John 5 reminds me of the childish phrase, “You’re not the boss of me”. In our culture, yielding to almost any authority is uncomfortable. Some do not want the responsibility that comes with leadership, and others are unwilling to submit to anyone. Today’s chapter discusses power and authority. The chapter begins in Jerusalem during of the Jewish festivals. Near a pool called Bethesda, “a great number of disabled people” gathered in hope of healing. One man had been “an invalid for thirty-eight years”. Jesus saw the man and asked, “Do you want to get well?” The man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool”. This was a self-serve healing pool, and everyone put themselves first. Jesus said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk”. “At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked”. Why didn’t Jesus heal all of those waiting? Perhaps this man was the only one that noticed Jesus. Sometimes we are so focused on our own problems, that we do not see others around us. We read that “this… was a Sabbath”. The Jewish leaders reprimanded the man for carrying a mat on the day of rest. These bureaucrats managed by suppressing violators. Later Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you”. God knows we tend to get cocky after victory. Unrestrained freedom without concern for others is dangerous. It is interesting that after this, the man “told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well”. Could it be that he did not like being told what to do?
“Because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute Him”. Weak leaders always try to intimidate perceived threats. Jesus explained that they were not really in charge, “My Father is always at His work… and I too am working… because whatever the Father does the Son also does”. God does not need to rest, the Sabbath is for man to regularly recharge and refocus. The Jewish leaders were furious; not only was Jesus breaking the Sabbath, He was now claiming to be equal with God. Jesus did more than that, He defined the role of Messiah, “the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son”. Here is the simple criteria for eternal success, “whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged”. We can trust in our own goodness, or in the authority of Christ. Friend, are you that confident in yourself?
To those that think we live and die and that is it, Jesus said, “a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice… those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned”. Before you protest the unfairness, He adds, “My judgment is just, for I seek not to please Myself but Him who sent Me”. God has perfect knowledge. He knows what we do, and our motivation for doing it. Jesus has a warning for the self-righteous, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life”. We cannot make ourselves righteous. The more we study God’s Word, the more we should see how far we are from perfection. Next, Jesus made a statement that only He can, “I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts”. Jesus scolded the Jewish leaders for not listening to the prophets’ warnings, adding “Your accuser is Moses… for he wrote about Me”. From the burning bush to striking the rock, every symbol Moses gave spoke of the Messiah. “But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” Jesus humbled Himself to take on our sin and God raised Him from the dead in victory. Is it time for you to follow The Leader?