Proud to be TJ's man

In chapter 7, we come to a point in John’s Gospel when the opposition to our Lord becomes more intense and more broad-based. Up till now, John has not allowed the opponents of our Lord to “have the floor” to articulate their point of view and carry on a debate with Jesus. Previously, John focused on our Lord’s response to His opponents, without fully conveying their arguments.

Now, they have their chance, and so does our Lord, not only to refute the error of His opponents, but also to introduce some very important new subject matter:

Background:  The Feast of Tabernacles

The events of chapter 7 take place in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. If we measure the verses, this period of controversy represents the longest single section of this gospel account. It describes the parallel development of belief and unbelief among the hearers of Jesus and the resultant clash of these two opposing forces.

Chapter 7 opens with Jesus in Galilee as the time approaches for the Feast of Booths. Although this feast is not as familiar as the Passover, it had great importance to the Jews in Jesus’ day. Also called the Feast of “Ingatherings” or “Tabernacles,” the Feast of Booths was one of the three great annual Jewish feasts. It took place around mid-October, about six months after Passover.

Booths (i.e., tabernacles) were erected all over the city, where families would eat and sleep as a reminder of their wilderness dwellings. The candelabra and a parade of torches reminded them of the pillar of fire that led them by night. Each day the priests would carry water from Pool of Siloam and pour it out from a golden vessel. reminding the Jews of the miraculous provision of water from the rock.

It was to be observed by every grown Israelite male in Jerusalem on the 15th day of the 7th month (our October). The feast lasted eight days. Following the Feast of Trumpets and the solemn Day of Atonement, Tabernacles was a festive time for the people.

Booths sprung up everywhere…Just imagine the scene of a father and his sons: “Daddy, why are we moving out of the house for seven days? “Son, we’re going to live in a booth (tent). And 1 want to tell you a story that happened a long time ago…..”

BEFORE THE FEAST (7:1-10).

John captures the last six months of Jesus’ itinerant ministry with a single verse (7:1), “After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.”

(2) “But  when the Jewish  Feast  of Tabernacles was near, (3) Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought  to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. (4) No one who wants to become a public figure acts  in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world. (5) For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”

Mary bore other children, with Joseph as their father: Matthew 13::55-56: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? (56) Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

“Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. {7} The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. {8} You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come. {9} Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.” ¹⁰  However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

IN THE MIDST OF THE FEAST (7:11-36).

The debate began before Jesus even arrived at the city, and it centered an His character:

“{11} Now at the Feat the Jews were watching for him and asking, “Where is that man?” {12} Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” {13} But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.”

The crowds are as eager as the Sanhedrin to see Jesus. Some were for him, others against. This they can agree on, however: Whenever Jesus turns up, it makes for an exciting show. The crowds debate in a whisper, fearing what the Sanhedrin might do to any of Jesus’ supporters. Their plot to kill Jesus is not yet public (Jn 7:20), but their desire is obvious to those who live in Jerusalem (Jn 7:25).

About the third or fourth day of the feast, Jesus finally arrives. The leaders are surely surprised that he has actually shown up. More surprising still is Jesus’ extraordinary teaching. All the more remarkable, since he has no degree. Their subtle suggestion is that you can’t really trust a self-taught man since he has no guides to insure his orthodoxy. Jesus counters by saying, “I’m not self-taught. God has been my guide!” There is no comparison between the teaching of God and the erudition of men.

THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS

1. The Jewish leaders.

These were the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the chief priests who lived in Jerusalem and were attached to the temple ministry. The Pharisees and Sadducees differed in theology, but were together in their opposition to Jesus. The exceptions would be Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (19:38-42).

They ultimately would unite in their goal to eliminate Jesus (vs. 30, 32). But this should not surprise us. When a man’s ideals clash with those of Christ, either he must submit or he must seek to destroy him.

1. The ‘People’ (John 7:12 (NIV) ¹² Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”

John 7:20 (NIV) ²⁰  “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

John 7:31-32 (NIV) ³¹  Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?” ³²  The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

1. The Jews who lived in Jerusalem (vs. 25).

“Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. {15} The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” {16} Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. {17} If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. {18} He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. {19} Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?””

Jesus could very well have walked straight into a trap here.  He might have said:  “I need no teacher; I am self-taught; I got my teaching and my wisdom from no one but myself.”  But, instead, he said in effect:  “You ask who was my teacher?  You ask what authority I produce for my exposition of scripture?  My authority is God.”  Jesus claimed to be God-taught.  It is in fact a claim he makes again and again.  “I have not spoken on my own authority.  The Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak”  (John 12:49).  “The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority” (John 14:10).

Jesus goes on to lay down a truth.  Only the man who does God’s will can truly understand His teaching.  That is not a theological but a universal truth.  We learn by doing.  A doctor might learn the technique of surgery from textbooks.  He might know the theory of every possible operation.  But that would not make him a surgeon; he has to learn by doing.  A man might learn the way in which an automobile engine works; in theory he might be able to carry out every possible repair and adjustment; but that would not make him an engineer; he has to learn by doing.

Character and doctrine go together, of course. It would be foolish to trust the teachings of a liar. The Jews were amazed at what He taught because He did not have the credentials from their approved rabbinical schools. And since He lacked these credentials, His enemies said that His teachings were nothing but private opinions and not worth much.

Jesus assured His listeners that anyone who wanted to do the Father’s will would be able to determine whether or not Jesus’ teachings were true (7:16-19): “Jesus therefore answered them, and said, ‘My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself….”‘

On this public appearance, His teaching took the form of a paradox, asserting both authority (14) and subordination (16), offering a pragmatic test (1719), and issuing in an argument (21-24).

Jesus clearly stated that His doctrine came from the Father. He had already made it clear that He and the Father were one in the works He performed (5:17) and in the judgment that He executed (5:30). Jesus was always conscious that He had come on divine mission to bring a divine message.

Verse 17 is one of the many plain, yet profound, utterances of the Savior. Being a follower of God is more than mere knowledge of what the scriptures say. There must be that surrender of one’s stubborn will to the point where we desire to do God’s will. It is a disposition to do God’s will.

