HEALING ON THE SABBATH: A PROPHECY OF THE COMING MILLENNIAL REIGN

In the previous installment in the book of John, we covered chapter 4 and the woman at the well. We discovered that the two days that Jesus spent in Samaria where he encountered this woman and revealed the Gospel message to the Gentile Samaritans is a picture of the passing of the two millennia of the Church Age since Jesus ascended back to Heaven after his crucifixion. During these two millennia, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been shined forth to the Gentile nations of the earth. We are now at the end of those two millennia and we now await the rapture of the Church, followed by the judgment of the seven-year Tribulation period, after which the 1,000-year millennial reign of Christ will begin. Moving forward into chapter 5, we find that there are many facets to John’s fifth chapter that deserve our attention.

We are taken to Jerusalem for an unnamed festival where Jesus heals a man at the Pool of Bethesda. Temple authorities are furious that Jesus did this on a Sabbath. When confronted, the Savior tells them that after resting on the seventh day of Creation, God the Father now works on the Sabbath, and gives Him authority to work as well. His dissertation only makes them even more determined to kill Him.

The Divinely Orchestrated Pattern Between John 5 and Revelation 5

To begin this study, it should reiterated that the various themes in each chapter in John’s Gospel (book of John) appears to be associated with its corresponding chapter in John’s companion book – Revelation. It becomes obvious to the spiritually attuned and observant believer that the Holy Spirit led John the apostle to follow the same literary design in writing both his Gospel (the book of John) and the book of Revelation. Though neither book originally had chapter divisions, both books follow an outline of subject matter in each chapter that correspond to each other chapter by chapter in each book.

In the course of His conversation with the Jews in John 5, Jesus tells them that God the Father has given “all judgment unto the Son.” We shall dwell upon this theme when we come to verse 22. Suffice it to say, Jesus is designated as the dispenser of all judgment (John 5:22), and in Revelation 5 (its corresponding chapter), Jesus receives the seven-sealed scroll, which contains instructions for judgment. In each case, Jesus is designated as the Judge. The two chapters cover the same theme.

The Hebrew Letter ה Hay

Accordingly, each chapter also follows the meaning of the corresponding letter number of the Hebrew alphabet. This chapter (chapter 5) follows the meaning/theme of the 5th Hebrew letter ה hay. According to rabbinical sources, ה hay is the symbol of “divinity, gentility and specificity.” The ineffable name of יְהוָֹה Yahweh contains two ה hays, the first one alluding to divinity and the other alluding to gentility. Therefore, in this chapter, we will see that Jesus is both divine and gentle. Divine, in that He could heal the infirmity that plagued a man at the Pool of Bethesda with a word. Gentle, in that He had compassion upon the one who could never get to the water on his own.

The Hebrew letter ה hay denotes specificity by appearing at the beginning of a word. In English, it is translated “the” as a way of being specific. For example, in Genesis 1:1, we are told that God created “the” heavens (הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם ha-shamayin) and “the” earth (הָאָֽרֶץ ha-eretz). In each case, the ה hay specifies which “heavens” and “earth.” In this chapter of John’s Gospel, because of the use of the Greek language in the earliest manuscripts, we cannot see the specific use of the Hebrew letter ה hay. But we can see that Jesus is the specific “Son” because He calls God, “Father” …

“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:17-18).

One cannot get more specific than that. In the ineffable name of יְהוָֹה Yahweh, יָהּ Yah stands for the Father, whereas וֹת Weh seems to represent the Son. Jesus is quite specifically the Son of God. Note that ה hay is used twice in יְהוָֹה Yahweh, once for the Father and once for the Son. Combined, they make up the one name of יְהוָֹה Yahweh, setting forth the concept that the Father and the Son are co-equal.

It is said in historical writings, such as the Talmud, that God used the ‘ yod and the ה hay in Creation. These two letters form the Divine name ה’ Yah. With the ה hay, God created this world, and with the ‘ yod, He created the world to come.

Pronouncing the ה hay requires no movement of the tongue or lips. It takes little effort to exhale and produce its sound. The simplicity and ease with which this letter is pronounced corresponds to the ease by which God created all things. He simply spoke the worlds into existence. Psalm 33:6 says …

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

The power of God’s “word” is demonstrated by the ease with which Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda, saying, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8). When confronted by the Temple authorities, Jesus explained …

“For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them; even so the Son quickens whom he will” (John 5:21).

