Month: July 2024

Pentecost 10
John 6:25-59 

After two big miracles, the feeding of the multitude and walking on water, Jesus finally speaks about what has happened. This text is known as the bread form heaven text as Jesus, in one of John’s famous ‘I am’ statements of Jesus, reports Jesus declaring ‘I am the bread of heaven.’ The text is very often used to explain the depth of what occurs in the Lord’s Supper. And that imagery is certainly present in this text and is intended by John.

But there is something else going on in this text. And it is the contrast between the kind of faith the erstwhile followers of Jesus have, and the kind of faith that Jesus is calling them – and us – to embrace.

To understand the context of what Jesus says, let’s recap what has happened so far.

First, he fed up to 25,000 men, women and children with just five loaves and two fish from a boy’s lunch. Then he walked on water, rescued the disciples from a storm and miraculously transported them safely and instantly to the opposite shore of Lake Galilee. As we saw when we looked as these texts over the past two weeks, Jesus produced miracles or signs matching and exceeding those of Moses and the miracle working prophets Elijah and Elisha. The Jewish people of his time had an expectation that the Messiah would be like Moses, and would work miracles like the great prophets. By far exceeding their works Jesus shows not only that he is the long-awaited Messiah, but the Creator himself, who has command of the wind and sea, who controls space and time, and who can feed his people like God did for the Israelites with mana in the wilderness.

It’s what happens next that prompts Jesus’ Bread of Heaven talk.

And we should point out here that this is actually a sermon of Jesus. He preached it at the Synagogue in Capernaum, which we are told in verse 59. We can also see that it is a sermon by the reference to two Old Testament texts Exodus 16:15 ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’ (referred to in verse 31) and Isaiah 54:13 ‘And they shall all be taught by God’ (referred to in verse 45). The practice of the synagogue in the first century was to have a reading from the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) and another from the prophets. Much like the lectionary system used in my Christian churches today, the synagogue of Jesus’ time had a basic lectionary system in which there was one reading from the Pentateuch and one from the prophets. And the two texts we have cited in today’s reading actually both occur during the Passover season, which we know from the story of the feeding of the multitude, was approaching.

But you might not think this seems like a normal sermon. There were a lot of interjections and interactions with the listeners. But that was the style of a synagogue ‘sermon’ of the time. It was something of a cross between what we know as a sermon, and an interactive Bible study. Two texts would be read, and the rabbi would comment on the meaning of one or both texts. And those listening would ask questions or dispute points made. Readers of John’s gospel with a background in Judaism would have picked up on the setting that is being described.

But why does Jesus say what he says? He is responding to comments of those listening, who have shown that they really do not yet ‘get it.’

When some of the crowds first catch up with Jesus at Capernaum, and as we see when we come to verse 59, they must have found him in the synagogue, they ask how he managed to get to Capernaum so quickly when they knew the disciples left without him in the boat. But Jesus tells them that what they are really interested in is the free feed. It is because of the meal he provided that they have followed him (verse 26). They have a faith based on what they can receive. It was an early version of a cargo cult. And this attitude persists even as Jesus explains to them who he is. When he talks about the Bread from heaven the brings eternal life their first thought is, we want some of this bread. So they ask, ‘Lord, give us this bread always’ (verse 34). They are still thinking of the image of Moses and the mana from heaven. They are thinking Jesus is going to do this again for them. That they will have the easy life, with no more working for and making bread. It will simply be there every day for them. But these people have not understood the true nature of faith. And some of us also struggle with this. We might follow Jesus because we think he is going to provide something physical for us, that we will gain some material advantage by being his followers. But Jesus never promises this. He indeed helps us in our need. But he is not seeking followers who are just looking for a handout. That is not faith.

 Then, another group chimes in, who have equally misunderstood the nature of faith. They ask, ‘What sign are you going to give us, so that we my see it and believe you?’ (verse 30).

Now think about this for a moment. Jesus has just matched and surpassed the great miracle working prophets by feeding between 20,000 and 25,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Then he matched and surpassed Moses by cross water not by parting it, but walking on top of it. And now, the next day, the people gathered ask him what miracle he is going to do as a sign of who he is. What did they want? How many signs would be enough?  If the first group of questioners has a faith based in what they could get from Jesus in a material sense, that is, endless free feeds. Then this second group has a faith that we might call a miracle-based faith. They want one miracle after another. They want to be continually amazed and entertained.

