Audio download of this sermon available here http://www.christchurchbalham.org.uk/ccb/sermons.php

The story’s told of the Emperor Napoleon granting a visiting Russian Prince the opportunity to pardon a prisoner. To pardon someone facing the death penalty for their crimes. They went to the prison and interviewed the men held there so that the Russian Prince could decide who should benefit from the Emperor’s pardon. Everyone he spoke to professed their innocence and why it was unfair that they were held in captivity. Except one. He freely acknowledged his guilt and professed his deep regret and sorrow for what he’d done. Of all the guilty prisoners he alone was pardoned and given life.

We’re thinking this morning about an eternal pardon from another ruler, from a judge who’s prepared to give life to those who accept their need of his saving activity.

We’re back in John’s gospel, a selective account of the activity of Jesus Christ

• Written by one of his closest associates
• Written to persuade us that Jesus is the promised Christ of the OT
• Written so that all those who believe what’s said about him and take him at his word would receive spiritual life

Our account this morning concerns a miracle.

The miracle (1-9)

5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate [which perhaps looked something like this] a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades [which has been discovered by archaeologists and looks like this]. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. Jesus walked to the local swimming baths, surrounded by beautiful stone colonnades, draped in Mediterranean sun only to find disabled people strewn across the side. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” He selected a man lying on the side, unable to get into the water, obstructed by others pushing past him in their eagerness to savour the alleged healing properties of the waters. Jesus approached him and asked him whether he wanted healing. The man assumed Jesus was referring to the waters. With a single word of authority Jesus commanded the man to grab his mat and get up. 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

As with all Jesus’ miracles recorded in this gospel this was a sign. It was pointing to something significant. As a sign it pointed to Jesus’ identity [who he is] and his activity [what he came to do]. In the OT prophet Isaiah, writing 700 years before these incidents, God had promised that he would rescue his people and in that day of rescue ‘the lame would leap like a deer’ [Isaiah 35]. When Jesus selected this paralysed man he knew what he was doing. He healed him out of compassion but he had another purpose in mind, he was announcing the arrival of the agent of God’s rescue. This act of compassion took place on a Saturday and sparked an unattractive controversy. Look at (9).

The accusation (9-16)

Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” [In which Jesus is not saying that there’s a direct correspondence between sin and personal suffering but in his opinion there’s something worse than being paralysed for 38 years.] 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ opponents alleged that he’d performed what was prohibited on the Sabbath. He had not. The Law prohibited work on the Sabbath but that could hardly apply to a situation where an incapacitated man is miraculously healed, gets up and walks home with his mat under his arm for the first time in 38 years. But Jesus was tracked down and taken to task for his breach of their Sabbath regulations. Jesus defended healing the paralytic with an outrageous claim. Look at (17).

The defence (17)

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

God has always worked because without his labour the universe falls to pieces. And because God can work all week so too can his Son. Jesus was saying that since Dad thought it was OK to work it was fine for him. That justification is occasionally used in our house for not switching off the TV and coming to the supper table! The implication of Jesus’ response was not lost on the Jews. Look at (18)

The implication (18)

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

They saw his claim for what it was. In claiming God as his unique Father, Jesus was claiming to be divine.

If we wanted to prove that we were someone’s equal we’d need to be able to prove it wouldn’t we? I can claim to be the equal of Eric Clapton. It’s an easy claim to make. But to make it with any degree of integrity I’d need to be able to play a guitar and fill the Albert Hall with people who’ve paid a fortune to hear me. I don’t even own a guitar! [That’s no longer true - I was given one for Christmas].

Jesus claimed to be God’s equal. That’s an easy claim to make. But, he pulled off the kinds of things only God can do. We have to admit that, before we get into his persuasive theological justification, there’s real validity to this man’s claims. What follows is Jesus’ denial of the charge of blasphemy. 

The denial (19-29)

From Jesus’ repeated use of the introductory phrase ‘truly, truly, I say to you’ it’s safe to assume that there are three stages in his argument. Let’s look at each of those in turn. We’ll apply them at the end.

• They concern what Jesus will do (19-23)
• Who benefits from what Jesus will do (24)
• How it is that Jesus can do what he will do (25-29)

1. the Son does only what the Father shows him (19-23)

In the first stage of his argument Jesus wants to establish that his equality with God must be carefully understood. Look at (19).

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Although equal with God he’s not another God. He doesn’t initiate and execute his own agenda. The Son is not in competition with the Father. He’s in a relationship of willing submission to his Father’s authority. The Son is not like a stroppy teenager who’s always pushing the boundaries. He’s not a loose canon in the Godhead. He only does what his Father does.

The reason the Son can do what the Father does is explained in (20).

20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

The basis for the Son’s ministry of performing miraculous signs is that the Father withholds nothing from him. Such is the Father’s love for the Son He delights to show him what He’s doing.

When the kids come into my study during the day it’s great answering the question ‘Daddy what are you doing?’ We share our work with those we love.

What constitutes Jesus’ work is then explained in the next two verses. God makes it clear that he shares with His Son two divine prerogatives [or rights]. Look at (21).

