Discourse demonstrating the Son's equality with the Father

John 5: 19-47

"John 5: 17-47. These verses reveal the ultimate reason Jesus confronted the Jews' religious hypocrisy, I.e., the opportunity to declare who He was. This section is Christ's own personal statement of His deity. As such, it is one of the greatest Christological discourses in Scripture. Herein Jesus makes five claims to equality with God: (1) He is equal with God in His person (vv. 17, 18); (2) He is equal with God in His works (vv. 19, 20); (3) He is equal with God in His power and sovereignty (v. 22); and (5) He is equal with God in His honor (v. 23)."¹ -- John MacArthur

Because of the truths that He has spoken in the previous verses, He is able to make the statement in verse 24 that He is able to bring those who believe from death to life. If Jesus was anyone but God He would not be able to make the claim that He can raise the dead. The NASB does a good job in getting the idea from the Greek across, the individuals to whom Christ is referring pass away from death, and pass into life, and life eternal. Notice that the tense is the present tense, they have passed from one state to another, already, so it has already become a reality. Those who have entered into eternal life are no longer condemned, nor will they ever be (Romans 8: 1; Col. 1: 13).

"5: 25-29. The theme of these verses is resurrection. Jesus related that all men, saved and unsaved, will be literally and physically resurrected from the dead. However, only the saved experience a spiritual ("born again"), as well as physical, resurrection unto eternal life. The unsaved will be resurrected unto judgment and eternal punishment through separation from God, i.e., the second death (cf. Rev. 20: 6, 14; 21: 8). These verses also constitute proof of the deity of Jesus Christ since the Son has resurrection power (vv. 25, 26), and the Father has granted Him the status of Judge of all mankind (v. 27). In the light of other Scripture, it is clear that Jesus speaks generally about resurrection, but not about one, general resurrection."¹ -- John MacArthur

In verse 25 Jesus speaks of two realities, one that has already happened, and one that will happen in the future in regards to the resurrection. The hour that is spoken of that "is" is the "spiritual" resurrection that takes place when we are "born again". Before we are saved we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2: 1; Col. 2: 13), but once we are "born again" in the spirit we are alive spiritually, when before we were "dead". And the hour that is to come (1 Cor. 15: 35-54; Phil. 3: 29, 21) speaks to the resurrection of the dead that will happen during the second advent of Christ, when the dead will be raised out of the grave and be reunited with their "spirits". In both these cases the "dead" are responding to the voice of Christ which they hear through the preaching of the Gospel, and the shout of Christ upon His return.

"the dead - the spiritually dead, as is clear from John 5: 28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (John 5: 24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power."² -- David Brown

Our Lord goes on to state that as the Father has power over life, and the power to give life, so does the Son (John 1:4; 6:57). And the Father has also turned over the task of judging mankind to the Son (John 9:39; Acts 10:42; 17:31). This authority was given over to the Son who is our High Priest that has suffered as we have suffered, and been tempted in every way as we are, and did not fail (Heb. 4: 14, 15). This appointment as Judge is one of the greatest demonstrations of divine wisdom, as our Judge is familiar with our physical nature. Remember Jesus is talking about Himself, and His relationship to the Father, there is no ambiguity in His claims to deity, and as His statement at the end of verse 27 reveals, it is because of this deity that He is able to claim His authority.

Verse twenty eight speaks to Christ's agreement with, and submission to the Father. He states that He does nothing on His own initiative. He seeks only the will of the Father in all of His activities, even His judgments are based on the Father's will. This complete agreement with, as well as submission to the will of the Father gives us an insight into the agreement within the Trinity which has always been in existence. Every act that Christ performs is in direct agreement with the Father, and He never seeks His own will, but only the will of the Father. This is also part of the doctrine of propitiation as He is able to obey perfectly in our place.

In verse thirty one our Lord says that if He alone is the only one who has testified to these things then His testimony is not true, this is not to say that He cannot speak truly. In the Law in order to prove guilt, or innocence there must be two or more reliable witnesses, less does not bare out the burden of proof. Jesus is allowing for their human limitations and saying that He is not the only one who has born witness to His identity, and therefore His authority. In the following verses Jesus is pointing to four "witnesses" to His divine identity and authority.

John the Baptist bore witness to Christ's identity (John 1:7, 15, 19, 32; 3:26–30), but Jesus says to them in effect, he is just a man who you respected, but I am going to show you who has witnessed about me, whom you cannot refute, namely the very works that He has performed which could only have been performed by someone who had been sent by God, so therefore, His works bore witness to His identity as one who has been sent by the Father.

