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Sermon 101

JOHN 5:31-47
When Jesus was in Jerusalem He healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. This brought him into conflict with the religious leaders because Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath !ay. When Jesus called "od His #ather they wanted to kill Him. $isten to the defense of Jesus to the religious leaders%
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"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 3 !"ere is anot"er w"o

bears witness of Me, an# I $now t"at t"e witness w"i%" He witnesses of Me is true. 33 &ou "a'e sent to Jo"n, an# "e "as borne witness to t"e trut". 34 &et I #o not re%ei'e testi(ony fro( (an, but I say t"ese t"in)s t"at you (ay be sa'e#. 35 He was t"e burnin) an# s"inin) la(*, an# you were willin) for a ti(e to re+oi%e in "is li)"t.
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-ut I "a'e a )reater witness t"an Jo"n.s/ for t"e wor$s w"i%" t"e 0at"er "as )i'en

Me to finis"-t"e 'ery wor$s t"at I #o-bear witness of Me, t"at t"e 0at"er "as sent Me. 37 1n# t"e 0at"er Hi(self, w"o sent Me, "as testifie# of Me. &ou "a'e neit"er "ear# His 'oi%e at any ti(e, nor seen His for(. 32 -ut you #o not "a'e His wor# abi#in) in you, be%ause w"o( He sent, Hi( you #o not belie'e. 33 &ou sear%" t"e 4%ri*tures, for in t"e( you t"in$ you "a'e eternal life/ an# t"ese are t"ey w"i%" testify of Me. 45 -ut you are not willin) to %o(e to Me t"at you (ay "a'e life. 41 "I #o not re%ei'e "onor fro( (en. 4 -ut I $now you, t"at you #o not "a'e t"e lo'e of 6o# in you. 43 I "a'e %o(e in My 0at"er.s na(e, an# you #o not re%ei'e Me/ if anot"er %o(es in "is own na(e, "i( you will re%ei'e. 44 How %an you belie'e, w"o re%ei'e

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"onor fro( one anot"er, an# #o not see$ t"e "onor t"at comes fro( t"e only 6o#7 45 8o not t"in$ t"at I s"all a%%use you to t"e 0at"er/ t"ere is one w"o a%%uses youMoses, in w"o( you trust. 4, 0or if you belie'e# Moses, you woul# belie'e Me/ for "e wrote about Me. 47 -ut if you #o not belie'e "is writin)s, "ow will you belie'e My wor#s'( (John 5:31-47) Jesus defended Himself before the religious authorities in Jerusalem. Jesus )resented witnesses and e*idences that He was sent by the #ather as +essiah. He )resented the testimony of John the son of ,acharias the )riest- the witness of the miracles signs.His works- the testimony of the #ather the testimony of the Scri)turesand the writings of +oses. $et us look at these witnesses these testimonies and e*idences. The )ro)het of "od John the son of ,acharias the )riest had )reached to multitudes of )eo)le. The religious authorities had sent to him and asked him /Who are you'0 John had told them that he was the *oice of one crying in the wilderness. John 1uoted from 2saiah 30%3.4 identifying himself as the one )re)aring the way of the $ord. 2n 2saiah 30%4% 9!"e )lory of t"e :O;8 s"all be re'eale#.< 5es, John )re)ared the way of +essiah the glory of the $67!. John the )ro)het )roclaimed when Jesus +essiah came% 9-e"ol#= t"e :a(b of 6o# w"o ta$es away t"e sin of t"e worl#=< (John 1:29) 5es Jesus is the sacrifice for sins for transgressions for ini1uity. This was foretold in 2saiah 43. John bore witness to the truth8 Jesus +essiah died for all )eo)le in the world. $isten to 2saiah 30%4% 9!"e )lory of t"e :O;8 s"all be re'eale#, an# all fles" s"all see it to)et"er/ for t"e (out" of t"e :O;8 "as s*o$en.<

