1 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,080 We're continuing in our study of the Gospel of John to learn from 2 00:00:23,080 --> 00:00:26,560 Scripture who Jesus is. Last week we saw how Jesus is 3 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,520 the Savior of the world. Today we'll see how Jesus is 4 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,040 equal with God. We'll be looking at verse 5 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,200 starting from verse 43 in chapter 4 all the way to chapter 6 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,960 5, verse 18. As you turn there, consider 7 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,640 this. There are several reasons why 8 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,280 Christianity does not have a good reputation among people, 9 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,320 even though Christians are called to be faithful, 10 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:00,400 hospitable, kind, generous, caring. 11 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,760 So how could it be that Christianity does not have a 12 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,320 good reputation? Well, one of those contributing 13 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:11,560 factors comes from false teachings of those who claim to 14 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,880 be Christian. And one of those kinds of false 15 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:23,320 teachings take a truth of God and bring a wrong application of 16 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:27,680 faith to it. They say that God can heal us 17 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:32,400 from all sicknesses and diseases, which indeed God is 18 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:38,800 able to do, for he is a creator of all things and the great 19 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,520 Physician. But they claim also that God 20 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,880 will heal you from all sicknesses and diseases if you 21 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:54,520 have enough faith, if you believe hard enough, if you are 22 00:01:54,600 --> 00:02:01,640 good enough, and in most cases, if you give enough money, then 23 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:06,680 God will heal you. Isn't this a convenient safety 24 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:12,040 net for such false teachers and faith healers to say, Oh yeah, 25 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,680 see, it's your fault why you weren't healed? 26 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,480 There are countless of testimonies from people who once 27 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,880 trusted in such healing services and such false teachings that 28 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,800 were done in the name of Jesus Christ, only to taint His holy 29 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,560 name with things like greed, manipulation, and abuse. 30 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,880 But when we look to Scripture and see Jesus for ourselves, it 31 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,240 is clear that Jesus did heal people, but not in the way of 32 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:44,200 swindlers and false teachers. Jesus did not teach that we 33 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,240 could be healed from any sickness if only we had enough 34 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,640 faith, if only we were good enough. 35 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:56,240 Rather, we'll see Jesus specifically today how he healed 36 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,000 even when faith was shallow, even when faith did not exist. 37 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,880 So be suspicious against people who say God can do things for 38 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:13,000 you if you had enough faith. Because the Son of God did many 39 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:20,800 things for the faithless, for the sinful, undeserving people. 40 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:28,680 God, the Son of God worked so that we could believe in him, so 41 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,360 that we could have life in his name, so that we could come to 42 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,360 trust in His Word, to believe that indeed he was sent from 43 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:41,000 God, but more so to believe that Jesus is equal with God, to 44 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,640 believe that Jesus is God. So today we'll look at 2 of such 45 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,800 miracles that Jesus performed. They're called signs in 46 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,200 Scripture, as we have seen, because they point to something 47 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,760 beyond the miracles themselves, to something greater, actually 48 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:02,120 to someone greater. These these signs surely proved 49 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,480 and pointed to Jesus, proving that Jesus is equal with God. 50 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,760 Yet they had two different responses from the people who 51 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,760 witnessed them. So here are the two points of 52 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:15,640 the sermon that we'll be looking at today. 53 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,600 A sign given to deepen a shallow faith. 54 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,280 A sign given despite a lack of faith. 55 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:27,920 We'll see in these first instance that Jesus works even 56 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:34,640 when faith was not really there and how his miraculous healing 57 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:41,920 helped spur on challenge shallow faith to become real, deep, 58 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,200 genuine faith. See that in verses 43, chapter 4 59 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,360 to 54. And then in chapter 5, verse 60 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,800 one, we'll see in the second sign in the sign given there 61 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:56,960 that it was done even in a lack of faith in the implications for 62 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,320 us today. So first, a sign given to deepen 63 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,000 a shallow faith. We see this in chapter 4, verses 64 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,800 43 to 54. Please follow along as I read 65 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,120 God's Word. After the two days he departed 66 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,160 for Galilee. For Jesus himself had testified 67 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,480 that a prophet has no honour in his hometown. 68 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,320 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having 69 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,640 seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they 70 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,600 too had gone to the feast. So he came again to Cana in 71 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,800 Galilee, where he had made the water wine. 72 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,160 And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 73 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,280 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, 74 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,000 he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for 75 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,480 he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, Unless you 76 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,280 see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 77 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,000 The official said to him, Sir, come down before my child dies. 78 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,080 Jesus said to him, Go, your son will live. 79 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,280 The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on 80 00:05:58,280 --> 00:06:00,240 his way. As he was going down, his 81 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,840 servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 82 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,920 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they 83 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,120 said to him, yesterday at the 7th hour the fever left him. 84 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,800 The Father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, 85 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:17,760 Your son will live. And he himself believed in all 86 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,200 his household. This was now the second sign 87 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,360 that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. 