Introduction: In the mountains of the Northwest, a man was sitting beside a campfire while he roasted some kind of bird over the fire with eager anticipation. About this time a forest ranger came upon the camp and asked the man what he was preparing for dinner. The camper replied that it was a seagull. A frown came over the rangers face as he informed the camper that it is against the law to kill that particular type of bird and that he would have to give him a ticket.

The camper responded that he had lost his way and had consumed all his food. In desperation he managed to kill this seagull to maintain his strength. After listening sympathetically, the ranger told the man he would let him off with a warning and the camper thanked his profusely. Just as the ranger was about to leave, he asked the camper ‘Just out of curiosity, what does seagull taste like?’ Thinking for a moment the camper replied ‘Well, I suppose I would place it somewhere between a spotted owl and a bald eagle.’ (Paul Decker)

Have you ever said…too much? And the more you said, the more trouble you got in to? Sometimes it is best to say less.  Ecc. 10:14 says ‘the fool multiplies words’. Another translation of that same verse says ‘The fool speaks his whole mind.’ I would say this camper was foolish. Some might say the same about Jesus here in our text this morning. Although, few would call Jesus a fool, it does seem like he should have said less when confronted.

Background: Until now, Jesus was keeping a low profile, not wanting to confront the religious leaders in Jerusalem. That’s about to change. But why now? Why go to such great length…and words, to state his point? What is his point? And what does his point have to do with us? That’s what we need to discover this morning.

Transition: Turn in your Bibles to John 5:16 (pg. 813 in the church bibles) and let’s see what Jesus has to say to the religious leaders of his day and to all of us this morning.

I. John 5:16-20    Jesus’ Authority
Read: John 5:16    The Accusation

The Jewish religious leaders, who envied Jesus’ popularity with the people, finally found something they can pin on him…he broke the Sabbath Laws by healing the man at the pool near the Sheep’s Gate, remember?. That’s why the text says the Jews persecuted him.

When confronted with accusations by the religious leaders, how does Jesus respond?

Read: John 5:17-19    The Answer: Working Together

Have you ever stopped to think what would happen if God took a day off, if he suddenly stopped working?
Have you ever stopped to think what would happen if God stopped blessing you? All of us have some things that happened in our lives that we can only attribute to God, but what about all the little things he does for us that we fail to acknowledge or recognize?
 
Listen because this is vitally important to your life. God never stops doing good…never.
•    He never stops sustaining his creation and
•    He never stops watching over and caring for you.

This text encourages us with the fact that God doesn’t take time off, even on the Sabbath.

He always meets the needs of his people, the ones he loves. He always does good. Listen to how the Psalmist put it.

Read: Ps. 121

Jesus explains to the religious leaders that the law against working on the Sabbath really hadn’t been broken, because the work that he did…was the work of God. And God works everyday, even on the Sabbath.

But Jesus doesn’t stop there he says a little more.

Read: John 5:20    The Answer: Love
 
Jesus taught his disciples to pray ‘Our Father who is in heaven’, but here when he referred to God as ‘My Father’ it meant more than what it means today. He was claiming kinship with God. By this special love relationship between Father and Son, Jesus was literally saying he was God’s Son: Jesus was making a declaration of his divinity. To the religious leaders this was blasphemy and they had Jesus dead to rights. They were all the more determined to put him to death.

Transition: OK Jesus, now might be a good time to be quiet. But Jesus has more to say.

II. John 5:21-23, 27,30    Life Now
Read: John 5:21    Jesus: Giver of Life

Jesus hits them with the big guns here. There is no mistaking what Jesus says. The religious leaders knew that only God can raise the dead and only God can give life.
Jesus is saying that he too has the ability and prerogative to raise the dead and give life. Jesus is declaring he is God. Just as Jesus chose only to heal one man at the pool near the Sheep’s Gate, He also graciously gives life according to his good pleasure. That means health…life is a gift of God’s grace, not something we make, sustain or work to achieve.

This is contrary to the worlds wisdom which tells us that life belongs to you, so do with it as you please…or better yet, as we think you should live it.
One of the reasons we meet together each Sunday is to counter the worlds wisdom by reminding ourselves, and demonstrating to others, that
•    we are not our own,
•    we were created by God and by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, we were purchased by him, we belong to him.
•    we are sustained by the grace of God and
•    we come here to honor him for his continual work in our lives.

