John 5:39-47
This is another amazing passage that is found only in the book of John. John was written specifically for the sinner (John 20:31), so the stories that he relates speak to us of the beauty, grace and forgiveness of Jesus. In this case, this story also speaks to us of how to find Christ in the Old Testament.
Jesus points out to the Jews that they are always searching the scriptures, but that they are failing to find Jesus in those scriptures (5:39, 40). The scriptures that Jews would have been reading were the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. These are the same scriptures that Jesus uses on the road to Emmaus to prove who He was to the two disciples (Luke 24:27). He concludes with, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). Had Israel been looking for the Messiah of the Bible, instead of a fictitious one that would overthrow Rome, they would have been satisfied in Jesus. The same holds true for us today. If you are looking for a wrathful, vengeful, angry God then you will be unsatisfied with the Jesus of the gospels; but if you are looking for the Lamb of God which come to take away the sin of the world, then you will “have life” (John 5:40).
John makes it abundantly clear as to why Jesus came. Watch the steady progression of facts, in sequential order in this glorious Gospel:
John 3:17 – “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved”. These words, straight from the lips of Jesus, show us His purpose on earth, as well as what His purpose was not. He came to save the world, not to accuse them.
John 4:34 – “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work”. Jesus came with a mission, which was to finish God’s plan in redeeming man.
John 5:45 – “Do you think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust”. Jesus did not come to accuse man, for there is already an accuser which is the Law of Moses. It declares the whole world guilty (Romans 3:19).
John 9:39 – “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind”. Jesus came for judgment so that those who do not know will know, and those who think they know will see that they know nothing. This judgment is not on us, it is on Him. How do we know? Watch the progression continue.
John 12:31, 32 – “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me”. Notice that I left the word “men” out of verse 32, for it is italicized, meaning that the translators added the word to explain the passage. It is the wrong word, for the thing that Jesus is going to draw to Himself is the judgment of verse 31. He was the lightning rod for the judgment of God, so you would not have to be!
John 12:47, 48 – “And if any man hears my words and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day”. Jesus reserves all judgment against sinners for the final hour, when the words of love and truth that He spoke will have been rejected. It is rejection of the finished work that sends men to hell, not their sin.
John 19:30 – “It is finished”. What is finished? The works of the Father that Jesus came to do were finished at Calvary after Jesus had suffered for all of our sins (John 4:34). If it is finished, let us stop proclaiming that “judgment is coming to America”. Instead, let us tell America and the entire world about a man who paid for their sins.
John 21:12 – “Come and dine”; John 21:17 – “Feed my sheep”; John 21:19 – “Follow me”. Let us preach these!
This is another amazing passage that is found only in the book of John. John was written specifically for the sinner (John 20:31), so the stories that he relates speak to us of the beauty, grace and forgiveness of Jesus. In this case, this story also speaks to us of how to find Christ in the Old Testament.
Jesus points out to the Jews that they are always searching the scriptures, but that they are failing to find Jesus in those scriptures (5:39, 40). The scriptures that Jews would have been reading were the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. These are the same scriptures that Jesus uses on the road to Emmaus to prove who He was to the two disciples (Luke 24:27). He concludes with, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). Had Israel been looking for the Messiah of the Bible, instead of a fictitious one that would overthrow Rome, they would have been satisfied in Jesus. The same holds true for us today. If you are looking for a wrathful, vengeful, angry God then you will be unsatisfied with the Jesus of the gospels; but if you are looking for the Lamb of God which come to take away the sin of the world, then you will “have life” (John 5:40).
John makes it abundantly clear as to why Jesus came. Watch the steady progression of facts, in sequential order in this glorious Gospel:
John 3:17 – “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved”. These words, straight from the lips of Jesus, show us His purpose on earth, as well as what His purpose was not. He came to save the world, not to accuse them.
John 4:34 – “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work”. Jesus came with a mission, which was to finish God’s plan in redeeming man.
John 5:45 – “Do you think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust”. Jesus did not come to accuse man, for there is already an accuser which is the Law of Moses. It declares the whole world guilty (Romans 3:19).
John 9:39 – “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind”. Jesus came for judgment so that those who do not know will know, and those who think they know will see that they know nothing. This judgment is not on us, it is on Him. How do we know? Watch the progression continue.
John 12:31, 32 – “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me”. Notice that I left the word “men” out of verse 32, for it is italicized, meaning that the translators added the word to explain the passage. It is the wrong word, for the thing that Jesus is going to draw to Himself is the judgment of verse 31. He was the lightning rod for the judgment of God, so you would not have to be!
John 12:47, 48 – “And if any man hears my words and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day”. Jesus reserves all judgment against sinners for the final hour, when the words of love and truth that He spoke will have been rejected. It is rejection of the finished work that sends men to hell, not their sin.
John 19:30 – “It is finished”. What is finished? The works of the Father that Jesus came to do were finished at Calvary after Jesus had suffered for all of our sins (John 4:34). If it is finished, let us stop proclaiming that “judgment is coming to America”. Instead, let us tell America and the entire world about a man who paid for their sins.
John 21:12 – “Come and dine”; John 21:17 – “Feed my sheep”; John 21:19 – “Follow me”. Let us preach these!