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal our wounds vv 16-17
B. to Know all things. vv 19-20
C. to Judge our deeds vv 22, 27 & 30
2. God's Power -
A. over Life itself. v 21
B. over Salvation from our sin. vv 23-26
C. over Resurrection from the dead. vv 28-29
May we believe Jesus is the Son of God,
May we be resurrected to eternal life,
May we be able to live in peace now in this world.
In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
Paraphrase:
Because the Jews believed that Jesus broke the Fourth Commandment by healing at Bethesda on the Sabbath they persecuted him. And, when he called God his Father and said his relationship with God gave him the authority to preserve the creation by healing whenever necessary, the Jews plotted to kill him because they believed he had blasphemed.
Jesus answered the Jews’ charges by telling them his authority to do whatever God does resides in his relationship to God, who as His beloved Son has full knowledge of God’s purposes and plans which will be revealed through his doing much greater things than healing an invalid on the Sabbath. And, Jesus tells the Jews if they do not honor him as they do his Father when he does even greater things - like raising the dead and judging them at the end of time - they will be dishonoring God as well.
Jesus tells the Jews that the truth about eternal life is that it will come to whoever accepts that he is who he says – the Son of God sent into the world to save those who believe from the damnation of eternal death that otherwise awaits them as sinners. Jesus tells them that when those who are otherwise dead in their sin have accepted him as the Son of God they will receive eternal life because the Son, as God, is life itself and the Son, as Man, has been given the authority to judge whether he has been believed or not. Because of this, Jesus tells them they shouldn’t be surprised when the time comes for the resurrection of the dead that those believing he is the Son of God will arise to eternal life and those not believing he is the Son of God will arise to eternal damnation.
In today's passage, John tells his first century readers that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal vv 16-17
B. to Know. vv 19-20
C. to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
2. God's Power -
A. of Life. v 21
B. of Salvation. vv 23-26
C. of Resurrection. vv 28-29
The first thing John tells his first century readers is that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal vv 16-17
B. to Know. vv 19-20
C. to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
Explanation:
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.” 18 (For this reason they tried all the more 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: “Very truly I tell you, 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, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 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. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.)
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
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.
A. God's Authority - to Heal (and to do so at any time!) vv 16-17
v 16 "Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath" - continuous action
began to persecute him - violation of the 4th Commandment
Exodus 20:8-11 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Allaying human need doesn't violate the Sabbath!
Luke 14:5 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”
v 17 My Father is always at work - His close relationship with God justified his actions -the Jews did not use this intimate language in referring to God
-Jesus exemplified the way the Sabbath should be observed: God's compassion never stops!
Luke 2:49 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
John 14:10 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
John 9:4 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
Laws of nature take no break, no holiday
A continuation of the creative works of God
v 18 He was even calling God his own Father making himself equal to God - a special relationship with God that made Himself equal to God
Matthew 12:14 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
John 10:30, 33 30 I and the Father are one.”... 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
John 19:7 7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
Anger at Deity claims GREATER THEN anger over healing on the Sabbath
He didn't claim identify with the Father as "one person"
Claimed identity with the Father based on a relationship - a "Sonship"
B. God's Authority - to Know. vv 19-20
v 19 "the Son can do nothing by himself" - His total dependence on the Father because of who He was
John 5:30 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.
John 14:24 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
- A Son, not slave, of the God - perfect agent for carrying out the divine purpose - complete revelation of the divine nature
v 20 the Father loves the Son - therefore the Father revealed His plans and purposes - therefore the Son obediently carried them out
He will show him even "greater things" than these... - the Son raising the dead and judging
John 3:35 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
John 14:12 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
- united by love
C. God's Authority - to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
v 22 entrusted all judgment to the Son - a heretical teaching to the Jews because God is the judge of all
John 5:27 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Genesis 18:25 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Judges 11:27 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
John 9:39 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Acts 10:42 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
- equal dignity - equal honor = shares judicial and executive authority
v 27 authority to judge - granted by the Father to the Son
"Son of Man" - John 1:51 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[a] you[b] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[c] the Son of Man.”
John 5:22 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
-Jesus qualified to judge humankind because he belongs to it - understands human need and viewpoint
Hebrews 2:17 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
v 30 By myself I can do nothing - Jesus stresses his dependence on the Father - Judging as he hears from his Father makes his judgment fair
John 5:19 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, 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.
Isaiah 28:6 6 He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
John 8:16 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.
Matthew 26:39 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
- transition from self-affirmation to testimony: 1. not arrogant self-assertion 2. commissioned by the father (25 X's asserts being sent by the Father in Gospel) = Son of God
Illustration:
Authority to heal, know and judge...
Authority Definition:
1. a power or right delegated or given
2. a person or body of persons in whom authority is vested
"By the authority invested in me"
By the authority vested in me as President and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America...
