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Vital issues

Text: John 5:16-47

VITAL ISSUES

How seriously had The Jews taken Jesus and His teachings? They had apparently dismissed the teachings of Jesus as heretical and blasphemous without giving them too much thought. They did not seek to understand His doctrines, nor did they give serious thought to the sign-miracles which He performed effortlessly! Nevertheless they had judged Jesus and condemned Him in their hearts as one deserving of death.

Jesus knew the import of His ministry in Israel. He knew the significance of the role He played. There were a number of vital issues that He must attempt to bring up to the Jews while He was still able to do that.

1. The Word that He proclaimed

Why hadn’t the Jews sought to examine the words Jesus spoke more deeply and thoroughly? Surely the Scribes and others who were scholars among The Jews would have known that they should pay great attention to the words of a Teacher?

If they wanted to fault a Teacher, the best place would be in the doctrines He propounded. Jesus was no exception. He welcomed discussion and research concerning what He said. But no, The Jews did not give much consideration to the doctrines Jesus proclaimed. They dismissed His words outright. They listened only to find fault.

2. The Importance of having Faith in the Messiah sent by God

Didn’t The Jews know the importance of the place of “faith” in religion? One must exercise faith in God, for how else can one speak of having a religion? Their religion seemed to be one of “works” rather than “faith”. All their fastidious adherence to the keeping of the letter of the law seemed to lean towards a doctrine of works rather than a doctrine of faith.

Jesus had to urge The Jews to give due consideration to the words that He had proclaimed. If only they would, they might yet find faith in Him as the Messiah sent by God. Thus solemnly He proclaimed.

“Most assuredly, I say to you,
He who hears My word and believes in Him
Who sent Me has everlasting life,
And shall not come to judgment,
But has passed from death into life.”
John 5:24

Jesus began with the hearing of the Word that He proclaimed. Did the people not hear the ring of truth in what He said? Did not the hearing of His word cause faith in their hearts? Did they believe in God at all? If so, why could they not believe that God could and did send the Messiah to them?

The question of faith was a very basic one! Did they believe only in themselves and the doctrines that they had formulated?

3. A Matter of Life and Death

The Jews and all who stood around as Jesus proclaimed these words must try harder to understand the significance of what He had said! To this end, Jesus brought up the importance of having faith in Him. How the people regarded Jesus was a matter of life and death.

Surely The Jews and everyone else must be concerned about God’s Judgment. How would God judge? Would He judge a person by his behaviour? Would He judge a person by his works? How would The Jews justify their murderous intents if they were to stand before God on judgment day? Jesus had to read the riot act to The Jews so that they might not be carried away by the spirit of animosity they harboured in their hearts against Him.

If only they would open their minds and their hearts, they would then find that their faith in Jesus was actually true faith in God, for He had sent Him as the Messiah. If they were to receive Jesus as the Anointed One, they would not need to come to judgment. The Son of God would have given them everlasting life there and then. They would already have been passed from death into life.

There was no mistaking the gravity of what Jesus said. The people must realize that if they were to hope that they would somehow pass God’s Judgment one day, they would be sadly mistaken. God had already given the prerogative to judge to none other than the Person speaking to them!

If they were to stand before God on Judgment Day, they would have to face none other than Jesus as the One who will judge on God’s authority! If they rejected Him now, if they sought to persecute and kill Jesus, how would they escape judgment and condemnation from God?

Jesus was willing to forgive them. He would prefer not to judge them but to overlook their sins and extend to them forgiveness. More than that, He would very much like to give them eternal life! All that was required of them was to believe that God had sent Jesus into the world to give life to all who had faith in Him!

THE DILEMMA THE JEWS FOUND THEMSELVES IN

The words of Jesus were so straightforward and simple. Yet, the sad fact was that the Jews found difficulty in even considering what Jesus said, let alone speak about finding faith in Him. Their hearts and mind were obviously closed. We are reminded of what the Apostle Paul said, as he too encountered Jews that had hardened their hearts against the Gospel.

“Go to this people and say:
Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, but not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing; and their eyes they have closed…”
Acts 28:26-27

Over the years, through disuse and misuse, the hearts of The Jews had grown dull. They just couldn’t find faith in God – let alone Jesus! Have our hearts grown dull too?