The visitors to the city entered the discussion beginning in verse 20. Jesus had boldly announced that the leaders wanted to kill Him because He had violated the Sabbath and claimed to be God (5:10-18). And, realize, that this occurred a year ago!

“”You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” {21} Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. {22} Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. {23} Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? {24} Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.””

Jesus finishes by telling them to try to see below the surface of things and to judge fairly.  If they do, they will not be able any longer to accuse him of breaking the law.

Nevertheless, Jesus persisted in His charge against them and went on to mention His healing of the lame man, the event which had first made the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem want to kill Him (7:21-24).

The residents of Jerusalem entered the conversation: “At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? {26} Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ ? {27} But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.””

“Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, {29} but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” {30} At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.”

“Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?” {32} The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. {33} Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. {34} You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” {35} The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? {36} What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and’ Where I am, you cannot come’?””

The Pharisees and Sadducees don’t usually team up (cf. Acts 23:6-8). But here they have a common enemy. They send their guards to arrest Jesus. But they couldn’t get past the force of his teaching.

They are struck with his talk about the ascension (vv. 33-34). Unlike Christians, they have no reference point to understand this. All they can think of is that Jesus will slip away into the diaspora of the Hellenistic world. If Jesus runs away into the far reaches of Gentile territory, he will be safe from the attacks of the Sanhedrin. But as far as the diaspora is from Jerusalem, so far are they from understanding what Jesus means. Yet even this derision of Jesus is prophetic of the victorious spread of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus returns their mockery tit for tat. There will come a time when they will turn to look for Jesus only to find that he is gone (v. 34).

The leaders’ worst fears were being realized as more and more people began to believe in Jesus (7:31).

When the Pharisees heard people muttering about their growing faith, they had the temple guards sent to apprehend Jesus (7:32). Again, they were unable to arrest Jesus until the time came when He was ready–and that was still some time away (7:33-36).

THE LAST DAY OF THE FEAST (7:37-52).

On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood up again and publicly made His claims to be the Messiah. On this occasion He spoke of Himself as the source of living water. This would have been on the eighth day, a very special day on which the priests would take the spotlight and proclaim the chant of Psalm 118:25: “O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.”

For the past seven days a priest has gone to the pool of Siloam and filled up a golden pitcher with water. The crowds have followed as he carried it to the temple. They have watched as he poured this libation offering into a bowl which drains into the base of the altar. This was done while reciting Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

The ceremony remembers God’s divine provision of water from a rock in the wilderness. Playing off this public celebration, Jesus stands and shouts about living water.

With this joyous celebration: in progress, Jesus said, “If any man is. thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water'” (7:37, 38).

It has been pointed out that this “great day,” the 21st of the seventh month, is the same date on which the prophet Haggai made a special prediction about the temple (Haggai 2: 1-9).

While the ultimate fulfillment must await the return of Christ to this earth, certainly there was a partial fulfillment when Jesus came to the temple. (Haggai 2:6-7 is quoted in Hebrews 12:26-29 as applying to the return of the Lord).

Equally important is what John wrote about Jesus at this point: “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (7:39).

John offers this explanation in the text, lest we be confused. Jesus was referring to the experience of Israel recorded in Exodus 17:1-7. That water was but a picture of the Spirit of God.

“On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” {41} Others said, “He is the Christ.” Still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? {42} Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” {43} Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. {44} Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. {45} Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” {46} “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards declared. {47} “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. {48} “Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? {49} No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law–there is a curse on them.””

CONCLUSION

In American history, the Battle of the Alamo stands as a prime example of bold decisiveness. In 1836 a band of fewer than two hundred men defended a little mission in San Antonio, Texas, against six thousand Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna.

For two weeks they held the Alamo against impossible odds. Then, on March 5, the night before what would surely be the final assault, William Barrett Travis, the commander of the Texans, called a meeting of his men.

Telling them that he knew the invaders would break through the walls the next day, he took his sword and drew a line in the dirt. He invited everyone who wanted to stay and defend the Alamo to step across the line.

One by one they did. Jim Bowie, who was sick on a pallet, asked to be carried across the line. Of 184 men, only one refused to step across the line. The next day all the defenders of the Alamo died in battle. That day there was no standing on the line! A decision had to be made.

It is told that Napoleon and a friend were talking of life as they walked along. It was dark; they walked to a window after they’d entered a room and looked out. There in the sky were distant stars, little more than pin-points of light.

Napoleon, who had sharp eyes while his friend was dim-sighted, pointed to the sky: “Do you see these stars?” he asked. “No,” his friend answered. “I can’t see them.” “That,” said Napoleon, “is the difference between you and me.

The man who is earthbound is living half a life. It is the man with vision, who looks at the horizon and sees the stars, who is truly alive.

As we continue our study of this marvelous sixth chapter of John, we see a group of people earthbound…with no vision of what lay before them.

The purpose of the sign was that Jesus might preach the sermon.  In grace, our Lord fed the hungry people; but in truth, He gave them the Word of God.

This is truly a unique sermon. The crowd asked several questions, some of which Jesus never answers directly. They moved from pseudo-sincerity to open hostility.

By the end of this sermon, Jesus accomplished a couple of things that most preachers try desperately to avoid. He confused his unbelieving audience and alienated all but his closest comrades. On a more positive note, he (a) moved from earth to heaven, (b) made a clarion call for commitment, and (c) came closer to a clear declaration of his identity than he did in his previous two years of ministry.

This section is a powerful teaching of Jesus. The first section deals with the multitudes (vs. 22-40) while the second deals with the Jews (vs. 41-59). The third section (vs. 60-71) contains an interview with the disciples and shows the effect of Jesus’ swords on the inner circle of His own followers.

Jesus tells us to work not “for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life…”(6:27a).

WE SEE FOUR RESPONSES BY THE PEOPLE

1. SEEKING (vs. 22-40).

“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. {23} Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. {24} Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. {25} When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

This multitude was determined to find Him and carry out their original plan to make Him king. Further, they did not wish to lose a “meal ticket.” The Jews, except for the rich, spent every waking moment toiling for the barest necessities–many were starving.

   “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. {27} Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

  Jesus pointed out that there are two kinds of food: food for the body, which is necessary but not the most important; and food for the inner man, the spirit, which is essential! Food only gives sustains life, but Jesus gives eternal life.