Again, some of us are drawn to this kind of faith. Whenever some miracle worker shows up great crowds are drawn, whether any real miracles are actually produced. People come for the show. And when they lose interest in one show, they seek after the next. First they are looking to see healings, then prophecies, then the laughing blessing, then the falling of gold-dust. And these are just of the things that have drawn many thousand in my life-time. But then interest wane and people seek after something else, just like people tire of certain types of music of movies after a time and seek afte the next new thing. But a faith that need constantly to be amazed and entertained is not true faith.

Jeus rejects and challenges both of these approaches to faith. They lead nowhere. As soon as the food runs out and the showy miracles stop, the faith is gone.

Jesus instead focuses on who he is. In one of most confronting of his talks, he tells those listening that the only food they are going to get, the only miracle they are going to get, is him. He is the bread from heaven, the mana that they longed to have once more. He is the miracle that confirms the truth of who he is.

True faith, Jesus points out, is based on him. And that is the difference. That is the point of Jesus sermon in Capernaum in the wake of two of his most memorable miracles. He directs our attention not to mana, not to the free feed, but to the true bread of life. He calls us to be nourished on his body and blood, that is given for us on the cross.  Jesus calls us to put our trust in the one who has come down from heaven, God in flesh.

True faith is focused on Jesus and Jesus alone. If we are looking or a free meal, or a life-time of free meals, then we will be disappointed. If we are looking to be entertained or constantly amazed by miracles, we will again be disappointed. But if we are seeking peace with God and life everlasting, then that is what Jesus offers us. He calls us to focus on him. To put our faith in him. And in Jesus we will never be disappointed. For Jesus and Jesus alone is the basis and focus of true faith. Amen
Pastor Mark Worthing.
Port Macquarie.

Pentecost 9
John 6:16-26 

In quick succession John gives us the fourth and fifth of the signs or miracles of Jesus that he includes in his Gospel. Last week we looked at the feeding of the multitude. Now, with no interlude, discussion or explanation, John goes straight into the account of Jesus walking on water. The two miracles belong together. In Matthew and Mark they also occur back to back without interlude. The discussion of their meaning comes only after the crowds encounter Jesus on the other side of the sea of Galilee, the next day. And we will be looking at that explanation next week. But today, our focus is on the briefest of the miracle accounts in John’s gospel, Jesus walking on water.

The story is well known and has found its way into popular culture and imagination. There is a lizard in Australia that can run quickly enough to go across the top of short stretches of water, so it is called, of course, the Jesus Christ lizard. If someone has to get across a river or lake and there is no boot, they will often quip, ‘pity I can’t walk on water.’

One of the first jokes I remember from my youth was about walking on water. Someone told it to my father, thinking he would appreciate it since he went to church regularly. I have heard it since in various forms and iterations. It goes like this:

Three preachers, a Baptist, a Pentecostal and a Lutheran, went out on a lake fishing one day in a dinghy. The Baptist and the Pentecostal pastor often went fishing together and had long invited the Lutheran pastor to joint them. He finally agreed. The day was going well, apart from the fact that no one had actually caught any fish. The Lutheran pastor was surprised during their discussions at how pious and knowledgeable about the Bible his colleagues were. He found he had rather underestimated them. After a couple of hours of fishing and conversation, the Pentecostal pastor sheepishly admitted that he needed to take a nature break. ‘We’ll bring our lines in and row you to shore,’ the Lutheran pastor said. ‘No need,’ said the Pentecostal pastor. And without hesitation, he stepped out of the boat and nearly skipped the thirty metres or so to shore. The Lutheran pastor was flabbergasted. He had never seen anything like it. He was going to say something to the Baptist pastor, but he continued fishing as if nothing had happened. The Pentecostal soon returned to the boat, skipping across the water in the same way as he had left it. About half an hour passed and the Baptist pastor announced that he too needed to take a nature break. And without another word, he hopped out of the boot and skipped his way across the surface of the water to shore. Well, the Lutheran pastor was not only in shock at what he had seen but was beginning to feel quite insecure about the level of his own faith. Another hour passed and the Lutheran pastor could not longer put off his own visit to shore. Common sense told him he should ask the others to row him in. But he couldn’t let himself and his own faith be shown up by his colleagues. So he said a quick prayer, asking God for enought faith. He announced to his two colleague that he, too, needed to head to the shore. He boldly stepped out of the boat, into the water, and sunk straight down. The Baptist pastor turned to his Pentecostal colleague. ‘You don’t suppose he didn’t know where the stepping stones were, do you?’

