Day 5 - John 5: Jesus defends himself for doing God's will

This Study is from John 5 and yet again as will be for the next few chapters we see a long chapter with 47 verses. 

An "Illegal" Healing (verses 1-15)
     Jesus is in Jerusalem at the Temple and takes notice of a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years lying beside the pool called Bethsada.  The pool supposedly gets churned from time to time by an angel of God and those needing healed would rush to get into the pool first, because the first one in would be healed of whatever ailed them.  This man because of his paralyzed state couldn't get into the pool without help so he never made it in.  Jesus comes to him and simply tells him to "Pick up his mat and walk" and he does.
     The problem with what he did was that it was sinful according to the Jewish law to work on the sabbath and carrying your mat was apparently considered work.  Its eventually found out that Jesus is the one who basically told the man to break the law, never-mind the fact that he healed him of a 38 year paralysis. 

     When you think about it, the incredible legalism of these Jewish leaders is absolutely astounding.  They are completely missing the fact that this guy was just FULLY healed of a 38 year paralysis and instead they are focusing on the fact that he was healed (which is considered work for the healer) on the Sabbath and then followed the instruction of Jesus to work on the Sabbath by picking up his mat and walk. 
     As incredibly frustrating as the reactions of these Jewish leaders are, if you spend some time looking back on your life I bet you could find moments when you were just as blind to something great that someone did.  But because they did it in a way you didn't like or maybe because of who it actually was that the great thing you ignored the accomplishment and persecuted them in whatever way to chose to do so and made yourself just as guilty and legalistic as these Jewish leaders.
     The thing to remember here is that God can and will use anyone he wants and any circumstance to do his work and fulfill his plans.  We may not like how he does it; in fact, we probably won't like his ways more than we do like his ways because his ways usually make us get very uncomfortable and his ways usually test us beyond our own perceived capabilities and comforts.  What we have to remember is that we as Christians are simply called to continually seek the will of God and continually do the work of God as he is continually working in, through, and around us.  

Jesus Claims Divinity (verses 16-30)
      Jesus gets persecuted for his "illegal healing" and in response he tells his accusers that he is simply doing exactly what his Father in Heaven is doing which is always working.  Jesus is literally claiming to be the Son of God; this is a statement that probably further enrages these Jewish leaders into a frenzy.  Now they not only have him for breaking the Sabbath, but they also have him for blaspheme...Calling himself God (the nerve of this guy)...Jesus even goes so far as to say that he is not only the Son of God and therefore divine himself, but that God the Father has given him the power and authority to be the judge over the world and the eternities of all men.   

Jesus Defends His Actions (verses 31-47)
     Essentially what Jesus does in this section is say, "Look, my words about who I am and what am doing don't really mean anything.  Instead of worrying about my words...pay attention to what I am doing.  What I do speaks volumes about who I am.  If I wasn't who I say I am, I couldn't do all I am doing.  It is by the Father that I do what I do, because it is he who gives me the ability to do what I do."  

     Although this section is about Jesus spending time defending who he is, I think we should be reminded of something extremely important with regards to our Christian walks.  Jesus states that is because of what he does that his words are proven true.  It is by his actions that we can know he is who he says he is.  This should be an example to us as Christians that it is through our actions that we prove or disprove our identity as followers of Christ.  If think, speak, and act out of Love for God than it will be impossible for anyone who spends time with us to mistake where our allegiance lies, because we simply cannot help thinking, speaking, and acting in the name of Jesus.  


Jesus did what he did to Give GLORY TO GOD.  We are here for the same purpose.  In all things to God be the Glory!!!