Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 9 – the witness of the man born blind who could now see – “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.  If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

Throughout the Bible, many great miracles are recorded – those that effect nature, physical healing's, dead individuals being raised from the dead, and more.  But never had a blind person been given their sight.  Of all the miracles that Jesus performed the greatest sign that He was the promised Messiah (Christ) was this one.  Isaiah chapter 35 is just 10 verses long, but it has a great deal to say about what will happen when the Messiah comes.  The religious leaders knew this, in particular v5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.  Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.”

They refused to believe in Jesus because He didn’t follow their rules.   But a man who had been healed like no one before him, made this very honest statement, “One thing I do know, I was blind, now I see.”

What will you do with Jesus?   John wrote his gospel to help you answer this question.

Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 8 – the witness of the adulterous woman – “Woman, where are they?  Did no one condemn you?  And she said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way and sin no more.”

She and her lover deserved death under the Mosaic Law.  She was brought by the religious leaders to Jesus to test and trap Him.  His response to their badgering, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”   Slowly they all dropped their stones and left.  The only one qualified to throw a stone was Jesus and He told her to go and sin no more.  Imagine you are the woman.  You’re thinking to yourself, “How can I live such a life?  I’m very good at sinning and I can’t live a life without sin.  It’s impossible for me.  Then what did Jesus mean?  What did He want me to understand?”

Though we’re not specifically told, I believe the woman stayed to listen to the interchange between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.    And in doing so, she found the answers that Jesus wanted her and us to understand:

• v24  “That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”

• v31-32   “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

• v34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 7 – the witness of the temple guards sent to seize Jesus – verse 46, “Never did a man speak the way this man speaks.”

Siblings of Jesus didn’t believe Him (v5).  Others considered Him a good man, an instigator who leads the people astray (v12), demon possessed (v20), the Messiah (vv26-27,31, 41), and the Prophet (v40).   Even the officers sent to seize Him had their own observation.   What about you?  

At this moment the Feast of Booths (tents) was being celebrated.  According to Michael Card:

                 “at the conclusion the high priest would take a pitcher of water from                                         the pool of Siloam and lead a procession of the people back up the                                         hill to the temple and there pour out the water on the ground                                                   commemorating Moses striking the rock in the wilderness and the 

                  provision of water for the people of God.  At this moment the priest 

                  would proclaim, “With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation,"

                  a passage from the prophet Isaiah (12:3).

It is very probable that at that moment, Jesus cried out, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’”   (John 7:37-38   NASB)    We all know what thirst is like and the desire to quench / satisfy our thirst.   Jesus is inviting us to come to Him to find the satisfaction that this life cannot provide.  

Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 6 – the witness of the fed but still hungry multitude – verse 28, “They therefore said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may do the works of God?”

They had witnessed and experienced Jesus feeding 5,000 plus of them with 5 loaves and 2 fish that He had blessed, with enough left over for each of the Apostles to have a sack lunch.  Jesus demonstrated in a physical, tangible way His claim to be “… the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”   But they did not have an eternal perspective.  Instead they just wanted a “meal ticket” for the rest of their physical lives.    They wanted to continue to be “religious” and looked for instructions on how they could work to please God.   And Jesus answered their question in verse 29, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him who He has sent.”

Before many turned and left Him, Jesus offered a further invitation in verse 40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

So what’s it going to be for you?  Follow the unsatisfied multitude or follow the One who delivers on His promises?

Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 5 – the witness of a lame man – verse 6, “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?””

This is a key question.  Some people would rather remain as they are – hurting, struggling, emotionally scarred, lacking purpose and fulfillment, looking for change, tired of making the same bad choices.   Perhaps you can insert another excuse.   Yes – excuse!  Like the lame man Jesus asks each of us, “Do you want to get well?”  Now the immediate application in this passage was to allow the man to walk.  But later in verse 14 Jesus said to him, “Behold, you have become well (physically); do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you (spiritually).”  (Clarification added in parenthesis)

Jesus makes the point that our sin separates us from God and that separation will be eternal. If we’re honest with ourselves, we know we cannot live a life without sin.  A life without any sin ever would please God, but since we’re  incapable of this we must  respond to his question, “Do you wish to get well?”   To the Jewish religious leaders who needed to be made well, but refused, Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life.  They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have passed from death into life.  … The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that He sent me.  And the Father who sent me has testified about me Himself.  You have never heard His voice and seem Him face to face, and you  do not have His message in your hearts, because you do not believe me – the one He sent to you.  You search the Scripture because you think they give you eternal life.  But the Scriptures point to me!  You refuse to come to me to receive this life.”  (verses  24, 36a-40)

Jesus is inviting you to make a wish.

Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 4 – the witness of the Samaritan Woman at the well:  verse 29, “Come and see a man who told me all the things I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”

Generally, people think that they cannot come to God for one of two reasons:  either they can’t forgive God for something that has happened in their life for which they blame Him; or they believe God could never forgive them for what they’ve done.   The story of the Samaritan woman is a case of the latter, but Jesus met her and will meet you:

·         It is a time of the day when no one will be at the well, except a woman who wants to avoid all those who know her and scorn her.  She is not comfortable with the choices she’s made.

·         Jesus is there to meet her and engage her, even though she is a woman, a Samaritan, an outcast of the town who has been married 5 times previously and is now living with a man who is not her husband.

·         Jesus offers to quench the thirst that this well, her husbands, her current live-in and nothing or no one else have been able to satisfy.  “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”  4:13b-14

·         Jesus revealed to her that he was the Messiah and she was so excited that she left her bucket, never gave Jesus the drink He had asked for, and ran back to the town to tell the others about Him!

Though were not specifically told, from her reaction, it’s likely she believed in Jesus, was forgiven of her sins and found a satisfaction that she had never known.  How about you?

Gospel of John - Examine the Witnesses

Chapter 3 – the witness of Nicodemus: verse 2, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles that You do unless God is with Him.”

A very devout Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, is searching for answers.  Jesus tells Nicodemus of his need to be born again and he is confused on how a person can be born a second time into this world.   Jesus explains that physical birth is not enough to please God.   Another birth involving God’s Spirit is necessary.  As the dialogue continues Jesus explains the only way to please God and receive His Spirit is v16 of this chapter, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  The chapter ends with the statement, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”   Nicodemus believed.  What about you?