So the joke is that none of them had actually walked on water. Because that is simply not possible. And that is exactly the point of this miracle of Jesus. People do not walk on water. Not even in the Old Testament stories of the great miracle-working prophets, did that happen. When a great body of water was in the way, Moses tapped his staff to the ground and the Red Sea parted, letting him and the people walk across on dry land.  Elijah made the river part with Elisha’s cloak (2 Kings 2:13-14). But no one ever walked across on top of the water. That is, not until Jesus walked more than five kms into the middle to the Sea of Galilea, during a storm, to join his struggling disciples in their boat. As was the case with the miracle of the feeding of the multitude, Jesus matched and exceeded the examples of Moses and the miracle working prophets who were seen as the forerunners of the Messiah. The symbolism was again not to be missed.

And not only did Jesus walk on water, but the boat they were rowing immediately was on the shore at the other side of the lake.  If you have ever been stuck on the ocean or a large body of water in a storm, it is quite a frightening experience. You are not safe, not able to rest, not able to breathe a sigh of relief, until you are finally again on dry, unmoving land.

When I was 15 my cousin and I embarked on a week-long canoe trip down the longest river in the state. On the third night we came to a large, dammed lake that was 4 kms across and 10 kms long. We camped along the bank at the widest part. In the morning we needed to cross over to the other side where we could portage our canoe. We began at first light and the wind was starting to come up, but was manageable. But soon the wind was blowing steadily at 90 kms an hour. We later learned it was the strongest sustained wind in that area on record. Lucky us! Well, four kms might not seem like much, but the wind was coming straight at us and the waves had soon become so large that they were breaking over the bow of the canoe, causing it to slowly fill with water. We couldn’t turn around without capsizing. The only option was to go forward. But against the wind and waves, it was all we could do to keep the canoe straight. Like the disciples stuck on the sea of Galilee, rowing against the wind and the waves, we were stuck. And getting tired. Our arms ached but there was no possibility of taking a break. Soon, every ten strokes, my cousin, who was in the front, set down his paddle to bail water out of the canoe so we didn’t sink, while I did my best to keep us pointing into the waves. Then he joined me for 10 more strokes on the paddle, hoping to make some small headway before bailing more water out. A 30 minute paddle across the lake ended up taking us four hours. At one point, about 3 hours in, my cousin turned to me and said, ‘I can’t keep up. We’re not going to make it. Let’s just give up now. They saw drowning is over quick.’

‘We are going to make it,’ I assured him, though I didn’t really believe it. ‘I can see the shore getting closer when we crest each wave,’ I said. But I couldn’t see much of anything through the rain. I only knew we had to keep heading into the wind and the waves to get to the other side. So, we pressed on. When wefinally reached the other shore we were both relieved and surprised. We dropped our paddles and collapsed forward on our seats. And wept. Neither of us thought we would make it. We were not safe until we finally hit the other shore.

That’s what the disciples were experiencing in the midst of the Sea of Galilee. And Jesus didn’t simply show up and amaze them in the middle of the sea; he brough them safely do the other side. He finished the job. He got them safely to shore.

Nothing like that had been done before. Who can control the elements, walking on the surface of the water? Who transports a boat from the middle of the sea immediately to the other side? Once recovered they may very well have thought of Psalm 107. As fishermen who spent much time in sometimes perilous seas they would have known it well.

Some went down to the sea in ships,
    doing business on the mighty waters;
²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord,
    his wondrous works in the deep.
²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
    which lifted up the waves of the sea.
²⁶ They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
    their courage melted away in their calamity;
²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunkards
    and were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out from their distress;
²⁹ he made the storm be still,
    and the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ Then they were glad because they had quiet,
    and he brought them to their desired haven.
³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wonderful works to humankind.

Or again, Psalm 77 may have come to their mind. ‘When the waters saw you, o God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid. The very deep trembled …. Your way was through the sea, your path, though the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.’ (vv16, 19).

Who does something like that? Who walks on the surface of the water, and brings a boat instantly to the opposite shore, several kilometres away. God does. That’s who. The creator of the wind and the sea.