Obviously, the ה hay embodies the very essence of the Holy Spirit. It is the letter of the Spirit. The breath with which it is spoken is indicative of the Spirit, whom Jesus said moved like the “wind” (John 3:8). The Greek word for “breath” is πνεῦμα pneuma, also translated, “Holy Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, the people saw what is described as “a rushing mighty wind” (Acts 2:2).

When God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah, He did so by adding the ה hay to each name, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, the agent of Grace – and the divine power of the Abrahamic covenant. This can be seen in the healing of the paralyzed man, who could not save himself. Note that Jesus did not ask him if he believed. He did not tell the man who He was. Jesus asked him, “will you be made whole?” The man did not answer directly, but complained that he had no one to put him into the pool. The healing was by grace, and grace alone.

Later, Jesus met him in the Temple and told him “sin no more, lest a worse thing come to you (John 5:14). It seems that his infirmity was associated with some kind of wayward living, all the more pointing to healing by grace. Such is the nature of the ה hay. Now, let us observe the occasion of John 5.

John 5: The unnamed Festival

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1).

Theologians have suggested various possibilities that this unnamed feast might be either Pentecost, observed around Sivan 6 (June); or Tu ‘b Av on Av 15 (August); or Rosh Hashana on Tishri 1 (September). However, it is generally thought to be the second of four Passover festivals in John’s Gospel. The mention of the sheep market lends to the likelihood that the feast was a Passover – the time for sacrificing sheep. If so, there are four Passovers in John that correspond to the four cups of the Passover ritual. It seems to me that it had to be a major festival to bring Jesus to Jerusalem.

The Four Cups of Passover

The first Passover (John 2) represents the “cup of sanctification,” as seen in Jesus cleansing, or sanctifying the Temple. Its meaning takes us back in history to the cup Melchizedek offered to Abraham. The patriarch was sanctified, or set apart, for the purpose of delivering a covenant of Grace to the human race.

The second Passover (John 5) speaks of the “cup of Thanksgiving,” as seen in the grateful man made whole after suffering for 38 years. Its meaning takes us back in history to the Exodus, followed by the Hebrews’ forty years in the wilderness. Actually, after receiving the Law, building the Tabernacle, and failing to enter the Promised Land from Kadesh-barnea, the Israelites spent the next 38 years in the wilderness.

The third Passover, as we shall see in John 6, represents the “cup of Redemption,” as seen in the miracle of feeding the 5,000, and in Jesus’ statement, “I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). The “cup of Redemption” corresponds to the Savior’s death on the cross for our redemption.

The fourth Passover, as seen in John 13-17 corresponds to the “cup of Completion” and speaks of the relationship between Jesus and believers. The high note of this theme comes in John 17:23, “I in them, and you in me …” It also alludes to the future resurrection, as depicted in Christ’s statement, “I will come again, and receive you to myself …” (John 14:3).

The Pool of Bethesda

“Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had” (John 5:2-4).

The story of the pool and its troubled water is found nowhere else in scripture or, for that matter, in any other first-century writing that I am aware of. Even Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian, does not mention it. Only the Apostle John tells us about this pool and the unfortunate people who languished there.

In looking at this portion of scripture and the account of Jesus healing the handicapped man, many have assumed that, because of its lack of mention elsewhere in scripture, the pool of Bethesda was connected to a short-lived rumor that caused the blind, halt and withered to hope for a healing that may not have existed. Some have even suggested that perhaps the money-changers and the sheep salesmen, who operated in this area, concocted a rumor that someone was healed in its troubled waters in order to drum up more business – that it would be cruel for an angel to periodically trouble the water, and then only heal one person who had the strength to make it to the pool ahead of the others. Such a concept would only engender strife among those who could least endure it. Many commentaries agree that John was merely reporting a common belief that brought the blind and infirm to the pool, but was not lending credibility to the story. These commentaries contend that he only tells us about the pool because the Savior went there for the express purpose of healing this certain man.

However, while it is tempting to dismiss this as wishful desires among the people, John doesn’t say that it was reported that an angel stirred up the water. He states it as a fact. Because this healing is not mentioned in other historical documents before or after this time, it is assumed that these healings only occurred for a short period of time, around the time of Christ. Here is where Bible translations come into play.

There are some poor versions which don’t include John 5:4, but the problem is that all versions do include “The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me”” (John 5:7). That statement by the sick man makes no sense if verse four was not in the original. Thus, a version called the “Revised Standard Version” testifies against itself.

