Why Do We Deny Jesus As God? John 5:19-47

About this Episode

Why do we deny Jesus as God? John 5:19-47 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

In our last show on John 5 vs 1-18, we talked about the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda. We titled that show “Do you want to be healed?”. In that show, we turned our attention to the beginning of Jesus’ persecution ministry.

We talked about how Jesus poked the hornets’ nest with the healing of the crippled on the Sabbath day and how Jesus made himself one with God when answering the Jewish leader's accusations.

In our reading today of John 5:19-47 we will see Jesus’ response to their accusations. He makes 3 significant claims that prove His sonship with the Father.

His first claim is in vs 19-23 and that is Jesus claimed to be equal with God.

Instead of denying their accusation. Jesus endorsed it! If today a man-made this kind of claim, we would think he was joking or mentally disturbed. We know from countless eyewitnesses that he was not insane, so that means he was deadly serious when He spoke these words.

Jesus claimed to be one with His Father in His works: If healing a man on the Sabbath was a sin, then the Father was to blame! Jesus did nothing of himself but only that which the Father was doing. The Father and the son worked together, doing the same deeds in the same way.

Not only did the Father show Jesus His works and enable Him to do them. But the Father also shared His love as it says in vs 20. “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.” The first three gospels open with the Father calling Jesus, my beloved Son. We usually think of the Father’s love for the Lost world. John 3:16 but in this verse, John wants us also to remember the Father’s love for His Son.

The blind religious leaders did not see what Jesus was doing, because they did not know the Father or the Son.

In vs 21, Jesus claimed He can raise people from the dead; in vs 22 He claimed he was equal in executing judgment on mankind; in vs 23, He claimed to be equal in honor with the Father. The fact that He is appointed Judge should cause people to honor him. If you deny the Son you are denying the Father. So Jesus’ first claim was that He was equal with God.

Let’s now turn our attention to Jesus’ second claim; That He has the authority to raise the dead to life.

Read vs 24-29

For a second time, Jesus says the words “Truly, Truly”. More than 20 times in John’s gospel you will find Jesus using this to start His address. It is as if He is saying “Pay attention to what I am about to say, this is important”.

In this fascinating paragraph, Jesus spoke about four different resurrections. He described the resurrection of the lost sinners into eternal life. The second was the resurrection of Himself, third He talked about the future resurrection of Life when believers are raised from the dead and lastly He mentioned the resurrection of condemnation. This resurrection involves only the lost.

So, what Jesus is saying when He refers to himself as the Son of man, is that He is the messiah and that this is a messianic title. It is used 12 times in John’s gospel and over 80 times in all 4 gospels. He used this because the Jews would have known this title from their reading of Daniel and they would have known that by using it, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah and the Judge.

Jesus’ last claim to these religious leaders is that there are many who can testify that He is a deity.

Read vs 30-47

The word “witness” is a keyword in John’s gospel. It is used 47 times. Jesus did bear witness to Himself, but He knew that the religious leaders would not accept it. So He called in 3 other witnesses. First was John the Baptist. Second were the miracles he performed and last was the word of the Father. Let’s look at these three witnesses.

John the Baptist, John was the burning and shining lamp that paved the way. The leaders looked at John as the Local celebrity, but they did not want to receive his message of repentance. We too are God’s witnesses and we too need to point people to Jesus and to repentance of sin.

Jesus’ miracles, if we remember, John uses the word “signs” all the time to prove Jesus is God. Jesus made it clear that the works He did were the works of the Father. Even Nicodemus in John 3 had to admit that Jesus’ miracles identified Him as sent from God.

Word by the Father- The Jewish people highly esteemed the written word of God, particularly the law that was given through Moses. Moses heard God's voice and saw God's glory. Jesus in vs 46 is saying that Moses talked about Him and if you believe that Moses wrote the words of God, then you also should believe in Him as Moses did.