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Please turn your Bibles with me to John chapter 5. Gospel of John chapter 5 we continue exactly where we let off this morning as We are continuing our series in papyrus 45 and here this morning. We we actually covered a fair amount of territory for Reformed Baptists.
I apologize for that We moved very very quickly that might have been somewhat disorienting, but we covered 16 verses in one sermon, that's I'm not sure that sermon audio will even allow us to upload that sermon in light of its Being out of the ordinary in that way.
But we probably are not going to go nearly as far this evening. I can assure you of that as you will recall we saw that the chapter begins with the Supernatural healing of a man by the pool in Jerusalem.
We saw that this pool has been Discovered archaeologically that it was accurately described by John just another one of those things where again If these books were written at for example if if John Were written post 70 and and and most people believe John was written post 70.
But much of modern Liberal scholarship would tell you it was but not but written by a disciple of Jesus. It was written by someone around the turn of the century probably far far away. Well, the problem is that the descriptions given by John?
Clearly indicate that the person who wrote the book had been in Jerusalem and the environs prior to 8070 they and they were probably an inhabitant of that city or at least familiar with That city having visited a number of times before its destruction by Titus and the Roman legions in 8070.
And so there are so many examples of this. You not only have the accuracy of the archaeological information you have the use of patronyms. The names of people based upon their family relationships, which was very common in that area.
It wasn't common in other areas. You wouldn't know those things if you were trying to write some fiction and project it back into that time period. It just simply wouldn't work. There are so many reasons to reject well It's that time of year again.
So over the next few weeks, you'll undoubtedly see I predict I predict you will see. You will see things in social media and on cable questioning the veracity of the Bible and its story of the birth of Jesus now, there is.
There's a prophecy no one needs to be worried about standing behind because If it's December or if it's March April. That's just simply what we've gotten used to isn't it? I mean, it's it's a sad thing to say, but that's gonna happen well, since it does happen it is good for us to know at least in our own minds that we can as Parents speak to our young people as young people give testimony in our schools or wherever else we might be to recognize that there's there's a lot that is not told and There is a lot that is said in our society that is far far from the truth and so we looked at the healing of the man at the pool this morning and we we had some questions about exactly how the man responded to these things and whether we should take a negative or or Maybe neutral view of him.
But the point was that all of this led to What was going to happen afterwards and that is this conflict that is it going to exist between the Jewish leaders and Jesus in regards this this issue of breaking the Sabbath now once again People will say well look that conflict took place in the synoptic Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke.
But it didn't result in this Extended discussion on Jesus's part of his relationship to the father. So John must be making this up well you have the connection between the synoptic Gospels and John in regards to the issue of the Sabbath and Jesus did say in the synoptic Gospels that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath and you'll notice Then almost every single one of those situations that's where it ends period of time and carried about and the Synoptic Gospels seemingly being written at an earlier period of time Focus much more upon the teachings of Jesus the parables of Jesus the actions of Jesus.
Whereas John writing at a later period of time focuses upon the specific interactions of Jesus his dialogues with other Individuals and so here in John chapter 5 we have seen the healing. We see in verse 16 because of this the Jews were were persecuting or pursuing coming after opposing Jesus because he did these things on the Sabbath remember when they had seen the man carrying his his Palate his his mat with him.
They had said you're breaking the law. It's the Sabbath day. You're not supposed to do that. Well the man who healed me told me to do that. Well who healed you? I don't know and then when he finds out well, is that guy at that Jesus guy, he's the one that told me to do it and so They are persecuting Jesus.
And so he says in verse 17 So Jesus answered them My father is working until now and I am working now truly You have to have some kind of background in the Jewish understanding of The Sabbath and God's relationship to it to have any idea of what Jesus is saying.
Otherwise it is really really Difficult to follow what is being said here, especially because of what comes afterwards of verse 18 for this reason. Therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him not just not opposing him.
But they're seeking all the more to kill him. Because he was not only loosing the Sabbath that is claiming to have the ability to define or redefine the Sabbath but also was referring to calling Speaking of God as his own father making himself equal to God now a lot of folks would look at verses 17 and 18 and Say I'm obviously missing something here.