The reason the Revised Standard Version dropped this verse is not based on true contextual evidence but because the translators on its committee had a strong bias against miracles. It is this same version that they reworded Isaiah 7:14 to say “young woman” instead of “virgin.” They typically took the non-miraculous direction on the least possible suspicion that an alternative reading was possible.

Excavations have discovered a pool near the church of Saint Anne, just north of the Sheep Gate and Temple area that seems to fit the description. Speculation has it that the pool was fed by an underground spring that periodically troubled the water.

There are several Aramaic terms that may have provided the original root for the translation, “Bethesda.” Most modern writers have suggested that the actual name was Beth Chisda, meaning “House of Mercy.” Some think it may have been Beth Istebha, “House of Porches.” Others think it was Beth Zeytha, “House of the Olive.” Still others lean toward Beth Asutaha or Beth Asyatha, “House of Healing.” Dr. Alfred Edersheim, in his book, The Temple, suggested that the second part of the name (Beth Esda) was a Greek term for “getting well.”

Some say that the apocryphal name of Raphael, an angel not mentioned in the Bible, was associated with medicine. However, if healing miracles were common there, some historian should have written about it. Since the pool was associated with the sheep market, some have suggested that the sheep were washed there. If so, the pool would have been a rather nasty place. But the people who gathered there were desperate. There was no place else for them to turn. Physicians had given up on their maladies.

The Healing

“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath” (John 5:5-9).

Why was this man healed and no others? Perhaps a godly saint had been praying for this man’s healing. It seems as if Jesus was on a particular mission of mercy. He did not just happen to be there. John tells us that Jesus promised, “If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).

Just as this man had been afflicted for 38 years, we should note that all of us, entering adulthood around the age of 20-21, will spend the next 40 years in the crucible of testing. We all must face our wilderness experience. That is God’s plan for all of mankind. This is the answer to the age-old question, “Why do the righteous suffer?”

The Apostle Paul tells us that all suffer, the wicked and righteous alike …

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also [saints as well as sinners], which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:22-23).

Paul concluded …

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

As we journey through this veil of tears, we can pray for deliverance. But we must all be tested. That is God’s plan for every person. Someday, we will understand. Paul wrote …

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Jesus went straight to the man and asked, “Will you be made whole?” Though the poor man seemed to be on the brink of despair, we should note that he was still there. He was determined to persevere until he received healing. However, he felt abandoned: “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool.” He may have felt alone, but quite possibly, someone was praying for him. Jesus did not choose this man by chance. Nothing that Jesus ever did when on Earth was ever by chance.

Without any further conversation, Jesus simply told him, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole.” Healing came instantly. The man felt new life in his limbs. Startled, he got up, turned to pick up his pallet, and Jesus walked away.

It Happened on a Sabbath

“And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place” (John 5:9-13).

As we can see from the text, He probably turned back to thank the Savior and discovered that He had slipped away in the crowd. The poor man didn’t even know who his benefactor was. So, to express his gratitude to God, he entered the Temple precincts. After 38 years of suffering, he probably didn’t realize that he was violating Temple law by carrying his pallet on the Sabbath, that is, until Temple authorities stopped him.

During Bible days, the Jerusalem Temple had guards posted at all entrances to ensure compliance with the Mosaic Law. In this passage, they are called, “the Jews.” We do not know whether they were simply part of the priesthood, Pharisees or members of the Sanhedrin court. Had they been mere guards, the resulting controversy might not have occurred. Animosity was growing against Jesus. Rather than asking the man who healed him, they wanted to know who had told him to carry his bed on the Sabbath. The poor man could not give them the name of his healer. He was merely going to the Temple out of gratitude for the miracle. We should note that the Jews were not interested in how the man was healed; only that he had violated the law of the Sabbath.

Throughout the four Gospels, we are told of several healings on the Sabbath. These healings have prophetic implications that the Savior will heal all diseases during the Great Sabbath – the seventh millennium when Christ shall rule and reign on Earth after the Tribulation has ended. In reading of the millennial rule and reign of Christ with the saints/body of Christ, we read the following concerning healing during this approaching time for all who enter the kingdom still in their mortal flesh …

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2).

Those who receive Jesus and get saved survive the Tribulation and enter the Millennial Kingdom will still be in their flesh – as well as those who are born to them and grow into adults. They will all still be in physical, mortal and corruptible flesh, unlike the dead in Christ and those who were still alive when the rapture had occurred seven years prior who received their glorified bodies. As we can see from Revelation 22, healing for ailments will apparently be needed even during the millennial reign of Christ on Earth – and these special trees put there by the Lord will apparently do the job of healing the nations.