Jesus reveals that the Father Himself has testified about Him (Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; 24:27; John 8:18; 1 John 5:9). God's voice was heard after His baptism, as well as the Spirit descending upon Him in a shape like a dove.

And the Scriptures themselves have born witness of Him.

"5: 39 You search. Although the verb "search" could also be understood as a command (I.e., "Search the Scriptures!"), most prefer this translation as an indicative. The verb implies diligent scrutiny in investigating the Scriptures to find "eternal life." However, Jesus points out that with all their fastidious effort, they miserably failed in their understanding of the true way to eternal life through the Son of God."¹ -- John MacArthur

Although they searched the Scriptures for the way to eternal life, they rejected the person to whom the Scriptures referred, as the way to eternal life. Jesus is the central theme of the Scriptures. They were looking for a great king who would bring about a golden age of Israel, and conquer all of their enemies, but Jesus was not here to please men, He was here to do the work of the Father.

Moses was one of the greatest heroes of the Jews, and wrote the first five books of the Scriptures which pointed to Jesus, yet they did not believe in the One who was sent, the One to whom Moses was pointing. Those who sought salvation in the Law of Moses will be judged according to the Law of Moses, rather than by Grace like those who believed on Him. Jesus implies that they did not truly believe in Moses, for if they did they would know Him for who He is. But since they obviously did not believe what was written about Him by Moses, how could they believe in Him?

_________________________

¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

²David Brown; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament; compiled and edited by Mark Water; AMG Publishers; Copyright Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing Ltd., page 459

_________________________

Call of Matthew

Matthew 9: 9; Mark 2: 13-14; Luke 5: 27-28

Levi the son of Alphaeus, is more familiar to us as Matthew, who would later become one of the "Twelve." Matthew was a publican, a tax-collector for the Roman government. Publicans were Jews who had purchased a tax franchise from the Romans. Rome did not directly pay the publicans, they were allowed to keep any excess moneys collected over and above the amount required by Rome. This of course led some to be diligent in their duties, for if they did not collect, they still had to pay the government it's share out of their own pockets. Others were of course driven by greed to exact more taxes than was required to make a greater profit, this built in usury caused many to view the publicans as being traitors against their people.

It is possible that Matthew already felt the burden of his sins, as when Jesus called him to follow Him, he gave no resistance, and left everything to follow Jesus.

The next scene we come to is a feast in the home of Matthew. Matthew's first act as a believer is to invite over all of his friends in his former business to come and see Jesus. Jesus of course has no fear of reclining at the table with these publicans and sinners. The Pharisees would have considered reclining with these sinners as a defilement, and they ask His disciples why He would do such a thing. Jesus of course hears their question and answers with a common phrase "They that are not sick are not in need of a physician, but they who are sick." There would have been no ambiguity in His statement, that He was not there for those who think that they are righteous, but for those who know that they are need of salvation. Many who are religious, and some of the elect themselves are guilty as well, believe that they are better than those "sinners" who are around them. For the religious it is because they believe that they have a greater knowledge, and practice, that makes them righteous, and sometimes believers can forget that they too have come from utter depravity themselves, and look down on those whom are in need of the same salvation they were once in desperate need of.

Christ's call is to those who know their need for salvation, not those who believe that they are righteous. The tax collectors heard every day from many people that they were sinners. And because of the way that they made a living through a system of built in usury, they would have had no doubt personally that they were thieves, and liars. The Pharisees and scribes that were present were just as guilty as the tax collectors, yet they believed that they were not. Often it is easier to preach the Gospel to those who inhabit the world, and have no illusions toward any sort of righteousness, than to those who have grown up in the church. We have forgotten that the reason that we need to be saved is because of sin, which has offended a Holy God, and that we are called to repentance, not to our best life now.

During the banquet some of the disciples of John, who had not converted to Christ, and some of the Pharisees approached Jesus on the subject of fasting. The Pharisees sought to draw the disciples of John to their party and cause a quarrel between themselves and the disciples of Christ. Christ did not require His disciples to fast during His time on earth. The Scriptures list only one required fast, which is on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16: 29-31; 23: 27), and although other fasts can be practiced for specific reasons like an answer to special prayers, or penitence, they are voluntary in nature. And Jesus Himself fasted on one occasion that we know of during His temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4: 2), but this was done according to His own teachings, off by Himself in a private place (Matt. 6: 16-18). The Pharisees fasted twice a week, which was a major orthodox practice in the time of Christ (Luke 18: 9-14), but, when they fasted they made a big show of it, not combing their hair or beards, putting on a grave expression, etc. to emphasize their spirituality by an outward show. But not only did Jesus' followers not fast, while He was with them, they were also instructed by Him not to make a show of it. It is clear that the Pharisees were more concerned with the outward appearance of righteousness, rather than the actual inward presence of it.