88 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,880 This is God's word, Amen. So after Jesus stop over in 89 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,720 Samaria, he continued his journey up north from Judea to 90 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:39,080 into Samaria, into his hometown Galilee, as you see in verse 43. 91 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:44,320 Now, when celebrities today go back to visit their hometowns, 92 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:48,400 you can just imagine the kind of reception that they would 93 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,560 receive. Similarly, Jesus at this point 94 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:53,600 was nothing short of a sensation. 95 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,280 The Galileans, it says, saw the signs and wonders Jesus did at 96 00:06:57,280 --> 00:06:59,200 Jerusalem during the Passover feast. 97 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:04,240 So verse 45 explains how the Galileans welcome Jesus 98 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:06,480 specifically. Why? 99 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,560 Why did they welcome him? Because they saw his miracles. 100 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,120 It's actually quite different what we saw from the last week 101 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,640 with the Samaritans and John, the writer of this gospel is 102 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,920 working to make that contrast and distinction clear for us. 103 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,960 If you remember, Jesus had a fascinating conversation with 104 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,360 the Samaritan woman at the well in Sikar, which led to the woman 105 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:35,640 then going to tell everyone in town of what of about Jesus. 106 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,040 And at the end of it, all right, in chapter 4, verse 42, they 107 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,840 said to the woman, it's no longer because of what you said 108 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,480 that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and we know 109 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,080 that this is indeed the Savior of the world. 110 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,520 Such a faith without any miracles. 111 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,960 And out of all places, all people Samaritans, these half 112 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,240 Jews who hated the Jews who were deficient in their worship of 113 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,320 God. These Samaritans believed 114 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:08,560 without signs and miracles and wonders that he was the Messiah. 115 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,080 The note is given for us in verse 44. 116 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,960 For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in 117 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,240 his hometown. Jesus himself testified, saying 118 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:27,960 this idiom, this phrase, this proverb, identifying himself 119 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:32,039 with the many prophets of old who were rejected by their own 120 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:34,919 people. Indeed, Jesus would later be 121 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:37,880 rejected to the point of death on the cross. 122 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:44,360 We heard earlier in the service of that triumphant entry Jesus 123 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,480 made into Jerusalem on the week of his crucifixion. 124 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,880 But only a few days later, people's praise declaring 125 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,960 Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord with 126 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,960 palm branches. It would later turn to cries of 127 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:04,760 crucify him. He would be rejected later, but 128 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,960 even now in Galilee, despite his warm reception, he was not 129 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,960 honored. That's the point of verse 44, 130 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,000 because true honor after seeing all the signs would be to 131 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,720 believe that Jesus is indeed the Savior of the world, that he is 132 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:27,400 not only from God or he is with God to do these miraculous signs 133 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,320 like how Nicodemus said in John chapter 3, but to believe that 134 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:38,240 Jesus is God come in the flesh. So we receive clarity again here 135 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,520 to discern the people's welcoming of Jesus. 136 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,480 On the surface it looks nice, but that's all it was, nothing 137 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,800 else below the surface. So with that we turn our 138 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:53,240 attention to verse 46. Jesus returned to Cana, the same 139 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:55,320 town. He turned water into wine and 140 00:09:55,320 --> 00:10:00,360 here now was an official, most likely a royal official by that 141 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:04,960 title he holds, who had a sick son on the verge of death. 142 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:09,280 So when he heard that Jesus came to Galilee, he travelled over 143 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:14,680 about 30 kilometers on an upward incline, because Capernaum was 144 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:19,120 by the Sea of Galilee and Cana was up by the hills, a journey 145 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,920 that would normally require a full day. 146 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,360 So he comes. He finds Jesus requests to come 147 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,520 back down with him to Capernaum to heal his dying son. 148 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,920 And so the question for us that's lingering here from verse 149 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:40,200 44, does this man have genuine faith, The faith, that kind of 150 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,240 the faith, the kind of faith that honors Jesus? 151 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,400 And how does Jesus respond? It's somewhat of a cold response 152 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,280 in verse 48, isn't it? Jesus said to him, unless you 153 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,320 see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 154 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,680 Now we should note that the you here is plural. 155 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,480 Jesus's response to the man's request is actually a corporate 156 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,560 rebuke. Unless you all see signs and 157 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:07,840 wonders, you all will not believe. 158 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,360 Jesus again pointing out the problem of this so-called faith. 159 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:17,440 It's what John already explained to us back in John chapter 2 160 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,200 verse 23 to 25. If you have your Bibles, please 161 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,280 go back there to read it. It says Now when he was in 162 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,360 Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when 163 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:31,280 they saw the signs He was doing. But Jesus on his part did not 164 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,600 entrust himself to them because He knew all people and he needed 165 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,400 no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what 166 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:44,000 was in man. So with that, along with what he 167 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,400 says here, this corporate rebuke, it sounds like Jesus's 168 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:52,640 answer to the officials request is no, no, I will not come down 169 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,040 with you and no, I will not heal your son. 170 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,080 But what does that man say in verse 39? 