John 5:19-47

Read John 5:19-30 Jesus is the Son doing the work of his Father

The main thrust of this passage is that Jesus does not do anything on his own.  Where does what he does and says come from?

In verse 20, Jesus says that the Father shows Jesus what to do because the Father loves Jesus.  In what ways does the Father show his love for Jesus?

In verse 21, Jesus says that the Father raises the dead and gives life – powers that the Old Testament acknowledged as powers of God.  In what ways does Jesus give life?  (Think about this question both literally and figuratively.)

Verse 21 says that Jesus gives life to whomever he wishes.  How has he given life to you?

How do you respond to Jesus’s gift of life?  Are there ways you would like to adjust how you respond, to receive his gift more fully?

The Old Testament acknowledged that God has the power to judge humans.  In verse 22, Jesus refines this understanding, saying that the Father does not judge people but instead gives all judgment to the Son.  What does this mean to you?

In verse 24, Jesus describes those who will not be condemned or suffer judgment when Jesus exercises judgment.  Who does Jesus say has eternal life?

Jesus says this about those who “hear my word” and “believe in the one who sent me.”

Verse 24 could be misinterpreted to make salvation seem to be a matter of the ears and mind.  Jesus obviously expects more.  In verse 29, what does Jesus say is the difference between those who receive the resurrection of life and those who receive the resurrection of judgment?

Jesus says that those who have done good (NRSV) or done good deeds (NABRE) receive the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil (NRSV), or wicked deeds (NABRE), receive the resurrection of judgment.  This makes it clear that “hearing” and “believing” require action.

What do these verses tell us about what it looks like when someone actually “hears” Jesus’s words and “believes” in God the Father?

What do you think Jesus means when he talks about doing good or doing good deeds in verse 29?  What does that look like?

What do these verses tell you about your own place in the Final Judgment that Jesus is describing?

In verse 27, Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in the context of the dead coming to life in a day of judgment.  He is invoking two Old Testament prophecies.  First, in Daniel 7:13-14, the prophet Daniel has a vision in which he sees “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven, who is then presented to God and given eternal dominion over all nations and peoples.  Second, in Ezekiel 37:1-4, God addresses Ezekiel as “son of man” (a term he uses frequently for Ezekiel) and tells him to speak words over a valley full of dry bones (i.e., people who are dead) and tell them that God will restore their bodies and they will come back to life.

Any time we face judgment, whether it is by a parent or a boss or a judge or a friend, or by anyone else, the fear is always that the judge will not be fair.  In verse 30, Jesus says that you can count on his judgment being just because he does not seek his own will but the will of the one who sent him.  Do you think of Jesus as a just judge?  How does the fact that he is the one who will be judging you make you feel?

Throughout this passage, Jesus has insisted that he only does what the Father tells him to do, that everything he does and says is a reflection of who the Father is.  If he were claiming to be the son of a Greek god, this would be terrifying, since the Greek gods were petty, jealous, fickle, and rarely loving.  These words of Jesus can be reassuring only if we have a positive impression of the God whom Jesus is calling his Father.  What do you think about God the Father’s attitude toward you?

Go back and re-read John 3:16-17.  What does John the Evangelist tell us about the Father, and how does that help us understand what Jesus is like when he acts according to the Father?  How can the fact the Jesus embodies the ways of the Father be reassuring to you?

Can we use this image of being like the Father as a guide for our lives?  If we are meant to be like Jesus, who is an image of the Father, how might that guide how we live?

What is the most important thing you can take from this passage as you live your life?

Read John 5:31-40 Jesus discusses the witnesses that testify on his behalf

Jesus has just been talking about his role in judging the world.  Now he shifts the focus to respond to the fact that the Jewish religious leaders are judging him.  He talks about the evidence that shows that what he is teaching is right.