To illustrate this to them Jesus used a short example of the friends of the bridegroom.

"Mark 2: 19 friends of the bridegroom fast. In Jesus' illustration, the "friends of the bridegroom" were the attendants of the bridegroom selected to carry out the wedding festivities. This was certainly not a time to fast. Fasting was usually associated with mourning or times of great spiritual need. Jesus' point was that the ritual practiced by John's disciples and the Pharisees was out of touch with reality. There was no reason for Jesus' followers to mourn and fast while enjoying the unique reality of His presence among them."¹ -- John MacArthur

So as long as Christ was present with His followers there was no reason for them to fast, but there would come a time when He would be violently taken from their presence (Mark 2: 20), which is prophetic of His capture and crucifixion, and at that time His followers would mourn and fast, because it would be appropriate to do so then.

Jesus then follows up with two parables to illustrate how the reality of the New Covenant of the internal gospel of repentance from sin, and the forgiveness of sin, which has become a reality in Christ, could not be connected to, nor contained by the old types and shadows, or the external traditions of self righteousness and ritual.

If you try to patch an old pair of jeans with a new piece of cloth, when the garment is washed the patch will shrink, but the older fabric of the jeans will not shrink anymore, or at least not as quickly as the new material. This will cause the stitching to pull away and the patch to fall off, at the very least, and it will sometimes even tear the jeans more, leaving them in a worse state than before. Which is like trying to patch New Covenant truths onto old Mosaic types and shadows.

"new wine into old wineskins. Animal skins were used for fermentation of wine because of their elasticity. As the wine fermented, pressure built up, stretching the wineskin. A previously stretched skin lacked elasticity and would rupture, ruining both wine and wineskin. Jesus uses this as an illustration to teach that the forms of old rituals, such as the ceremonial fastings practiced by the Pharisees and John's disciples, are not fit for the new wine of the New Covenant era (cf. Col. 2: 17). In both analogies (Matt. 9: 16, 17), the Lord is saying that what the Pharisees did in fasting or any other ritual had no part with the gospel."¹

Luke is the only one to add a final statement to the end of the parable of the wineskins; "Luke 39 "And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.' " Those who had developed a taste for the pomp and circumstance of OT ritual, and the Pharisaic traditions did not easily give up on their old ways for the more inward practice of Christ's gospel. They were so used to being "righteous" that they could not grasp the fact that true righteousness comes from God alone (Romans 1: 16, 17) through faith in Christ, not by any amount of "righteous" behavior. They wanted everyone to see their righteousness, and the righteousness that Christ spoke of stemmed from inward faith that could not be seen by anyone……except God.

____________________________

¹John MacArthur; The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Copyright Ó 2005; published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

____________________________

Tour of Galilee with Simon and others

Matthew 4: 23-24; Mark 1: 35-39; Luke 4: 42-44

Both Mark, and Luke mention that our Lord was off by Himself praying. Despite the fact of His intimate relationship with the Father, which is both eternal, and perfect, while He was in the flesh He spent time communing with the Father in prayer. I am sure most of us have heard many sermons on this particular fact, however, it does bear saying that if One who was co-equal with the Father, perfect in His knowledge of Him must spend time in prayer to the Father, then we who are the farthest from Him should be spending a great deal of time doing likewise. Note that He was afar off by Himself, away from the distractions of the crowds who constantly pressed Him for His teaching, and His healing power. If we are to have a relationship with the Father we need to spend time with Him, alone, with no distractions. When we want to get to know other people we spend time with them, talk to them, learn how they think, learn what they love, and what they hate as well. I know I get on this soapbox on occasion, but it fits, I can't stand those people who say to me "I don't need to know those things, I have a relationship not a religion." Well, if you don't know God, you don't have a relationship with Him. The only ways we have to get to know our Lord in Heaven is through His Word, and through prayer.

Jesus informed His disciples that He needed to go to other places to proclaim God's Word, and they moved about Galilee teaching in all of the towns, and in the synagogues. His ministry, which was a three part ministry, teaching, preaching, and healing. These three things would characterize His earthly ministry.