And that’s how Jesus identified himself to his disciples when he came to them on the sea. What our English Bibles generally translate as ‘It is me,’ is the Greek ego eimi. Literally, ‘I am’. They are the same unusual and brief order of words used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that God proclaimed to Moses as his name. ‘I am’. John’s readers would have been familiar with these words. And used here with such brevity “I am. Do not be afraid’ there would be little doubt as to their meaning.

Like with the other miracle stories in John’s Gospel the message is clear. We are not dealing with just another prophet. Not even a great prophet like Moses or Elijah. We are dealing with one who can feed a crowd of thousands with a boys’ lunch of bread and fish. We are dealing with someone who controls the sea, the waves and the wind. We are dealing with someone who could fold space upon itself, causing a boat in dire strife to suddenly be safe on the opposite shore. We are dealing with the one who created the wind and the waters, the one who crated and controls space and time. Jesus’ walking on water was not some parlour trick to impress his disciples. They were already impressed. It was a sign. A sign that their teacher, the one they had come to accept as the promised Messiah, was God their creator.

And this God came to them in the midst of the storm. He told them not to fear, and brought them to the safety of the distant shore.

Jesus is not just God the creator who has power over the wind and wavs, who controls space and time. He is the God who cares for his people. He is the God who is willing to come to us in our time of need and distress. He is the God who notices when we are in strife and who comes to our aide.

Amen.

Pastor Mark Worthing.
Port Macquarie.

Pentecost 8
John 6:1-15

Today’s reading is the story of the feeding of the five thousand. It is the fourth sign, or miracle story, included in John’s Gospel. And it is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. It is also one of several stories in John’s Gospel centred around a meal. And it’s a big one, the biggest sit-down meal described in the Bible.

Meals are important. We learn much by eating with others. It is around meals that people get to know each other, talk about important things, welcome one another. Bishop Robert, who is retiring the end of this month, has a theory that a congregation that is growing will eat often together. Whenever he hears of a congregation that is beginning to grow he asks how often they share meals. And when he hears of congregations that are struggling, he asks the same question. His informal findings over the past couple of years is that the more we eat together, the more people will see the love of Christ among us.  I think John might have had a similarly high view of the importance of meals. So much of John’s Gospel revolves around meals. Five of the final chapters of John’s Gospel take place in the context of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. During his last resurrection appearance with his disciples John tells us that Jesus cooked them breakfast (fish and bread again!). Jesus’ first miracle, in which he showed he was creator by turning water into wine, took place in the context of a wedding feast. And in today’s text, we find the largest sit-down meal described in the New Testament, a meal in which everyone is fed ‘til they are filled, and with food left over.

But this story is not just a meal story. It is a miracle story.

As we have seen in our series on John’s Gospel, John does not include the things the other gospels have included. He focuses on stories and teaching that had not been told. John records only seven miracles, or signs, that Jesus performs. We have already seen the changing of water to wine, the healing of the official’s son at a distance, and the healing of the lame man on the Sabbath. And now sign number four: the miracle of the feeding of the multitude. But why include a well-known miracle that the other Gospel writers have already told us about?

A good place to start is to look at things John tells us about this story that Matthew, Mark and Luke have not. John, as usual, gives his telling very much the feel of an eyewitness account by including little details that only someone who was there would think to include. John, for instance, is the only one who mentions any of the disciples who were there by name. Philip, who was from that area, is asked where food might be found to feed such a large group. If there were anywhere nearby to purchase enough food for so many, then Philip would know about it. But Philip, rather than coming up with a solution, only adds to the difficulty of the problem that it would take almost a years wages to buy enough food to feed such a crowd.

And John also mentions Andrew, for it is Andrew who brings the boy with five loaves and two fish to Jesus. The other gospels do not explain where the bread and fish came from. Surely if they had asked around widely they would have found more food than this among so many. But likely this young boy, who had his simple packed lunch with him, must have heard the disciples talking about where to find food. So he approaches one of them, Andrew, with his generous but hopelessly naïve offer to share his lunch. And Andrew, who seems to show some spark of faith here, decides to bring the boy and his five loaves and two fish to Jesus. We can well imagine John, hearing the accounts of this event read from the first three gospels, and wishing people knew more of the story of where the bread and fish came from.

But surely there is more to John’s inclusion of the feeding of the multitude than his desire to add a few more interesting details. If this were his motivation, he would have included expanded versions of many other accounts that had been included in the other gospels.