  “Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” {29} Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

When Jesus spoke about the works of God, the Jews immediately thought in terms of “good” works.  It was their conviction that a man by living a good life could earn the favour of God.  They held that men could be divided into three classes-those who were good, those who were bad and those who were in between, who, by doing one more good work, could be transferred to the category of the good.  So when the Jews asked Jesus about the work of God they expected him to lay down lists of things to do.  But that is not what Jesus says at all.

“So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? {31} Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” {32} Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. {33} For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” {35} Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. {36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. {37} All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. {38} For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. {39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. {40} For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

2. MURMURING (vs. 41-51).

“At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” {42} They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” {43} “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. {44} “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. {45} It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. {46} No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. {47} I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. {48} I am the bread of life. {49} Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. {50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. {51} I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

This passage shows the reasons why the Jews rejected Jesus, and in rejecting him, rejected eternal life.

(i)  They judged things by human values and by external standards.  Their reaction in face of the claim of Jesus was to produce the fact that he was a carpenter’s son and that they had seen him grow up in Nazareth.  They were unable to understand how one who was a tradesman and who came from a poor home could possibly be a special messenger from God.

We must have a care that we never neglect a message from God because we despise or do not care for the messenger. 

(ii)  The Jews argued with each other.  They were so taken up with their private arguments that it never struck them to refer the decision to God.  They were exceedingly eager to let everyone know what they thought about the matter; but not in the least anxious to know what God thought. 

(iii)  The Jews listened, but they did not learn.  There are different kinds of listening.  There is the listening of criticism; there is the listening of resentment; there is the listening of superiority; there is the listening of indifference; there is the listening of the man who listens only because for the moment he cannot get the chance to speak.  The only listening that is worth while is that which hears and learns; and that is the only way to listen to God.

(iv)  The Jews resisted the drawing of God.  Only those accept Jesus whom God draws to him.  The word which John uses for to draw is helkuein.  The word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew when Jeremiah hears God say as the Authorized Version has it:  “With loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).  The interesting thing about the word is that it almost always implies some kind of resistance.  It is the word for drawing a heavily laden net to the shore (John 21:6, 11).  It is used of Paul and Silas being dragged before the magistrates in Philippi (Acts 16:19).  It is the word for drawing a sword from the belt or from its scabbard (John 18:10).  Always there is this idea of resistance.  God can draw men, but man’s resistance can defeat God’s pull.

Grumbling is offensive to God because it demonstrates a lack of trust. We justify it by saying, “I’m not grumbling against God but against the preacher/teacher/elder.” But as these passages show, God’s people have never grumbled against God per se, but against God’s spokesman. Nevertheless, God took it personally. If we reject God’s established authority in our lives we have rejected God, himself.

3. STRIVING (vs. 52-59).

“Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” {53} Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. {54} Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. {55} For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. {56} Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. {57} Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. {58} This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” {59} He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.”

During the early years of the Christian faith, the charge of cannibalism was often brought against Christians. Outsiders were often shocked by the language of Christians, particularly when they heard them repeating Jesus’ words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood! What had He meant by such an extreme statement?

Obviously, this is a figure of speech. He is talking about accepting him at the deepest levels. He is speaking of participation and incorporation of his character, purposes, and nature.

The Trans-substantiationists use these verses to support their doctrine of the actual presence of the flesh and the blood of Christ in the Loaf and in the cup. They contend that one must literally partake of the flesh and blood of Jesus, and they, therefore, sacrifice the body of Jesus anew each week at the Mass. 

The Sacramentalists teach that the Christian, by absenting himself from the Lord’s Supper, cuts himself off from any contact with the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

4. DEPARTING (vs. 60-71)

“On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” {61} Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? {62} What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!”

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. {64} Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. {65} He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”

“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. {67} “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. {68} Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. {69} We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” {70} Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” {71} (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)”

The Greek of verse 66 is much more explicit than the English translation. First, “From this time”  suggests not merely this time but this event. As a result of this sermon many of his disciples abandon ship. They go back home, back to work, back to their old habits, old ways of thinking, etc. For many, this is an abdication of the movement. They not only give up following Jesus, they give up what he represents and teaches. They are not fit for the kingdom (Lk 9:62).

This is perhaps the most “unsuccessful” sermon ever preached. Jesus started with thousands and finishes with a handful. Yet it is a significant turning point in Jesus’ ministry. While he moves closer to a self-revelation, he also shifts from a public ministry to thousands to a more private training of the Twelve. Jesus frames his question in v. 67 so as to expect a negative answer. This is not an invitation for them to leave, but a helpful reminder of why they have chosen to stay.

Characteristically, Peter answers for the group. “The emphatic use of the first person plural pronoun implies a contrast between the Twelve and those who had deserted Jesus” (Tenney, p. 80). And what an answer! Peter probably doesn’t understand the full significance of this sermon, but he gets the main point: Life comes through incorporating Jesus’ words.

(i)  There was defection.  Some turned back and walked with him no more.  They drifted away for various reasons.

(ii)  There was deterioration.  It is in Judas above all that we see this.  Jesus must have seen in him a man whom he could use for his purposes.  But Judas, who might have become the hero, became the villain; he who might have become a saint became a name of shame.

There is a terrible story about an artist who was painting the Last Supper.  It was a great picture and it took him many years.  As model for the face of Christ he used a young man with a face of transcendent loveliness and purity.  Bit by bit the picture was filled in and one after another the disciples were painted.  The day came when he needed a model for Judas whose face he had left to the last.  He went out and searched in the lowest haunts of the city and in the dens of vice.  At last he found a man with a face so depraved and vicious as matched his requirement.  When the sittings were at an end the man said to the artist:  “You painted me before.”  “Surely not,” said the artist.  “O yes,” said the man, “I sat for your Christ.”  The years had brought terrible deterioration.

(iii)  There was determination.  This is John’s version of Peter’s great confession at Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:27; Matthew 16:13; Luke 9:18).  It was just such a situation as this that called out the loyalty of Peter’s heart.  To him the simple fact was that there was just no one else to go to.  Jesus alone had the words of life.

