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Christ Sounds Forth in Jerusalem
John 5:1-47
In my neighborhood, there are many signs warning against scams. Some claim to be debt collectors who require you to pay up. If you fall for it, you face much loss of money. But how do you know a genuine call from a fake one? There are ways to verify. Scammers often use time-sensitive language to pressure you; or will request for personal information; or will use threatening language. But real officers will offer to meet at the bank branch. There’s an office, badge, documents, etc.
When Moses first performed miracles, Pharaoh’s magicians faked their own. They were quite convincing. But eventually, the miracles couldn’t be mimicked. They were too spectacular. And God used them to demolish their false religion. The Nile water turning into blood was an attack on Hapi, the Nile god. The plague of darkness was an attacked on Ra, the sun god. God protested. And at Sinai, he declared his power to his people. After he raised them from Egypt, saved them from slavery, judged the Egyptians; he gave them his law. At Sinai, they saw fiery lightning and a thick cloud, and heard loud thunder and the blast of the trumpet. This blast sounded out louder, filling the heavens. While etched into their minds, God called them to remember this dramatic scene yearly at the Feast of Trumpets - to know that God is powerful to save. And Christ does it in this passage. He sounds forth who he is. He demolishes falsehood and establishes his divinity. And he does it in 3 ways. Firstly, Christ proves his power over paganism and Pharisaism. Secondly, Christ proclaims his position and privilege. Thirdly, Christ provides his proper credentials.
Firstly, Christ proves his power over paganism and Pharisaism. Verse 1 says he returned to Jerusalem for another feast. The last time was Passover after he turned water into wine. There, he cleansed the temple and created waves. The religious elite heard salvation was for the whole world. And he proved it by returning to Galilee through Samaria, where he ministered to the woman by the well. Back in Galilee, he shone. He taught and healed. He demonstrated his power to forgive sins. And this shocked the religious elite. But here in super religious Jerusalem, he’d shock them more and more by sounding forth who he truly was. Now, we’re not sure what this feast was. It says a feast, not the feast, so it wasn’t Passover. But many believe it was the Feast of Trumpets. If it was, we can certainly see how fitting Christ’s action was, to declare himself. And the first thing Jesus did was to attack paganism in the heart of religion in Jerusalem. The location was just outside the temple. Verse 2 says it was by the sheep market, or sheep gate. From here the sheep came into the temple for sacrifice. At this gate was a pool, or 2 connected pools; named Bethesda. It had 5 colonnades to hold up a roof, under which, verse 3, “lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.” They were waiting for an angel to go down at a certain time to stir the water. They believed that whoever entered the pool first was healed of their disease. This was pagan superstition; but why was it present in Jerusalem? We know from archeology, this pool was fed by pipes connected to the reservoir lower down the city. Water was pumped up by the use of gravity and a siphon. So it’s no surprise the water would bubble up during this time of year. It was summer. The pool had to be replenished. And the people saw this bubbling as an angel stirring the water. It’s like how certain idols seem to drink milk, but it’s only because the stone’s porous. Or devotees drink water forming on the wall of a temple, but it’s actually condensation from an air-con. And this was a pagan pool, built by the Romans. In Jesus’ time, it was next to the Antonium Fortress, which housed the Roman soldiers. Carvings of the Rod of Asclepius - the entwined snake rod, the symbol of medicine, have been found there.
Verses 5-7 reveal that a man who was sick 38 years hoped to be healed by the waters. We don’t know his illness, but it caused such lameness, he couldn’t move. Since no one helped him to the water, others beat him there. So while he believed in the superstition, he couldn’t be healed. And what’s implicit is that for him to be there during the season of stirring, people had placed him there. He was crippled, superstitious, and without help. Jesus saw him and knew, as God would, how long he was sick; and said to him in verse 8, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Three simple commands. The man says nothing, but obeys. And verse 9 - “…immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.” Immediately, at once, in an instant, the Lord dealt with paganism. How? By healing this man with his Word. What paganism was unable to do, Christ did. But in one fell swoop, the Lord also attacked the Pharisaism in Jerusalem. And his protestation led to pharisaical opposition. It was the sabbath, when the man carried his bed. As a result, the Jews accused him - “it’s not lawful, it’s sinful, for you to carry your bed,” verse 10. To be clear, these Jews (mentioned 3 times in this passage) were not Jews in general, but the religious ones - Pharisees who defined what work was on the Sabbath. And they had 39 categories. And it was the 39th that prohibited carrying a load from one place to another. But it was okay to move a sick person. But since he was no longer lame; they accused him of sin when he moved his bed. And that’s ironic, they ignored the paganism at the doorstep to the temple for years. Or, they had 38 years to help him to the pool - even on the Sabbath - but never did. And the first instant he was healed and moved his bed, that 1 specific regulation, the 39th, became most important to them. What’s shocking is that they weren’t interested in his healing. They didn’t marvel at it. They only wanted to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath. On the other hand, we see Jesus’ compassion. In verse 14, he found him in the temple. He said, “Behold, you’ve been made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” He was concerned for his soul - not just his body. Don’t live a life of sin, it’s worse than being crippled for 38 years. And in verse 15, when the Pharisees finally knew it was Jesus, they reacted with anger. Verse 16 - they persecuted him and sought to kill him because he healed on the Sabbath and told the man to move his bed.
