The Person, Posture, and Patience of Jesus.

John writes his gospel with the purpose of proving that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, so that we might believe, and in believing, that we might have life through His name. John places a discourse of teaching before or after each of the miracles he writes about. John 6:16-21 includes two of four miracles that occur in this account. Other details, including the other two miracles, are found in the parallel accounts in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. In both the feeding of the 5,000 and this passage of John 6:16-21, we see that God is Provider, providing food and safety to His people. Jesus is Jehovah-Jireh in the flesh (John 6:35).

The Third Witness of Who Jesus Is.

John 5 is a robust chapter recounting Jesus’ time spent in Jerusalem telling religious unbelievers that He is God. This is where threats upon Jesus’ life begin. For the next 3 years, He lives under these threats because of His works and His words, which proclaim that He is God.

The Second Witness of Who Jesus Is.

We are continuing the discussion of 3 witnesses or testimonies from God the Father that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.The first verified witness was John the Baptist. Some who heard his message saw the fruit, but the majority rejected the message of John the Baptist.

John, the Gospel writer, details the next two witnesses beginning in John 5:36:“But the testimony I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”

Here we see that beyond John the Baptist, the works which the Father has given to Jesus will testify about who Jesus is and that He has come from the Father. The grammar tells us that this was an appointment from eternity past.Jesus’ works are the second testimony from the Father, and the direct testimony of the Father is taken as a second form of this second witness of who Jesus is.

John outlines in verses 37 and 38 three particular indictments. These indictments will allow us to understand the depth of Christ and His works. The indictments are against the religious unbelief, those who were the religious leaders and who had studied the Scriptures and yet did not believe Jesus’ signs.

Indictment #1

The first indictment is “You have neither heard His voice at any time” (John 5:37).Immediately, the religious leaders who heard this would have recalled Exodus 33:11, where Moses recorded that God had spoken to him. Jesus is telling them, and they understood, that Jesus has been calling. They heard but weren’t truly listening.

Jesus is saying that if you don’t hear my voice, then you haven’t been listening to the voice of Moses himself. The meaning is that no matter how much they say they have studied and listen to Moses, they haven’t. Moses listened and obeyed Jesus, but those religious leaders didn’t.

Indictment #2

The second indictment is “nor seen His form” (John 5:37).This statement would’ve cut even deeper than the first indictment. In Genesis 32, Moses said there was one person who had seen the form of God. In this chapter, Jacob had wrestled with God the whole night, not knowing who it was. Then he asked him His name, but God said, "why is it you ask my name?" Jacob concluded that he had seen God face to face, yet his life was preserved.

Those who heard Jesus’ words would have recalled this chapter. They easily accept Jacob’s testimony as written by Moses that he had seen the form of God, but Jesus is here now. He is the one that wrestled with Jacob and dislocated his hip. However, they would have realized this if they really believed Moses’ words; they would have known Jesus was God.

Indictment #3

The third indictment is “you do not have His Word abiding in you” (John 5:38).The nature and purpose of the inspired Word of God is to discern the actual thoughts and intents of our hearts. The religious leaders would have known this and immediately thought of other Old Testament people. They would have known He was saying that they did not have God’s Word abiding in themselves like it did in those in the Scriptures.

The Word of God is the greatest possession of the person of faith. But for religious unbelievers, the Book of the Law was only an intellectual pursuit, instead of a schoolmaster unto Christ (Hebrews 1:1-13).

Application Points

Haven't the first 4 chapters of John done enough to verify that Jesus is the Son of God? How much more does the author have to do and say to prove that Jesus is who He says He is? Yet God gives us more layers of proof so that everyone can stand before the throne of Heaven on Judgment Day without excuse. These indictments are another layer that verifies that Jesus the Son is Divine.

• Do you receive the testimony of the works of Jesus that display Jesus as God’s Son?
• In John 5:39-47, Jesus explains that although the religious unbelievers were trusting in Moses and the Scriptures, they missed the point. These Scriptures were written to point our hearts to Jesus Christ, God the Son. Are you believing in the Old Testament or Moses as God’s Prophet, but missing that they were only a guide to seeing Jesus for who He is?

The First Witness to Seeing Jesus For Who He is.

Satisfied: Is Seeing Really Believing?

In today's world, with computer-generated images and photo editing applications, seeing is no longer believing. But in Jesus’ day there was no photoshopping. When we look back into the Old Testament, the children of Israel literally saw God take them out of Egypt through the use of 10 plagues, then they saw the parting of the Red Sea. They saw, witnessed, and participated in these events, and yet, there was unbelief. As we read the Gospel of John, remember that John was an eye-witness of what we are reading. The Jews also saw Jesus’ miraculous works, yet they didn’t believe it.

