Jesus, greater than Moses and the Law
Dr. Roberto Miranda
(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY: In John 5, Jesus encounters a paralyzed man who has been waiting for 38 years to be healed in a pool with supposedly healing powers. Jesus heals him and tells him to sin no more so that something worse does not happen to him. The Pharisees criticize Jesus for breaking the Sabbath instead of seeing the miracle that he performed. Jesus exalts himself as the essential element for salvation and eternal life, which is a common theme in the 3 encounters he has with Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and the paralyzed man. The encounters demonstrate a slow development in revealing Jesus as the climax of the narrative.
The focus of Christianity should be on presenting Jesus Christ, not a religious system or institution. Jesus has the power to break resistance and confront individuals in a way that forces them to accept or reject him. The narrative of the paralytic in John 5 shows the gradual introduction of Jesus as superior to the Old Testament system of healing. The Old Testament system was inefficient, unfair, and based on works, while Jesus offers grace and takes the initiative to heal the man. The Lord always takes the initiative and offers himself, but he also expects our participation.
In this passage from John 5, we see the power of Jesus to heal and restore. The man who had been paralyzed for 38 years is healed simply by Jesus telling him to get up and walk. This is a symbol of the grace and direct access to God that we have through Jesus Christ. There are no works or intermediaries needed, just a confession and declaration of faith. However, before fully blessing a life, Jesus often clarifies the requirements of the Gospel and the Christian life. We are called to consecrate ourselves, cleanse ourselves, and protect the blessings we receive from God. The exceptional and unique person of Jesus is presented in this passage, with verses that speak to the love of the Father for the Son and the power of Jesus to give life to those he loves.
In John 5:20-24, Jesus speaks about how the father loves the son and shows him everything he does, including giving life to those he loves. Jesus also says that he is life and that those who hear his word and believe in him have eternal life and will not face condemnation. Without Jesus, one is effectively dead before God, but by accepting him, one can pass from death to life. The doctrine of hell should not be minimized, and evangelism should focus on offering salvation and eternal life rather than just presenting the benefits of Christianity. Living in Christ includes struggle but also great blessings, and we should focus on falling in love with him rather than just the church. The sermon closes with an invitation for anyone who has not yet accepted Christ to do so.
The focus of Christianity should be on presenting Jesus Christ, not a religious system or institution. Jesus has the power to break resistance and confront individuals in a way that forces them to accept or reject him. The narrative of the paralytic in John 5 shows the gradual introduction of Jesus as superior to the Old Testament system of healing. The Old Testament system was inefficient, unfair, and based on works, while Jesus offers grace and takes the initiative to heal the man. The Lord always takes the initiative and offers himself, but he also expects our participation.
In this passage from John 5, we see the power of Jesus to heal and restore. The man who had been paralyzed for 38 years is healed simply by Jesus telling him to get up and walk. This is a symbol of the grace and direct access to God that we have through Jesus Christ. There are no works or intermediaries needed, just a confession and declaration of faith. However, before fully blessing a life, Jesus often clarifies the requirements of the Gospel and the Christian life. We are called to consecrate ourselves, cleanse ourselves, and protect the blessings we receive from God. The exceptional and unique person of Jesus is presented in this passage, with verses that speak to the love of the Father for the Son and the power of Jesus to give life to those he loves.
In John 5:20-24, Jesus speaks about how the father loves the son and shows him everything he does, including giving life to those he loves. Jesus also says that he is life and that those who hear his word and believe in him have eternal life and will not face condemnation. Without Jesus, one is effectively dead before God, but by accepting him, one can pass from death to life. The doctrine of hell should not be minimized, and evangelism should focus on offering salvation and eternal life rather than just presenting the benefits of Christianity. Living in Christ includes struggle but also great blessings, and we should focus on falling in love with him rather than just the church. The sermon closes with an invitation for anyone who has not yet accepted Christ to do so.
And today I want to introduce a third character and we're going to make comparisons from time to time between these 3 characters. Today we see him in his dialogue and his encounter with a paralyzed man, who is in chapter 5 of John. And it is interesting that these 3 encounters, Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, a paralytic from Bethesda, are in subsequent chapters, 3, 4 and 5 of the Gospel according to Saint John.
We are going to see that there is a common theme in all 3 and that it is at the very heart of an evangelistic presentation. It is at the very center of a real relationship with the Gospel as it is constituted. In chapter 5, let me read and then I'm going to go in and I'm going to try to save the explanation for the end because it's such a rich text, and it's like 47 verses. I'm not going to read it all in the interest of brevity, but there are some very important parts and the first thing I want to read is simply the initial encounter with Jesus and the paralytic.
We are going to see that there is a common theme in all 3 and that it is at the very heart of an evangelistic presentation. It is at the very center of a real relationship with the Gospel as it is constituted. In chapter 5, let me read and then I'm going to go in and I'm going to try to save the explanation for the end because it's such a rich text, and it's like 47 verses. I'm not going to read it all in the interest of brevity, but there are some very important parts and the first thing I want to read is simply the initial encounter with Jesus and the paralytic.
