Talking Outrageously To Legalists, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ talk about wanted to say he wants to say out rages things about himself. He's going to make some of the most startling claims ever made.

G. Campbell Morgan in his commentary on John said this what Jesus said on this cost of joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana join Pastor Bill Gebhardt.

Now once again he shows us how God's word. Our world open your Bible is the John chapter 5 seems like an unusual introduction for me but were in a series called the conversations of Jesus Christ and the conversation I want to go to is in John chapter 5 in the introduction of the early verses of John five. We have dealt of these conversations that Jesus talked to a skeptic named Nathaniel his talk to religious insider named Nicodemus, and then he talked to an immoral outsider and the woman at the well. The Samaritan and now he's going to speak to legalistic extremely religious Pharisees, but the story that sets it up is intriguing. John five verse one after these things. There was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and now he says there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five politicos. Bethesda means house of outpouring or house of grace. It's kind of ironic how this plays out. And in these lay a multitude of those who are sick, blind lane and withered notice there is a multitude of people here and then in your Bibles. You will see that there are brackets. The brackets mean that a lot of the early manuscripts don't have this verse and 1/2. It's been there though if they're the I did explain the story as it goes along… Waiting for the moving of the waters for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water and whoever then whoever then first after the stirring up of the water stepped in was made well from whatever disease in which he was afflicted now that's the superstitious tradition I think it's a tragic scene when you think about it. Blind people, invalids, people with all kinds of infirmity and somebody yells the water stirred and everybody runs the jump in the pool. I don't believe, by the way that that's the way God operates. I believe that's the superstition of the people at the time it is used here to explain the man's response to Jesus and a man was there who had been ill for 38 years and when Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that he had already been a long time in that condition. So Jesus just walks up to him and says he was to get well that's it. The sick man answered said Sir I have no man to put me into the pool when the water stirred up.

But while I am coming, another steps down before me. Just imagine 38 years of that it can walk is on a pallet and it's always a someone stirred water, so the man I can see them laying on the side trying to drag himself to the pool and by the time you get so many feet in the pool. He then he hears a splash of water that he doesn't get to go when Jesus said him get up, pick up your pallet walk exit get up, pick up your pallet and walk immediately the man became well picked up the spout again. What about the story is an interesting story to story of healing, but in the most unusual way.

First of all, there was a multitude of people there that needed to be healed, how many the Jesus just one. Secondly, by the way, we often hear in our day that the way the key to being healed is the really have a lot of faith you find out that this man has no faith zero. In fact, this guy doesn't even know Jesus but he's the one to get you, but there's something in it that sorta lays the groundwork. The last phrase that John writes in verse eight. It was a Sabbath on that day so Jesus goes out of his way to go to the pool of Bethesda on a particular day, the day of the Sabbath and hills. One man when he hears that man he make shorts and then when he tells him what get up but pick up your pallet by way does need the pallet anymore. Pick up the pallet and walk verse 10. All the religious people enter so the Jews were saying to the man who was cured.

It is the Sabbath is not permissible for you to carry your pallet really 38 years and I can walk you see him walking no one even says hey, you're walking. I'm always amazed how blind religion can make your got your pallet you're walking with your pallet notice. He answered he said he who made me well was the one who said to me he said, pick up your pallet walk. That's why, he told me to have it.

They'd ask him who was the man who said that to you pick up your pallet and walk, but the minute was healed did not know who it was in know Jesus for Jesus at the way. While there was a crowd in that place, and afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and he said to him, behold, you will become well do not soon anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you and the man went away and he told the Jews that it was Jesus who made well I'm sure is a man of high character.

He was afraid of the Jews afraid of the religious leaders were often are so many find out was Jesus.

He would like to the leaders that it was Jesus who did this to. For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus because he was doing things on the Sabbath. While Sabbath becomes instrumental in key here.

I love what Chuck Swindoll writes about this whole section he says this. According to Exodus 2011, the Hebrew people were to stop all work because the creator rested on the sixth day of creation because he was tired of course not.

Omnipotence never needs the rest. The Hebrew term translated rest is the word Shabbat which means to cease the Lord ceased work because he had completed his creative work, at which time he called his creation.

Good by sundown on the sixth day he had provided everything is creatures needed to thrive and to fulfill their creative purpose he created humanity to the worship and enjoy him forever.