171 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,600 Sir, come down before my child dies? 172 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,920 It seems that he's not going anywhere and it's probably 173 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:15,480 because he is utterly desperate. If Jesus will not come down and 174 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:22,120 heal his son, there would be no hope left for him, which is why 175 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,400 he sticks around and he asks again, Sir, come down before my 176 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:34,160 child dies. This royal official may have had 177 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:39,360 everything people would want, like power, wealth, reputation, 178 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:43,640 resources, but whatever he had didn't matter at this point 179 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,880 because he was a human being like the rest of us. 180 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,000 Like the rest of us, left to our own means and our own resources. 181 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:59,040 None of us have what it takes to face death, to face death 182 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:03,720 ourselves personally, or to face death of a child. 183 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,360 So that's all he cared about. His desperation got him to Jesus 184 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,920 and now his desperation was keeping him clinging to Jesus as 185 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,280 his only hope, for there were no other options. 186 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,240 How does Jesus respond? Verse 50 Jesus said to him, go, 187 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:27,440 your son will live. Jesus sends a man away with 188 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:33,600 nothing more than a promise, but with it was a defining 189 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,920 opportunity for this man to believe or not believe. 190 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,840 Jesus knows what's in this man's heart. 191 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,200 Jesus knows that this man thinks. 192 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:50,120 Jesus needs to come down to Capernaum to do this miraculous 193 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,560 healing. To that Jesus says go, your son 194 00:13:54,560 --> 00:13:59,280 will live. No sign, no proof, just his 195 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:04,480 word. The man can either now disregard 196 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:09,520 what Jesus said and keep urging Jesus to come with him, or 197 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:20,040 simply believe he could try to. He could try to demand for a 198 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:25,640 sign, something, a coin of assurance or something, or 199 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,480 simply believe. The rest of verse 50 says the 200 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:34,440 man believe the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his 201 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,120 way. This for us is like watching a 202 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,880 flower bloom in a time lapse video. 203 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:46,800 We see this man faith come about whatever shallow understanding 204 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:51,240 he had of Jesus, limiting Jesus to a physical presence in order 205 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,080 to heal. That has all passed and we see 206 00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:00,560 Jesus perform 2 miracles here, healing his Son and granting 207 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,520 faith to the Father. Father's faith deepens as he 208 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,640 goes back home. Verse 51 As he was going down 209 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:12,200 his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 210 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:17,320 The servants of course did not know what had happened, they 211 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,440 just knew that the Father left the previous day and hoping for 212 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:26,800 the best. All they knew was that at after 213 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,040 the boy was healed that the boy was suddenly getting better. 214 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:33,120 So they probably were sent to go find the Father and tell him the 215 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,520 good news, not knowing what had happened. 216 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,760 Now interestingly, see what the Father asked them in verse 52. 217 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:45,240 So we asked them the hour what the hour when the when he began 218 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,280 to get better? And they said to him yesterday 219 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,560 at the 7th hour the fever left him. 220 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,200 The Father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, 221 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,880 your son will live. And he himself believed in all 222 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,480 his household. To be clear here, Jesus did not 223 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,080 merely wish that the son will live. 224 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,880 It's not like how we tell people, I hope you feel better 225 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,000 soon when they're sick. It's it was also not a 226 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,240 prediction that the child would get better. 227 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:16,800 Like how our doctor told me my daughter, even though she had a 228 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,520 massive bump on her side in the emergency room and I was in 229 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,360 panic mode, she already had the mum's vaccine. 230 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,680 So he said he predicted and everything he she would get 231 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:32,080 better and she did get better in a week, exactly as the doctor 232 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,240 predicted. But this was not that. 233 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:39,920 This was Jesus his words that caused the healing to happen. 234 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,440 The very moment Jesus spoke, the words go, your son will live. 235 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:49,920 Instantly, that sick, dying boy over in the next town some 30 236 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,280 kilometers away, was miraculously healed. 237 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:05,280 Verse 54 reminds us to not get stuck on the sign, but the point 238 00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:08,160 of it all. For this was the second sign 239 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,079 that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. 240 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:19,240 John wants us to consider what specifically who the sign points 241 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,040 to. The whole point of miracles was 242 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:25,920 to be face to face with Jesus himself and to be thrust down in 243 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:31,480 worship and say, Oh my God, there is no one like you. 244 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,240 Remember, from the very beginning of John's Gospel, 245 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,760 Jesus was introduced as a man, as the one who was in the 246 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,160 beginning with God, and all things that were made were made 247 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,600 through him and in him was life. That life was the light of men. 248 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:52,040 This is the reason why when Jesus speaks, reality follows 249 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,640 because Jesus is God, the eternal divine Son of God who 250 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:01,760 came in the flesh. And like how God spoke to 251 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:06,760 miraculously create all things, here Jesus spoke to miraculously 252 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:13,720 heal the point of the signs. By this point, I hope you have a 253 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,040 mental bookmark at John chapter 20, verse 30 to 31. 