THE MOST SHOCKING CLAIM EVER MADE

INTRODUCTION

Who is Jesus Christ? The options: a moral teacher and an example of faith not the object of faith - a view of liberal theologians. Or a crusading sociopolitical revolutionary - a view of liberation theology, or a cynical Jewish sage - view of the Jesus Seminar, or a counter-cultural hero - seen in Jesus Christ Superstar or Godspell, or one of many ways to heaven - a Hindu view, or an entire myth of human imagination - a view by many the humanists. Or unbelievable as it is - a fool as profaned by Kathy Griffin at the Oscars.

So who is Jesus Christ? I hope you know. Could it be that Jesus actually is who He said he was - The Son of God, a divine man equal to God?

The miracle of 5:1-15 we will look at next Sunday night October 7. That miracle resulted in changing Jesus from a popular miracle worker to a very controversial teacher.

The Shocking Issues: 5:16-18.

• Doing work on the Sabbath, a violation of Jewish tradition. Healing someone was a terrible thing to do on the Sabbath - imagine that???
• But then - the most shocking claim ever made by a man - Jesus was claiming to be equal with God. Deity. He is God in the flesh, He had the same authority and power as God the Father. The Jews figured it out. To them, for a man to claim to be God was blaspheme. No man could be God, certainly not this Jesus. Reaction - it started as persecution and escalated to full hatred to kill Him - murder.

Was that claim true? How did Jesus make the claim He was equal to God?

1. Jesus claimed He is equal to God in His works. 5:19-20

• Jesus was so vitally linked to the Father, Jesus did not act independent of God, rather worked in harmony, unison with God the Father.


• To do the Father’s works, He had to have complete knowledge of what the Father does.


• What were His works? Miracles over creation (water to wine) and sickness (healing the little boy across distance, and healing a man who had been paryilzed 38 years.) Jesus worked supernaturally in this world, yet these works were natural to Him because He was God.


• v. 20b He will even do greater works yet - miracles over death, miracles over demons (showing He is of God not of Satan), and greatest of all providing the payment for our sins so we could have eternal life with the Father - the miracle of the cross and resurrection.


• The greatest miracle for you and me? Song by John W. Peterson: “It took a miracle To put the stars in place, It took a miracle to hang the world in space. But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole, it took a miracle of love and grace.”


• Thus Jesus claimed to be and by His works - proved to be God.

2. Jesus claimed He is equal to God in His life giving power over death. 5:21

• Here is the specific work of giving life over death. No mere man can raise the dead and give them life. No Doctor, no magician, no antichrist.


• Bible clearly teaches only God has power to give life (Deut. 32:29 “It is I who put to death and give life;” Acts 26:8 “Why it is considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?”).


• The OT showed some occasions where God did so through Elijah 1 Kings 17- raises widow’s son; and Elisha 2 Kings 4 - raises Shunammit’s son. But those prophets were merely acting on behalf of God. Jesus could do so as the source of life, by His own authority as God.


• Plus, Jesus can raise those who are dead in trespasses and sins and give them new life - Ephesians 2:1,4-5.


• Another John W. Peterson youth chorus: “New Life in Christ Abundant and free, What glories shine, What joys are mine, What wondrous blessings I see. My past with its sin, the searching and strife - Forever gone there’s a bright new dawn, For in Christ I have found new life”


• Thus Jesus claimed to be and by His life giving power over death - proved to be God.

3. Jesus claimed He is equal to God in His judgment. 5:22

• God has delegated judgment to Jesus Christ. Their judgment was same.


• The cross judged our sin, judgment deals with sin - PTL for repentance.


• Jesus could work with absolute knowledge and perfect righteousness, knowing the thoughts and motives of the hearts of people.


• To the Jews, Jehovah God is the Judge of the Earth Gen. 18:25, here Jesus assumes that role. Paul testified in Acts 17:31.


• The Apostles Creed states “He shall come to judge he quick and the dead.”


• Thus Jesus claimed to be and by His judgments - proved to be God.

4. Jesus claimed He is equal to God in His honor. 5:23

• This is a most important claim, goes to the heart of worship. Ex. 20:3-6 says only God is to be worshipped, this honor to Jesus is a clear proof He is God, to honor is to worship.


• Many people claim to worship God but deny Jesus Christ, don’t miss the point - then you can’t worship God either. Weirsbe: “Apart from Jesus Christ, we cannot know the Father, worship the Father, or serve the Father.” (p. 306) John 14:6; 20:28 “My Lord and my God”


• Sad, so many “religious” people deny Jesus. Frank Perritti, in talking about the New Age Pantheism where people claim to be God, when asked if Jesus is God, they deny it. Isn’t it strange everyone else gets to be God, except God.


• Jesus is God in the flesh, God incarnate 1 John 2:22-23; 5:5, 12


• Hebrews 1 - Jesus is God - even the angels worship Him.


• Thus Jesus claimed to be and by honor He receives - proved to be God.

The Salvation Promise. 5:24

Therefore our response to Jesus’ claims is for you and me to first be one “who hears My word” - you are doing that now, and every time you read the Bible or study the Bible so as to pay attention to it - its grabs your attention.

Then make it personal and “believes Him who sent Me.” Believe that God sent Jesus Christ to be your Savior. You must believe what God says about Jesus - John 3:16. John 14:1 Now, have you done that? It is a very personal decision - the most important decision of your life.

This week I talked with a pastor friend at the Prayer Summit. He grew up in a church that talked about Jesus and the cross, that the work of salvation was done, so going to church was just simply being reminded that everyone was a Christian. It took a friend to show him the individual part of his salvation - He needed to personally “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” he must “be born again.” “Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then after 18 years of going to church, as a freshmen in college he made that personal decision - changed his life.

Another pastor I visited with who I knew in Grad School, is a CB pastor in a rather liberal Baptist church now - he is a missionary to his own congregation. One lady left because she didn’t want to hear about this personal salvation born again stuff, she wanted to hear feel good messages, nothing about sin…

Salvation is personal. Is it personal to you? Are you born again?

When we believe - look at what we receive? “has eternal life.” God gives us eternal life. A higher quality of life beyond the physical life we have, God lives in us here and now.

Because believers have eternal life now, we will “not come into judgment” - there is no judgment awaiting us, we will not be condemned along with the rest of the world. The cross already took care of our sin judicially, and our repentance personally. We know God as our Savior not our judge.

And we also “have passed out of death into life” - from the condition of dying like we are physically doing right now to living forever. Passed from the death sentence of hell, to the life of heaven. Col. 1:13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus claimed to be - and more than proved to be - God. Do you believe? The religious leaders in Jesus’ day knew what He claimed but they refused to believe. Many people, even religious people still do that today. Do you know what is at stake? Your soul? Abundant life? Your life beyond death?

Jesus is God. That is the most shocking claim ever made. Do you believe in Him? Can you say with Thomas “My Lord and My God.”