Day 255 – Jesus’ Healing in Jerusalem

• Today’s triple bill of passages from John have a running theme. Did you spot it? The theme is of Jesus’ claims to be divine; i.e. not just a messenger, or a prophet, or an angel, but God himself born as a man. It’s the first time that Jesus makes this claim so fully, and it’s a claim that – perhaps understandably – made many people very angry.
• Before we get to those passages of theology, we read of Jesus healing a paralysed man at the pool. What was the problem the man had? Why do you think he wanted to enter the pool? Does the Bible say anything about being healed when water is stirred up? Why do you think he thought it might help him?
• What did Jesus tell the man to do, after he performed the healing? Who complained about the fact that the man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath? Why did they complain that Jesus asked the man to pick up his mat?
• The Sabbath was (and is) a day of rest, of course, but the Old Testament doesn’t say anything about not being allowed to carry something on this day. From what you know of the Pharisees, why do you think they were so angry? Why do you think they ignored the miracle of the healing, but focussed on the supposed “sin”?
• The conversations with the Pharisees developed into the conversations about Jesus’ identity from John 5:18 onwards. They are not particularly easy verses to get your head around, so be wise: read them slowly and use your study bible to help you. There are several legal terms like “bear witness” and “testify”, so make sure you know what they mean.
• Look at these sections in turn: John 5:19-24, 25-29, and then 30-46. The first is talking about Jesus’ authority and power to save. The second is talking the coming resurrection, and touches on the subject of eternal judgement. The final section show several of Jesus claims where He claims He’s the “real deal” (using Moses, words in the Old Testament, His own words, His deeds, the Father, the Spirit, and John the Baptist).
• Verses I found particularly helpful today include John 5:24 (be sure to spot that hearing Jesus’ words alone is not enough) and John 8:58 (Jesus saying He was before all things). That passage in chapter 8 is especially important – did you spot the phrase “Before Abraham was, I am”? The grammar seems very odd, doesn’t it, but it’s intentional. It point us clearly to God’s “name” for himself in the Old Testament – “I am who I am” – which we read about during the burning bush event in Exodus. Jesus is once again saying He is God, by using His name, and claiming to exist before Abraham.
• All three passages mention instances of the Jews intending to harm Jesus, or plotting to kill him. It’s early in our studies of Jesus’ ministry and once again, as we discussed yesterday, He’s already being hated. Do you think you would have acted like the Pharisees, based on what you have seen of Jesus in the last couple of weeks?

These words in John are super important. They give clear indication to us of the anger of the Pharisees against Jesus, and the reason for their anger. Even more important, however, is Jesus’ clear insistence that He was the Son of God.

There are those who claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, and that the church has changed Jesus’ message. These words show us otherwise. Jesus is very clearly saying that He is equal to God.

We, therefore, have a choice. We can’t brush Jesus off as a good moral teacher, and nothing more. If he claimed to be God, and isn’t, He is either mad (crazy) or bad (evil), as C.S. Lewis once famously said. If, however, He IS God, then He’s neither mad, nor bad, but the most important person to have ever lived, and our Saviour and Redeemer.

Challenge yourself, and perhaps your friends, on this topic. Who do you say Jesus is?