254 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:22,360 There John writes for us. Now Jesus did many other signs 255 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,120 in the presence of the disciples, which are not written 256 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:27,400 in this book, but these are written, the ones that's written 257 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,800 for us so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 258 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,400 Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in 259 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:42,600 his name. So where are you in regards to 260 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:49,360 faith in Jesus? Perhaps you're in a desperate 261 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,400 position of desperation for change, for a miracle from 262 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,840 Jesus. But to be clear, desperation is 263 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,000 not necessarily faith. Genuine faith in Christ is 264 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,520 believing him and trusting him at His word. 265 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:10,000 Like how this man, this Father, believe the word of Jesus even 266 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,360 without any evidence or proof of what Jesus said would come true. 267 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:19,680 To believe His word without any proof or sign because that means 268 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:22,920 you believe in the one who gave that word. 269 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:30,720 So I believe the challenges. Challenge here is for you who 270 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:35,200 are not Christian. Will you believe the words of 271 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:40,320 Jesus even if he does not write a message in the skies? 272 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,520 You might want that. You might want some kind of 273 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,760 miraculous sign or just other easier ways for you to believe 274 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,000 in Jesus. But will you first consider and 275 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,560 study the words of Jesus you already have access to? 276 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,240 Don't wait for a miracle to come back. 277 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:04,600 Don't wait for God to follow through on on a on a random 278 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,400 challenge you give to God. Oh God, if you do this then I 279 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:13,800 will believe instead. See, look to what you have 280 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,080 already available to you in this Bible here. 281 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:21,000 See it says that Jesus came to die for sinners who would turn 282 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:27,120 to him in repentance and faith that he came to suffer the 283 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:30,520 judgement, the punishment that you deserve. 284 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,600 And then on the third day rose again from the dead, defeating 285 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:39,240 sin and death. I'm I'm we're glad that you're 286 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,960 here and learning more about Jesus and we pray that as you 287 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:48,560 look to Jesus, you will see a better sign than a miraculous 288 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,840 healing. You will see God's that you 289 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:57,160 would see God's perfect love in perfect justice, even as we sang 290 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,040 today, Heaven's peace and perfect justice, kissing a 291 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:05,440 guilty world in love through the death of Jesus Christ. 292 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,160 May you see the only way as you look to Jesus to be saved from 293 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,920 your sins and eternal death and separation from God, genuine 294 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,320 faith in Christ is believing in Him and trusting him at His 295 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,640 word. So believe in Him today. 296 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:26,560 For the Christians here, brothers and sisters, we have 297 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:30,440 the same challenge actually, because as we put our faith in 298 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:35,120 Jesus, it doesn't necessarily get any easier to trust in His 299 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:39,160 promises. But through every faith shaking 300 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:43,360 situation that comes our way, the challenges, will you still 301 00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:45,800 believe? Will you continue to believe? 302 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,440 We don't necessarily have the kind of promise we don't. 303 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,240 This promise from Jesus like this Father did. 304 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,200 He doesn't say go, your loved one will live. 305 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,440 He doesn't tell us go the cancer will be healed or this tragedy 306 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:06,720 will be overturned. But when we are in Christ by 307 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:15,600 faith, we can keep walking in that faith until we get home to 308 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:21,840 our eternal home because of what God's word says many places. 309 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:23,960 But for example, first Peter chapter one verse 3. 310 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:27,880 According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again 311 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,360 to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 312 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:34,040 from the dead. And we know that this life, 313 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,880 because of His word, we know that this life of suffering will 314 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:42,920 one day be over and we will one day be resurrected like Christ 315 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,680 with new bodies. Christ will do away with all sin 316 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:48,760 and death. He will wipe away every tear 317 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,320 from our eyes. He has given His Word and He 318 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:56,920 will do it. This one is not a matter of if 319 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:02,080 He will, but when. And so we trust in His ways. 320 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:06,600 We trust in His time. My brothers and sisters in 321 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,200 Christ. May you see then, every faith 322 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:14,880 shaking situation that comes your way actually comes from 323 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,000 God's hand. For He is working to deepen our 324 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,560 faith in Him. Believe and continue to believe 325 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,280 in His Word. That's how Jesus work through 326 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,600 the shallow work. Through a shallow faith, Jesus 327 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,120 also work a miracle, a sign despite a lack of faith. 328 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:35,240 Let's now turn to John chapter 5. 329 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,160 Follow along as I read from verses 1 to 18. 330 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,520 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to 331 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:45,760 Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the 332 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:50,200 sheep gate, a pool in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five 333 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,480 roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of 334 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,320 invalids, blind, lame and paralyzed. 335 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,120 One man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years. 336 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,640 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already 337 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,440 been there a long time, he said to him, Do you want to be 338 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,640 healed? The sick man answered him, Sir, 339 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,080 I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred 340 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,240 up. And while I'm going, another 341 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:20,520 steps down before me. Jesus said to him, Get up, take 342 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,160 your bed and walk. And at once the man was healed, 343 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,080 and he took up his bed and walked. 344 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:33,440 Now that day was the Sabbath. We'll pause there as the scene 345 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,840 shifts. We are back in Jerusalem, 346 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,600 brought to a sad and pitiful scene. 347 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,600 Before we saw one Father hopelessly desperate. 348 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:46,280 Now we see a multitude of invalids. 349 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,880 The word literally means weak. The weak, the weak people 350 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,240 gathered around in a pool in Jerusalem. 