So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill Him. For He not only broke the Sabbath, He called God His Father, thereby making Himself equal with God. So Jesus explained (himself) / answered . . .
John 5:18-19
What follows is interesting and is begun by one of those truly-truly, verily-verily, ἀμὴν ἀμὴν (amen-amen) sayings.
If you want a study worth looking into, try a study of all the truly-truly sayings. We use the ‘amen’ at the end of our prayers to say “let it be so”, “let it be established like that”. Used at the beginning of a passage like this, the meaning is “this is a really true statement, take note”.
They have criticised him because he broke the sabbath by healing a person, then he called God his Father. So Jesus effectively says “you ain’t heard nothing yet . . . “
Take note:
- I tell you the truth – vs 19
- I tell you the truth – vs 24
- I assure you – vs 25
- Don’t be surprised – vs 28
Notice his shocking statements:
- the Father will show Him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. 5:20
- For just as the Father gives life to those He raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone He wants. 5:21
- those who listen to My message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. 5:24
- the dead will hear My voice—the voice of the Son of God 5:25
Note the frequency of theme words as follows – life (10), judge (5), believe (7), testimony (7),
Note too “the time is coming” theme vs 25, 28
Note how Jesus uses Son of Man and Son of God interchangeably between verses 25 and 28.
The same verses, where John is highlighting the time coming theme. Is it becoming clearer to you?
Then notice the strong and frequent repetition of the testimony-witness theme.
“If I were to testify on My own behalf, My testimony would not be valid.
But Someone else is also testifying about Me – God, John the Baptist, Moses, a greater witness than John – the Father Himself, the Scriptures (the very ones you are passionate about), Hey even Moses, in whom you put your hopes, will accuse you because he wrote about Me. I have no need of human witnesses. For I have come to you in My Father’s name, and you have rejected Me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them.
No wonder you can’t believe!
Have you got the message and how it fits John’s big picture theme – who is this One? None other than the One Moses wrote, all the Scriptures point to – Son of Man and Son of God – and the one to Whom men and God bear testimony.
Don’t point a finger; hold out a hand.
Anon
You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar
He was considered unteachable at school. At 67 he lost his laboratory in a fire. Viewing the scene he said, “Thank goodness all our mistakes were burned up. Now we can start again fresh.
Thomas Edison