In Jewish law, testimony on your own behalf was not considered convincing.  John will bring this up in 8:13.  Furthermore, according to Deuteronomy 19:15, no one could be judged on the basis of a single witness.  The testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses was required in order for a verdict to be reached.  Here, Jesus offers 4 sources that testify on his behalf.

What does Jesus mean when he says that these various sources of evidence “testify” on his behalf?  What does it mean for them to “testify” for him?

Jesus is describing what in a modern court might be thought of as a combination of “character witnesses” and witnesses who provide testimony that can be used as evidence in support of the claims of the defendant.  These sources show that what Jesus is saying is true.

What are the sources that testify to Jesus in the following verses?

Verses 33-34?

Verse 36?

Verses 37-38?

Verse 39?

Jesus says that he receives supportive testimony from John the Baptist, the miracles that he (Jesus) does, the Father, and the Scriptures.

By citing these sources of testimony, what is Jesus saying about himself and who he is?

What evidence or sources do you find most compelling in support of your belief in Jesus?

There is an interesting ambiguity in verse 39.  In most translations, Jesus is stating a fact: “You search the Scriptures, because you think in them you have eternal life.”  However, the sentence could be translated as an imperative (an order or direction): “Search the Scriptures....”  Could you imagine Jesus telling that to you?  Why might Jesus want you to study the Scriptures?

How might your life be affected if you spend more time studying the Scriptures?  What do you think might happen? 

Read John 5:41-47 Jesus criticizes the Jewish religious leaders for their refusal to accept him despite the evidence

Looking at verses 43-44, who does Jesus say the people receive or accept or give glory to, instead of accepting Jesus?

They accept and honor people who are speaking only in their own name, not in the name of God.

How is this a problem in our time?  In what ways do people today accept the claims of others who are only speaking in their own name?

In verse 44, Jesus criticizes them for seeking praise from each other instead of from God.  In what ways do people in our day do that?

What does it look like to seek the praise of God, as Jesus describes in verse 44?  How can we know if we are living a life that is worthy of praise from God (for example, where God might say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant”)?

In verses 45-47, Jesus says that the people he is talking to – the religious leaders and those who follow them – are not paying attention to Moses.  Moses was considered the author of the first 5 books of the Old Testament (the Torah).  Jesus is saying that they are ignoring the evidence in the Old Testament that would show that Jesus is the Messiah.  We are probably more familiar with passages from other parts of the Old Testament that prophecy about Jesus, but the Torah also has passages that point to a Messiah.  For example, Genesis 3:15 says that Eve’s offspring will strike the head of the serpent (the passage that is considered the first Messianic prophecy); Genesis 49:10 says that the scepter will never depart from the house of Judah (implying that a king would arise again); and in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Moses says that God will raise up a prophet like him.  There is also Numbers 21:4-5, which we saw in John 3:14-15, where the bronze serpent is hung on a pole to heal the people.

Why do you think the religious leaders were not able to see Jesus in the Old Testament?

When did you come to realize that you are comfortable with the idea that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecies?

What Old Testament passages do you think talk about Jesus most compellingly?

Take a step back and consider this:

It may see odd to think of Jesus being judged rather than doing the judging.  But people do it all the time as they try to decide whether to believe in him.

And it might be fair to say that we are judging the words of Jesus when we try to decide what parts of Jesus’s teaching should be taken more seriously and what parts can be moved to the shadows.

I'm not suggesting that everything Jesus says must be taken literally.  He spoke often in metaphors, and in contexts we don’t always understand well.  We need to study his words carefully to figure out what words are meant to be taken literally and what words need to be interpreted with more nuance.

But the challenge remains:

Are there things Jesus teaches that you have consciously decided to ignore?  Are there things Jesus teaches that you have unconsciously pushed out of sight?

How can we grapple with the words of Jesus in all their complexity, believing that all of his words have meaning for us?  How can we take seriously even the teachings we may not entirely agree with?

How would Jesus like us to deal with the things we find difficult?

May God the Father be with you and may the Holy Spirit guide you as you wrestle with the words of Jesus.