351 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,520 This pool marked by these five colonnades, these pillars that 352 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,560 were supporting a roof. Just imagine hundreds of people 353 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,440 who were physically suffering. The blind, the lame, those who 354 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:11,040 could not walk without difficulty, the paralyzed, those 355 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,840 who could not move at all. And here was one man who was an 356 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:18,760 invalid for 38 years, that is almost as long as I have been 357 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,920 alive. He could not move without the 358 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:32,840 help of others for that time. What's interesting to note here 359 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:39,600 is that they were there perhaps to beg, for that was their that 360 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,600 was their only means of livelihood. 361 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:46,240 But more specifically, as we're told, because of a superstition. 362 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,000 We hear it when the man says in verse 7 how he thinks he could 363 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:56,520 be healed if he is the first one into the pool when the water is 364 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,880 stirred up. Now the water could have been 365 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,400 stirred up by natural springs or other plumbing reasons unknown 366 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:06,040 to us, but apparently there was a superstitious belief that an 367 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,560 Angel would come from the Lord to stir up the waters. 368 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,040 And the first one in the water will be the one to get healed 369 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,760 from whatever disease they had, whatever physical ailment they 370 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:23,680 had. Well, sometime later, as I make 371 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,440 a note on the literary aspect of the Bible here, bear with me. 372 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,400 Sometime later, when the scribes continued to copy the Gospel of 373 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,960 John by hand, they inserted this popular belief. 374 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,280 So if you look at your Bible, it has, it should have a footnote 375 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:41,680 where verse 4 should be. And I hope you notice as I was 376 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,520 reading, where's verse 4? It's not a typo. 377 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,600 It's because verse 4 was taken out. 378 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,040 The footnotes in the ESV translation of my Bible reads as 379 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,080 as such. Waiting for the movement of the 380 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,480 water for an Angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons 381 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:00,560 into the pool and stirred the water. 382 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:05,280 Whoever stepped in first after the healing after after the 383 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,760 healing of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. 384 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,520 Now the reason the footnote it it is a footnote. 385 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,960 It's because the first, the writings of scripture did not 386 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,760 always have verse numbers. Verse numbers were added in more 387 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,240 modern times, and by that I mean around the 1500's. 388 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:27,880 The purpose was to help people study the Bible so that you 389 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,400 could easily refer back to specific verses. 390 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,640 But then after these verse numbers were added, older 391 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:38,400 manuscripts of Scripture were discovered and more reliable 392 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,640 copies of John's gospel did not contain verse 4. 393 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:46,800 And so that's why we see it as a footnote. 394 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,240 It's there, though still meant for us to understand what we 395 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,800 would, what we could understand without the footnote. 396 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:55,400 That here was a superstitious belief. 397 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,120 Jesus asked this man, does he want, do you want to be healed? 398 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,880 And all that he could hold on to was this superstitious belief. 399 00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:05,880 If he were just the first person to go in when the water stirred, 400 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:10,640 he would be healed. In any case, he's hopeless, 401 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:22,920 helpless without anyone to put him into the and he said to him, 402 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:27,680 do you want to be healed now? Isn't Jesus question strange? 403 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:32,280 We would all assume to somebody who was not able to move freely 404 00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:36,920 and have an able body for 38 years. 405 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,520 Isn't that a obvious question? That's a redundant question to 406 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,640 ask. It might be strange, but 407 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:49,000 actually if we pay careful attention, it's profound on the 408 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:53,440 heart level because Jesus's question exposes the reality 409 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,840 that not everyone who is sick necessarily wants to be healed. 410 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,400 We could say whoever is sick needs to be healed. 411 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,520 But the point here of Jesus's words causing us to wonder at 412 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,040 his question is, does he want to be healed? 413 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,840 Leon Morris provides helpful insight. 414 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,840 He knows how a man who had been disabled for so long had 415 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,480 probably settled into a pattern of life, most likely as a beggar 416 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:25,560 dependent on people's generosity to live. 417 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:30,640 But if he was illed, it meant a life with wonderful 418 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:35,200 possibilities, yes, but also with unknown perils. 419 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,040 He would have to now earn his own living. 420 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,000 But how? He was not trained in a 421 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,520 particular trade that he could pick up quickly. 422 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,720 And while people would be willing to help and invalid, who 423 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,200 would be as willing to help an able bodied man. 424 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:57,680 So did he really want health with all of its privileges, yes, 425 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:04,000 but also its responsibilities? Jesus asks this question to make 426 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,960 him consider and make us consider. 427 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:15,720 Did he really want to be healed? Well, it's clear that he wasn't 428 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:23,240 sure of Jesus as a person. Not only that, he completely 429 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,720 lacks the faith to answer Jesus's question. 430 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,880 This is what we know of him. This is what we see of this man. 431 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,960 He simply says in verse 7, sticking to his superstition. 