Peter’s loyalty was based on a personal relationship to Jesus Christ.  There were many things he did not understand; he was just as bewildered and puzzled as anyone else.  But there was something about Jesus for which he would willingly die.  In the last analysis Christianity is not a philosophy which we accept, nor a theory to which we give allegiance.  It is a personal response to Jesus Christ.  It is the allegiance and the love which a man gives because his heart will not allow him to do anything else.

Francis Schaeffer believed that what Peter said in this passage is the key to bringing people to faith in God. When Schaeffer would talk with nonbelievers about God, he would force them to look at the alternatives to faith. He would ask if they were ready to live in a world with no absolute right or wrong, no hope, and no basis for human dignity.

He was convinced that human beings cannot live with such meaninglessness. Schaeffer would lead people to the brink of despair in order to bring them back to Peter’s realization: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”

The preaching of the Word of God always leads to a sifting of the hearts of the listeners. God draws sinners to the Savior through the power of truth, His Word. Those who reject the Word reject the Savior and reject God.

Jesus was “crossing the Rubicon”!

As I approach our text, I am reminded of a story circulating among the outdoor types, which goes something like this. In the mountains of the Northwest, a man was sitting beside a campfire while he roasted some kind of bird over the fire with eager anticipation. About this time, a forest ranger came upon the camp and asked the camper what he was preparing for dinner. The camper replied that it was a seagull. A frown came over the ranger’s face as he informed this fellow that it was against the law to kill that particular bird, and that he would have to give him a citation.

The camper responded by telling the ranger how he had lost his way and had consumed all of his food. In desperation, he had managed to kill this seagull to maintain his strength. After listening sympathetically, the forest ranger told the fellow he would let him go this time with just a warning, and the camper thanked the ranger profusely. Just as the ranger was about to leave, he asked the camper, “Just out of curiosity, what does seagull taste like?” Thinking for a moment, the camper responded, “Well, I would place it somewhere between a spotted owl and a bald eagle.”

Needless to say, this camper’s words got him into even more trouble. He would have been better off not to say anything at all.

Some may think our Lord’s words in our text are something like this camper’s statement. At the outset, Jesus is deemed guilty of breaking the Sabbath, and of instructing the healed paralytic to do likewise. But after our Lord defends His actions to the Jewish authorities,[1] He is considered guilty of an even greater offense—claiming to be equal with God.

Our text is our Lord’s response to the accusations made against Him. Some may be tempted to think it is less than spectacular, for no debate is actually recorded, and there is no interchange between our Lord and the Jewish authorities. Only our Lord’s words are recorded.[2] Our text contains a three-fold use of the (King James) expression, “Verily, verily, I say unto you …” (verses 19, 24, 25).[3] Surely this tells us that the words spoken here are vitally important, both to be heard and to be heeded.

Listen to what others have said about our text:

“Nowhere else in the Gospels do we find our Lord making such a formal, systematic, orderly, regular statement of His own unity with the Father, His divine commission and authority, and the proofs of His Messiahship, as we find in this discourse” (Ryle).[4]

Ryle adds: ‘To me it seems one of the deepest things in the Bible.’ Similarly Phillips in his translation inserts a sub-heading ‘Jesus makes His tremendous claim.’[5]

It is, as Barclay says, ‘an act of the most extraordinary and unique courage … He must have known that to speak like this was to court death. It is His claim to be King; and He knew well that the man who listened to words like this had only two alternatives—the listener must either accept Jesus as the Son of God, or he must hate Him as a blasphemer and seek to destroy Him. There is hardly any passage where Jesus appeals for men’s love and defies men’s hatred as He does here.’[6]

Our Lord’s words are a bold stroke. If Jesus wishes to avoid trouble with the Jews, this is the time for Him to deny, to “clarify,” or to minimize, His previous claim to be equal with God. Instead, He makes His claim even more emphatically.

This is one of the great texts in the Gospel of John and in the entire New Testament. The truths set down here are the very foundation of the gospel and of our faith.

By 49 B.C., Julius Caesar had become the most powerful man in Rome. For two years he had been away from the city, fighting warring tribes and demonstrating his tremendous skills as a general and an administrator. Much to the dismay of his political opponents, his time in Gaul had only made Caesar more powerful back in Rome.

When Caesar was ordered home by the Roman Senate, he became aware that his enemies were trying to destroy him. To return home he would have to cross the Rubicon River and leave his loyal army behind. For years that river had served as an absolute boundary, beyond which a general could not bring his army.

Because his enemies would be allowed to keep their armies, Caesar knew that to enter Rome alone would be walking into a death sentence. Consequently, he made the bold decision to bring his army across the Rubicon and with him to Rome!

When word arrived in the city that Caesar had “crossed the Rubicon,” everyone knew that civil war had begun. He was acting in defiance of the Roman Senate, and his enemies quickly fled the city. Within two months, Julius Caesar had crushed all opposition and had all of Italy under his power.

Because of this story, “crossing the Rubicon” is an expression used even today to describe a decision that cannot be revoked or a decisive action that cannot be changed. We must not skip this section in our haste to find another narrative section, because something of critical importance was happening here: Jesus was “crossing the Rubicon”!

  Preceding Christ’s remarkable of verses 17-18 was the miraculous healing of a man who had been sick for 38 years! But the Jews’ reactions scandalized His merciful act because it took place on the Sabbath. In His response, Jesus claims equality with the Father and incurs a whirlwind of religious wrath!

This is the first of the long discourses of this gospel. When we read passages like this we must remember that John is not seeking so much to give us the words that Jesus spoke as the things which Jesus meant. He was writing around 100 A.D., so he had some 70 years to think about Jesus and the wonderful things which Jesus said.

1. He claimed to be Equal with God. (5:19-21)

Throughout the passage, Jesus never refers to God generically as our Father. It is always MY Father or the Father. Instead of denying their accusation, He endorsed it!  If today a man made this kind of a claim, we would conclude that he was joking or mentally disturbed. Jesus was certainly not insane, and neither was He a liar!

* Jesus claimed to be one with His Father in His works— (“I’m the giver of life” vs. 19-20).

“Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, 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, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.”