5es John was indeed the burning and shining lamb calling 2srael to re)entance in order to )re)are the way of +essiah in fulfillment of 2saiah 30%3.4. His witness was 9-e"ol#= t"e :a(b of 6o# w"o ta$es away t"e sin of t"e worl#=< (John 1:29). Will you belie*e him' Jesus +essiah the Son of "od has a greater witness than John. Jesus said% 9. . . t"e wor$s w"i%" t"e 0at"er "as )i'en Me to finis"-t"e 'ery wor$s t"at I #o-bear witness of Me, t"at t"e 0at"er "as sent Me. (John 5:36) 5es Jesus did miracles and signs in Jerusalem. The religious authorities knew that *ery well. They were angry with Jesus because He had 9ust healed a sick man on the Sabbath. This healing which they admitted )ro*ed that Jesus was sent from "od. :efore this ;icodemus a ruler of the Jews a <harisee had come to Jesus and said /;abbi, we $now t"at &ou are a tea%"er %o(e fro( 6o#/ for no one %an #o t"ese si)ns t"at &ou #o unless 6o# is wit" "i(.< (John 3:2) ;icodemus was right. Jesus said% 91n# t"e 0at"er Hi(self, w"o sent Me, "as testifie# of Me, . . . (John 5:37). When Jesus was ba)ti=ed by John in the Jordan 7i*er "od had said to those )resent to hear 9!"is is My belo'e# 4on, in w"o( I a( well *lease#.< >Matthew 3:17) These religious authorities had not heard but others who were )resent had heard. ?lso Jesus was standing before them. He was s)eaking the word of "od to them. :ut they did not belie*e Him. How sad. How tragic for them. Jesus said 9&ou sear%" t"e 4%ri*tures for in t"e( you t"in$ you "a'e eternal life/ an# t"ese are t"ey w"i%" testify of Me.< (John 5:39) 5es there are )ro)hecies in the scri)tures which foretold in detail about the +essiah. 2n !aniel @%&3.&A "od foretold that +essiah would come before the destruction of Jerusalem and the tem)le by the

7omans in ?.!. A0. He did8 2n +icah 4%& "od foretold that +essiah would be born in :ethlehem. He was8 2n <salm & "od foretold that His +essiah His Son would ha*e a world wide kingdom. 5es He does8 2n 2saiah @%B.A "od foretold that His Son would be Cing on the throne of !a*id his father. He is8 2n ,echariah 1&%10 "od foretold that He would be )ierced. He was )ierced8 2n 2saiah 43 "od foretold that His ser*ant +essiah would be an offering for sin. He is8 2n !aniel @% &B "od foretold that +essiah would be cut off. He was8 2n <salm 1B%10 "od foretold that +essiah the Holy 6ne would be raised from the dead. He was8 2n <salm 110 "od foretold that !a*idDs $ord +essiah would rule and reign and 9udge the nations and also be the High <riest after the order of +elchi=edek. He does and He is8 5es the scri)tures bear witness of Jesus +essiah. There are more than 300 )ro)hecies about Jesus +essiah which He fulfilled in detail. Will you belie*e in Him' 5es the Hebrew scri)tures bear witness that Jesus is +essiah the Son of "od. The fifth witness of Jesus is +oses. $isten to Jesus% 98o not t"in$ t"at I s"all a%%use you to t"e 0at"er/ t"ere is one w"o a%%uses you-Moses, in w"o( you trust. 0or if you belie'e# Moses, you woul# belie'e Me/ for "e wrote about Me. -ut if you #o not belie'e "is writin)s, "ow will you belie'e My wor#s.< (John 5:45-47) 5es +oses wrote about Jesus in the first fi*e books of the :ible Ha Torah. 2n "enesis &B%3 "od )romised ?braham that in His seed all nations would be blessed. 2n "enesis 3@%10 Jacob foretold that +essiah Shiloh would come before the sce)ter de)arted from Judah which ha))ened in ?.!. A0. There are others but listen to what +oses wrote in !euteronomy 18%1A.1@% 91n# t"e :O;8 sai# to (e: >?"at t"ey "a'e s*o$en is )oo#. I will raise u* for t"e( a @ro*"et li$e you fro( a(on) t"eir bret"ren, an# will *ut My wor#s

in His (out", an# He s"all s*ea$ to t"e( all t"at I %o((an# Hi(. 1n# it s"all be t"at w"oe'er will not "ear My wor#s, w"i%" He s*ea$s in My na(e, I will reAuire it of "i(.< (Deuteronomy 18:17-19). Will you belie*e that +oses wrote about +essiah Jesus the )ro)het' 5ou can. We ha*e studied fi*e witnesses that Jesus is +essiah the Son of "od% >1E John the <ro)het- >&E The works.miracles of Jesus- >3E the testimony of the #ather "od >3E the Scri)tures >4E +oses. Will you come to Jesus +essiah' Will you seek the honor that comes from "od' Will you be sa*ed' Will you ha*e the lo*e "od within you' 2f you will you can belie*e in Jesus to be +essiah the Son of "od. 7e)ent of your sins. Turn away from sin. Fonfess your faith in Jesus +essiah the Son of "od. :e ba)ti=ed into Him into His death buried with Him through ba)tism into death that 9ust as +essiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the #ather e*en so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4) 5es you can become a child of "od born again of water and the S)irit. (John 3:5) 5ou will then be in the Cingdom of +essiah. ( o!. 1:13). 5ou can ser*e Jesus +essiah as your Cing and Sa*ior. 5ou can ha*e an eternal home in the hea*enly ;ew Jerusalem. ?men