432 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,160 Sir, if only had someone to get me into the pool first, then I 433 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:40,240 would be healed. Maybe at best he thought, oh, 434 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:43,280 was Jesus offering me a hand? Is he going to wait with me 435 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,960 until the stirring of the waters and help me into the pool the 436 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:50,400 next time it was stirred up? No, Jesus was offering much more 437 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:55,800 than that, much more than help. Despite his lack of faith, Jesus 438 00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:00,760 said in verse eight, said to him, get up, take up your bed 439 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,480 and walk. And at once the man was healed 440 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,680 and he took up his bed and walked again. 441 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:11,480 Jesus spoke, reality followed, and the man was healed. 442 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:15,120 The bed that carried the man throughout his life, now he was 443 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:18,800 carrying it around. Which by the way, seems to be no 444 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:23,200 point to carry his bed around other than to be a physical 445 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:27,440 reminder, a physical sign of his physical transformation. 446 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,880 But to us, to the readers, it should be obvious by now if 447 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,640 Jesus could heal a man by his word, a dying child in the next 448 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,800 town over, he could surely heal a man who was laying right 449 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,560 before him. Because Jesus is God, because 450 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:55,080 that's what the hearing praises for the glorious thing God has 451 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:58,080 done. We see a few problems. 452 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:03,600 Let's continue in verse 9 till the end, the end of verse 9 453 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,520 again until the end. Now that day was the Sabbath. 454 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,440 So the Jew said to the man who had been healed, it is the 455 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:12,920 Sabbath and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed. 456 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,920 But he answered them, the man who healed me, that man said to 457 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,440 me, take up your bed and walk. They asked him, who is the man 458 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,080 who said to you, take up your bed and walk? 459 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,840 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for 460 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:31,240 Jesus has withdrawn. Jesus had withdrawn as there was 461 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,720 a crowd in the place. Afterwards Jesus found him in 462 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,720 the temple and said to him, See that you are well, sin no more, 463 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,240 that nothing worse may happen to you. 464 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,640 The man went away and he told Jesus, and he told the Jews that 465 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,400 it was Jesus who had healed him. Let's pause there. 466 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,200 Keeping the Sabbath was the 4th commandment. 467 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,600 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 468 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:00,960 On it you shall not work. The first problem then comes 469 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,400 from the Jews who enters a scene like the Sabbath police. 470 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,360 Hey you, it's not lawful for you to carry your bed. 471 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,040 I just want you to pause and think of the absurdity of what 472 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:19,760 they said in this situation. The Jews just witnessed a man 473 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:25,720 who laid as an invalid for 38 years now carrying the very bed 474 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:30,360 that carried him. They should be saying, wow, what 475 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,360 on God's green earth happened to you? 476 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:35,920 How in the world are you carrying your bed? 477 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:43,040 No, instead they pull out the Sabbath yellow card and say, 478 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:45,360 what are you doing? Now? 479 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:48,520 If this man had been carrying around a bunch of beds, setting 480 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:51,840 up a stall, selling them, yeah, that would be a valid violation. 481 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,720 If he was in the bed moving business, that would be a 482 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,640 violation. But this no way. 483 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,920 The second problem we see here is that the healed man is not 484 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,760 like the Father with the healed son. 485 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:10,159 The 1st is a problem in the reception of the people. 486 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,760 The second is a problem in the one who received the healing. 487 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:18,199 We see that this man is not a model of faith to follow. 488 00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:22,400 He lacked faith in Jesus. He doesn't even know who Jesus 489 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:26,520 is, let alone he doesn't even try to pursue the man who 490 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:31,800 miraculously healed him from a 38 year long condition. 491 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,560 All he's found doing is blaming Jesus. 492 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:42,800 He made me do it for breaking the forth commandment. 493 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:48,239 Not only that somehow his disability had somewhat in some 494 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:52,520 way caused was caused by his life of sin. 495 00:34:53,639 --> 00:34:56,960 Now I want us to be clear, not all sickness or disabilities are 496 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:01,920 directly caused by sin, but sometimes it can be like in this 497 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,840 case for this one particular man, there was a direct 498 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:08,080 connection. We see how Jesus says in verse 499 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:13,240 14, see you are well, sin no more, that nothing worse may 500 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:21,600 happen to you, nothing worse. What is worse than suffering for 501 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:26,280 38 years with a physical disability? 502 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:33,680 What's worse is suffering in hell for eternity. 503 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:41,160 That's much worse, the worst of any suffering any one of us 504 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:47,600 could ever possibly go through. And what is it that gets you to 505 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,400 hell? Follow Jesus's logic in in his 506 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,960 warning here. It's our sin. 507 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:57,880 Our sin is what gets us to hell. All of us, regardless of our 508 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:03,120 background, of our upbringing, of our ethnicity, we were all 509 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:07,120 made in God's image, and we have all turned away from God in sin 510 00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:09,320 and all have fallen short of His glory. 511 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,320 Our sin gets us to hell because sin is a serious grievous 512 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,520 offence against a holy perfect God. 513 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:25,200 Therefore, as sinners we have a growing debt as we are unable to 514 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,920 give God what He deserves. He deserves pure, perfect 515 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:35,200 worship, love and obedience. And because we cannot give that 516 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:40,840 which God deserves, that which we owe God, we are mere 517 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:46,160 desperate, poor beggars before an infinite God. 518 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:50,120 So when we consider the death of our sin, the wrongs we have 519 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:53,360 done, the life we have lived, we must acknowledge and accept that 520 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:58,440 it is right for sinners like us to go to hell, to suffer in the 521 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:03,040 worst way possible, because we have in sin done the worst thing 522 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:10,120 possible against God. But that is the very reason why 523 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,640 Jesus came. We see it as a glimpse as he 524 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:19,320 comes to approach and select this man who somehow caused his 525 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:24,760 own condition by his sin. He comes, points him out and 526 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:35,520 heals him when he had no faith. The reason we know more fully in 527 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:39,000 the gospel why Jesus came to live the life of perfect 528 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,840 obedience. We should have lived, yet he 529 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,960 died the death we should have died. 530 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:47,000 So then the cross of Jesus Christ and the empty tomb of 531 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:52,200 Jesus is the sign of all signs for us, the gospel. 