Jesus’ miracle curing the paralytic, who had lived thirty-0eight years under his infirmity, on the Sabbath in the pool at Bethsaida was what we would call today “the tipping point between his ministry and the authority of the Jewish leaders.
Jesus: “My Father works even until now, and I work.”
This, then is why the Jews were the more anxious to put him to death; because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
In my family Bible from 1952 everything that Jesus is quoted to have said is written in red ink. Chapter 5 of the Gospel of John is pretty much a red chapter!
His words concerning judgment and who does the judgment (God or Jesus?) and when (in real time living or after our death?).
I recall the recent words from John 3:17—For God did not send his Son into the world in order to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Yet Jesus words, and words only, not actions except for the Pharisees and Scribes, seem to say that he will render judgment in real time living?
Jesus: “For as the Father has life in himself, even so he has given to the Son also to have life in himself; and he has granted him power to render judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”
Jesus: “Of myself I can do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. For neither does the Father judge any man, but all judgment he has given to the Son, that all men may honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him.”
Judgment aside, I see the clear delineation of whether our glory, acclaim, praise should come from other human beings and institutions or God if we want to be like Jesus.
Jesus: “I do not receive glory from men. How can you believe who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which is from the only God?”
Jesus: “If I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is not true. I however do not receive the witness of man, but I say these things that you may be saved.”
Again the goal in life is to be saved and be certain of eternal, everlasting life.
Jesus again challenge the authority of the Jewish leaders: “But if you do not believe Moses’ writings, how will you believe my words?”
And the direct reason why their authority is no longer righteous or legitimate…
Jesus” “And you have not His Word abiding in you, since you do not believe him whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because in them you think that you will have life everlasting. And it is they that bear witness to me, yet you are not willing to come to me that you may have life.”
I want God’s Word, these Scriptures, to “abide” in me.
A miracle led into the Divinity of the Father and Son; God and Christ!
I believe in miracles. I believe Christ died on the Cross for my sins. I turn from my sins and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Personal Savior. I surrender to God’s Will and seek His Direction in my life aided by the Power of The Holy Spirit.
Amen. Alleluia!
Day 88: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; A Miracle leads into the Divinity of the Father and the Son; God and Christ!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint John Chapter 5.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
Saint John, the disciple and Apostle whom Jesus loved, was the brother of James and the son of the fisherman Zebedee and Salome.
First a disciple of John the Baptist, he was called to follow Christ.
The purpose of his Gospel he states as follows: “these are written that you may believe the Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing you may have life in his name.”
John Chapter 5: The pool of Bethsaida; Jesus cures a paralytic; Paralytic accused of breaking the Sabbath; Jesus accused of breaking the Sabbath; Christ’s claim to divinity; The Baptist’s testimony to Christ’s divinity; The testimony of Christ’s miracles; The testimony of the Father; Jesus upbraids the Jews.
A pool having five porticoes. In these were lying a great multitude of the sick, blind, lame, and those with shriveled limbs, waiting for the movement of the water. For an angel of the Lord used to come down at certain times into the pool, and the water was troubled. And the first to go down into the pool after the troubling of the water was cured of whatever infirmity he had.
Porticoe—a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns or piers, usually attached to a building as a porch.
Jesus: Dost thou (thirty-eight years under his infirmity) want to get well?
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred, for while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus: “Rise, take up thy pallet and walk.”
And at once the man was cured. And he took up his pallet and began to walk. Now that day was a Sabbath.
“It is the Sabbath; thou art not allowed to take up thy pallet.”
“He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up thy pallet and walk’?”
“Who is the man who said to thee, ‘Take up thy pallet and walk’?”
But the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away, since there was a crowd in the place.
Jesus: “Behold, thou art cured. Sin no more, lest something worse befall thee.”
The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
And this is why the Jews kept persecuting Jesus, because he did such things on the Sabbath.
Jesus: “My Father works even until now, and I work.”
This, then is why the Jews were the more anxious to put him to death; because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever he does, this the son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself does.
And greater works than these he will show him, that you may wonder. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he will.
For neither does the Father judge any man, but all judgment he has given to the Son, that all men may honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has life everlasting, and does not come to judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is here, when the dead shall hear the voice of God, and those who hear shall live. For as the Father has life in himself, even so he has given to the Son also to have life in himself; and he has granted him power to render judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do not wonder at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they who have done good shall come forth unto resurrection of life; but they who have done evil unto resurrection of judgment.
Of myself I can do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Jesus on John the Baptist’s testimony to Christ’s divinity: “If I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is not true. There is another who bears witness concerning me, and I know that the witness that he bears concerning me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. I however do not receive the witness of man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the lamp, burning and shining; and you desired to rejoice for a while in his light.
Jesus: “The witness, however, that I have is greater than that of John. For the works which the Father has given me to accomplish, these very works that I do, bear witness to me, that the Father has sent me.
Jesus: “And the Father himself, who has sent me, has borne witness to me. But you have never heard his voice, or seen his face. And you have not his word abiding in you, since you do not believe him whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because in them you think that you will have life everlasting. And it is they that bear witness to me, yet you are not willing to come to me that you may have life.
Jesus: “I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you have not the love of God in you. I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me. If another come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which is from the only God?
Jesus: “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father, There is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you hope. For if you believed Moses you would believe me also, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
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