How does saying my father's working and so now and I am working result in not only the escalation of the attitude of the Jews, but he's he's He's making himself equal with God. He's loosing the Sabbath.
What what is going on here? Well, the answer as is so often is the case is to be found in an understanding of what the Jews believed during this time period loosely called Taniatic Judaism second temple Judaism After the rebuilding of the temple and especially in that time period The hundred years before and after up to the destruction of Jerusalem.
What did the Jews believe and it's it's a fascinating area of study. There is good and bad material on it there's a lot of really bad material in the internet about it these days a lot of people like to sell books by Coming up with wild strange theological answers based upon Hebrew roots and all sorts of things like that.
But from what we can seriously obtain and come to understand. The Jews understand understood what Jesus was saying and there's two ways to understand it either. You take the perspective some Jews recognize that in a technical sense God broke the Sabbath because God continues To uphold all of his creation even on the Sabbath day.
The stars continue in their orbits and the Sun comes up and the Sun sets and the moon does the same thing and Nature, you know rain falls and It just keeps on running on that seventh day and If God is the one who is sustaining his creation then Obviously, whatever it means for God to rest on the Sabbath doesn't mean that God stops sustaining his creation but but there were other Jews and I think I've met some of these these folks at least their modern-day descendants on Facebook who just couldn't stand the idea that their other rule had been broken and so They had the idea that well you see You're allowed to carry your mat in your house.
You can you can take the the the dishes off the table and and put them away in your house. As long as you're in your house. There are certain things that you can do and of course the entire creation is God's house and So God doesn't really break the Sabbath.
Because it's all his house. And so he's just not bound by the same law. He's he's he's keeping the Sabbath, but they would emphasize he is still sustaining the The creation itself. He is still working in that sense.
But he's not technically breaking the rule because it's hey, it's his universe anyways. And so the extension of the house rule would be to all the universe. Well, the point is that the Jews recognized that Resting was not a complete cessation of activity that God continued to rule his world even on the Sabbath day and So when Jesus says my father is working until now and I am working.
What's he saying? The Jews understood God has been working in sustaining his creation since the seventh day itself back in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 and So the language that Jesus uses here. He doesn't he doesn't say our father.
He doesn't say the name the mighty one. Any of the euphemisms that eventually would be developed so that you would not profane the name of God he says my father my father not our father my father in a particular and special fashion and You might say That yes, you've had in John chapter 3 you've had John talking about Jesus as the only begotten and you've had the introduction but in Public disputation this is a key Transition point in the gospel.
This is going to become central Chapter 5 chapter 8 chapter 10. What is the constant? What is what results in the Jews here seeking to kill him eventually pick up stones to stone him? It is his claim to this special unique relationship to God as his father.
Not as you find over and over again in the Old Testament text. Where yes, God is described as father in most instances in the Old Testament when that terminology is used. It's referring to God as the creator of all things.
It doesn't have the intimate Relationship and certainly doesn't have the Trinitarian Overtones in the vast majority of instances that you would find in the New Testament where it's laid out very plainly and So Jesus in response to their opposition to him says my father is working until now and I am working.
What's this in the context of? His exercise of divine power on the Sabbath he is claiming the same divine right. To exercise divine power in the sustaining of the creation. That his father Exercises and that the Jews themselves Recognized that's an amazing statement.
So many times when Jesus makes these types of statements and the Jews respond in a particular fashion if we but knew What they believed at that time we would be Far more impressed with the forcefulness of what Jesus says.
In John chapter 8 when he says before Abraham was I am they pick up stones to stone him. They know he's using the I am Names of God found Isaiah and the minor prophets harkening back to Exodus. But first and foremost and Isaiah and the minor prophets using divine names of himself even in Mark in his trial.
When he conflates psalm 110 with the quotation from Daniel 7 At his own trial the result is the high priest tears his clothes. You've heard the blasphemy. What what further testimony do we need and they judged him worthy of death?
And very often we read these and go wow these people are really sensitive. No, actually Jesus was making amazing claims. Amazing claims and So the rest of the chapter is going to be an explication of what is said here, but What's really important is before you?