532 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:56,000 It's how we can know God's great love for sinners. 533 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:59,680 And by the power of the gospel, we believe. 534 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:04,520 And whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish, but have 535 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:08,880 eternal life. Sadly, the Jews could have begun 536 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:13,160 to see Jesus for who he is, but rather they went the complete 537 00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:17,320 opposite direction, stuck in their sin, blinded by their own 538 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:21,200 rules and regulations that they added to God's law, distorting 539 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:28,800 His law, distorting ultimately who God is, the God of grace and 540 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:33,880 mercy and love. See how they respond when they 541 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:37,760 find out it was Jesus. Verse 16 And this was why the 542 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,320 Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these 543 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,560 things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, My 544 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,320 Father is working until now, and I am working. 545 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,000 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill 546 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,800 him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but He was 547 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:56,520 even calling God His own Father, making himself equal with God. 548 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,160 The Jews believed that only one can be found working on the 549 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:07,160 Sabbath and that one was God alone. 550 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:12,440 Yes, God rested from His work of creation, but He was working to 551 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:15,280 sustain and uphold the universe He created. 552 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,640 So while people were resting from their work on the day of 553 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:25,400 Sabbath, God was working to give them life, breath, their very 554 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:28,640 being. So when Jesus said my Father is 555 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:32,800 working, Until now, the Jews knew what Jesus was talking 556 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:36,800 about, but they were horrified that he said it that way, 557 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:42,360 calling God not our Father or the Father, which was common, 558 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:48,600 but calling him my Father. He was claiming a unique 559 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:54,920 relationship to God in ways no one else relates to God. 560 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:02,520 Jesus was saying is it OK that God works to heal, restore life? 561 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:06,400 Make people whole on the Sabbath, then so can I. 562 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:10,680 My Father is working until now, so I can work on the Sabbath 563 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:15,520 too. Now in the eyes of the Sabbath 564 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,480 police, this was worse than a yellow card. 565 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:22,000 This was the red card of all red cards. 566 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,200 It was blasphemy to say that you are equal with God. 567 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:30,320 Yes, if it were not true it would be blasphemy. 568 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:34,880 But what the Jews could not get over was the fact that Jesus was 569 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:38,880 not just making himself equal with God. 570 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:42,520 He not like he was pretending he was equal with God. 571 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:46,200 He indeed as God the Son was equal with God. 572 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:52,360 He indeed the as the second person of the Triune God, 573 00:40:53,240 --> 00:40:59,040 sharing in one work and the one purpose of the one God. 574 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:05,080 Jesus knew it was the Sabbath. He could have performed this 575 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:09,600 sign any day, anytime, any any day of the week. 576 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,040 Yet He chose to do it on this Sabbath day. 577 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:19,160 And to be clear, He didn't break the Sabbath by doing what He did 578 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:23,040 in the life of this faithless man before a faithless people. 579 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:28,000 Jesus was exposing the sinful nature of their hearts, their 580 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,880 hearts that were so stuck on their religious commitment, on 581 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:36,840 their man made rules. They saw themselves fit and 582 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:42,400 healthy without any spiritual disease before a holy God. 583 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:51,680 And so their eyes were blinded, they could not see God if He was 584 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:55,920 standing right before them, which he was in the flesh doing 585 00:41:55,920 --> 00:42:00,320 the work that only God could do. There's actually something 586 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,200 severely wrong in their logic how they could not put the 587 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:08,120 pieces together. If they were so dedicated, 588 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:12,080 devoted to the law of their God and to their God, how could they 589 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:13,760 not know? How could they not see? 590 00:42:15,720 --> 00:42:21,360 Because of their sin, because of their resistance against faith, 591 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,000 resistance to submit to God, even though they were claiming 592 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,080 they were doing that, even though they were claiming they 593 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:32,520 were submitting to God. Their hearts were like a fiery 594 00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:38,720 furnace where the desire to kill Jesus began to burn the opposite 595 00:42:38,720 --> 00:42:44,640 direction of faith. When we see them, we realize 596 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:50,960 that is actually the way and the condition of every sinful heart, 597 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:53,960 each one of us. We were dead in our sins. 598 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:57,000 We were enemies of God, rebellious against Him, 599 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,520 unwilling to give what He deserves and to instead to take 600 00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,920 His place. Come up with our own rules, come 601 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:13,440 up with our own way to live own standard, and then go live by it 602 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:17,440 thinking everything is well with us and everything is wrong with 603 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:18,080 the world. Easy. 604 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:21,600 It is to miss God. When we live like that. 605 00:43:27,630 --> 00:43:33,030 And so. This ends with just the clear 606 00:43:34,030 --> 00:43:39,790 warning, a word of warning for for us that we must come to see 607 00:43:39,790 --> 00:43:43,110 the signs the way that we're that we we ought to see them 608 00:43:45,470 --> 00:43:46,950 knowing. That it's our own sin. 609 00:43:47,510 --> 00:43:51,720 Blinding us so in all of this. How are we to? 610 00:43:51,720 --> 00:43:56,240 Understand miracles, signs and wonders, then, well, hopefully 611 00:43:56,240 --> 00:44:00,640 very clearly, we see that we should not seek any new signs as 612 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:04,640 a condition of our faith in Jesus, because we don't need to. 613 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:12,040 We don't need any more signs. All we have, all we need we have 614 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:19,200 in scriptures to know who Jesus is, to know that he came as God 615 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:23,280 in the flesh to live the life we should have lived, yet died the 616 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:28,680 death we have died to be all. We need is the scriptures. 