The Constitution of the United States gets its authority from the people of the United States. It's preamble begins with these words:
Preamble: a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathers' intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped the Constitution would achieve.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Application:
What is John telling us this morning?
He told his readers 2 centuries ago that if they believed Jesus was the Son of God he would resurrect them to eternal life on the authority of God...
And he is telling us this today.
John is telling us Jesus is able to resurrect us if we believe he is the Son of God because as the Son of God he is God.
Jesus' authority to heal, know, and judge are indications that as God's Son he is invested with God's authority, i.e. he is of the same essence, even though he is a different person within the Trinity.
God is the ultimate authority - there is no greater authority.
And his authority is inherent - it doesn't come from anywhere or anyone-it is part of who he is.
His authority isn't like a President's that comes from a Constitution, from the People.
That is why he has authority to heal, and the authority to know and the authority to judge.
The question is will you trust yourself to someone with this kind of authority?
Does Jesus having this authority, God's authority, lead you to believe he is the Son of God?
The "Son of God" as John 3:16 says "takes away the sin of the world?"
Do you believe someone with this kind of authority can resurrect you from the grave?
Will you trust your eternity to someone with this kind of authority?
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
John 17:2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
John may also be reminding us this morning where our authority to do things comes from as well.
Our authority to heal, to know, to judge comes from God as well.
So when we work in the healing fields, when we work in the knowing fields (in education, in academia), when we work in the judging fields (of law & politics) - we need to remember that the authority we have to do what we do ultimately comes from God .
What Jesus said to Pilate applies to us as well: John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above...”
Transition:
The second thing John tells his first century readers is that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
2. God's Power -
A. of Life. v 21
B. of Salvation. vv 23-26
C. of Resurrection. vv 28-29
Explanation:
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. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, 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 also to have life in himself.
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 what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is 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.)
A. God's Power - of Life. v 21
v 21 the Father raises the dead - firmly believed among the Jews - also believed only God could do this
v 21 the Son gives life - gift of abundant life in the here and now but also to the future resurrection
- Son empowered by the Father
1. God = source of life
2. alone has power to reverse the process of material world: life out of death
3. supreme power conferred on the Son: raising of Lazarus (11:41-44)
John 11:25-26 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 4:17 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[Genesis 17:5] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
Romans 8:11 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.
2 Cor 1:9 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
Hebrews 11:19 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
B. God's Power - of Salvation. vv 23-26
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
v 24 believes him who sent me
- belief = the connection between faith and life
- Son = arbiter or judge or intermediary of destiny
1. determination of destiny is immediate: at time of acceptance
2. future judgment: confirms what has already taken place
John 20:31 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Luke 10:16 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
1 John 2:23 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
has eternal life
- possessed in the present
John 3:15 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[a]
has crossed
- decisive action has taken place
- death no longer rules!
25 Very truly I tell you, 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.
v 25 is coming and has now come - refers to the future resurrection:
- refers to Christ giving life now: e.g. women at the well
the spiritually dead who hear his voice receive life from him
John 4:23 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
John 16:32 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
John 8:43, 47 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say... 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
v 26 has life in himself - understood against the background of the OT: life belongs to God & life is a gift of God
- inherent life: 1. power to create life 2. power to renew extinguished life
Deuteronomy 30:20 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Job 10:12 12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.
Job 33:4 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Psalm 36:9 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
John 1:4 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
C. God's Power - of Resurrection. vv 28-29
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 what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
v 28-29 refers to the future raising of the dead
"double resurrection" - both righteous and wicked receive bodies in the future
John 16:2 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
v 29 done good-live... done evil-condemned
- judgment throughout Scripture is based on "works" - what we have done
- salvation is a "gift" from God in response to "faith"
John 5:24 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Matthew 25:46 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Illustration:
Presidential Powers: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Presidential+Powers
1. Veto Power:
2. Executive Orders:
3. Powers of Appointment:
4. Pardon Power: The president is given the power under the Constitution to "grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." The president may grant a full pardon to a person accused or convicted of a federal crime, releasing the person from any punishment and restoring her or his Civil Rights. The president may also issue conditional pardons that forgive the convicted person in part, reduce a penalty a specified number of years, or alter a penalty with conditions.
A pardon is generally a private transaction between the president and an individual. However, in 1977, President JIMMY CARTER granted an Amnesty that was, in effect, a blanket pardon to those who were either deserters or draft evaders during the Vietnam War.
5. Power of Impoundment:
6. Foreign Policy Powers: The president or his designated representative, such as the Secretary of State, has the exclusive authority to communicate with other nations, recognize foreign governments, receive ambassadors, and make executive agreements. Throughout U.S. history, Congress and the courts have granted the president great deference in conducting foreign policy. This deference is based, in part, on the need for one person, rather than 535 members of Congress, to represent and speak for a national constituency.