The Second Call of the Four

Luke 5: 1-11

Luke provides us with more detail as to the call of the four to discipleship. The crowd had so pressed around Jesus that He stepped into Peter's fishing boat to escape the press, and asked Peter to pull out a short ways, no doubt to prevent people from trying to get into the boat with them. Jesus continued to teach the crowd while sitting in the boat. Afterwards, He told Peter to pull out into the deeper water and to cast his nets for a catch. Peter and his crew had worked all night, as the best fishing on the sea of Galilee is at night when the fish move into the shallows to feed. Once the sun comes up and the shallows begin to get warm, the fish move off into the deeper water where it is difficult for the nets to reach them. No doubt His request sounded odd to Peter, but his reply to Jesus was basically, "I've fished all night with no catch, and now it is well past time to fish, but it You say so I will cast my nets." Peter's nets became so heavy with fish that they began to tear, and Peter signaled to his partners to assist them. The catch was so large it threatened to sink both boats, often when the Lord blesses us He is extravagant with His gifts.

Peter's response to this event is unique, however, it is appropriate, as he realizes that the Holy One of God is in his boat.

"Depart from me, O Lord… Although men are earnest in seeking the presence of God, yet, as soon as God appears, they must be struck with terror, and almost rendered lifeless by dread and alarm, until He administers consolation. They have the best reason for calling earnestly on God, because they cannot avoid feeling that they are miserable, while He is absent from them: and , on the other hand, His presence is appalling, because they begin to feel that they are nothing, and that they are overpowered by an immense mass of evils. In this manner, Peter views Christ with reverence in the miracle, and yet is so overawed by His majesty, that he does all he can to avoid His presence. Nor was this the case with Peter alone: for we learn, from the context, that astonishment had overpowered all who were with Him. Hence we see, that it is of advantage to us, in order to humble any foolish confidence or pride that may be in us, provided it is immediately followed by soothing consolation. And so Christ relieves the mind of Peter by a mild and friendly reply, saying to him, Fear not. Thus Christ sinks His own people in the grave, that He may afterwards raise them to life."¹ -- John Calvin

Jesus repeats His promise to make them fishers of men, as soon as they get to shore, they leave everything and follow Him from that point on. In this passage I think we gain a glimpse at what is so often missing from our preaching nowadays. We fail to bring the lost, and the saints alike, into an encounter with God's holiness. It is when we are truly faced with His holiness, and our utter lack of holiness, that we are truly able to repent. After all, if we are not brought face to face with our own depravity, and the true gravity of it, what are we repenting of? Peter's repentant attitude was met with gentleness, as it always is when we are truly repentant.

_________________

_________________

"40 And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." -- Mark 1: 40; NASB

Many of us have heard the plight of the lepers in the first century, but for those who have not, we will go through it again. Lepers were considered the lowest of the low, and unclean. Because of the disease process they would become hideously scarred, and smelled horribly, so they would cover themselves with rags so as not to scare women and children, and were required by law to remain at a distance from others so they would not spread their disease. Whenever a leper approached others they were required to yell out "unclean" so that they could be avoided. No one, especially a Jew, would touch a leper. Although we have a cure for leprosy today, in the first century it was incurable, and forced those who had it into a terrible exile, unable to seek comfort among their friends, or family, and a long painful death that could take years.

This leper, who's name is not given, breaks the rules of convention, and approaches Jesus, then falls on his knees in front of Him. The Greek text uses the word 4352. proskuné-- which is rendered in the Latin adorare, in the New Testament in general this word means to do reverence or homage to someone, usually by kneeling or prostrating oneself before him. His plaintive cry for help is no different than our cry as sinners for the cleansing of our sins. As bad as the description we have given of the life of a leper, the lost sinner is even worse, and as Jesus is about to do to this wretch, He has done an even greater thing to us as sinners. We come to Him, filthy, utterly unworthy of forgiveness, or cleansing, asking contritely "Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And like the leper finds out, we need not fear His answer. 

"Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean - As this leper may be considered as a fit emblem of the corruption of man by sin; so may his cure, of the redemption of the soul by Christ. A sinner, truly penitent, seeks God with a respectful faith; approaches him in the spirit of adoration; humbles himself under his mighty hand, acknowledging the greatness of his fall, and the vileness of his sin; his prayer, like that of the leper, should be humble, plain, and full of confidence in that God who can do all things, and of dependence upon His will or mercy, from which all good must be derived. It is peculiar to God that he need only will what he intends to perform. His power is his will. The ability of God to do what is necessary to be done, and his willingness to make his creatures happy, should be deeply considered by all those who approach him in prayer. The leper had no doubt of the former, but he was far from being equally satisfied in respect of the latter."¹ -- Adam Clarke

Only Mark records Jesus' emotional reaction to the leper's request, He was moved with compassion for this man. This man would not have been touched by another human since his disease was discovered. Jesus not only was willing to heal the man, but He touched Him first, while he was still unclean, and then told him that it was His will for him to be clean, and immediately he was so. Just as the Holy Spirit touches our hearts and makes them flesh before the moment of repentance, Jesus touched this man when he was in an unclean state. Jesus had no fear of the disease, nor did he fear it's touch making Him unclean, just as He was not made unclean as He dwelt among us, the unclean.

