Lesson 41 - Senior
Memory Verse
"He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him" (John 5:23).
Cross References
I Jesus Christ, the Great Physician
1. The impotent man lies helpless for thirty-eight years, [JHN:5:1-5].
2. There is no man to help him, [JHN:5:6-7]; [PS:69:20]; [PS:22:11]; [PS:107:11-13]; [ISA:41:28]; [ISA:63:5].
3. Obedient effort is required, [JHN:5:8]; [REV:22:14].
4. Healing is immediate, [JHN:5:9]; [ISA:65:24].
5. Power is given to "sin no more," [JHN:5:14]; [JHN:8:11]; [MAT:9:6].
II Jesus, the Son of God
1. He does the works of the Father, [JHN:5:17-21]; [JHN:9:4]; [JHN:10:37-38].
2. He is the final Judge of the world, [JHN:5:22], [JHN:5:27-30]; [2CO:5:10].
3. He is equal in honour with God, [JHN:5:23]; [PHL:2:6].
4. He is able to impart everlasting life, [JHN:5:24-26]; [JHN:11:25]; [JHN:14:6].
III The Evidence of the Divinity of Christ
1. John the Baptist reveals Christ, [JHN:5:31-36]; [JHN:1:15], [JHN:5:29].
2. The works of Christ witness for Him, [JHN:5:36]; [JHN:14:10-11]; [JHN:10:36-38].
3. God the Father acknowledges His Son, [JHN:5:37-38]; [MAT:3:17]; [MAT:17:5].
4. The Old Testament Scriptures testify of Him, [JHN:5:39]; [ISA:53]; [PS:2:7].
5. Moses wrote of Him, [JHN:5:46-47]; [DEU:18:15].
IV Raising the Widow's Son at Nain
1. The compassion of Christ is revealed, [LUK:7:11-13]; [JHN:11:35]
2. The resurrection power of Christ is demonstrated, [LUK:7:14-15]; [JHN:11:43-44].
3. The people give God the glory, [LUK:7:16].
Notes
"After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem." It is believed that the feast mentioned was the second Passover of Jesus' ministry. Jesus, no doubt, had two reasons for going to Jerusalem to the feasts: to fulfil the Law, and to proclaim the Gospel. At the three yearly pilgrimage feasts of the Jews (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles) great throngs went to Jerusalem from all parts of the known world. Jesus took this opportunity to extend the Gospel invitation to those from far and near. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37).
The troubling of the waters, and the healings that took place afterward, were unusual; but God is not constrained to work according to any particular pattern in performing miracles. Jesus used various methods in healing the sick during His ministry. This time He just spoke the word and the sick man was made whole. There is no reason to doubt any of the miracles of God, no matter how they are performed. The waters of this pool had no medicinal value, which could effect a cure any more than the waters of the Jordan could cure Naaman of his leprosy. It is God Who heals.
In the impotent man we have an example of the helpless state of humanity. There is an old proverb in the world that the Lord helps those who help themselves. Jesus came to help those who could not help themselves. Everyone who gets anything from God has to come to the place where he realises his inability to help himself. So long as a man feels that he can help himself he will not, as a rule, go to the Lord for help. When a man realises his utter helplessness and turns from himself to put his trust in God he is in a good place to receive something from God. When Jesus said, "Wilt thou be made whole?" the impotent man answered, "Sir I have no man, . . . " This man suffered for thirty-eight years and had no man to help him. How like the song, which tells us that there was no arm to save and that there was no eye to pity until Jesus, our Saviour, from Glory came down. Even if there had been a man to help him into the pool, it was only God Who could make him whole. Worldly friends may be able to help us in some situations, but only Jesus can save us. This man needed salvation, for Jesus said unto him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." His disease was, no doubt, brought on through sin. Jesus healed him, forgave him, and gave him power to "sin no more."
"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." This verse gives two reasons why the Jews sought to kill Jesus. First, according to their traditions He broke the Sabbath. What He did was not contrary to the Law, but to the traditions of the Jews. Jesus told the Jews, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition" (Mark 7:9). See also [JHN:7:23-24]. Secondly, He made Himself equal with God. He was within His rights in so doing, for He was God. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Philippians 2:6). (See also [JHN:1:1], [JHN:1:14].)
The Jews were not concerned with the fact that this man had been made whole -- that a mighty miracle had been wrought. Their only concern was, Who had dared defy their tradition and tell the man, "Take up thy bed, and walk," on the Sabbath day?
Christ is the source of life. Eternal life can be had only through Him. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (I John 5:12). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). As proof of His resurrection power He called Lazarus from the grave.
Eternal life means more than eternal existence. All mankind exist eternally. "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." "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11). Eternal life is fellowship with God. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). In order to know God one must be born again. Eternal life is freedom from sin and condemnation.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1, 2). Freedom from condemnation is obtained through belief in the Son of God. "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).
Both the physical and spiritual resurrections are set forth in this chapter. The spiritual resurrection: "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." A future physical resurrection: "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."
Paul tells us that every man shall come forth "in his own order" (I Corinthians 15:23). The dead in Christ shall rise first at his coming. (See [1TS:4:16-17].) The unsaved dead shall not be raised until after the millennium ([REV:20:5]). Then they shall be judged and cast into the lake of fire ([REV:20:11-15]).
Luke 7:11-16 gives an example of the resurrection power in the voice of Jesus. He spoke to the dead, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise" -- and the dead man arose.
The Jews of His day did not believe in Christ, but it was not for want of evidence. His works alone are sufficient proof of His divinity. He said, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him" (John 10:37, 38).
John the Baptist attested Christ's divinity when he cried out, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The testimony of the Scriptures concerning Christ is proof of His divinity. "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (Psalm 2:7). Moses, in whom the Jews declared their trust, wrote, "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" (Deuteronomy 18:15). On two occasions the Father spoke from Heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). See also [MAT:17:5].
In spite of all the evidences of the divinity of Christ, the Jews, as a whole, failed to believe in Him. Jesus told them of another who should come "in his own name" whom they would receive. This, no doubt, has reference to the coming of the Antichrist. (See [REV:13:8].)
Questions
1. Why did the Jews seek to kill Jesus?
2. Find other miracles that Jesus did on the Sabbath.
3. Enumerate incidents when people were raised from the dead in Bible times.
4. Give a Bible definition of eternal life.
5. Name the different evidences of the authority of Christ.
6. What did Jesus mean when He said, "The Son can do nothing of him self"?
7. Find an Old Testament verse that parallels John 5:29.
8. Find passages of Scripture outside the lesson, which tell of Christ as the final Judge of the world.
9. Why did Jesus raise the son of the widow at Nain?
10. Locate Nain on the map. What towns are near it? Recall other miracles wrought in this vicinity.