John 5:1-30 The Son's Power and Authority

We take a few more verses under consideration this week in part one of our look at the SON, specifically His POWER and AUTHORITY.

John 5: The Sabbath
John 5: 1-17  The Savior
John 5: Suffering

John 5: Society

John 5: Sin

John 5: Sin pt.2

John 5: 1-30 The Son: Power and Authority

John 5: The Scriptures

John 5:31-47 The Son: A Living Testimony

1. In John 5:14 it says Jesus made the man whole (healed, well). So Jesus has the power to make the created world and to make it whole if it is broken.  Jesus also indicated the ailment was because of sin, which would imply Jesus had the power to forgive sin as much as heal the body broken as a result of it.  Some might imply His warning might also mean He has the power to judge sin and produce consequences because of sin.  But at the very least, He clearly had authority over the body, the sickness, and sin. 

2. Read Matt 9:6 and Mark 2:10ff.  What is the evidence Jesus gave He had power? What did He have power to do?

3. Read John 5:17.  What does Jesus indicate by His authority and power to “work and continue to work”?  Why is it okay that God works and Jesus works but men should choose not to work on Sabbath?  Read Isaiah 64:4 (in multiple translations).  What does it say about how our God is different?

4.Read v14-20 and follow what Jesus said in each argument.  Why in verse 19 is He basically arguing “like Father like Son?” How does this strengthen His case to work on the Sabbath?  Why will the Son do greater things than these?

5.Read v21-29.  Why is it important He links judgment and life?  Read Romans 3:23 and 6:23. What is the link between wages and gift, life and death?  Note the role of glory.  Relate this to honor (John 5:23)

The man in John 5 was crippled by sin with no hope until Jesus came. How does that compare to us (5:24, 3:16-18)?  What is it we must do (5:23, 3:16) to have hope?  Are we alive waiting to die, or dead waiting to live?  Re-read v27-29.  Jesus does not just pronounce judgment but execute it. How does this change the argument about healing the man on Sabbath? How does that change the meaning of the Sabbath from Creation to a future rest?

 Something to consider wrestling with here is the nature of the power Jesus has.   

What’s the difference between power and authority?

2 Tim 1:6-12. 

•God has given us a spirit of _______, ________, and a ______ _______.

•How is His power revealed in and through us according to this passage? 

•Why hold fast to sound words of faith? Hold fast to it through what?

•What reveals the power of the gospel to a lost and dying world?

John 5:29-30 and Matt 28:18-20. 

•How has His message changed from John 5 to Matt 28? 

•How should we in Matt 28 consider our authority and our message and the execution of our calling compared to how Jesus followed His calling in John 5?

Luke 10:19-20

•Who is the authority over? 

•How should we feel about it? For what purpose should He give us His authority?

Ephesians 6:10…19-20

•How does Paul suggest we use power? What kind of power is it?  Is it power to WIN a battle?

•How does Paul want us to pray for him to use his authority?

John 5: Sin (part 2)

John 5: The Sabbath
John 5: 1-17  The Savior
John 5: Suffering

John 5: Society

John 5: Sin

John 5: Sin pt.2

John 5: The Scriptures

John 5: The Son


Ever untangle a jewelry box or a fish box (not a tackle box, but the box of fishing gear, old lures, string, and pieces of who knows what)?  Is there a good method?  Do you have tricks?

Sometimes untangling all the issues in our hearts that seem focused on a particular subject end up being a lot of different things when you start pulling it apart.  It's certainly true of looking at a passage of scripture.  You might come at it with one thing in mind, uncover some part of an answer only to realize it has all kinds of other issues tangled in there together.

Like the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5.  You might think about this story relating to the Sabbath, and then maybe start looking at the Jesus as the Savior healing on the sabbath, and then it's about suffering or society.  Next thing you know you're looking sin in the face.  And sin all by itself is such a tangle of thoughts, truths, emotions, preconceived notions, cultural perspectives, history both personal and human, and all kinds of other things.

We started to look at sin last week and went toward the simple question of "what is the definition of sin" and realized two syllables into that one syllable word to find that is a loaded question and an even more loaded answer!

So let's come at the tangle from a slightly different angle.  Let's look at sin from two other perspectives  1) being forgiven, and 2) being pure...or not needing forgiveness.  From those two cross-fires, perhaps we can draw the profile of sin.

Read Psalms 119:1-3 and compare to Psalms 119:9 and Psalms 119:11.  The first is a statement, the second is a question and answer. Having understood the first two, the third is a responsive decision for the future.  Write them out on one piece of paper.

 Read 1 John 1:5-10.  What is the relationship between light, dark, sin, cleansing, truth, and lie?


Read v4.  Why is John writing about all this in the first place?  How does that change the tone in which you read the other verses?

Read Mark 4:9-14.  This is just after teaching a great multitude the parable of the sower (or soils).  When they asked Him what it meant, what did He say?  Why did He speak in parables? What was He trying to prevent?  Why would He want to prevent that?

Read verse 14.  What was the sower sowing?  Why does that matter?

Jump to Romans 7:12-14.  This whole chapter can be confusing, but start with verse 14.  The Law is __________ but I am ________________.  So this spiritual law exposes sin in my mortal body.  It makes sin appear for what it is, exceedingly sinful.  Not just a slip or mistake or oops. And I am wrought with peril.  So what is good (the Law) exposes what is not good (sin in me).

Take a few minutes and see if you can piece these verses together  from Psalms 119, Mark 4,  and Romans 7 to find your way to Psalms 119:11 for yourself and 1 John 1:9 from God.

Look at the two word trees below (click to enlarge):

Let's go back to last week and revisit the second half of the questions.

Read John 3:16.  Why did Jesus come into the world?  Read John 3:17 why didn't Jesus come into the world?

Is sin doing something wrong against God's commandments?  If God's commandments are a description of His character, (God is truth, therefore thou shalt not bear false witness), how else would you describe sin in context of the commandments?

Do I lie and therefore become a liar, or am I a liar and therefore I lie? If someone tells you a lie, what do you call them? If someone steals what do you call them?  If someone cheats on their spouse, what do you call them?  If someone takes someone else's life maliciously, what do you call them?  If someone takes God's name as a curse word or uses it in a way that doesn't give Him the glory He deserves, what do you call them? If someone worships a created thing and not the Creator, what do you call them?

If the man in John 5 (and the other passages) was healed (something he is) by being forgiven (something he did that caused infirmity), is sin about something I do or something I am that merely presents itself by what I do as a symptom of what I am?

Should we merely ask forgiveness for what I did or also ask forgiveness for what I am (a liar, thief, adulterer at heart, idolator, blasphemer...)?  Is sin more than doing wrong things? Is forgiveness more than getting relieved of the punishment of doing wrong things?

Read Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, and 10:9-10.  Describe the relationship of sin, our character, God's character, and the cross.