God set aside the Sabbath day, the Sabbath, the ceasing time, as it were to be a perpetual gift that commemorates God's creation of the world and celebrates his provision. He intended to be a time of rest and feasting and enjoying family had more than anything celebrating his provision and protection in worshiping God. By the time of Jesus. However, the legalistic Pharisees had turned this wonderful gift of grace into a total some tedious burden. The simple command rest. The Pharisees added a long list of prohibitions and just in case they overlook something they established 39 different categories of forbidden activities carrying burning extinguishing finishing writing, erasing, cooking, washing, sewing, tearing, nodding, untying, shaping, plowing, planning, reaping harvesting threshing winnowing, selecting, sifting, grinding, meeting combing, spinning, dying, chain stitching, ripping, leaving unraveling building, demolishing, trapping, sharing, slaughtering, skinning, tanning, smoothing and marking.

How ironic. He says the people had to work so hard to keep the Sabbath you see this story is not really about healing but by the way, it's not really about the Sabbath of legalism, either Jesus use the healing of the inlet. The pool Bethesda and the fact that it infuriated the legalistic Pharisees for one reason he wants to talk about himself. That's why did he knew would create a confrontation and he wanted to talk about himself and what he wanted to say was outrageous. He wants to say out rages things about himself.

He's going to make some of the most startling claims ever made. G.

Campbell Morgan in his commentary on John said this what Jesus said on this day cost of his life. He wanted to say it. You see, he's going to answer a question that they ask in verse 12. Who was the man who said this to you, Jesus says, let me tell you who I am and he makes the most out rages claims. Five of them five outrageous claims.

The first one is this, he claims to be equal to God. He claims to be equal to the father. In essence, it is essence.

He claims to be equal to God. That's what he says in verse 17 he said, but he answered them and said my father is working until now, and I myself working for one of the first things he did and infuriated a minute shows up in other passages in the Gospels.

He said my father. Jews never said you never when you talk about God said my father.

You might say Elohim you you rarely or never would say, Yahweh, Lord, you would never say my father but Jesus says my father is working until now, and I myself am working.

This is a Sabbath and my father is working and I am working you know why because I'm just the same as my father. That's my essence.

You see, God created a problem for the Pharisees in her view of the Sabbath. The Pharisees had all of these. It's just hundreds of laws and ordinances when the gardener Sabbath is incredible what they had done, but they were stuck with a question when it comes to God.

The question would be this does God keep the law, what would you say I mean just off the top your head. I think you have to say yeah I guess God would keep a log. God would keep the law.

While the problem is that if God keeps the law, then, does God keep the Sabbath. You see, that's a problem for them so they came up with one of the rules the sword to get around that which I find was a fascinating one of the laws they had is that you could carry food or items from your home around your home but you could not carry him to another home. You couldn't carry anything from your house. The somebody else's house but you carrying your wanted around your house but you can carrying above the shoulders. Okay, it could be something like that that was heavy. You put up a missile is a something was kind of light seed to do light work we can I do in your house so the reason they came up with that was to answer this dilemma therein what's God's house. They said God's house, his creation, everything in creation is God's house so God doesn't leave his house on the Sabbath to go to another house he's always in his house and the kind of work. God does in the Sabbath is light work. He doesn't carrying above the shoulders of the Sabbath he just doesn't like work on the Sabbath, that's of a solvent. That's why Jesus use the word. It's really a word for working. He says my father is working now and I he said I'm working my father never slows down at the present tense. He just keeps on working the blessings and the mercy and the grace and the love of God never rest. He said I'm doing it. I am the same as my father as my father works every Sabbath I work every Sabbath you see is my father is God of the Sabbath. I am Lord of the Sabbath. He's drawn a sense of equivalency, the holder place with me and go to Hebrews chapter 1 and see how this is the idea that he is the same essence as God is addressed by the writer of the book of Hebrews.

This will of the one verse, verse three of Hebrews chapter 1 Holder Pl. in John five in verse three.

The writer of Hebrews says this and he that is Jesus, and he is the radiance of his glory.

That's the father. He says in Jesus is the radiance of the God the father's glory, he says, and the exact representation of his nature, and upholds all things by the word of his power writer of Hebrews says he is the exact representation of the nature of God. But that's writing long after Jesus had said this back to John five Jesus is saying I am equal to the father in my essence loves it when you sure the verse says that yes, look at the next verse, the Jews got it.

Verse 18. For this reason, therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because he was.

Not only was breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own father and he was making himself equal with God see when you got understand about the Jews they get when Jesus makes claims. The Jews got it. It's interesting that a lot of people will look at Scripture. I don't know how they do over the Jesus never claimed to be God. Jesus is never the Jews never thought that every time Jesus spoke. They said we know exactly what you're saying you claim that you were equal to God.

You are claiming that you have the same essence as God yes. Secondly, he claims not only to have the same essence with the father, but he claims to have do the same works as the father. He says therefore Jesus answered and said to them, truly, truly, amen, amen. This is true, he uses those terms to for emphasis. Truly, truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of himself and less than a something he sees the father doing whatever the father does these things, the son also does.