Here we come to the first of the long discourses of the Fourth Gospel.  When we read passages like this we must remember that John is not seeking so much to give us the words that Jesus spoke as the things which Jesus meant.  He was writing somewhere round about a.d. 100.  For seventy years he had thought about Jesus and the wonderful things which Jesus had said. 

* Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father in executing judgment—(“I am the final judge” vs. 21, 26).

“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.  {26} For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.”

To orthodox Jew, Jehovah God was “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen. 18:25); and no one dared to apply that august title to himself. But Jesus did! By claiming to be the Judge, He claimed to be God.

Most people mistakenly believe that God the Father is the final judge of mankind. But this verse, along with several others, indicates that Jesus will be the judge:

Acts 10:42: “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.”

2 Corinthians 5:11: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

 * Jesus claimed to be equal to the Father in honor—(vs. 22-23).

 “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. He who 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.”

He claimed that there are valid witnesses who support His claim to Deity (5:30-47).

Jesus calls six witnesses to testify on His behalf.  We might seek to put these verses in a courtroom scene…Jesus, in essence, is on trial…but really it’s the hearers who are on trial!

The word “witness” is a key word in John’s gospel; it is used 47 times. Jesus did bear witness to Himself but He knew they would not accept it; so He called in other witnesses.

WITNESS #1: HIS WITNESS CONCERNING HIMSELF (vs. 30-31).

“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. {31} “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid.”

WITNESS #2: THE WITNESS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (vs. 32-35).

“There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. {33} “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. {34} Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. {35} John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.”

WITNESS #3: THE WITNESS OF HIS WORK (S) (vs. 36).

“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.”

Remember Nicodemus in John 3:2? “He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Remember the brothers of our Lord in John 7:3? “Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.”

Remember the Jewish leaders in Acts 4:16 when describing the apostles? “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.”

Jesus had used His works to convince the disciples of John the Baptist, who had been put in prison. Matthew 11:1-6: “After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. {2} When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples {3} to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” {4} Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: {5} The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. {6} Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

WITNESS #4: THE WITNESS OF THE FATHER (vs. 37-38).

“And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, {38} nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.”

Verse 37 is a connecting verse between Jesus’ miracles (vs. 36) and the scriptures (vs. 38-39). The direct testimony of the Father is referred to here, and it’s unsure if Jesus was talking about the three voices from heaven:

– at the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22)

– at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:5-6; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35)

– after the triumphal entry (John 12:28)

The gospel of John does not even give two of them!…and verse 37 says that “you have never heard his voice nor seen his form.”

WITNESS #5: THE WITNESS OF THE SCRIPTURES (vs. 39-44).

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, {40} yet you refuse to come to me to have life. {41} “I do not accept praise from men, {42} but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. {43} 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. {44} How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God ?”

At least 18 unmistakable references to the Old Testament are found in John. There is little doubt that Christ was coming and that He had now come.

The practice of the Jews at that time was to study each word minutely, and to build absurd mystical and allegorical interpretations around those word studies. As a result, they rejected the Messiah, because their minds were made up as to what the Messiah must be before they read the Scriptures

   They were BIBLIOTRISTS (Bible worshippers)! They worshipped the words of the Bible, but not the Christ of the Bible.

WITNESS #6: THE WITNESS OF MOSES (vs. 45-47).

“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. {47} But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?””

* There are two more witnesses which we have, which were not available for the Jews.

– the Holy Spirit (15:26) dwelling within each Christian

– the witness of individual apostles (15:27), who would be ready to speak on His behalf only after being empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)

Certainly, today, we are without excuse!

[1] In the Greek text, John simply refers to these folks as “the Jews.” From the context, we would infer they are the “Jewish religious authorities.”

[2] This is not at all to suggest that the Jews said nothing. It is to say that John did not find their words profitable for us, and thus included only our Lord’s words.

[3] In the NET Bible this expression is rendered, “I tell you the solemn truth.”

[4] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 311.

[5] Morris, p. 311, fn. 52.

[6] Morris, p. 311, fn. 53.

The first period in the life of Jesus recorded in this gospel contained His claims. He Himself presented some of them through an explicit avowal of Messiahship, some were implicit in the titles ascribed to Him by His friends, and still others were latent in the miracles that He performed.

He claimed nothing less for Himself than Deity. He demanded nothing less from His followers than obedient faith.

Between chapters 4 and 5:1, the following incidents occurred in Jesus’ life:

1. Returned to Nazareth, taught in the synagogue, and was rejected (Luke 4).
2. Called four fishermen the second time, and healed many (Matt. 4; Mark 1; Luke 5).
3. Made the Galilean tour among crowds (Matt. 9).
4. Healed a leper (Matt. 8).
5. Healed a paralytic (Matt. 9).
6. Called Matthew (Matt. 9).
7. Ran into controversies about eating and fasting (Matt. 9; Mark 2; Luke 5).

Because of His claims, He met opposition. Chapters 6 and 7 will show the development of this opposition in debate and controversy before it broke into deadly conflict.

The subject matter in this Period of Controversy was centered around two events: the healing of the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda and the feeding of 5,000 men in Galilee.

These two differ in character, in scope, in locality, and in response:

– One was negative, for it removed the handicap of a long standing disease. The other was positive, for it provided nourishment for the healthy crowd.

– One pertained to one individual, the other to 5,000 men.

– One took place in Galilee, the other in Jerusalem.

– One evoked the enmity of the Jews; the other brought acclamation of the multitude.

BOTH PRODUCED CONTROVERSY!

* THE NEED (5:1-5)

“Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. {2} Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. {3} Here a great number of disabled people used to lie–the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [and they waited for the moving of the waters. {4} From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.]  {5} One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years

There were three Jewish feasts which were feasts of obligation– Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Every adult male Jew who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to attend them.

It’s most likely that this feast was Pentecost, since the events of John 6 occur when the Passover was near.  The Passover was in mid- April, and Pentecost was seven weeks later.

Make this special note: Verses 3b and 4 are not found in the latest translations of the original Greek…they aren’t even found in most translations except as a footnote. They were added in the later centuries to explain why the sick were gathered, and listed the superstitious feelings of the people.