Mark this one down for the next time. The Jehovah's Witnesses come by your house and wake you up on a Saturday morning and go. Oh, I've got I've got one. This is gonna be fun be careful. For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because he not only broke or loosed the Sabbath.
So that was their initial approach was you're breaking the Sabbath you're commanding people to do things they shouldn't do on the Sabbath and now he's claiming the authority to actually loose the Sabbath to actually from their perspective redefine the rules.
But and Then the form of the verb here strikes me as Something Jesus was doing more than once in other words I I doubt Jesus just simply said my father is working in an eye more. That was it and immediately they started.
There was there was more of a conversation that went on shall we say? It seems to me that it's saying Jesus was repeatedly calling God his own father and Then the last section of the last phrase is making himself equal to God now.
Here is what? The Unitarian is going to say and there's all sorts of Unitarians. There's there's the old Unitarians we're all used to dealing with those Jehovah's Witnesses that come Come by our door every once a while you see him.
I Stop at a lot of rest stops while I'm doing my long rides and they've started setting up at these rest stops where you're going on a trailhead or something like that and there there's these elderly Jehovah's Witnesses their suit and tie on and ladies in a nice dress and everybody else is wearing shorts and sweating profusely and.
And they've got their watchtowers out on their little they got little portable stands with wheels now, and it's just so sad To see those folks who have given so much of their lives for for a lie. But they aren't the only Unitarians out there.
Oh, no. There are there are a bunch of Unitarians all over the internet these days. And if you dare say almost anything and almost any social media platform, they will be all over you and here's what they're gonna say.
They're gonna say oh Yeah. That's exactly what it says those those Jews were very confused about what Jesus was saying. See what they're gonna say is they're gonna say well Jesus wasn't breaking the Sabbath and Jesus wasn't calling God his own father making himself equal with God.
That's just how the Jews Interpreted his words and the rest of John chapter 5 is gonna be Jesus going. No, no, no, no you guys. You've misunderstood me because the very next verse says that the son is not able to do anything of Himself except what he sees the father doing so he's not making himself equal to God see you've misunderstood 518 that does.
Jesus isn't making himself equal to God and He's gonna go on say the son could do nothing of his own. So obviously he's not God if he can do nothing of his own see and this is where We need to put down a deep Interpretational stake shall we say.
To be able to understand and deeply appreciate what we have in John chapter 5. Because yes Jesus says truly truly I say to you The son is not able to do anything off. Hey out to by himself except what he sees the father doing.
For what that one is doing the these things the son does likewise now. We're not going to unpack past verse 19 or even get to verse 19, but the point is this When you carefully and you can't make everyone You you can't make folks carefully handle the Bible it may frustrate you to no end and You will encounter many people who will just close their eyes and they just don't want to see all You can do is seek to handle the Word of God, right?
Be an example. Teach others to do it the right way, but you can't force anybody here you notice the balance in verse 19 the son Does nothing by himself. There is the son is not a renegade deity out there seeking followers in opposition to the father and Any charge of polytheism any charge of the son?
Making himself equal to God but being outside of perfect unity with the father. That's exactly what the result would be here. You've got a deity Other than the father that's we're monotheist. We can't know that's blasphemy.
That's why they're seeking to kill him and even by the end of John chapter 19 verse 26 We have a law by this law. He ought to die because he made himself out to be the Son of God. Do nothing of himself.
And that's exactly What you would expect if the doctrine of the Trinity is true the divine persons do not act in opposition to one another in contrast one another. There is a perfect unity but notice the very next phrase.
He well, first of all, he he sees what the father is doing and What the father is doing the son does likewise now, wait a minute. You see the Unitarian says see that makes him something lesser. So wait a minute.
Could that be said of any creature at all. The Muslims gonna say well, yes, that just means that we're supposed to act like God, but that's not what Jesus is saying. That's not what Jesus is saying. No human being can say I see what God's doing and I do what he does.
Because he's giving life. These are divine prerogatives. This is creation. This is sustaining the universe. So the point is the father and the son Must be distinguished from one another the son is the one who's become incarnate not the father.
