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John wrote:
These things are written that you might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in His name. (John 20:31)

Jesus said:
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life: but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

The “Crime”—Breaker of Sabbath Law (5:1-16)

On a Sabbath day, that fell on a feast week, when the works of God were supposed to be the point, Jesus worked a man from trusting in the superstition of the Bethesda wading pool to obeying the words of Jesus. The JEWS response was to threaten the healed man for carrying a mat and persecute Jesus.

Encrusting layers of rules and regulations ruins God’s gracious law and results in an addiction to the power that comes with being a religious sheriff and the pride of external accomplishment.

Jesus’ answer to the charge... (5:17)

The Sabbath is a gift to man (a divinely-given holiday) to rest from work (vocation), in order to focus undistracted attention on God and His mighty works!

The Sabbath is not a day for God to cease working! He ceased His work of creation, but not His work of keeping creation working (operational). “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” (5:17)

The Second “Crime” – Blasphemy (5:18)

Making Himself equal with God

Jesus places humanity on trial concerning Himself...Jesus’ answer to the second charge... (5:19-47)

- Testifies to Himself –Defence attorney and witness (5:19-30)

Jesus work is the same as God’s work – Son of God

- Calls 5 witnesses to the bench to testify (5:31-39)

John the Baptist
The works of Jesus
God the Father
The Scriptures
Moses

- Prosecutes His accusers—Defence attorney turns Prosecuting attorney (5:40-47)

I know you don’t love God (42); if you love God, you love Jesus (43)—the reason you accept false teaching and false ideas is because you prefer the praise of men, rather than the only God (44).

6 Take-aways: The reality of Jesus demands of you a verdict...

1. Jesus is the Son of God sent by the Father. (37; 20:31)

2. “If you don’t believe what Moses said, how will you believe what Jesus says?” (47) To the historic blind guide theologians--Is God a metaphor or a literal reality?

3. You are not really alive until Christ is in you and you are in Christ. (21,24,25)

4. As the Son obeys the Father and is loved by Him, so you love the Father by obeying the Son. (19)

5. Jesus is the measure by which all people (including you) actually judge

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