In like manner, Jesus says, look in one way, I am so connected to trinities all through these verses is that I am so connected to the father is no doubt about that. He said I don't act independent the son and the father acting up perfectly cohesive way within the context of the Trinity, but let me tell you something he said whatever the father does not work, and God do what does God do because that's exactly what I do and in whatever manner the father doesn't. That's the manner I do it in. That's outrageous you see that my claim that is everything that God does my due and the way that God does. It is the same way I do it, no notice. The motive of this relationship first 20 for the father loves the son and he shows them all things that he himself is doing and the father will show him greater works than these so that you will marvel. Hey, if you think a guy could walk for 38 years and I said get up and walk. Pallet you think that's big when you see what I do in the future. You see, what do I say Lazarus come forth when you say that see that I pay for the sins of the world and across when you see that I rise in the dead, you will marvel that these are even greater. Again, outrageous talk. He claims to be equal with the father and his essence in the claims to be equal with the father is works again holder place and this time go with me to the book of Colossians chapter 1 and watch how Paul affirms this verse 15, Paul talking about Jesus Christ.

Paul says he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through him and for him. Now when you see that terminology same two things everything that's physical in the universe. He said the son of God created everything, by the way, the universe of spiritual he created when you see thrones and dominions he's talking about angelic beings. He says when you see the elect angels. The sun created them using the fallen angels what we call demons son created them seat he created everything, everything spiritual and everything physical. Then he says in verse 17 he is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church and he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself will come to have first place in everything for it was the father's good pleasure for he says for all the fullness to dwell in him, he reiterates that in chapter 2 verse nine for in him all the fullness of the deity dwells in bodily form. He also says in verse three of chapter 2. The church of Colossae, in whom, in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What does he know everything what is he done, he created everything you see the writers pick right up on this in the New Testament, but back when Christ is speaking these back to John five now we're speaking this. The audience is not made up of believers. Its audience of unbelievers, so Jesus Christ claims to be equal with the father in his essence and in his work and knowing verse 21 he claims to be equal with the father in power. He says for them. Explain the explanatory guard.

The word for for just as the father raises the dead and gives them life.

Even so, the son also gives life to whom he wishes.

While Jesus Christ is saying look I can raise the dead.

I can give spiritual life to people see I bestowed eternal life know when you hear a man talking like that. This seems outrageous to them.

But he says he is equal is that I can give life, even to the dead. No one else can do that by the way, but God anything. Think of us. We we have someone we love, and a become what we call terminally ill will do anything locally will send him anywhere we can for treatment will do anything we can to help them will give us much comfort will serve them. I mean, will devote ourselves to them when they're dead. Nothing we can do all we can do is mourn. We have no power. There's nothing we can do about Jesus is not your life like that.

I have the same kind of power that God has he claims to have the ultimate resurrection power creative power underived and uncaused.

That's a staggering claim. Remember when Lazarus had died. Jesus just simply walks up to a Truman's is Lazarus come forth.

But he said something in that whole episode as well. He said I am the resurrection and the life. These statements are so familiar to us, but they are staggering.

These are the most outrageous statements are human being can make Jesus Christ makes claims to be equal with the father in his essence in his works, and in his power, but also in his authority.

Notice what happens here in verse 22, he says, for not even the father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the son.

I'm in a judge this for the juices.

Gotta be hard them, explain why again holder place, but this time, go back to Genesis chapter 18 with me.

Genesis 18 because I want to see something in the Old Testament Genesis 18 is that God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah so Abraham comes the goddesses. Let's make a deal. You know, now you're such a great guy and a great God, you want destroy you and destroy Sodom if it had all these righteous people, and I does not know I would do that. What would you do it if there were little less righteous people know I would do that well, but any Going with godliness, but he says something here. There was all through the Old Testament certainly believed by the Jews, not only of some like Abraham but of the Jews of Jesus day. Verse 25 Abraham talking to God says, far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from you. He says, shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly, what is God in the Old Testament God the father's judge that it's go back to what Jesus said that in John five Jesus just said, for not even the father judges anyone is given all judgment to the son, you see when you read in Genesis is the creator God in the beginning God created that's got the father but when you read John chapter 1 o'clock chapter 1 is a creator son in the Old Testament God the father is the judge in the New Testament God the sons. The judge, you see, Jesus was a that's right because God pastor broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just take a listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word we are thinking for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just the 100th support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word.

4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA not owe Argie in our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon. You can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series are looking for. You can search by title. Once you find the messenger looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Gerard thank you for listening to fellowship in order