Beneath the pool was a subterranean stream which every now and again bubbled up and disturbed the waters. The belief  was that the disturbance was caused by an angel, and that the first person to get into the pool after the troubling of the water would be healed from any illness from which he was suffering.

For 38 years, this pathetic man has lain here in the poverty, the repulsion, and the despair. To us this is mere superstition.  But it was the kind of belief which was spread all over the world in ancient days and which still exists in certain places.

Suddenly, the waters of the pool begin to boil, or bubble, or froth in some way, and pandemonium breaks out. Only one person will be healed per “stirring”—the first one into the pool. Every ailing person there at the pool is in competition with the rest of the multitude who are also hoping for a healing. If and when the waters are actually troubled, no one dares to tell anyone else, for fear they might reach the pool first. Can you imagine the pushing, shoving, and tripping that takes place as every ailing person desperately strives to be the first into the water?

What a pathetic sight, to see cripples crawling, hopping, rolling, clawing their way to the water’s edge. What chaos there would be! And then, even if one person was healed, it would not be the most needy person, because the one with the smallest ailment would be the most likely one to reach the pool first. The most needy person would be the least likely to get into the water first. Therefore, the least needy would probably be the one cured, while all the rest struggle to get out of the pool, get back to their “stations,” and await their next chance. What a very pathetic scene.

In this story we see very clearly the conditions under which the power of Jesus operated.  He gave his orders to men and, in proportion as they tried to obey, power came to them.

(i)  Jesus began by asking the man if he wanted to be cured.  It was not so foolish a question as it may sound.  The man had waited for thirty-eight years and it might well have been that hope had died and left behind a passive and dull despair.  In his heart of heart the man might be well content to remain an invalid for, if he was cured, he would have to shoulder all the burden of making a living.  There are invalids for whom invalidism is not unpleasant, because someone else does all the working and all the worrying.  But this man’s response was immediate.  He wanted to be healed, though he did not see how he ever could be since he had no one to help him.

The first essential towards receiving the power of Jesus is to have intense desire for it.  Jesus says:  “Do you really want to be changed?”  If in our inmost hearts we are well content to stay as we are, there can be no change for us.

(ii)  Jesus went on to tell the man to get up.  It is as if he said to him:  “Man, bend your will to it and you and I will do this thing together!”  The power of God never dispenses with the effort of man.  Nothing is truer than that we must realize our own helplessness; but in a very real sense it is true that miracles happen when our will and God’s power co-operate to make them possible.

(iii)  In effect Jesus was commanding the man to attempt the impossible.  “Get up!”  he said.  His bed would simply be a light stretcher-like frame-the Greek is krabbatos, a colloquial word which really means a pallet-and Jesus told him to pick it up and carry it away.  The man might well have said with a kind of injured resentment that for thirty-eight years his bed had been carrying him and there was not much sense in telling him to carry it.  But he made the effort along with Christ-and the thing was done.

(iv)  Here is the road to achievement.  There are so many things in this world which defeat us.  When we have intensity of desire and determination to make the effort, hopeless though it may seem, the power of Christ gets its opportunity, and with him we can conquer what for long has conquered us.

* THE MIRACLE (5:6-9a)

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” {7} “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” {8} Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” {9} At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

Not only would this man’s plight be seemingly hopeless, but the man himself seemed resigned to his fate and had accepted the inevitable. Verse 7 is a further explanation of their superstition: the people believed the angels stirred the water, and the first one in would be healed.

Just think: 38 years of misery, shame, embarrassment and despair; in a split second, it was all history!

No matter how long we have been struggling with some particular sin or situation from our past, Jesus can change it! The real question is: do you wish to get well?

* THE CONFRONTATION (5:9b-17)

“The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, {10} and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

Undoubtedly, the witnesses around the pool were bustling with excitement. But the miracle leaves the legalists bristling with anger. When they should have been on their knees in praise, the only thing these Pharisees can do is pull out their principle-book and quote condemnation, chapter and verse.

The law said simply that the Sabbath Day must be different from other days and that on it neither a man nor his servants nor his animals must work; the Jews set out 39 different classifications of work, one of which was that it consisted in carrying a burden.

The Rabbis of Jesus’s day solemnly argued that a man was sinning if:

– he carried a needle in his robe

– if he wore artificial teeth or his wooden leg

– if a woman wore a broach

The authorities levelled their accusations against Jesus.  The verbs in verse 18 are imperfect tense, which describes repeated action in past time.  Clearly this story is only a sample of what Jesus habitually did.

His defense was shattering.  God did not stop working on the Sabbath day and neither did he.  Any scholarly Jew would grasp its full force.

Jesus said:  “Even on the Sabbath God’s love and mercy and compassion act; and so do mine.”  It was this last passage which shattered the Jews, for it meant nothing less than that the work of Jesus and the work of God were the same.  It seemed that Jesus was putting himself on an equality with God.  What Jesus really was saying we shall see in our next section; but at the moment we must note this-Jesus teaches that human need must always be helped; that there is no greater task than to relieve someone’s pain and distress and that the Christian’s compassion must be like God’s-unceasing.  Other work may be laid aside but the work of compassion never.

“But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.'” {12} So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” {13} The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. {14} Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” {15} The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. {16} So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. {17} Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

The Pharisees took this occasion (vs. 16) as one excuse to persecute Him. They disliked Jesus when here the first time (2:18) and were suspicious of His popularity (4:1).

Now they have cause for an open breach. They would watch His conduct on the Sabbath from now on (Mark 2:23; 3:2, 6). Of course, the penalty for blasphemy was death. It is here that the “official persecution” of Jesus began!

* THE REACTION (5:18)

“For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

The reply of Jesus to these accusations contained not only a new ethical concept of the Sabbath, but also a new theology. Jesus indicated that He made the Father His pattern, and that He felt that the Father’s work constituted sufficient precedent and reason for Him. They understood what He meant, because they sought to kill Him.

Essentially, the indictments of the legalists were two fold:

1. Jesus broke the Sabbath (vs. 16, 18)
2. Jesus claimed equality with God by claiming Him as His Father (vs. 17-18).

Ironically, the Pharisees were the guilty ones: they judged Jesus, refused to rejoice or give praise at the healing, and even went so far as to plot Christ’s assassination.