The son has submitted himself to the father, but there is a Perfect unity between the two and that's why just a few verses down verse 23 in order that all may honor the son. Just as they honor the father the one not honoring.
The son is not honoring the father who sent him. You can't fit that into a Unitarian scheme. There is perfect Balance between the father and the son not an equation. I mean you you it is amazing That there are still so many people out there who try to defend the idea of modalism try to defend the idea that what the New Testament actually teaches is that Jesus was two persons and and that there aren't three divine Persons and things like it it it just crashes on the rocks of the Gospel of John.
That's for sure. Even though the couple passages they use are primarily taken from John. It's amazing people still go there and it's amazing how people can come up with Unitarianism, but what must be Understood by those who want to understand what John is saying the father and the son are clearly Distinguished from one another their roles and redemption are distinguished from one another.
The son has been sent by the father. The son is acting in perfect harmony with the father. But it does not change the reality that the very language that Jesus used when he says my father is Working until now and I am working my father sustains the world my father sustains the creation and so do I.
No prophet had ever said that no prophet would dare to say such a thing. But Jesus did that's why people who Utterly reject the authority of the New Testament who are critics of the New Testament unbelievers Don't have any difficulty in looking at the Gospel of John go.
Well, it's obviously teaching the deity of Christ. Bart Ehrman is a Critic leading English-speaking critic of the New Testament in the world today. His views are constantly evolving and changing and and I suppose on once one level that's a good thing.
But when it comes to the Gospel of John, he's always said well It's obvious that John Intends to communicate the deity of Jesus. I mean it's all through it. It's obvious because he doesn't believe any of it.
So he doesn't have to you know Soft pedal anything. It's yeah, it's right there. Now he's been writing more and more on the New Testament recent on the other Gospels and he's he's had to come to conclusion.
Well, you know what? Actually all the Gospels do it. They just do it in different ways. He doesn't believe the New Testament is consistent with itself, but he has been forced to the conclusion that You know, they pretty all pretty much do present Jesus as at least a divine figure in some fashion and John clearly.
This has this ridiculously high view of Jesus. It's true, he does have this ridiculously high view of Jesus. But what he misses is that you can allow Matthew Mark Luke and John to speak together and they give us the full perspective and so Jesus makes the claim and When the Jews therefore seek to kill him.
They were right that he was claiming Authority over the Sabbath just as he had in the synoptic Gospels son of man's Lord of the South. But they also recognized that that specific utilization of my own father was different than any of the many many uses of References to the sons of God elsewhere in Scripture.
Some of you have heard me make reference over the years to a man by the name of Ahmed D dot. Ahmed D dot was the founder of the IPCI in South Africa an Islamic propagation Center and He was a showman a very good speaker a very poor scholar, but a very good speaker and.
And He coined the phrase God has sons by the tons sons by the tons and So there wasn't anything special about Jesus. God has sons by the tons. Anybody who is a godly man is a son of God sons by the tons.
What is painfully obvious in opposition to the late Ahmed D dot is That Jesus's use of son of God must be defined in the light of my father not just our father, but my father the one who sent me as John began his gospel this word that became flesh was in the beginning with God.
Was it was at the very father's side in eternity past according to verse 18 of John chapter 1 and so the unique son. The term that's been used only begotten. Really the emphasis and I know there are people trying to overthrow this today, but in the gospel John seems obvious to me That it is the uniqueness of the son that is so offensive To the Jews even here.
He calls God his own father. He's making himself equal to God. Well, obviously the way in which he's doing it is some special way and they picked up on it. They understood it. And so is this just simply the Jews?
Misunderstanding. Or is this a proper? Understanding of what Jesus was saying. And the rest of the chapter then becomes Jesus's Explanation because it starts off verse 19 with the ants. It's the normal term for giving an answer what does he teach and the rest of the chapter does not present to us a Rival to the father.
There is no inconsistency there is no disharmony. There is perfect Unity between the father and the son in the accomplishment of what the father has sent the son to do. And that's going to lead then to the father and the son sending the spirit in John chapters 14 and 16 which is so important in our understanding of the formation of the church and Jesus promised that I and the father will come and make our abode within you how by the Spirit of God extremely important.
