Who Is This Man? (John 5:1-47)

Introduction
When the things you've believed in for years are questioned...
When your authority is challenged...
When your livelihood is threatened...
When your true motives are revealed...
...what is your response?

Jesus, in chapter 5, is dealing with some ingrained attitudes in Jerusalem. He is there to celebrate one of several feasts, mandated in the Old Covenant. While there, he compassionately addresses a man whose crippled condition has left him in a state of hopelessness -- 38 years as an invalid. The man is confronted by Jesus with the prospect of healing which forces him to reassess the hopelessness of being healed outside of some assistance into the pool of Bethesda. But Jesus points out that not only is he helpless to heal himself, his own prescription for healing is also flawed. He doesn't need Jesus to help him with his own solution, he needs the solution that only Jesus can give him.

When Jesus heals this man, the attitude of the religious leaders is revealed. The Sabbath was a 'sacred cow' to the religious leaders. They used it as a tool to regulate the people. Perhaps their original intent was good - stay as far from breaking the law as possible, but they had turned it into an exercise of their authority and a litmus test for piety. Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy in that they cared nothing about people and only cared about the outward appearances of their religious system.

Jesus places himself on an equal footing with God the Father and spends the rest of the interaction pointing out examples, revealing the truth of his assertions. He reveals His divine attributes as both life-giver and judge.

Jesus points out that all men will stand before him and be judged according to God's standard of good - absolute perfection. The implication is that only those who are truly good according to God's standard of perfection will see eternal life. All others with be condemned to eternal judgment. The conclusion for all men is that unless the Judge himself is my goodness, I have no hope on judgment day.

Finally, Jesus reveals several major barriers to belief that existed in his audience. They thought that salvation came through study of Scripture and adherence to a code but neglected to see that it really came through the Person the Scriptures pointed to. He also points out that these men sought approval from each other and failed to pursue God's approval.

The Healer of Body and Soul (John 5:1-15)
All men are spiritually crippled without Jesus.
What areas of your life look okay on the outside but are in actuality, really messed up? Will you bring them to Jesus?
How might you be using outward performance to compensate for hidden sin?

The Means and Meaning to Life (John 5:16-30)
Jesus offers the only life that can withstand his judgment.
If you stood before Jesus tonight, what would his verdict on your life be: life or condemnation? What standard are you basing your answer on, God's or yours?
What are you doing with the words you're hearing in the book of John so far this year? Are you believing them or dismissing them?
How might your treatment of Christ be dishonoring the Father?

The Fulfillment of Scripture (John 5:31-47)
Rejecting God's witnesses leads to rejection of God's Son.
What “light” has God given you this year and are you just enjoying it for the time being or is it leading you to Christ?
Whose approval are you seeking, man's or God's? What evidence do you have to back up your answer?
Where does your hope of eternal life lie? In printed page? In performance? Or in the person of Jesus Christ?