These Jewish leaders are seen for who they are. They suppose that they love God and their fellow man, in obedience to the law of Moses. They think themselves pious, and expect to be the first to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed, they expect a prominent leadership role in that kingdom. And yet when Jesus comes to town and heals a paralytic, their only concern is that the healed man is “walking illegally” (with his mat). They hardly seem to notice or care that the man is “walking”—the paralytic has been healed! And then, because Jesus has performed such a miracle, they begin to persecute the Son of God. When Jesus points out that this is exactly who He is, they redouble their efforts to kill Him. The wickedness of man never ceases to amaze us.

The second thing this incident in John’s Gospel does is to provide the occasion for Jesus to state very clearly (and very early in this Gospel) just who He is.

The most important question you will ever answer is this: “Who is Jesus Christ?” John gives us the answer, clearly. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who speaks and acts for God, and as God. Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” He is the only One through whom your sins can be forgiven, the only way to heaven (John 14:6). Do you believe this?

   #Thou shalt.”

   “Thou shalt not.”

   “Thou shalt.”

   “Thou shalt not.”

   “Shalt.”

   “Shalt not.”

   “SHALT!” “SHALT NOT!”

Sounds like angry children arguing on the playground, doesn’t it? But what you’re hearing is the insistent bickering of adult Christians entrenched in legalism.

* LEGALISM: LET’S UNDERSTAND IT.

When we lift the veil on legalism, we find hypocrisy instead of holiness.

What is it? Legalism is conforming to a code of behavior for the purpose of exalting self. Legalists make lists of “dos” and “don’t” based not on Scripture but on tradition or personal preference. Then they judge themselves and others on their performance. In a nutshell, it’s a “checklist Christianity.”

How does it appear? It slips into a congregation unnoticed and usually preys especially on young, naive believers. Paul describes legalists in Galatians 2:4: “<This matter arose> because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.”

Why is it wrong? First and foremost, legalism is unbiblical. Grace and freedom are the hallmarks of the Christian life, not law and bondage. Second, it promotes the flesh, which cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). Third, it is based on pride, a prime example of which is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax gatherer in Luke 18:9-14.

When did it start? Legalism is an ancient art, begun by the Pharisees and implemented by subsequent generations of apprentices who have been narrow, rigid, and often intolerably religious.

Legalists have refused to accept the doctrine of grace. Instead, they have sought to supplement grace with their own works or ideas.

I was made aware of a book which records some very strange laws still on the books in our country. Some of these “whacky laws” are listed below:

• “In Pennsylvania, the penalty for cursing is a forty-cent fine. However, if God is mentioned in the curse, the fine is sixty-seven cents.”
• “It is illegal to mispronounce the name of the city of Joliet, Illinois.”
• “In San Francisco, you are not permitted to carry a basket suspended from a pole.”
• “It is unlawful for goldfish to ride on a Seattle, Washington, bus unless they lie still.”
• “Michigan law once required taking a census of bees every winter.”
• “In Natchez, Mississippi, it is against the law for elephants to drink beer.”
• “An old Hollywood, California, ordinance forbids driving more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.”
• “In Muncie, Indiana, you cannot bring fishing tackle into a cemetery.”
• “The California penal code prohibits the shooting of any animal, except a whale, from an automobile.”
• “In Kansas City, Missouri, children are prohibited by law from buying cap pistols. However, the law does not restrict them from buying shotguns.”
• “A Minnesota law requires that men’s and women’s underwear not be hung on the same clothesline at the same time.”
• “In Joliet, Illinois, women are not allowed to try on more than six dresses in one store.”[1]

I mention these “whacky laws” of our own land because I am about to point out some of the “whacky Jewish laws” of Jesus’ day. We are inclined to look at these laws and laugh, amazed at how ridiculous they seem. Before getting too carried away with our laughter, let me say this. Every one of these apparently ridiculous laws made sense to the lawmakers at the time they became law. These “whacky laws” did not come about in a vacuum; they were a legislative attempt to prevent or solve a real problem of some kind. Lest we think lawmakers wish to spend all their time making up silly laws, let me suggest that they must do so because of “whacky” folks like you and me.

As parents, we should be able to understand how this happens. We would love to be able to give our children a very general principle or guideline, and trust them to follow it. For example, we wish we could say to our child, “Just be home at a reasonable hour.” The trouble is that they do not agree with us about what “reasonable” means, and so we have to give an exact time.

Our child says, “Mom, can I go down the street and play with Charlie?” We say, “No, I don’t want you to play with Charlie at his house.” So our child goes down the street and plays with Charlie out in the yard (to keep our rules), or he plays with Charlie’s brother in his house. We therefore learn to make our rules more and more specific, lest our child fail to behave as we intended. The more specific we make these rules, the sillier they appear to others.

I am not defending Pharisaism or the legalism of the Jews of Jesus’ day. Many of their rules would be very difficult to defend. Nevertheless, I must also say that most of the regulations I am about to call to your attention were probably necessitated by people who were unwilling to abide by principles; thus, religious leaders were forced to become more and more specific, to the point of unbelievable gnat-straining. Here are some of the regulations of the Jews in our Lord’s time:

Some of the detailed regulations are passing wonderful. For example, ‘(On the Sabbath) a man may borrow of his fellow jars of wine or jars of oil, provided that he does not say to him, ‘Lend me them’ (Shab. 23:1). This would imply a transaction, and a transaction might involve writing, and writing was forbidden. Or again, ‘If a man put out the lamp (on the night of the Sabbath) from fear of the gentiles or of thieves or of an evil spirit, or to suffer one that was sick to sleep, he is not culpable; (but if he did it with a mind) to spare the lamp or to spare the oil or to spare the wick, he is culpable’ (Shab. 2:5). The attitude to healing on the sabbath is illustrated by a curious provision that a man may not put vinegar on his teeth to alleviate toothache. But he may take vinegar with his food in the ordinary course of affairs, and the Rabbis philosophically concluded, ‘if he is healed he is healed’ (Shab. 14:4)![2]