Most of us don't spend almost any time of our day Thanking God for the absolute unity and harmony that exists between the father and the son. But we should we should because our very salvation is Based upon the acceptance of that general rule that the father and the son the son always does what is pleasing to the father.
Remember John chapter 6 the father's sent me. Not to do my own will. I've come not to do my own will the will of him who sent me. What's the will of him who sent me of all that he's given me? I lose none of it raised up on the last day.
Your very eternal Life is dependent upon the faithfulness of the son in doing the will of the father. It's not dependent upon you. It's not dependent upon anything external to the Godhead itself. But it is dependent upon the son doing the will of the father with consistency, that's what it's based on and That's laid out for us here in chapter 5.
That's what we're going to be seeing and So when you when the Unitarian says see Jesus can't do anything of himself. That means he's not God in himself. No, what it means is he's not a rebel against the other two members of the Godhead.
You cannot destroy the unity of father son and spirit without destroying the very Godhead itself. That's why it's astounding that I have encountered people Debated a man in Denver a couple just a couple years ago an open theist Who absolutely believes and teaches? that the son could have rejected the father's will for his life and Introduced fundamental disharmony into the very Godhead itself.
I don't even know how you How you manage to believe that creation is going to continue to be upheld When you take views like that, but they're out there. They're out there and it's it's not overly surprising then to recognize that they have some serious gospel malformations as well.
So when you Get into those conversations if you're thinking about going to John 5 18 It does say that this special Relationship between father and son and the unique claims of Jesus in regards that does make himself Equal with God same term that's used over in Philippians chapter 2 equality with the father.
But you need to be prepared to continue on past verse 18. That's why simple proof texting can get us in trouble. If you've ever memorized a verse, I hope you have at least taken the time To read the next few verses afterwards to make sure you're familiar with what the context really is.
Because the Muslims the Unitarians the Jehovah's Witnesses, however Will be very quick to point you to the very next verse or two verses to come afterwards and they will press this idea upon You he can't do anything of himself.
Well, it is not the father's will To act of himself separate from the Son the Spirit. It's not the Spirit's will to act separately from the father and the son. There is perfect unity that exists between each one.
And in this case, we're talking about the Incarnate Son who has submitted himself voluntarily to the humiliation of incarnation and He as the Incarnate One says the father and the son. I do exactly what the father has sent me to do there is perfect harmony and You need to understand as he's going to say I can give life.
I Can give life. You just saw an example, he's gonna raise Lazarus in the dead later on the gospel. I can give life. But I do so not to attract Worship to myself separate from and in derogation from the father that balance of the absolute monotheism of Scripture together with the revelation of the triune nature of that one God.
That is the balance you cannot force anyone else to embrace. But it's the only balance that will allow you to interpret consistently all of Scripture. And that is the ultimate testimony to the truthfulness of the doctrine of the Trinity.
It's not just an exchange of texts. The reality is that the truthfulness of the doctrine is found in the Ability it gives you to consistently handle all of God's Word. Rather than having to change your methodology of interpretation over here over there.
I don't like that text left of that dodge that text over there. That's where the truth of the doctrine is going to be found and so One little fright one little sentence. My father's working until now and I am working.
Wow. What an amazing statement that is made by our Lord and Savior in these words and so the next time we have the opportunity of being together, I don't I. It's gonna be around Christmastime, I'm not sure if John chapter 5 necessarily fits there real well.
So we'll see we'll see but the next time we continue in p45. We will pick up at John chapter 5 verse 19, let us now be dismissed in prayer.
Our Lord God once again, we bow in your presence and we thank you for this day. We thank you for this time together for the instruction that we have received and indeed we have been made to think about how Glorious is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And we ask that you would help us in this coming week to walk worthy of our callings. Oh give us wisdom Lord God as we are faced with many decisions and Lord God We are mindful of those who cannot be with us because of bad health.
Might you be merciful lift up the light of your countenance upon them and heal them. And now look grant to us journey. Mercies grant to us a night of your protection and of peace. We pray in Jesus name Amen.