Introduction:
OPENING SCRIPTURE: John 5:16-18
“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 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.” v.16-18
CONTEXT: On the heels of the miracle of healing the 38-year crippled man, Jesus is cornered by the religious leaders of the day for breaking the law by healing a broken man on the Sabbath and instructing the to break the law carrying his bedroll on the Sabbath.
The rulers were determined to take Jesus out and make sure history records him as just another religious kook.
But why such hostility? Well, for one reason, he was a threat to their dead religion. He was known for teaching with authority (Matt.7:29) and the masses were captivated by him. And more to the point, the was claiming to be God’s Son.
- Jesus was not just claiming to be a great moral teacher:
They religious leader understood that Jesus was not merely claiming to be a great moral teacher and wise philosopher; they would have been all good with this. But they knew he was claiming deity.
“You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool … or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.” C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity
This Morning I want to share 3 things WHOSOEVERS believe about JESUS.
I. WHOSOEVERS BELIEVE JESUS IS SON. v.16-18
Unlike Matthew and Luke in their Gospels, John skips over the human genealogy of Jesus and cuts to the chase.
In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. John 1:1
A. Jesus had the DNA of God within.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. Colossians 2:9
- The Scriptures teach us that Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:35
- The phrase Son of God is found in the New Testament 102 and 67 times this phrase was found on the lips of Jesus himself.
- Jesus called God his Father numerous times in the gospel.
B. Satan called Jesus the SON of GOD. Matthew 4
Since you are the Son of God……
C. To Know GOD is to Know JESUS. John 14:8-11
II. WHOSOEVERS BELIEVE JESUS IS GOD’S .
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7 ESV
A. Jesus did the same works that his Father performed. v.19-36
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.
- God is not sleeping on the Sabbath. God is always working out his redemptive plans and Jesus is the one through which his plans are being carried out.
ILLUSTRATION:
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.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged (will never be condemned for their sins-NLT) 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. 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 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.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—THE VERY WORKS THAT I AM DOING—TESTIFY THAT THE FATHER HAS SENT ME.
- God parts the water, Jesus walks on the water.
- God feeds the Jews with manna from heaven and Jesus feeds the Jews with a few pieces of bread and fish.
- God raised people from the dead and so did Jesus.
B. GOD the Father testifies to JESUS being His Son. v.37-38
And the Father who sent me has HIMSELF TESTIFIED CONCERNING ME. (at his Baptism: Matt 3:17)
“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”
You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.
C. Moses and the Scriptures validate Jesus claims. V.39-47
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.
“I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Moses: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Deuteronomy 18:15
III. WHOSOEVERS JESUS TO BE THE GOD’S AND THEIR .
Remember our theme scripture for the series: God so loved the world that he gave his only beloved son that whosoever BELIEVETH in HIM will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 1John 4:13-15
As Scripture says*, “Anyone (whosoever) who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:11 (*Isa 28:16)
“whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:26
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 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. John 20:30-31
CLOSING QUESTION: Are you one of the WHOSOEVERS?
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:11-13