John points us in the direction he is taking us when he tells us that this miracle takes place as the Passover is approaching and people are making their way to Jerusalem. This is a fact the other three gospels do not mention. It helps explain why there is such a large crown out and about on this side of the Sea of Galilee. Entire families will beginning their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. John’s reference to the Passover also reminds us of Moses. It sets up Jesus’ explanation later in this chapter that he is the true bread of life, and image which draws both upon the eucharistic symbolism of the Passover, and also the mana that came from heaven in the time of Moses.

A key new detail that John includes in found in verse 14. ‘When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is the prophet who is to come into the world.”’

Remember, each of the seven signs or miracles that John includes are signs pointing to who Jesus is. John includes this miracle, even though it is a story his readers are already well familiar with, because it points clearly to who Jesus is. John highlights this by telling us that as soon as the people had finished eating, they drew the conclusion that Jesus was the prophet, promised and predicted already by Moses. This is an allusion to Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses says ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me …’ So references to ‘the prophet’ whom the people awaited is a reference to this promise from Moses, which marks the beginning and foundation of the Jewish expectation of a Messiah. So convinced were the people, in fact, that they were ready to take hold of Jesus then and there and declare him their king. So Jesus has to slip away. The point is that the people present immediately understood what this sign of feeding the multitude said about who Jesus was.

By why did the crowd respond in this way? Why did they see this miracle as a sign not just that Jesus was a prophet, but was the prophet?

In order to understand what the crowd was thinking when Jesus performed this miracle we need to recall the Old Testament reading from this morning. Elijah and Elisha were the classic prophets of Israel. The messianic expectation was that the coming messiah would be a prophet of this type and order – just as he was to be like Moses. Both Elijah and Elisha were well known for performing miracles of ‘extension’, that is, of extending food to meet the needs of those who were hungry. There was the instance of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath and the oil and meal that did not run out for her, her son and the prophet during the famine (1 Kings 17:8-16); and Elisha and the widow’s oil that filled many vessels and allowed her to feed her son (2 Kings 4:1-7). But more important was the story of the miracle we heard read this morning in which Elisha fed one hundred people when he had only 20 loaves of barely bread and some ears of grain. And there was food left over!

John’s inclusion of the fact that the loaves of bread the boy had were barley bread, the bread of the poor, is important. It is meant to remind of the story of Elisha. The fact that there was food left over is also meant to recall this story.

So in the feeding of the multitude, Jesus is not only providing food to the people, as God did in the time of Moses with the mana from heaven, but he also replicates a miracle of one of the classic prophets, one of the prophets whose ministry pointed to that of the Messiah. But Jesus does more than simply emulate or match the miracle of Elisha.

A recent news story told of an Australian coming close to matching the record for hotdogs eaten in ten minutes. I believe the number was an incredible 54. Of course, records are made to be broken. And soon someone will eat one or two more than this. That is beating the existing record. But what if someone suddenly ate a 1,000 hot dogs? That would not even be in the same category of achievement.

Elisha feed one hundred people.  That was the well known story. That was the ‘record’ so to speak for miracles of extension. Then Jesus comes along and feeds five thousand men. And the account in Matthew confirms that, according to the method of counting crowds and taken census at this time of counting adult males, this did not include women and children. The disciples were able to make a rough count of those present as they asked the people to divide  themselves into groups of about 50 men, each with their families. So there would have been about 100 such groups. Now if the average family of that time included a man, his wife, and three children (a conservative estimate) that would give us about 25,000 people. So Elisha feeds 100 people (and is one of the greatest of all the prophets). And Jesus feeds 25,000.  Now numbers are important in this story, as they are int eh story of Elisha. That is why the details are included in both the OT and the Gospel text. So just how much greater is Jesus’ miracle than Elisha’s based on these numbers? Anyone have it worked out? The disciples and other witnesses would certainly have noticed. Jesus’ miracle exceeds that of Elisha by a magnitude of 250.

But as they say in those late night commercials, ‘but wait, there’s more!’  Elisha fed 100 people with 20 loaves, but Jesus had only 5 loves to begin with. This means Jesus and only a quarter the amount of bread to work with as Elisha did. So when we take this additional ‘handicap’ into account, this extends Jesus’ miracle to something in the order of 1,000 times the magnitude of that of Elisha! Jesus is not simply meeting or surpassing what Elisha did. Jesus is in a category all of his own.

So what’s the point?

