Friday
Read: John 5
SOAP: John 5:24
“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.”
Devotion:
The first section of the Gospel of John centers on the testimonies about Jesus. Beginning with chapter 5, the remainder of the account of Jesus’ public ministry (John 1:1–12:50) focuses on Jesus as the Son of God. The third sign, Jesus healing a paralyzed man, begins John’s argument about why Jesus is the Son of God.
The reaction of the Jewish leaders to this miraculous healing is as important as the healing itself. Through His response to the Jewish leaders Jesus explained His authority over three things: the right to work on the Sabbath, the power to give life, and the right to judge. Jesus showed His authority over these things when He healed the man and He explained His authority to those questioning Him.
Jesus showed great compassion and care for the paralyzed man. There were likely many more sick and disabled people by the pool, but Jesus healed this man. He healed on the Sabbath and told the man to pick up his mat and walk (also considered work). A common belief was taught that God worked on the Sabbath, sustaining creation on the seventh day even though He rested from the work of creating. When Jesus responded to the leaders, He justified His actions by showing how as the Son of God, He does what the Father does. If the Father works on the Sabbath, then the Son also does. In this response Jesus showed His authority over the Sabbath.
Jesus showed His authority and power to give life. He defended His actions by telling the Jewish leaders that in the same way the Father raises the dead and gives life, so does the Son. And finally, Jesus showed His authority and right to judge. Only the Father has the ability to forgive sins, yet Jesus commanded the man not to sin any longer. Jesus claimed in front of the religious leaders that He, as the Son, has the same authority to judge as the Father and, in fact, the Father has assigned all judgment to the Son.
In all these things, Jesus showed that He is the Son of God and the only way to eternal life. Not only did He claim to have authority over the Sabbath, life, and judgment, but He proved these things as well. Jesus then says that anyone who believes His claims will have eternal life! What a gift! All we need to do is believe Jesus is who He says He is and accept His free gift of salvation by putting our complete trust in Him.