John 5:16-24 – Fight or Forgive?

Jesus Christ had an amazing ability to annoy religious people. It seems to be one of his best “super powers”. No self-important religious leader of his day was spared from our Lord Jesus’ full force attack. Jesus never avoided a fight- he went looking for the enemy. A battle is never won by a leader who is afraid to engage in the bloody struggle against the forces of evil.

Jesus was always ready to do the will of his heavenly Father. And the Father’s will is always to confront evil and hypocrisy. God’s great desire is to bring people to repentance from sin: to bring them forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. But if they refuse to take up the offer of life, all that remains is judgement by our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus told the religious leaders of his day, “The Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father…I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins because they have already passed from death to life.” [John 5:22-23a, 24].

Confronting evil is a well- known characteristic of God and it is revealed clearly in his word the bible. As Paul taught his young co-worker, Timothy,

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” [2Timothy 3:16].

God’s word is powerful and confronting. As the writer of Hebrews tell us,

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God…So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

For the word of God is alive and powerful…it exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” [Hebrews 4:9,11-12a, 12c-13].

And our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect “word of God” who is always alive and powerful in doing his Father’s will. The power and kindness of God were displayed in Jesus’ healing a crippled man. And this led immediately into conflict with Israel’s powerful religious leadership.

But this was a fight God deliberately chose to have. For 38 years a crippled man lay sick and suffering with crowds of other ill people near the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. For his own purposes our Lord Jesus chose this man for miraculous healing.

“Jesus told him, ‘Stand up, pick up you mat, and walk!’ Instantly the man was healed. He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking.” [John 5:8-9a].

But there is a sad and disappointing responses to God’s powerful act of mercy through his Son, Jesus.

The religious leaders rebuked the man for being healed on the Sabbath and carrying his mat on their special day of rest. Somehow, they could not see the glory of God in freeing this man from 38 years of misery.

This glorious display of awesome power and compassion has not produced in their hearts the gratitude and praise for our Lord God that are his right.

Their minds are being controlled by their commitment to keeping their own petty rules and regulations. So their hearts are unmoved by the miraculous power and kindness of the God they claim to serve.

Many years ago, a church here in Sydney had grown under the faithful bible teaching of their godly minister. Most church members were regularly praying for their non-believer friends and family.

The church was active in sharing the gospel of Christ Jesus. And many non-Christians came to “outreach” events and “Christianity Explored” small discussion groups. And God mercifully brought many people to repentance and saving faith in Christ through their faithful witness to the good news of Jesus.

When the minister retired the church formed a committee to begin looking for his replacement. But the committee quickly divided into two rival factions. They disagreed on what they believed Christians could do on Sundays. And each faction found a minister they believed should replace the retired pastor.

Within a few months the whole church had split into two rival groups who hated each other. The arguments between old friends were heated and bitter with each accusing the other of unforgivable heresy.

The church had once looked outward to a lost and hurting world.  They brought hope and healing to many souls and reconciliation with God through Jesus.

But now they only looked inwards with hatred and malice toward their fellow brother and sisters in Christ.

Our Lord Jesus defeated sin and death at the cross in order to make us one body in Christ: one family with God as our heavenly Father. But this church took their eyes off the cross of Christ Jesus. The miraculous power of God that won their freedom, eternity and unity was ignored.

Their eyes were fixed only on their fight over the meaning of Sunday as the Lord’s day. Their witness to the world about God’s love and judgement was trampled in their rush to crush their fellow believer.

What should their response have been when they disagree over a minor issue? Paul taught the Christians in Rome,

“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right and wrong…some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike…So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” [Romans 14:1, 5, 13].

In the bible, supporting a fellow believer in their walk of faith, is more important than correcting their mistaken beliefs. And turning on each other in bitter, destructive dispute is an ugly sin.

But when our Lord Jesus was attacked by the religious leaders, he did not decide that peace with them was more important than correcting them. He knew that the best thing he could do for them, and for all the people listening to their argument, was to go on the attack.

“…the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.’ 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.” [John 5:16-18].

This is not a minor disagreement between Christian brothers. The Jewish leaders knew about Jesus forcing the business merchants from the temple and had heard him say, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” [John 2:16b].

And they knew that, “Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him.” [John 2:23]. But instead of praising God they persecuted God’s Son.

As Christians we need to know when to patiently support and guide a fellow believer with whom we disagree on some minor issue. And we also need to understand when to stand up and bravely fight against someone who rejects the truth of God in our Lord Jesus.

The Principal of a Sydney bible college was invited to Fiji to attend an event organized by the Bible Society of the South Pacific. So he went and stayed in Fiji for a few days. He talked with many leaders of different churches who had come from several pacific island nations to attend the celebration.

When he returned to Sydney, he was obviously sad and depressed by the whole experience. He said, “Many of the church leaders do not believe in Jesus Christ. Most of them deny Jesus’ virgin birth by the power of the Holy Spirit. For them Jesus is not the unique Son of God. He was just a good man who preached peace and love.”

“They believe that his death was not to pay the penalty for our sins- he was just a defeated martyr who died because he offended the corrupt religious leaders in Jerusalem. And he didn’t actually, bodily rise from the grave three days later. All Jesus meant was that his good teachings would be continued by his followers after his death.”

The college Principal concluded, saying, “Teaching in this college that respects and trusts the bible had shielded me from just how badly damaged, evil and anti-God many churches have become.”

“Most of Jesus’ enemies were the religious leaders of his day. Satan will always be most active when he is trying to twist and damage the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he is most effective when he gets inside the leadership of God’s religion- the church.”

Our Lord Jesus knew that calling God his Father meant that he was claiming equality with God. This is not a mistake on his part. He does not try to calm the religious leaders down by gently explaining that they had misunderstood the laws about resting on the Sabbath.

He does not point out that there was nothing in the bible that should stop this healed man from carrying his bed on the day of rest.

Instead, he goes on the attack. They have failed to recognize the power of God at work in Jesus. So now he points out the presence of God in Jesus. Christianity will always stand or fall on Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’ day most sons learnt their trade by watching and copying their father at work. And Christ uses that same example to explain why his words and actions come from his heavenly Father.

He explained, “I tell you the truth the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does the Son does also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will be truly astonished.” [John 5:19-20].

The Old Testament prophets received a message from God and passed it on to the people. Likewise, the apostles and church leaders took God’s message about Jesus out to the world.

But Jesus and the Father are so united into one God, with one heart and one mind, that Christ actually sees and does exactly what God the Father does.

The unity and equality of Jesus and the Father is a foundation belief of the Christian faith. It is a non-negotiable essential teaching. Jesus is not a good man or a wise spiritual teacher. He is to be honored as the only Son of God. As Jesus said,

“Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.” [John 5:23b].

What could be more amazing, more impressive, more astonishing, than healing a man who has been crippled for 38 years? Life! Eternal life with God!

Jesus taught, “The Father will show him (Jesus) how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants…

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but have already passed from death to life.” [John 5:20b-21, 24].

How should we respond to Jesus’ offer of life?

Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30].