The point John is making is this. Jesus is not simply a great prophet in the order of Moses, or Elijah, or Elisha. Jesus is the prophet, the one that Moses first promised. Jesus surpasses the great prophets of Israel in the signs that he does by such a magnitude that they are not even in the same class.

Jesus is not just a great prophet. He is the promised Messiah. He is God come to us in human flesh. It is the same thing John has shown us in the previous three signs or miracles that he related.

As we said earlier, meals are important. In this meal story, through the sign of feeding so many with so little, Jesus again shows us who he is. In the breaking of bread, he reveals himself to us.

So next time you are enjoying a simple meal, perhaps even with a bit of bread and fish, remember that in just such a simple meal, Jesus revealed to us that he is the promised Messiah, God in human flesh, who has come among us to be our bread of life.

Amen.

Pastor Mark Worthing
Port Macquarie.

Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

Verse 36 states – “I have testimony weightier than that of John.  For the works that the Father has given me to finish – the very works that I am doing – testify that the Father has sent me.” 

Today we are continuing the journey through the book of John.  Before we go too far let’s recap on where we have come from over the last couple of weeks.  You may recall Jesus gets himself into trouble by healing a lame man on the Sabbath, and then telling him to pick up and carry his mat – both of which were prohibited on the day of rest. In his defence, he says “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” This gets him into more hot water, adding the even more serious charge of blasphemy. Last week, we saw Jesus outline his defence: he’s not setting himself up as a rival god. On the contrary, he’s learned alongside the Father like a son learning the family business, and has come to do his work, which indeed is his own work. Now this is a big claim Jesus makes, but can he prove it? This is what today’s part of the trial is all about.”[1]

Reflecting back on my high school days of legal studies (which no doubt qualifies me as an amateur legal expert),  I loved the thought of going to a courthouse and seeing a real-life case.  I recall visiting the Ipswich Court House on a school excursion, where my classmates and I were shuffled into the room, bowing before the judge upon entry.  As I scanned the room, I can vividly see the observers, the jury and judge, the legal teams with their stacks of documents, and finally the big, burly, tough biker gang member, the accused, surrounded by Police.  He glared at us with anger chiselled on his face.  Just then, the bang of the gavel by the Judge brought the room to attention and with a monotone voice stated – ‘the defence can call its first witness.’ 

Now the words ‘witness’ and ‘testimony’ in today’s text are closely related.  The definition of testimony is “Evidence of a witness; evidence given by a witness, under oath or affirmation; as distinguished from evidence derived from writings, and other sources.”[2]  The Greek verb, testify, is repeated 11 times by Jesus in today’s gospel. This places a strong emphasis on the testimony and witness in today’s gospel.[3]

Jesus brings his witnesses forward with a simple argument.  That he is not guilty of saying false things about God if he actually is God.   The Jewish leaders, of course, did not accept this.  To support this argument in Jewish Law in Jesus’ time, Jesus required 3 credible accounts or witnesses.[4]  Now Jesus could make outlandish claims in his own defence, but as Jesus himself says, one would question the credibility or validity of this self-testimony.  Anyone can make bold, and outlandish statements without credible support.  You only need to turn on the TV and watch an episode of Media Watch for examples of this.   As with every Judge or Jury, they look at the collection of evidence, of witness statements and testimony, consider the facts and develop an informed conclusion and opinion.  So, today is not about Jesus asking us to take a blind leap faith.  He reminds us in John 5:31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid.”

With that in mind, let’s step into the court room as Jesus calls his witnesses to the stand.

John the Baptist[5]

The first witness Jesus calls is John the Baptist, whose ministry many of the Jews had accepted.

5:32-34 ‘There is another who testifies in my favour, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept [OR need to take for myself] human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.’

In fact, John had earlier testified as to Jesus’ identity:

John 1:29b ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’

John 1:34 ‘I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’

So, Jesus reminds them of John’s testimony, as his opening argument. In some ways it’s a bit like our own testimony to what God has done in our lives.

But Jesus extends this testimony to something even more compelling than human testimony – whether it be John the Baptist’s or ours:

5:35-36 ‘John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.’

Jesus is saying, don’t just accept who I am based on what another person has said about me, but look at what is happening around you.  Look a what I am doing!  See with your own eyes that which the Jewish authorities seem to be oblivious if not blinded to.

