Gospel of John - Very Truly I Tell You

                                                     Very Truly I Tell You

John 5:24-30

Honesty was definitely a priority for Jesus, and it should be a priority for all who call themselves Christian. We have seen honesty in the calling of the disciples, and others: Jesus saw Nathanael “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.”, Nicodemus, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”, Jesus spoke of the lady at the well, “...what you have just said is quite true.”.

 Now Jesus is speaking to the spiritual leaders: Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the law about truth and honesty. Let’s look at the text, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” 

Jesus was led by God in all that he did and said, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Jesus addressed all that he met with truth and honesty, “Very truly I say to you…” He exhorted all to hear and believe the very Word of God. It is the foundation of faith, “…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Jesus is explaining that all who hear his teachings believe in their heart (if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart. Rom.10:9a).  Later God’s word explains after the death and resurrection of Jesus is the apex of faith, “that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Rom.10:9b-10” 

This is Jesus’ message, it is that he has been sent from God the Father, and all who believe in Him who is sent from God has eternal life in the Son. 

Application - In God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit there is no deceit, “‘God is not a man, that he should lie…’ Num. 23:19, ‘nor was any deceit in His mouth.’ Isa. 53:9c,  ‘In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began…’ Titus 1:2,  ‘So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.’” Heb. 6:18-19.” 

We hear so many things in this world of immeasurable knowledge on the internet, verbal words, and nonverbal messaging from anywhere on this planet, but many have yet to understand because of closed hearts and ears. Jesus’ words are infinite. They are for every age and every person group. We are without excuse, for God has given us every opportunity to hear his word, though there are two groups who have yet to hear, those yet unreached with the Word and those who are deafened by the god of this age, “Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” Jn. 8:47 (also the parable of the sower Matt. 13)

Jesus came with the words of truth and honesty, and he desires for those who hear to also listen in truth and with honesty respond to the Word of God. It is interesting to sit in a service, and watch people who are truly touched in their hearts and minds by the spoken Word of God. They have their faces filled with tears and their mouths uttering thanks and adoration to the Lord Almighty for His Son and salvation. Others seem to be oblivious and untouched, indifferent to the message because of probable problems and situations in their lives, cares in this world that have stolen away the words, or they are filled with religious conceit, arrogance, and self-centeredness. Those who receive him honestly reveal their hearts and souls to Him, in order to receive eternal life and be cleansed and comforted by the One who knows the heart and mind of every person. They walk in confidence that they will not be judged with the world, but have been changed into a new creation, with a renewed mind and a purified heart transformed by the Holy Spirit. 

So today, when you hear the word of God, respond honestly by opening up your heart and mind to it, humbly receive the word and let it redeem your life.

Next Jesus followed up with a second very truly, let’s look at the text. “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. Jesus was not afraid to talk about death, for he knew that was one of the key reasons he came into the world, to conquer death and the devil. Jesus spoke truth to the jewish leaders about spiritual death as well as physical death. 

First, Jesus addresses people who are dead (in sin) yet hear the words of Jesus (his voice), and believe, have eternal life. Jesus has the authority to give life and this is a major contention with the leaders in Jerusalem.They have put their hope and trust in the traditions of the Jewish people as the people of God’s inheritance and chosen people, and they are not incorrect in the physical, but they are dead in the spiritual because they have made it a religion of works and trust in man and the idols of men. 

Second, It is at this point that Jesus talks to them about his authority as the Son of Man. Jesus claims to give life just as God the Father did in the creation. Jesus is the authority from the Father to give life and that eternal even to the dead who will hear his voice. He has the right to judge because he is the Son of God, even over physical death, which they will later witness in miracles performed by Jesus (raising of Lazarus (Jn. 11:38-44) and the dead after His death and resurrection (Matt. 27:51-53). He tells them not to be amazed at his words, because they know that the prophets Elijah and Elisha both raised the physical dead by the power of God’s Spirit and word. Jesus takes it to the ultimate conclusion, he has authority in judging the dead: life eternal to the those who believe (those who have done good will arise to live) and those who have not believed (those who have done evil will be condemned to eternal death)

Jesus is just in all his authority as judge.

Application - Since the creation of the world, God (the Trinity) has been giving life. Every being, whether angel, mankind, animal, or plant is from the very voice of God. He gave mankind breathe in the garden by His Spirit. He judges justly in the matter of sin and death. It is in this authority that Jesus came and will come again to reign over all that he has created. 

Today, death is a major topic on the news and media involving the pandemic. Man is scared of the thought of death, and is trying in his own power to defeat it with the vaccines and other means he is developing. They don’t listen to the Word of God nor do they obey the authority of God’s Son. Man is busy trying to play God with the tampering of genetics and the abomination of Ai (artificial intelligence) implants into man’s bodies. Mankind will never be able to create life over sustain it with his own power or intellect. Life comes from God, and eternal life comes only through the Son of God. Jesus’ spoke the truth so that all mankind would know it. Mankind, and especially those who strive to be leaders in the world have denied the truth, many have distorted the truth, and even replaced the truth with a lie. One day, maybe not so far away, mankind will see the dead arise and those who believe will be caught up to be with them in the air. This will leave the dead (spiritually) to reign over this world for a very short time. In the end, Jesus will come and sit on His throne to judge the living and the dead, and he is just. He will judge those who have believed and they will receive their reward in heaven, and those who have done evil (not believed but trusted in man, his works, and the enemy of God) will be condemned to their reward, separated for eternity from God and live in continual torment in hell.

Last, Jesus tells the leaders that He can only do as he has seen the Father do, and what the Father is wanting done. He can do nothing on his own, he judges by what he hears from the Father. Let’s look at the text, “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” 

Jesus' primary desire is to please the Father in all that he does. He came into the world to do the Father’s will and purpose, and he listened only to the counsel and words of the Father. Jesus’ words to the leaders in Jerusalem stung because they lived by their own authority, arrogance, and power. Jesus came with humility, truth, and honesty. Jesus stated that “ By myself I can do nothing…” Jesus didn’t lord it over the leaders but came as the one who judges by the Word of God and by what he has heard from man and what he hears from the Father who sent him. It is this submission and yielding to God the Father that pleases His Father, and the leaders in Jerusalem haven’t understood or done it.

Application - It is still amazing with the Word of God in the hands of man for more than two thousand years, and we still struggle with telling the truth and being honest. We still try to do everything in our own ability, claim that we are telling the truth, and then distort the truth, or deny it totally with a lie. Jesus came in obedience to the Father, yielded to the will of God, listened and obeyed God’s instructions and spoke only the words of the Father, and all of this in humility, even though he was God the Son. We have been a part of so much evil in this world, from killing innocent lives in the name of our human rights, to hating at every level of mankind, to speaking words that come from a darkened heart, looking at the world through sinful darkened eyes, and justifying what we do as good according to man. Isaiah was right about our age where we call evil good and good evil (ch.5), and we still fear death from a pandemic sent to awaken us from our sinful spiritual slumber. 

Yet in all of this world, God’s light is still penetrating through the darkness. The gospel of truth is still being spoken so that any who have an ear may hear and believe in Jesus for salvation, eternal life. Jesus’ desire hasn’t changed. He still does what the Father desires. The Holy Spirit is still speaking and reminding those who listen and obey to all that God’s word says, who yield their will to the will of the Father in an act of spiritual worship and adoration. For they do not fear death, for it has been defeated at the cross. They wait eagerly and in anticipation for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His bride, who has been made pure, blameless, and spotless of sin by the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God. We live in lawless times of evil, so what kind of people should we be?

  I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

 

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare

Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com