Jesus declares that he is the giver of life. And that’s not all.

Read: John 5:22-23, 27,30    Jesus: Judge Over All     

To authenticate his power to give life he further declares that his Father has given him the right to judge all humanity.

Ill: George Will writes in ‘Men at Work’: ‘Once when Babe Ruth was called out on strikes, Ruth argued with the umpire.  ‘There’s 40,000 people who know that last one was a ball, tomato head.’ The umpire replied ‘Maybe so, but mine is the only opinion that counts.’ (Paul Decker)

When it comes to judging other, Jesus’ opinion is the only one that matters. It doesn’t matter that the world might say that because of your good works you deserve life in heaven, it only matters what Jesus says. That’s what the sovereignty of God is all about. He’s the boss of the world. He’s God and we’re not.

And because of his status as supreme judge, Jesus deserves our honor.
•    It is amazing how many people will say they believe in God and show him honor in some ways… while at the same time deny Jesus any authority or honor
      in their lives.

The text reminds us that we honor God when he honor Jesus, his son. There is no other way to please and honor God than by honoring his son, Jesus.

OK. So how do we show honor to Jesus? How do we get his gift of life instead his condemnation to death?

Read: John 5:24-26    Life: Hearing and Believing

I began by asking why Jesus spent so much time, and words to make his point. And what does the point of his argument with the religious leaders have to do with us? Well Jesus makes his point right here.

You can have life, life to it’s fullest, not only later in heaven, but now! How? By hearing Jesus’ words and believing them. If you don’t hear and believe, then you are already condemned to death…now and later.

To unpack all this, I’ll read one verse at a time. It’s important enough to read again.

Read: John 5:24

How do you get to heaven?
•    By being given eternal life by Jesus.

How do you get eternal life from Jesus?
•    By hearing, paying attention to, studying (not just listening) to what he says. To do that you need to be reading the Bible and coming to worship on Sundays as
     this is where God meets and speaks to his people.

How do you get eternal life from Jesus?
•    By believing that God sent Jesus.

Sent Jesus where and for what reason?

Read: John 3:16-17 

 What happens when you are given eternal life?
•    You cross over from death to life.

What does that mean?
•    Let’s read the next verse. It will help explain it.

Read: John 5:25a ‘A time is coming and has now  come’
•    Eternal life is not just about when you die…it’s NOW…today. The moment you accept and believe the words of Jesus and trust in God the Father who sent
      him to die for your sins.

Read: John 5:25b ‘When the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God’
•    Dead? There are two types of death in the Bible: physical and spiritual. Here Jesus is speaking of spiritual death, those who are dead in sin and separated from
     God, as the bible tells us.
•    Some who are spiritually dead, will one day hear and believe…and begin to live, truly live as God intended.

Some of you have already done that and are alive in Christ…now and for all eternity. Some of you are still dead…spiritually. But Jesus wants to give life to those who hear and believe…even to you,  even right now.

Transition: Now is the critical factor, because one day, we will all hear God’s voice. But it won’t work out the same for everyone.

III. John 5: 28-29    Life Later?
Read: John 5:28-29

What determines your eternal address? What we have done that was good or evil. And Jesus alone is the judge, he alone decides.

Am I saying that eternal life is based on our good works? No. But judgment is. Eternal life is a free gift from God, by his grace. But Jesus is not talking about eternal life here, but about judgment. Follow me.

•    ‘A time is coming’: future
•    ‘when all who are in their graves’: dead
•    ‘will hear his voice and come out’: stand before God.
•    ‘those who have done good will rise and live’: What is the basis for Good? He already told us: hearing and believing Jesus words.
•    And those who have done evil will rise to be condemned’: What is the basis for evil? Hearing but not believing Jesus’ words, refusing his forgiveness,
      his grace and the life he offers.

Conclusion

What’s the point of Jesus’ words, his extended argument with the religious leaders? What does it have to do with us who live 2000 years after this argument took place?

The point is, not only does Jesus offer healing in the place of physical death, as he did the man at the pool, he offers life, eternal life, now in the place of spiritual death, and he is the only one than can make this offer and back it up.

What’s Jesus’ point? The same as it is throughout the entire Book of John.

Read: John 20:31 ‘these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’

You have heard…but do you believe?
Your life…now, and later, depends upon it.