Moses

The next witness Jesus brings to the stand is is real surprise. It is the star witness of the prosecution! They were quoting the Ten Commandments against Jesus. They recited the words from the books of Moses as charges against Jesus. But Jesus turns their witness against them by calling Moses to the stand![6]

45 “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. 46 If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Jesus is making a very big statement.  The Jewish people loved the Law of God.  He reminds them that they know Moses.  Not the person, but Moses in the form of the first five books of the Bible, the Torah.  The Law that the Jewish authorities diligently study and strictly adhere to.   However, they missed that Moses pointed to a great prophet to come. With all their study they still did not recognise God in the flesh, staring them in the face.  As the old saying goes – ‘they couldn’t see past the nose upon their face.’

The Father himself[7]

And if that weren’t enough, Jesus goes on to call one more witness.  An even bigger deal and adding weight to the witness of Moses.  Jesus calls God the Father himself:

5:37a ‘And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.’

How does the Father testify about Jesus? The Father would have testified about Jesus through the miracles Jesus has just referred to. He could also have been referring to  the voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism – which isn’t actually recorded in John’s gospel. I think, given the past tense Jesus uses, that he is referring mainly to the witness of the Scriptures, the OT which points to Jesus. This is what Jesus is referring to a few verses later:

5:39-40 ‘You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.’

That is, the Jews should have recognized Jesus because their own holy writings point toward him. They were in a privileged position, having the plan of God revealed to them. Yet they ended up worshipping the plan instead of God himself. They placed their faith in possessing the word of God, rather than actually responding to it. And when God himself actually turns up, they don’t recognize him. They were so busy dissecting his word that they didn’t have time for God himself. He didn’t fit their preconceived idea of what God should be like.

Now before we jump too quickly to their culpability in the matter, let’s apply the warning to ourselves. How much are we in danger of merely possessing the gospel message, without having any sort of relationship with its author? Of having the words of eternal life that remain for us only on the page and don’t find their way into our hearts, into our minds, into our behaviour. Having a Bible and studying it diligently, knowing the gospel, being able to explain the atonement – that doesn’t save us. We only ‘have life’ if we truly come to the one to whom the Scriptures testify.[8]

You may recall a picture of Martin Luther shared with us previously by Pastor Mark. The image is from St. Mary’s Church in Wittenburg where, Luther preached from 1514 onward.  At the centre of the auditorium, you can see the “Reformation Altarpieces” (paintings of communion, confession, and other ministries). One contains a picture depicting Luther preaching; showing how we should view the Scriptures, and how we should view the preaching of the Scriptures.  It’s a beautiful picture of what is intended to do every week: A finger on the text, pointing people to Jesus, with all eyes on Jesus, not on the preacher. It’s all about Jesus.[9]

And the same is true for us today.  Whenever people are confronted by the claims of Jesus, and ask us “why should I accept what Jesus says?”[10] What will be our response?  We are called to form an opinion.  We need to investigate the evidence.  Either Jesus is right or he’s wrong. Either he’s from God or he’s not.  And if we believe that Jesus is God, what we do or don’t do is critical.

Do we share the joyous news of the Gospel, the saving redemption through the resurrection and the promise of eternal life.  As with the image of the preaching Martin Luther, in which direction do we point the focus and attention?  Do we place the shining light under the table? Or do we find the courage through the power of Holy Spirit to reveal the light in the same way as John the Baptist,  bathing in the warming glow that comes from a Christ-centred perspective.

May God grant us the clarity of heart, the conviction and strength of the spirit to point to the one redeeming saviour, so that all may come to Jesus Christ and find the life that is truly life.

Amen.

Let us pray – May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

References

https://timmacbride.com/2015/06/18/john5d/

https://sermons.logos.com/sermons/685661-witnesses-for-the-defense-john-5:31-47

https://idcraleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/John-5.31-47-1.pdf

[1] https://timmacbride.com/2015/06/18/john5d/

[2] https://thelawdictionary.org/testimony/

[3] S. Renn, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, Hendrickson Publishers, 2005, p.1053.

[4] https://sermons.logos.com/sermons/685661-witnesses-for-the-defense-john-5:31-47

[5] https://timmacbride.com/2015/06/18/john5d/

[6] https://sermons.logos.com/sermons/685661-witnesses-for-the-defense-john-5:31-47

[7] https://timmacbride.com/2015/06/18/john5d/

[8] https://timmacbride.com/2015/06/18/john5d/

[9] https://idcraleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/John-5.31-47-1.pdf

[10] https://timmacbride.com/2015/06/18/john5d/