A Word of Caution

“Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14).

The poor man would not be deterred. Though he probably complied with the Temple authorities and put down his pallet, he proceeded to go into the Temple courtyard to give thanks to God for his healing. By this time, Jesus was also in the Temple area. The Savior met him and said, “Behold, you are made whole!” It seems that Jesus was saying something like, “Look at you! You look great!”

After Jesus’ word of congratulations, He had a word of caution for this man: “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” The man might have been startled to hear those words. Perhaps some secret sin had caused his malady. Or, perhaps an unsavory lifestyle had led to his infirmity and he was relieved to know that Jesus had forgiven him. Whatever it was, Jesus cautioned him to not return to that iniquity.

“The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day” (John 5:15-16).

Being grateful for his healing, he returned to the Temple authorities and told them that Jesus had done this marvelous thing for him. However, instead of being impressed with the miracle, they were angry.

Remembering that Moses said, “Whosoever does work therein [on the Sabbath] shall be put to death” (Exodus 35:2), they determined to kill the Messiah! These mad men searched the Temple area until they found Jesus and confronted Him with their ridiculous charge.

Jesus Asserts His Deity

Jesus reminded them that God, having rested on the seventh day, did not abandon His creation, but continually works and watches over it. He said, “My Father works!” God is not on vacation. He is actively carrying out His heavenly agenda. Like the CEO of a great corporation, God is busy.

But there was no reasoning with these stubborn hearts. They were furious that Jesus had called God “Father,” and they perceived that, by doing so, Jesus was making Himself equal with God. Indeed, Jesus was, and is, equal with the Father. But Jesus, co-equal member of the Trinity, the Creator of this universe, the author and finisher of our faith, and the visible member of the Godhead, then explained a theological phenomenon that is as difficult for us to understand as it was for the Jews …

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel” (John 5:19-20).

As the Jews were blind to the Deity of Christ, so it seems that many Christian theologians are also blind to His self-humiliation. In this passage, Christ explains something that He imposed upon Himself – the Son became a servant. Physically speaking, I cannot imagine how Christ would have done this – except to say that perhaps He confined His omnipresence into bodily form. However, He was still in complete control of all things in Heaven and Earth. There is nothing about omnipresence that He could not control. He still had omnipotence (all power) and omniscience (all knowledge).

The Apostle Paul explains Jesus’ seven-fold self humbling followed by a seven-fold heavenly exaltation …

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Paul explains that this was the “mind” of Christ:

He knew that He was Deity, “the form of God,” and not for one minute did He think of Himself as anything less than equal with the Father.
However, He “made of himself of no reputation.” He was willing to be born in a stable, live in virtual poverty, and wear simple clothes.
He “took upon Him the form of a servant.” He sought to serve, rather than be served.
He was made in the “likeness of men.” He lowered Himself below the status of angels and was born of human flesh – born of a virgin.
He was “in fashion as a man,” and allowed Himself to experience temptation, feel hunger, be tired, etc.
He “humbled himself” by giving His time for the betterment of others. He healed the sick, and even raised the dead.
He “became obedient unto death,” offering Himself to die for the sins of the world. He willingly laid down His life (remembering that this was a necessary thing in order to satisfy the perfect justice of God – a price that man could not pay). No man could take His life from Him. He took our place in death that He might offer us eternal life for those who are willing to personally receive and accept Him.

We cannot comprehend how this is possible for “God of very God” to humble Himself in this manner. We only know that the Apostle Paul told us to think like this. We are mere humans, and though we (only those who have personally received him) have been adopted into the family of God through the blood of Christ, we should maintain a godly humility that, under normal circumstances would beggar the imagination. We receive glory through suffering. How can such a thing be true? We do not have to understand it. It is true, nevertheless. Believe it. Because Jesus humbled Himself and suffered the shame of the cross, God the Father gave Him a seven-fold exaltation …

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

The temporal suffering of Christ brought Him eternal glory.

God has “highly exalted Him.” He sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.
God has given Him a name which is above every name.” His name is the ineffable name. In the Old Testament, the highly exalted name was יְהוָֹה Yahweh. But after Calvary, the name of Jesus, or the Hebrew Yeshua, meaning “salvation,” became the exalted name. We are told, “There is none other name under Heaven given among men, wherby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The Father has determined that “every knee should bow” in recognition of His authority.
Everything “in Heaven” acknowledges His Lordship.
Everything “in Earth” acknowledges His Lordship.
Everything “under the Earth” – those in the regions of Hell will acknowledge His Lordship.
Every knee shall bow and every tongue will “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).

