End of John 5 and 6..Sunday notes..Pastor Gilman- 11-28-21

I'm so thankful that I everyone this morning.

Your faithfulness is what binds us together

And the more we're exposed to the scriptures, the more we talk about it

and manifest it into our lives, the stronger we become.

Make us, Lord, a bright testimony to your work…

May we grow in our grace and our knowledge of Jesus Christ.

It's in his name we pray.

Amen.

Jesus Christ is always on trial.

In the court of popular opinion, he is being tried every day.

People consider him as a man, as God. They consider his claims.

They evaluate him.

They accept him. They reject him.

They make documentaries about him. They write books about him, some favorable, many ….not so favorable. He is always on trial.

Some of you know that because you see and hear how people think about him or want to discuss him.

In fact, as a believer, you're on trial. They look at you because they want to see not only this Jesus they're considering, but they want to know the people who follow him, what are they like? In this country if you’re not Catholic then you may be suspect of not believing in Jesus at all. Or if you’re an intellectual, a philosopher type, you may not buy into the concept of a man/God at all…

And so on his behalf, we are on trial, in a sense.

But of course, really, he is the one on trial. And later on, in the Gospel of John, Jesus will stand before Pontius Pilate. Jesus will be going through a trial by the Roman government, and Pilate will say to him, don't you know that I have the power to release you or to crucify you?

But at the same time, Pilate was the one on trial. The decision that he was making concerning this Jesus

would determine his eternal destiny.

And so while Jesus is on trial, certainly in the court of public opinion, Jesus is really the judge.

And we discovered that last time when we were together.

In verse 26 of Chapter Five, Jesus said, "For as the father has life in himself, so he has granted the son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the son of man."

He is the judge, and also as the one on trial, the end of Chapter Five is a court room scene,

a legal scene, so to speak. There's a word that is repeated eight times in this section that gives us the little clue. It's the word "witness." It shows up eight times in this section.

The same word, another three times, translated is “testify,”

So we have witness, and we have testify used in the language of John 5.

Jesus, like a lawyer, brings in three witnesses because he has been telling the crowd they ought to believe in him.

Why is this important? Because he is speaking to a Jewish audience, and the Jewish audience filled with Jewish truths which are their own Old Testament scriptures--

They know what Moses had said in Deuteronomy, that “at the mouth of two or three witnesses,

a person would be authenticated, or every word would be established.”

And so like a rabbi, Jesus brings in one witness to testify of him, and then another witness to testify of him, and then another.

It's not that Jesus didn't bear witness of himself. He did. He plainly told people who he was. But he also knew that they weren't receiving his testimony, that for them, his witness of himself was not valid.

So Jesus brings in three more witnesses.

Let's look at them, beginning in verse 31 of John Chapter Five, as we finish out the chapter.

Notice what he says. "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of me, and I know that his witness, or that the witness which he witnesses of me, is true.

You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth, yet I do not receive testimony from man.

But I say these things that you may be saved. He, John, was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light."

So the first witness was the worker, John the Baptist.

It was John the Baptist who said about him, behold, this is the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.

That was his testimony of Jesus.

Here's the Lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb,

This same worker, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, said of Jesus, “he came after me, but he was preferred before me because he was before me, speaking about Jesus' pre-existence.

So this was John's testimony of Jesus.

He was the one that pointed and said, he must increase. I must decrease.

Another eyewitness was the author of this book, John.

John's writing his account. He will write a letter. And in first John, Chapter One, you remember how he begins that book?

He says that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes and we have gazed upon intently, and our hands have handled concerning the word of life.

And of him, we testify to you, this is the one.

Here's the second witness, and that is the works, the works of Jesus himself. Verse 36, "But I have a greater witness than John's, for the works which the Father has given me to finish, the very works that I do bear witness of me that the Father has sent me."

Now, Jesus has performed many works.

In Chapter Five, he performed a work at the pool of Bethesda. It was done on a Sabbath day, so the Jewish leaders were skeptical. Even more than skeptical they wanted to kill him…

They knew it was a miraculous work, but they would no accept anything that violated their law..And honestly, they were taught to be skeptical because even Moses said if a miracle worker is

in your midst, be skeptical. In Deuteronomy Chapter 13-- make sure that that miracle worker testifies the source of his power, the reason he is doing the miracles. Jesus did this but they were still not convienced…

So they were skeptical of Jesus, so he brings in his miracles to help the people but by witnessing to them to save souls. Jesus in the Gospels, it is recorded, performed over 30 miracles.

Over 30 miracles are recorded in the four gospels. John, the author of this book, records seven of them.

But 30 are recorded.

By themselves, miracles are powerful. But alongside of the other witnesses that Jesus brings in, they're unmistakable.

He performed miracles, and this is what he said.