These powers were illustrated in the aftermath of the SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, TERRORIST ATTACKS on New York City and Washington, D.C. President GEORGE W. BUSH warned the Taliban government of Afghanistan to surrender Osama bin Laden and other terrorists or face the possibility of war. In the months leading up to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and other representatives lobbied the United Nations for support of the U.S. position on Iraq.
In addition to the authority to recognize foreign governments, the president is empowered by Article II to make treaties with foreign nations, subject to the consent of the Senate. A treaty is an agreement between two or more nations containing promises to behave in specified ways.
7. Presidential War Powers: An integral part of the president's foreign policy role is the enormous power of the U.S. armed forces, over which the Constitution makes the president commander in chief. The president may threaten a foreign nation with force or actually conduct military actions to protect U.S. interests, aid U.S. allies, and maintain national security.
Although the president is commander-in-chief, Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Despite this apparent constitutional impediment, presidents since Thomas Jefferson have dispatched troops to combat situations without the prior approval of Congress. The Supreme Court held in the Prize cases, 67 U.S. 635, 17 L. Ed. 459; 70 U.S. 451, 18 L. Ed. 197; 70 U.S. 514, 18 L. Ed. 200; 70 U.S. 559, 18 L. Ed. 220 (1863), that the president has the authority to resist force without the need for special legislative action.
In times of crisis, the president has the power to commit U.S. forces, but the Vietnam War led Congress to place limits on the presidential war power. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 (50 U.S.C.A. §§ 1541 et seq.) restricts the president's power to mobilize the military during undeclared war. It requires the president to make a full report to Congress when sending troops into foreign areas, limits the duration of troop commitment without congressional authorization, and provides a veto mechanism that allows Congress to force a recall of troops at any time.
Application:
So we know John wants us to trust in the authority Jesus has been given by His Father.
We know that John wants us to believe that this kind of authority reveals he is the Son of God and that as the Son of God he has the authority to do all things - even reverse the process of material death in resurrecting us.
In this section John is telling us we are to believe that Jesus is the Son of God because of his authority in action - "his power" has been revealed to be that of God as well - the power of life, of salvation and of resurrection.
Do we recognize Jesus is the light and life of the world?
Do we believe as he asked Martha that he is the resurrection and the life?
Do we believe we have life in his name?
Do we believe that He can liberate us from our sin, that He has power over death, that He can give us eternal life?
Does Jesus' power - God's power over the life of his creation - impact our belief?
Does Jesus' power over sin, death and eternity convince us of who he is, of what he has done for us?
And do we consider that the power we have in this life, the power we have to forgive sin, the power we have over death, the power we have over eternity come from Him?
Jesus tells us that He can do nothing without the Father and that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him and that He and the Father are One.
Isn't this also true of us?
We are told we can do nothing apart from the vine: John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
We are told that nothing can separate us from the love of God: Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are told that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.
Isn't it because of the vine, the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, the Holy Spirit in us that we have the power to forgive others, the power to fight death in this world, the power to live in eternity today, now - not some new period we move to at some later point in time?
The President of the USA has several powers including the power to make treaties, pardon, and war. This power is invested in the Constitution and comes from "We the people", but like Pilate, really comes from God.
And it is because of His Son that we are able to pardon, forgive; make treaties or war, live in peace or not.
Do we recognize this?
Do we recognize and believe that because of His Son, not only are we forgiven, saved, and resurrected but we are able to live in this world in peace when we forgive, when we allow ourselves to be liberated from conflicts that stand between us and others, when there is resurrection or reconciliation of broken relationships from the ash heap that otherwise wears away and tears at our soul?
When Peter asked Jesus how if he was to forgive his brother who had sinned against him seven times he was told he should forgive him seventy-seven times.
We can't forgive like this on our own power.
And without being able to forgive like this we live as slaves, not as a liberated people, not as a people with peace.
Transition:
In today's passage, John tells his first century readers that if they believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect them to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal vv 16-17
B. to Know. vv 19-20
C. to Judge vv 22, 27 & 30
2. God's Power -
A. over Life. v 21
B. over Salvation. vv 23-26
C. over Resurrection. vv 28-29
Conclusion:
In today's passage, John tells us that if we believe Jesus is the Son of God (v 18), He will resurrect us to eternal life through:
1. God's Authority -
A. to Heal our wounds vv 16-17
B. to Know all things. vv 19-20
C. to Judge our deeds vv 22, 27 & 30
2. God's Power -
A. over Life itself. v 21
B. over Salvation from our sin. vv 23-26
C. over Resurrection from the dead. vv 28-29
May we believe Jesus is the Son of God,
May we be resurrected to eternal life,
May we be able to live in peace now in this world.
In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
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