617 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:32,040 To know Jesus in his love, in His, in His grace, in His 618 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:35,440 kindness, in his towards sinners, in His mercy towards 619 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:40,920 sinners like us, we ought not look for signs for faith, but we 620 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:41,880 ought. To look to. 621 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:45,400 Jesus to know Him. That we may. 622 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:48,640 Believe in what he has accomplished. 623 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:50,040 On the cross. In our place. 624 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:53,760 But then what? About our ongoing. 625 00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:57,080 Needs our ongoing prayers and requests. 626 00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:00,560 Well, of course, God. Can heal and which is? 627 00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:04,320 Why when people are sick, we, we pray to our God who is able to 628 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:09,800 heal, to provide healing, for the purpose of turning people to 629 00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:15,560 faith, to deeper faith, to true faith in Him, to remind us. 630 00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:18,960 That we are dependent on. God, even for our very life, 631 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:22,280 even though if we eat well and exercise well, sleep well, if we 632 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:26,800 do all the right things, still our lives are at the mercy of 633 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:31,080 God's hand. So of course we can pray and ask 634 00:45:31,240 --> 00:45:36,280 for God to do works of healing. When when even all the medical 635 00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:41,320 advancements and technology come to its end, we know God can 636 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:43,120 heal. And so we do pray. 637 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:46,760 But. What do we do? 638 00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:51,920 When we don't see healing, When we don't receive those answers 639 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:57,080 to those prayers. Should we? 640 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:03,840 Wither away in our faith, or should we all the more look to 641 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:09,400 Jesus? We should look to Jesus. 642 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:13,000 We should look to his life, to his example. 643 00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:16,080 We should look to how. He. 644 00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:20,880 As fully God and fully man made a way. 645 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:26,720 For sinners like us. To help us in our faith, we sung 646 00:46:26,720 --> 00:46:31,560 earlier in the. Second verse of your will be 647 00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:35,600 done. Looking to Jesus, how he fully 648 00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:41,640 God and fully man he the fearful weight of true obedience and how 649 00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:43,400 it was held by Jesus Christ alone. 650 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:48,720 What wondrous faith to bear that cross, to bear my sin. 651 00:46:48,720 --> 00:46:53,120 What wondrous love. My hope was sure when there my 652 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:59,160 Savior prayed Father, not my will, but yours be done, not 653 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:01,080 only. An example of faith, but. 654 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:04,080 By the faith he exercised to bear that cross. 655 00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:09,320 Our hope in this life, in whatever sickness, whatever 656 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:13,280 ailments, whatever disabilities, even in the face of death 657 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:17,840 itself, because even though this man was healed and he could 658 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:19,600 walk, he would need to face death. 659 00:47:19,720 --> 00:47:21,760 He would one day need to meet his Maker. 660 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:28,120 But because of Jesus and his. Act of obedience. 661 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:33,640 Our hope is sure there when he prayed in the garden, Father, 662 00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:35,200 yet not my will, but yours be done. 663 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:41,600 Then when we look to the cross, He acted in obedience to. 664 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:45,080 Die a sinner's death. And then when we look to the 665 00:47:45,080 --> 00:47:51,160 empty tomb. When we look to Jesus. 666 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,080 How he? Obeyed how we took. 667 00:47:55,080 --> 00:47:59,640 On that fearful weight of true obedience and faith, we can be 668 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:04,120 sure, friends, we can be sure that we don't have to worry 669 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:08,040 about anything in this life because the worst? 670 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:11,040 Thing that could happen to. US has been taken care of. 671 00:48:17,210 --> 00:48:21,170 And in that way, God. Is still working until now. 672 00:48:22,090 --> 00:48:29,250 He is calling people to faith. He is working salvation in even 673 00:48:29,250 --> 00:48:32,370 in the most stubborn of hearts so that we can continue to pray. 674 00:48:33,050 --> 00:48:36,010 And He is working His work of sanctification in us. 675 00:48:36,450 --> 00:48:41,080 We can be sure of this, that he who began a good work will bring 676 00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:43,040 it to completion at the day of Christ. 677 00:48:46,720 --> 00:48:51,240 Jesus works to help. Us in faith, so believe in Him, 678 00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:55,840 believe in His words, receive healing for your souls and live. 679 00:48:56,440 --> 00:48:59,960 Let's pray. Thank you Lord, for the signs 680 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:03,960 that you have given in scriptures that point to Christ. 681 00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:07,680 Thank you for the guidance so that we may not be stuck on the 682 00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:11,480 signs and miracles, thinking that we need to somehow wait for 683 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:13,280 more signs and miracles so that we can believe. 684 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:18,560 No, You have provided all that we need for faith in the Gospel, 685 00:49:18,720 --> 00:49:23,240 in your Word, in your Scriptures, and all this. 686 00:49:23,240 --> 00:49:26,080 Points to Jesus Christ who? Is our Lord and Savior. 687 00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:28,640 So we ask, would you continue to sustain us? 688 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:34,560 Lord, sanctify us in our faith and as you do and continue to 689 00:49:34,560 --> 00:49:41,480 show who Jesus is to a dying, hopeless, helpless world that 690 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:46,880 many more may come to believe and trust in me in Jesus name. 691 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:48,040 We pray. Amen. 692 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:52,600 Let's take some time now to consider all that we have heard 693 00:49:52,640 --> 00:49:56,720 in in the sermon and in in the preaching of God's Word. 694 00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:01,360 Consider it for yourself what you learn about you, about your 695 00:50:01,360 --> 00:50:02,280 own. Need about your. 696 00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:05,160 Own sin. Consider what you learn about. 697 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:10,320 God who he is. Who Jesus is what he? 698 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:14,840 Has done why he. Has done it and. 699 00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:17,400 If you were to believe. All this as true. 700 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:19,200 How would your life be different? 701 00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:23,880 How would your life be changed? Consider this as we for 702 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,720 personally before we continue to respond to God's Word 703 00:50:26,720 --> 00:50:27,160 corporately.