Those aforementioned Jews in the Temple will someday confess His Deity …

“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will” (John 5:21).

Someday, at the voice of Jesus, the dead will be raised. Jesus has the power to heal, as demonstrated at the Pool of Bethesda, and the power to raise the dead, as demonstrated through the resurrection of Lazarus. But, in the future, Jesus will raise the believer with a new immortal body. After reigning upon the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ will raise the lost and damned – all those who have rejected Him – for the judgment of the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15).

Jesus Is the Supreme Judge

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:22-23).

This theme runs throughout not only John’s Gospel, but also throughout his other work – the book of Revelation as well. Jesus is the great Judge of all time – during both His First Advent and also during His Second Advent. But in John’s Gospel, the Judge willingly takes the place of the accused and suffers His own sentence against the human race. It seems that every event in this Gospel draws us inexorably toward the crucifixion in chapter 19.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus tells the disciples that He must suffer and return to Heaven, from whence He will send the Holy Spirit. For the saints (those who have received Christ), the Spirit will indwell, instruct and comfort. But for the rest of the world, the Holy Spirit will “reprove” (convince and convict) the unsaved of sin, righteousness and judgment …

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:7-11).

By taking our punishment upon Himself, Jesus thwarts Satan’s diabolical plan. The “prince of this world” cannot succeed in ruining the human race. Jesus told His disciples that after the Holy Spirit comes (Acts 2), He will convict the lost, unsaved person of his/her unbelief, teach the message of the ascended Christ and snatch the souls of men and women from the grip of the prince of this world.

In John 1, Jesus judges the nation who “received him not” (John 1:11), and the righteousness of Nathaniel, “in whom is no guile” (John 1:47).

In John 2, Jesus judges the money-changers and merchants who sold “in the Temple” (John 2:14-16).

In John 3, Jesus judges Nicodemus who is “a master of Israel and does not know these things” (John 3:10).

In John 4, Jesus judges the Samaritan woman for living with six men and offers forgiveness. Then He judges Galilee, saying, “a prophet has no honor in his own country” (John 4:44).

In John 5, Jesus judges the man healed of an infirmity as He tells him, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14). He judges the Temple Jews who “sought to slay Him” (John 5:16).

In John 6, Jesus, Jesus judges the motives of the people who “seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (John 6:26). We are told, “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66).

In John 7, Jesus judges the Temple crowd who said, “You have a devil [demon] (John 7:20).

In John 8, Jesus judges those who want to stone the woman accused of adultery: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). He judges the woman with heavenly insight: “Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).

In John 9, Jesus judges the man born blind as being not guilty: “Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents” (John 9:3). Then He judges the Pharisees for their unbelief: “For judgment have I come into this world, that they which do not see might see; and that they which see might be made blind” (John 9:39).

In John 10, Jesus repeats His judgment of the Jews: “I told you, and you believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But you believed not. because you are not of my sheep” (John 10:25-26).

In John 11, Jesus judges death by raising Lazarus. The Pharisees conspired against Him: “Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death” (John 11:53).

In John 12, Jesus judges Judas for complaining about Mary anointing His feet with expensive ointment: “Let her alone: against the day of my burying has she kept this” (John 12:7). Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the angry Pharisees say: “Behold, the world has gone after him” (John 12:19).

In John 13, Jesus judges the one who is to betray Him: “He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me” (John 13:18). He announces His betrayal: “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you shall betray me” (John 13:21). He says to Judas, “That which you do, do quickly” (John 13:27). He says to Peter, “The cock shall not crow, until you have denied me three times” (John 13:38).

In John 14, Jesus tells the disciples, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me” (John 14:30).

In John 15, Jesus tells His disciples, “They hated me without a cause” (John 15:25).

In John 16, Jesus tells them, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he is doing God a service” (John 16:2).

In John 17, Jesus prays, “Those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

In John 18, Judas betrays Jesus. Peter denies Him. The mighty Judge of the universe allows Himself to become the accused and stands trial before Annas (verse 13), Caiaphas (verse 24), and Pilate (verse 28). Pilate offers to free a prisoner, to which the people cry, “Not this man, but Barabbas” (John 18:40).

