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by Sandy Shaw
Today, God is working for you. We are living in God’s seventh day, and if He did not work our universe and world would collapse in chaos. And, what is equally important – Jesus is still working – saving – healing – empowering – strengthening – and ministering to all sorts of various needs.
We are reading and studying in John Chapter 5 and verse 16 onwards.
By the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son continue to work in all kinds of ways.
God is so busy today and Jesus is so busy today.
The Sabbath is a day of rest in which we are set free from serving ourselves to serving God and worshipping Him.
“Rest” does not mean idleness, or doing nothing. My Father is working and I am working, and we too will be working and worshipping God and ministering to Him and to the needy people that come our way.
Jesus passes on from being accused of sacrilege to the charge of blasphemy.
Jesus speaks of God as My Father. Jesus teaches us to pray Our Father, but He can say “My Father”. Jesus is the Son of God and is making himself equal with God.
Jesus is God in the flesh, coming personally to rescue lost sinful men.
Jesus is seeing what God His Father is doing and works alongside Him, and this is a pattern and example for us. See what Jesus is doing and minister in that way. See how Jesus is moving and follow Him and minster in the area where he is moving and pouring out the Holy Spirit.
The Jews hated Jesus not just for what He did but also for what He said. And Jesus goes on to say – I am telling you the truth – Amen Amen – all this is true – and he repeats it. The Father loves me so He shows me what to do and how to do it.
As we read on – verse 28 following – Jesus goes on from healing the sick to raising the dead. Jesus was able to give life to the physically dead as well as to the spiritually dead. His Word gives life. Awake! Arise from the dead!
Verses 22 to 27 – Another thing Jesus says to the Jews – God is not going to judge the world by Himself. He has revealed to Jesus that He is going to do it. He is the separator. Jesus is the final arbiter of human destiny.
The Father began the judgement but He is going to finish and complete it.
Not only does Jesus claim to have power to give life but He also claims to have authority to judge. He is the Saviour who rescues and gives life. But when we speak of Jesus as Judge, this is seldom popular. This is not an idea which is generally acceptable to men.
You can have 40,000 people at a football match, and there is a penalty and some say ‘Yes’ and others will say ‘No’, but what matters is the decision of the referee. It is the decision of the Judge that counts and not the opinion of the people.
This is why many wonder – who is this man? It is indeed the identity of this man which becomes the main issue at this juncture.
Verse 23 – Honour me as you honour God. Imagine Jesus saying that to these critics. Jesus is going to decide their eternal destiny. Therefore would it not be wise to honour Him?
Verse 28 – do not be amazed at this. When you bury a person in a grave, that is not their last resting place. People need to hear this today. Whether you return to the dust slowly or to ashes quickly, that is not your final resting place.
One day the dead will hear and come out to judgement – to face Jesus – to answer Jesus.
Jesus demolishes the view that death is the end. The dead will hear His voice calling “COME”. Jesus also demolishes the view that all hear the same verdict.
He will judge as the Father wants Him to judge – righteously and faithfully. Jesus will be perfectly fair.
Verses 24,25 - Listen to Him. I am telling you the truth. What I say is true, because the Father told me to say it.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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