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

In the first place the Son like the Father can give life to whomever he chooses. Jesus is the one who will raise the dead and give us an eternal existence beyond the grave. And look at (22).

22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgement to the Son,

In the second place the Father has entrusted the final day judgement to the Son. Jesus is the one with whom we must reckon when our lives are assessed.

These two activities demonstrate that the Son does whatever the Father does. The reason why the Father has entrusted to the Son these two divine prerogatives of giving life and executing judgement is explained in (23).

23 that all may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.

The Father’s intention is that people would honour the Son in exactly the same way that they honour the Father. In fact Jesus goes further and claims that it’s impossible to honour the Father if we won’t honour His Son. We’ll think about that more in a moment.

We’ve been concerned with what Jesus will do. Now we move on to who will benefit from what Jesus is going to do.

2. the Son gives life and acquits those who believe (24)

In the second part of his answer Jesus now explains who benefits from his willing submission to what his Father wants him to do. Look at (24).

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life.

The Father has given two divine prerogatives to the Son. Giving life and executing judgement. Jesus then teaches that it’s possible to have that eternal life and be acquitted from the condemnation of judgement in the here and now. We don’t need to wait until we’re dead before we receive life. And we don’t have to wait until we’re before the throne of judgement before we receive the verdict. Anyone who believes the Son’s words crosses over from spiritual death to spiritual life. The Son has power to change someone’s destiny from condemnation and death to life. We’ve been concerned with what Jesus will do and who will benefit. Now we consider how Jesus can do what he says he’s going to do.

3. the Son has life in himself and authority to judge (25-29)

In the third part of his answer Jesus now explains how it is that he’s able to give life and acquit those who believe. Look at (25).

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

Jesus says that he can give life because the Father has granted the Son to have life in himself just as the Father has life in himself.

27 And he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of Man.

Jesus says that he can execute judgement because the Father has delegated His authority to judge to his Son. In fulfilment of Daniel 7 in which the Ancient of Days, a description for God, delegates authority to a Son of Man, the glorious heavenly figure who would rule forever.

28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgement.

As unusual as it is for God to have a Son to whom he has delegated authority to give life and execute judgement with a word we shouldn’t be surprised. None of his present life giving activity should surprise us since Jesus is the judge on the last day and so he is able to decide the destiny of someone ahead of that time. On the last day this same voice will summon the dead from their graves and raise some to everlasting life and others to everlasting condemnation. Those who are raised to life are those who have done ‘good’. This cannot mean that we earn our salvation. That would fly in the face of what Jesus has been teaching about the need to believe in him in this very conversation. If we flick on to chapter 6:28 we’ll see that work is used as a synonym for belief.

6:28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Concluding Implications

In the miraculous healing of the paralysed man Jesus acted like the Son of God. In the ensuing discussion with his opponents Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He was either telling lies or he was telling the truth. They’re the only two options.

If he was telling lies he either did so knowingly or unknowingly. If he did so knowingly he wilfully deceived people and got them to believe a lie. If he did so in ignorance he was deluded and we put people like that into psychiatric care. The only other option is that Jesus was telling the truth. That’s where the facts point and it’s the only sensible conclusion. But so what?

John includes three concluding implications within the text.

We must honour the Son

We have to treat Jesus Christ in the same way that we ought to treat God. It’s impossible to honour God without honouring Jesus Christ. And so the value of any religious ideology must be measured by the honour with which it treats Jesus Christ. Whatever the post modern pluralistic mindset says there are no grounds for claiming to serve and follow God if we do not serve and follow Jesus Christ. That might not be popular but it’s right.

We must believe in the Son

Two great events lie ahead of us. One is our death and the other is our judgement. The fear of both can be removed in one simple action, belief in the Son. If we’re to pass from death to life it’s the only response. Jesus is the Son of God. He shares the ability to grant life and execute judgement. We must accept that we need his life and we need his pardon and believe in him. For those of us who are not Christians this fear ought to be especially acute. Death is a frightening prospect and the idea that we’ll be held accountable for what we’ve done with the life God has given us is especially unsettling. The great news of the gospel is that it needn’t be. We can know the verdict on our lives ahead of time and we can know that death will not be the last chapter in our lives. For those of us who are Christians we should know this but we forget it don’t we. Most of us struggle with uncertainty concerning death and whether we’ll exist beyond the grave. It’s rarely a settled conviction in our heart. And because of our propensity to sin the idea that God really will find us acceptable in the judgement seems more and more unlikely. This week will see us repeat the sins of our past, we may even add in some new ones such is the capacity of the human heart for wicked invention. We have it on the authority of the judge that on the day of our reckoning he’ll acquit us. He’ll declare us innocent, not because we are but because he has already endured the punishment for our guilt.

We must not be surprised by the Son

We can’t go through life dismissing what Jesus says he can do. As incredible as it sounds he really can give us spiritual life and he really can acquit us from the judgement. It won’t do to come to the end of our lives meet Jesus face to face and say, ‘I had no idea you could do that!’ or ‘You’re quite something aren’t you!’