In John 19, a crown of thorns adorns the head of the King of the Jews. Pilate hears Jesus say, “You could have no power at all against me, except that it were given to you from above: therefore he that delivered me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11). The people judge the Savior: “Crucify him” (John 19:15). Jesus is nailed to the cross … and gives up His life for us (John 19:16-30).

Yes, Jesus is the Heaven-sent Judge who gives Himself as the substitute for the guilty:

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

When Christ returns, as depicted in the book of Revelation, the Judge will finish His work. He will win in the end. His intended foe is not the human race, but His great adversary – the serpent. We are the serpent’s victims, and Jesus is the Heaven-sent Son who rescues us.

The Promise of Eternal Life

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (John 5:24-27).

The only God-ordained giver of eternal life is Jesus. The only heavenly-appointed one who can raise the saints from the grave is Jesus. The life-giving qualities of God the Father have been invested in the Son, because He came from Heaven, entered the womb of Mary and was born with human flesh. Therefore, Jesus replaces Adam as the federal head of the human race. He is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

The Guaranteed Event of a Future Resurrection

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:28-30).

Every judgment issued by the Lord was true and accurate. He knew the hearts of all those given in John’s Gospel – Nathaniel, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the afflicted man by the pool of Bethesda, the woman accused of adultery, etc. And He also knew the hearts of the moneychangers, the Pharisees, those who plotted His death and Judas – who betrayed Him. Jesus knew them all. His judgment was just. He will raise the saints just before bringing the judgment of the Tribulation period, and raise the lost after the millennial reign of Christ on Earth and the final rebellion of the unsaved. He can do these things because He is Deity.

In Defense of Deity

“If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not” (John 5:31-38).

According to the Mosaic Law, two witnesses were needed to establish a matter. Therefore, Jesus said, “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true” (verse 31). Jesus was not saying that His witness was a lie, but that it was insufficient unless corroborated by a second witness. As we see in verses 32 and 34, Jesus mentions another witness on His behalf. This witness was not John the Baptist, though Jesus mentions how the Temple authorities were willing to accept John’s credentials. They were willing to believe John’s testimony. John was well liked and they enjoyed his popularity. It was John who testified that Jesus was “the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Jesus was saying that there was a greater witness on His behalf than John. The miraculous works of the Savior are testimonies to His credentials. Furthermore, God the Father had testified on His behalf. God spoke from Heaven on the occasion of His baptism. But, Jesus explains that the Jews had neither seen the Father, nor heard His voice. Therefore, they refused to believe.

John records another “voice from heaven” incident during the Savior’s Triumphal Entry. Jesus said …

“Father, glorify your name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” (John 12:28).

But the Jews failed to hear that testimony as well. They continued to plot His death. Jesus said that they did not have the spiritual capacity for believing Him …

“And you do not have his word abiding in you: for whom he has sent, him you do not believe” (John 5:38).

Lacking the Love of God

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you” (John 5:39-42).

Jesus challenges the Jews to search the Law and the Prophets, where they could find hundreds of testimonies on His behalf. He lays the charge at their feet. He renders a judgment against them for simply not wanting to believe Him. If they had the love of God in them, they would have been willing to believe and honor Him.

The Prophecy of the Antichrist

“I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:43-47).

Looking into the future, Jesus predicts the coming of the Antichrist – “in his own name” (verse 43) – and that he will be received and honored.

Finally, Jesus tells them that He will not accuse them before the Father because Moses had already passed judgment upon them. He said that Moses had predicted His coming. Moses wrote …

“The LORD thy God will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, of thy brethren, like unto me: unto him you shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

He said they did not believe the writings of Moses, nor would they believe Him. Thus, the chapter ends with the great Judge rendering a verdict against the Jews who sought to kill Him.

YOUR ONLY ENTRANCE TO THE COMING KINGDOM REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH

In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of

1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are before accepting his salvation. The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife. Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation. The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself. The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The Bible describes these three kinds of death:

physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).
spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …
the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell. He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.

It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul. But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4). So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.

2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to perish eternally in the torment of Hell because of your sin. Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you. Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin. Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him. Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God. Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort. Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you. The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26).

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

“Jesus answered, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you. You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope. You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised. This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers. Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it. Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.

The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.” It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The logical question you may be asking at this point is: “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?” The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God. To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals. God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms. In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …

“Dear Lord Jesus: I realize that I need you. I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin. But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness. I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf. I come to you and open my heart to you. I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child. I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be. I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved. I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer. The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart, God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

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