The Mishna says: ‘He that reapeth corn on the Sabbath to the quantity of a fig is guilty; and plucking corn is reaping.’ Rubbing the grain out was threshing. Even to walk on the grass on the Sabbath was forbidden because it was a species of threshing. Another Talmudic passage says: ‘In case a woman rolls wheat to remove the husks, it is considered sifting; if she rubs the head of wheat, it is regarded as threshing; if she cleans off the side-adherences, it is sifting out fruit; if she throws them up in her hand, it is winnowing’ [Jer. Shabt, page 10a]. The scrupulosity of these Jews about the Sabbath was ridiculously extreme. A Jewish sailor caught in a storm after sunset on Friday refused to touch the helm though threatened with death. Thousands had suffered themselves to be butchered in the streets of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes rather than lift a weapon in self-defense on the Sabbath! To these purists, the act of the disciples was a gross desecration of the Sabbath law. The worst of all was that Jesus permitted and approved it.[3]

In the above citations, J. W. Shepard is referring to the Sabbath laws of Jesus’ day, but we would be incorrect to suppose things have improved with time. A friend loaned me a book by Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth entitled, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath.[4] This volume (my friend reminds me that it is the first volume) goes into great detail concerning the interpretation and application of the Sabbath for contemporary Judaism. In the preface to this work the author writes, “The Mishna (Chagiga: Chapter 1, Mishna 8) likens the laws of Shabbath to ‘mountains hanging by a hair,’ in that a multitude of precepts and rules, entailing the most severe penalties for their breach, depend on the slightest of indications given by a biblical verse.”[5]

He also reminds us of the importance which Judaism has placed, and continues to place, on the keeping of the Sabbath:

May we be privileged, by virtue of the proper observance of the Shabbath, to see the final redemption of Israel. Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, “Were Israel properly to observe two Shabbathoth, they would immediately be redeemed” (Shabbath 118b). Until such time, God’s only dwelling-place on this earth is within the four walls of the Halacha (Berachoth 8a).[6]

The book contains many instructions about the keeping of the Sabbath, but I will mention only a few:

Cooking in most all forms (boiling, roasting, baking, frying, etc.) is forbidden on the Sabbath, in particular when the temperature is raised above 45 degrees centigrade (113 Fahrenheit).[7]

If the hot water tap is accidentally left on, it cannot be turned off on the Sabbath.[8]

Escaping gas can be turned off, but not in the normal way. One must turn off the tap of a gas burner with the back of the hand or the elbow.[9]

The preparation of food is greatly affected by the Sabbath. One cannot squeeze a lemon into a glass of ice tea, but one can squeeze lemon on a piece of fish.[10]

That one cannot light a fire on the Sabbath is taught in the Old Testament law (cf. Exod. 35:3). Strict Judaism views this to prohibit turning electric lights on or off on the Sabbath. The problem can be solved, however, by using a timer, which automatically handles this task.[11]

So, too, an air conditioner cannot be turned on by a Jew on the Sabbath, although a Gentile might be persuaded to do so.[12]

One cannot bathe with a bar of soap on the Sabbath, but liquid detergent is acceptable.[13]

I find the section dealing with “discovered articles” (pp. 233-235) most interesting. One is prohibited from transporting goods on the Sabbath. This would prevent merchants from conducting business on the Sabbath. It has been so highly refined that now one cannot carry something which he unknowingly took with him. If one is walking along on the Sabbath and discovers that he is carrying something in his pocket, he has several courses of action so as not to violate the Sabbath.

He may, for example, drop the item out of his pocket, but not in the normal or usual fashion (by grasping it, removing it from the pocket, and dropping it on the floor). He can, however, reverse his pocket, expelling the object unnaturally, and thus legitimately. If the item is valuable, and he does not wish to leave it on the ground, he can ask a Gentile to watch the item for him.

Otherwise, the item could be carried, but not in the usual way. He can carry it for a prescribed distance (just under four amoth), put it down, then take it up, and so on. Or, the man could relay it between himself and a fellow-Israelite, each one carrying the object for no more than the prescribed distance. If this is not advisable, the object can be carried in an unusual way, such as placing it in the shoe, tying it to his leg, or managing to suspend it between his clothing and his body.

Morris adds this regulation regarding work on the Sabbath: Mishnah, Shab. 7:2 lists thirty-nine classes of work forbidden on a sabbath, the last being ‘taking out aught from one domain into another.’ An interesting regulation provides that if a man took out ‘a living man on a couch he is not culpable by reason of the couch, since the couch is secondary’ (Shab. 10:5). This clearly implies that the carrying of the ‘couch’ by itself is culpable.[14]

This information is not supplied to amuse you, but to prepare you for the issues that arise in our study of John chapter 5, as well as later on in John’s Gospel. A decisive change takes place here. Until now, signs and miracles may not have convinced all, but they definitely were instrumental in drawing some to faith. When Jesus turned the water into wine, a few realized what had happened, but only the disciples of our Lord are said to have “believed” (John 2:11).

When our Lord went to Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (John 2:12-22), He also performed a number of signs, which caused a number to “believe in His name” (2:23-25). Nicodemus was at least impressed by the signs Jesus performed (3:2). The Samaritans did not require a sign, but many believed in Jesus when they heard His words (4:4ff.). The royal official who came to Jesus was forced to believe the word which Jesus spoke to him, and the miracle that resulted was instrumental in his coming to faith, along with his whole house (4:43-54).

What is the main issue with legalism? It leaves us uncertain about our relationship with God! We never quite know ‘how we stand’ with our Redeemer, Lord, and Savior!

And any system that diminishes the work of grace on our behalf is wrong! It is just wrong!

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[1] Barbara Seuling, More Whacky Laws (New York: Scholastic Inc., 1975).

[2] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 305, fn. 25.

[3] J. W. Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939), p. 161.

[4] Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath, English edition, prepared by W. Grangewood (Jerusalem: Feldheim, 1984).

[5] Ibid, p. xxx.

[6] Ibid, p. xxxii.

[7] Ibid, p. 1.

[8] Ibid, p. 17.

[9] Ibid, p. 11.

[10] This is my understanding of the view expressed on pages 66-67.

[11] Ibid, pp. 141-142.

[12] Ibid, p. 146.

[13] Ibid, p. 154.

[14] Morris, p. 306, fn. 28.