"Having stretched out his hand, he touched. Under the Law, the touch of the leper was infectious; but as Christ possesses such purity as to repel all filth and defilement, he does not, by touching, either pollute himself with leprosy, or become a transgressor of the law. When he took upon him our flesh, he did not only deign to touch as with his hand, but was united to one and the same body with ourselves, that we might be flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2: 23). Nor did he only stretch out his arm to us, but descended from heaven even to hell, and yet contracted no stain from it, but, retaining his innocence, took away all our impurities, and sprinkled us with his holiness. By his word alone he might have healed the leper; but he applied, at the same time, the touch of his hand, to express the feeling of compassion. Nor ought this to excite our wonder, since he chose to take upon him our flesh, that he might cleanse us from our sins. The stretching out of his hand was therefore an expression and token of infinite grace and goodness. What we indolently read, and coldly pass by, cannot be duly weighed without great astonishment. The Son of God was so far from disdaining to talk to a leper, that he even stretched out his hand to touch that uncleanness."² -- John Calvin

No doubt as we have inferred, in this story the leper represents all sinners, however, we must not forget that this was a true and real person, as we are to be sure, and his healing is as personnel, and as real as our own. 

"4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." -- Matthew 8: 4; NASB

The first part of Jesus' instructions to the man seem odd at first glance. Why would He not want the man to go and tell everyone what had happened to him in his encounter with our Lord? Earlier we discussed when the crowd sought to take His life, that it was not His time yet, therefore they were not able to harm Him. In this case, if the publicity about Him began to spread too quickly, it would become more difficult for Him to perform the work of His ministry, due to the press of too many people. Because of the danger of the belief that the Messiah would also be a political, and military leader, who would take the throne of Israel, and throw off the shackles of the Roman Empire. Although He will be a "military" conqueror in the second advent (Rev. 19: 11-16), this was not to be His mission during the first advent (Matt. 20: 28; Mark 10: 45), and there were some that would have tried to force Him to take the throne.

As it was the man disobeyed Him and began to spread the news of what had happened to him. Because he was so zealous in his spreading the news, it became necessary for Jesus to remain in the desert places to conduct His ministry. This man had been commanded not to tell what had happened to him, and apparently he would not stop doing so, what has happened to us? We have been cleansed of our sins, justified before God, and wrapped in Christ's righteousness, we are heirs to the throne of Heaven, and He commands us to tell everyone everywhere we go (Matt 28: 19, 20). Yet we who have just as much to be thankful for as this leper won't open our mouths. Maybe it is because we do not realize just how much has been done for us? Or maybe it is because we are so self absorbed that we do not want to come to grips with our sin, which would produce a truly repentant, and contrite spirit, forcing us to realize how wretched we are without Christ, incurable and unclean apart from His touch! I think, no I know, we would be just as hard to shut up as the leper if we had such a spirit!

"go show yourself to the priest, and present the offering commanded by Moses." -- NASB

Jesus' second command to the leper, which we can assume that he did obey, was to go to the priests to be examined according to the Law. This examination, followed by a cleansing ceremony and offering, would signal the man's return to the social, and religious life of the community.

"The ceremony described in Leviticus 14 presents a beautiful picture in type of the work of redemption. The two birds represent two different aspects of our Lord's ministry: His incarnation and death (the bird put into the jar and then killed), and His resurrection and ascension (the bird stained with the blood and then set free). The blood was applied to the man's right ear (God's Word), right thumb (God's work), right great toe (God's walk). Then the oil was put on the blood, symbolizing the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit cannot come on human flesh until first the blood has been applied."* -- Warren Wiersbe

as a testimony to them. This of course was to prove to the priests that this man was cleansed. But it also privately gave proof to the priesthood that Jesus was the Christ, for only God could have done this thing.

______________________

¹Adam Clarke; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament, Compiled and Edited by Mark Water, AMG Publishers, Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing, pages 93 & 95

²John Calvin; Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament, Compiled and Edited by Mark Water, AMG Publishers, Ó 2004 John Hunt Publishing, page 90

*Be Diligent; A New Testament Study - Mark; Warren W. Wiersbe; Ó 1987 by SP Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.

______________________