John’s Gospel – Lesson 8

Last week we stopped at John 5:29 in the middle of Jesus' legal argument with the Pharisees. They questioned his healing a man on the Sabbath. Jesus uses the fairly crazy attack on Him for healing a sick man on the Sabbath to teach about His authority. This week we begin at John 5:30 and we're hearing what can be thought of as a legal presentation. Last week Jesus explained that those who were accusing Him were accusing the "Judge".

John 5:30- 31

"I can do nothing on my own. 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. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true.

Jesus is saying that there is complete accord between the Father and Son. He is sent by the Father. Remember we said that while God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in power, dignity, glory, and are each God. Keep in mind that they are also each in reality (not simply mode of action) distinct persons and in the "economy" or function of the Trinity, the Son is "sent" by the Father. The Son was led perfectly while fully human by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit now works on earth to exalt the Son to the glory of God the Father.

When Jesus said "If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true" then He was making a legal statement. Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15 teach that you must have multiple witnesses to go to court, they must agree, and they must be willing to participate in the judgment that is the result of their testimony. So Jesus begins to present the witnesses to His authority.

John 5:32-40

There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Jesus identifies 4 witnesses to His authority; 1) John (although sinful man doesn't deserve a place in this list), 2) the works (perfect in timing and execution), 3) the Father (those who are spiritually dead don't respond to the Father), and 4) Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi (those who are spiritually dead don't hear the Holy Spirit in Scripture).

John 5:41-47

I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

The first point is that Jesus does not need glory from people. So He isn't presenting His witnesses to win a "following" and establish a political career in Palestine. Jesus points out the problem with politics down through the ages that people seek to get glory from people and God goes to the back burner if He gets a burner in mankind's hearts at all. The lesson of history is that we as a people will depart from God unless He intervenes. We compare one another with each other and these Jews in the first century did the same thing. This natural tendency will cause us to depart from the doctrines of Grace. How can you believe that you need a Savior if you receive glory from one another? Eventually you'll develop a doctrine that teaches that some of you have achieved a status that causes God to owe you something.

We are each born by nature the "children of wrath" and we need a Savior to pay the price for our rebellion. Any sin is sufficient to damn us but no sin is sufficient to keep us in chains as the Holy Spirit moves. Christians do not earn merit toward salvation but rather we stand in the merit of Christ. We are either justified by the work of Christ or we are not justified at all. The work of sanctification in a Christian's life is mean to reflect the work of God in them and it does not make them saved or unsaved (Romans 8).

Moses wrote "generally" of Christ. It is true that Moses spoke pretty specifically in Deuteronomy 18:15 but the Law points to Christ is so many areas that you can't pick out just one area. The Old Testament points to Christ in every major portion. The ritual aspects of the Law in particular point to Christ but even the first animal sacrifice to cloth the nakedness of Adam and Eve to Abraham's offering of Isaac testify of the need for a Messiah.

These teachings of Jesus were in Jerusalem. After this Jesus went north again to minister and to let things cool off in Jerusalem.

John 6:1-13

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

Jesus knew what He would do and He knew it would be another testimony or witness to His authority. The reason there was grass to sit on was because of the timing in the spring near Passover. Notice that there were 5000 men. So if you added in the women and children then you'd be guessing the numbers would climb to 10,000 or more. Barley is a grain for poor people. It doesn't make particularly good bread and it grows on poorer soils. So these five "Hostess Twinkie" sized loafs of bread along with a few fish for flavor were a very small provision. The disciples didn't see any provision. However, as Christ begins to fulfill and testify of who He is, this mirrors the manna in the wilderness. There was more left than they started with and everyone was full so the extra was saved and distributed later.

John 6:14-15

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The people realized that they had "The Prophet" and so it would have been perfect at the Passover to make Jesus king and reestablish the earthly kingdom. However, the Kingdom of Heaven is spiritual and not physical. Jesus wasn't tempted here anymore than He was tempted by satan in the wilderness and He withdrew to the mountain. Jesus accomplished exactly what He meant to accomplish at exactly the right time. His obedience was perfect in every aspect. His ability to withdraw and have the time apart from the crowd was miraculous. Biblical critics have a problem with feeding the crowd but I don't think I've ever heard them complain about how improbable it was that Jesus could be by Himself and pray.

John 6:16-21

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

This is not the same event as calming the storm but the testimony to the perfection of the Lamb of God is simply repeated. The disciples were likely moving from the north or east side over to Capernaum if Jesus went to the "other side" of the sea from Jerusalem before feeding the 5000. The Sea of Galilee (or Tiberius or Gennesaret or Chinnereth or Kinnereth) is a lake surrounded by hills and mountains that can suddenly get very scary. Getting swamped in a boat in the dark is not likely to end well and storms are often pictures of God's judgment on sin. Read the book of Jonah again if you forget that. This miracle, like the calming of the storm, is a testimony to the purity of Christ. The disciples knew that they could have died and they were unrighteous. We don't want what we deserve from God but rather we want Grace. Jesus wasn't walking on the water to show off but as a testimony to His sinlessness. Jesus can't sink beneath the waves of judgment for sin because He has no sin. Eventually, He laid down His life and went beneath the waves for your sin.