Now, did Jesus not realize this would happen? In fact, he was counting on it. When he ministered in Galilee, he healed on the Sabbath. In fact, we saw when he healed the paralytic, he said “your sins be forgiven.” Why? It wasn’t only for the sake of the man and crowd - to know the gospel; it was a protest against the Pharisees. He knew their hearts. He knew that doing this would push their buttons. But he did it to declare he was God. And here, he declares it even more clearly. If anyone had any doubts before, they’d no longer doubt what Christ was saying.
Secondly, Christ proclaims his position and privilege. Verse 17 - “Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” How did they respond? Verse 18 - “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” Jesus was deliberate and calculated - he proclaimed his position as God. To be sure, he wasn’t cornered into this - he designed it to be confronting. And they clearly understood him. That’s why they wanted to kill him all the more. So how did he do it?
Firstly, he made the point that God was at work. This was something the Rabbis even agreed on. While God rested since the first Sabbath, yet he was always at work. So Jesus’ point was this - if God worked then it wasn’t wrong for him to work. He put himself in the same category as God. Secondly, in verse 19, he said he couldn’t do anything except what he saw God doing. He’s not independent. He submits to what God tells him to do. So that means the healing of the man on the Sabbath was commanded by God. Jesus the apprentice listened to his master. Thirdly, the motivation of God to lead Christ to heal was love. Verse 20 - “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.” You Pharisees hate me, but God loves me. He showed me what to do. So if you hate me, doesn’t that mean you hate God? God considers what I did right. Jesus was fierce! Christ wasn’t just declaring his position as God; he declared theirs as anti-God. And if they thought his Sabbath healing was intolerable, greater things would scandalize them. They opposed him for the minor work of healing. But he informed them there’ll be greater scandal. And they all probably remembered the scandal at Passover. He accused them of sin, of despising the temple, that he’d rebuild it in 3 days! His words and judgments were positively God-like. He was sounding forth, trumpeting his divinity.
And as God, his privilege is to raise, save, and judge. What are these greater works? Verse 21 - just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, the Son will also raise whomever he wills. Christ will raise the dead as God raises the dead. Yes, Elijah and Elisha raised the dead, but only as instruments of God. But only God raises the dead. When will this happen? In verses 28-29, Christ predicted a time when the dead will hear his voice and resurrect unto life or damnation. This was last judgment! But I thought God was the judge. Genesis 18:25 says God is the judge of the earth. Yes! Christ is God! Verse 22 - the Father has committed all judgment to the Son! So Christ is the God-judge Abraham spoke about. And Christ already demonstrated this. After he raised the lame man, he told him not to sin lest something worse happens. And what gives Christ this right? He’s the Son of Man, verse 27. He’s not just son of God, but the Son of Man from Daniel 7, the Divine King who judges. And how do you treat a king? Verse 23 - all men should honor the Son, as they honor the Father. In fact, if you Pharisees don’t honor the Son, you’re not honoring the Father.
You can imagine the anger and outrage building. But he doesn’t stop. His privilege isn’t only to raise and judge, but to save - like God in Egypt, raising them out, judging the Egyptians, and saving them. Verse 24 - “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” You’re saved by hearing Christ’s Word; by believing God sent him to save. And Christ demonstrated that in Bethesda. The man received healing through Christ’s Word. He gives life to whomever he will. But the Pharisees couldn’t be saved because they didn’t hear his Word. There’s judgment for such rejection. Now, Christ emphasized in verse 26 that life comes from the Father through him. How could the Pharisees obtain life if they rejected him?