Merciful Jesus

John 5 demonstrates the attribute of God’s mercy in Jesus Christ. Jesus remains merciful to all those in unbelief, offering His hand of spiritual help as long as each person lives. We also see the enemies of the gospel in this passage, who they are, what they say, and how they act. Religious people who remain in unbelief are reminded by Moses in Exodus 34:6-7 and Deuteronomy 7:9-10 that the Lord God is both compassionate and just, extending lovingkindness to all and punishment to the guilty who reject Him. We learn from David that God will show Himself merciful to the merciful (2 Sam. 22:26), and all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who keep His commandments (Psalm 25:10). Paul teaches us more about the rich mercy of God in Ephesians 2:4-5. We are made alive by Christ because of the great love by which God loved us even when dead in our transgressions.

Obedience with Divine Purpose

Jesus modeled for us perfectly how to trust and obey the Father with divine purpose. Philippians 2 explains how Jesus was obedient even unto death on the cross. Even the beginning of His public obedience had as its aim His duty on the cross of Calvary. This model of obedience unto gospel purpose is for each believer to follow from the moment of conversion until the point of heavenly transformation.

The Atonement of Jesus, Accomplished and Applied.

Old Testament and gospel narrative is the product of inspiration, revealing historic accounts inerrantly and infallibly. In these accounts, God is always the hero, and Jesus is the heroic representative of the Godhead in the Gospel of John. We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 10 that these accounts are given to us as examples. Jesus’s atonement, accomplished and applied, dramatically changes life for the coming new faith community, the church.

The theme of John's gospel is that his readers would believe. The perspective of time and age lends wisdom to his writing as he conveys what's most important of his recollection of Jesus' ministry.

Jesus and Nicodemus: Situation, Discussion, and Recognition.

John introduces the reader to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, in John 3:1-2. The name Nicodemus is a common, proper Greek name in history, and during the time of Jesus, it was also a common, popular Jewish name. The Pharisees were a sect of the Sanhedrin, the highest-ranking Jewish school of the time.

John’s Good News: True Witnesses to Christ so You Will Believe.

Text: John 2:13-25; John 20:30-31

Jesus' First Miraculous Sign.

Belief in Jesus requires a personal relationship with Him.

One of the most fundamental questions a Christian must ask is "what constitutes true belief?" How do I know if my own or someone else's belief is genuine or sincere? Do I have enough faith?

Following Jesus

In John 1, Andrew and Simon Peter are introduced to Jesus, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Though both follow Jesus, they have not yet officially left their nets to follow him as seen in the other gospels. After spending time with Jesus, Andrew hurries to find his brother, Simon Peter.

John the Baptist.

John the Baptist was the first prophet to speak God's word for hundreds of years. This providential delay in revelation heightened anticipation among the Jews for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist broke the silence with a powerful, influential, successful voice, because God determined it to be so. He preached a message of repentance and led a simple life.

Biographical Sketch of John the Baptist.

John’s account of the life of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. John the Baptist is mentioned in all 4 Gospels (Matt 5, Mark 1, Luke 3). Apostle John gives one more aspect as he reports on John the Baptist, fitting with his purpose to show that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

Why Believe in Jesus' Words?

John begins his Gospel giving a simple, profound answer to this question. John introduces Jesus differently than the 3 synoptic Gospel writers. He does not mention Jesus' name until John 1:17, instead calling him by the name "the Word" for most of John 1:1-18.

Overview of John – Part 2.

The earliest of the five books written by the Apostle John, the gospel of John was written primarily to a Greek-speaking, Jewish audience, highly influenced by the Greek culture. Most of the people in John’s audience would have been unsaved, needing to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. John omits many of the words, parables, actions, and miracles of Jesus which the other three gospels include. John’s themes are different than the other gospel writers. The material in chapters 1-5 of the book of John is unique and not found in the other gospels. The healing miracles in chapters 9 and 11 are also exclusive to John. Similarities between the book of John and the other three gospels include the Spirit's anointing of Christ, Jesus feeding the five thousand, Jesus walking on water, Jesus’s sonship to the Father, and Jesus’s authority over nature to name a few.

Overview of John – Part 1.

John is known as the most theological gospel writer, though his name is never mentioned in the book as the author. Luke calls John an apostle in Luke 6. Polycarp, a direct disciple of the Apostle John, testified to knowing that John had written this fourth gospel while in Ephesus. Six times within the book, John is referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Matthew tells us that John and his brother James were known as the sons of Zebedee. Jesus named them "sons of thunder" in the book of Mark. One of the three most intimate associates of Jesus during His earthly ministry, John writes of his own spiritually close relationship with Christ (1 John 1:1-4). After Christ’s ascension, John became a leader in the Jerusalem church (Gal. 2) and ministered with Peter all through the book of Acts. He was living in Ephesus when the gospel of John was written before Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70. The Roman government exiled John to the island of Patmos where his final work, Revelation, was written.