Now, if they already wanted to kill him for breaking the Sabbath, like the man who gathered sticks in Numbers 15; and more so when he made himself equal to God; what do you think was on their mind now? It wouldn’t be long before they crucified him. Christ knew it. He said the hour was coming, verse 25 - the hour of salvation. Indeed, no one had ever made that claim. In all the major world religions - Buddha never claimed to be god - only a man who reached enlightenment. Muhammad claimed he was the last prophet. But Christ claimed to be God. How could he?
Well, thirdly, we see that Christ provides his proper credentials. Scammers can’t provide any credentials - they operate by fear and threats. But Christ gave a four-fold evidence. His works and words attest to his divinity. In verse 31, he said he testified of himself. In verse 33, John the Baptizer was also a witness. He said Jesus was the Lamb of God who could save the world. In fact, John was such a bright light, even the Pharisees rejoiced in the things they heard at first. But what did Jesus say about these two evidences? He said - don’t just listen to me. The scam caller only says, listen to my words and believe me. But Christ said in verse 31 it’s not enough to hear him. There’s a greater witness. And it wasn’t John. Jesus said in verse 33 he didn’t need man’s testimony. John was great, but he’s dead. So what’s that greater witness? There are 2. Verse 36 - “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” Don’t take me and John’s words - look at the works God’s given me to do. They demonstrate who I am. They back up my words. They also back up that God sent me. My works prove I’m God. Who could do these works? Jesus healed a man sick for 38 years. If God works on the Sabbath, then Jesus is God. The Lord also forgave sin. If God forgives, then Jesus is God. It’s not only the works that testify. It’s the Word. Jesus told the Pharisees to search the Scriptures, verse 39. They speak about him. And the word “search” means to track down the message by exploration. These religious leaders were supposed to love the Scriptures. And it’s not that they didn’t know how to search. They did. In fact, if you recall, when the magi came from the east, Herod got the scribes to find out where Messiah would be born - and they said Bethlehem. They knew how to search. But none of them went. Only the magi. How come they didn’t go? Messiah was born. So they knew the Scriptures that Messiah would come with such signs - such healing in his wings, as Malachi says. But they loved not the Word. They rejected God’s Words and works. Jesus had come trumpeting himself as the Son of God. He showed it by miracles and Words. But they simply wouldn’t believe, verse 38. They were hardened. While they were religious leaders, they didn’t have God’s word in them. You see, they’d accused him of acting independently of God. Here, he said they were believing independently of God. Not only did they reject God’s Word, they loved not God, verse 42. Notice what Jesus was doing. What were the things that proved who he was? He did God’s will. He was loved by God. He spoke God’s Words. What’s he saying now? They don’t love God, they received not God’s Word, so they were not doing God’s will. The law they were so eager to uphold - Moses himself would judge them, verses 45-47. This Law that Moses gave would condemn them. Moses himself in Deuteronomy 18 prophesied - “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” God would raise up a Prophet who’d perform miracles like Moses - who healed, who parted the Red Sea, who gave manna, who redeemed them from a pagan land. And here was one, who healed a man without pagan waters, giving them his Word alone, and who’d feed the 5000. It should’ve been such a loud trumpet blast, they should’ve seen his Godhood and listened - but they didn’t.
Dearly beloved, Christ comes into our lives with his Word and healing. We are all affected by some measure of paganism and Pharisaism in our lives. We all have some idolatry. We’ve sought long and hard for some kind of healing of our past. Maybe a hurt. Maybe some guilt. We think therapy will help - and I’m not denying the mindfulness and insight that comes from it. But Christ alone, not your ingenuity or insight, can help you to overcome it. The old man must be put to death and must be put off. The waters of that pool Bethesda can’t heal - only Christ is our place of mercy. Perhaps we have been scammed by thinking these earthly means will heal. Or perhaps some have been scammed by the thought of trying harder, serving more, keeping to some standard of ours and upholding that slavishly - that this will give our lives meaning. Christ alone gives meaning. Only he raises you up, saves you, and is judged for you. As you examine yourself for that paganism and Pharisaism in you - let the Lord sound forth into your hearts and let the Spirit help you to lay bear these things before you; that you may bring them to the cross and have them nailed there.
1. Christ Proves His Power Over Paganism and Pharisaism
A. Paganism in the place of religion
B. Protestation leads to pharisaical opposition
2. Christ Proclaims His Position and Privilege
A. His position as God
B. His privilege to raise, save, and judge
3. Christ Provides His Proper Credentials
A. The attestation of his works and words
B. Their rejection of God’s works and words
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Mark Chen
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