He will say it, in Chapter 14.

"Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, or else believe for the very work's sake."

The third witness is the Word….

So we have the worker, John the Baptist, the works of Jesus, his miraculous power, and then the word of the Father, the prophetic work.

"And the Father himself," verse 37, "who sent me has testified of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. But you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent you do not believe. You search the scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life. And these are they which testify of me, but you are not willing to come to me that you may have life."

One of the most powerful witnesses, testimonies of the authenticity of Jesus Christ is the word of God, the prophetic word, the Old Testament scriptures that paint the picture of what the Messiah will be like,

And it is fulfilled in Jesus.

The Bible's an amazing document.

It isn't a book, but 66 books, right? 66 books comprise your Bible, 39 in the Old Testament, 27

in the New Testament, 66 books written by over 40 authors in three languages on three different continents over a period of 1,500 years.

It deals with the most controversial subject matter possible, the existence of God, the origin of man, the beginning of evil, the future of the world.

And yet those 66 books by 40 authors written over 1,500 years , go together seamlessly.

They agree with one another.

People will say, oh, but what about all of those contradictions in the Bible? And I say, show me one.

You see, they'll bring that up usually because they have heard that they're there, and so they've got to say that because it's just another layer of an excuse for them not to believe.

Now, if they've studied enough to know

an "apparent" contradiction, I'm glad because of it

because now we have ground to speak on. These are opportunities for us to witness or be a witness for Christ…

Let's just say you took 10 people from your neighborhood,not from three continents, just from your neighborhood--

with the same educational background, same language, and I gave you a few controversial subjects to discuss. I wonder how much agreement there would be in that room.

Not much to be sure.

16:22

Or what if you were to take 25 medical books written over a 1,500-year time period and treat a patient based on the information that you take from that? You would either have a dead patient,

So our amazing bible is comprised of 66 books, 40 authors, written over a span of 1,500 years, in three languages, from three continents, and contains the most controversial subject matter—and yet we have agreement throughout.. This is our scripture.. This is The Word of God that we are studying here..

In the OT the predictions of what the Messiah would be, was fulfilled in Jesus.

So the very word of God testifies of who Jesus was.

Jesus did a bible study that I wish was recorded. Unfortunately it is not.

And that is Luke, Chapter 24. It's after the Resurrection.

The two are walking on the road to Emmaus from Jerusalem. Remember?

And Jesus comes up-- you know the story-- incognito.

He goes, what are you guys talking about? And they say, are you a stranger in town? And don't you know the things that have happened? And Jesus goes, like what things? And so they tell about this guy named Jesus, and had hopes in him, and he said he would raise up on the 3rd day and this is the 3rd day.. remember? They are disappointed….

And then it says this.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets,

he expounded to them all of the scriptures concerning himself. He gave them a prophetic Bible study of Old Testament passages that predicted him, beginning at Moses and all the prophets.

Wouldn't you love to have this conversation on record?

This was Jesus' own study of himself as portrayed in the Old Testament scriptures. Again a witness for himself, and of his truth…

In John 5 And he was talking to a group of people who knew the word of God, but they didn't know the God of the word.

You think that just because you read the Bible a lot, you have eternal life. Not so……

Jesus said "But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life.

I do not receive honor from men, but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.

I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me.

If another comes in his own name, him you will receive." I've always regarded that as a chilling prediction. I see that fulfilled in the future when, on the world scene, will come somebody we know as the Antichrist. He'll come in his own name. He'll be very proud, very boisterous, very powerful, and the world will swoon over him.

Jesus came in his Father's name. He came already with the three witnesses of the worker, his works,

and the word. He has left for is the scriptures as our guide. Yet there are those who will not receive him even today…

"How can you believe, who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes only from God?

Come Judgment Day, all we have to do is read what Moses said and you'll be condemned just by that.

"For if you believe Moses, you would believe me, for Moses wrote about me."

Now, there's your challenge.

Go back to the first five books of the Bible, the writings of Moses, and go on a search for where Moses predicted Christ.

Now, there are some obvious ones.

For instance, he said God will raise up another prophet like unto me. Him you shall hear.

He predicted that Jesus would come, the Messiah would come, one like Moses to the nation, one who would bring in a covenant like Moses did.

But there are many places where Moses spoke about him, wrote about him.

So that's your challenge. Go find those places. And when you do, you'll have an idea of what that Bible study Jesus gave in Luke 24 to those two on the road to Emmaus-- what kind of content it had.

It's fascinating to do that.

"But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Studying the Bible will not bring you to heaven. Knowing Jesus will bring you to heaven. Jesus will save you. Bible study will not.

Now, I do want to add to that, however, that statement.

Studying the Bible won't bring you to heaven, but studying the Bible will bring heaven to you. It'll bring heaven to your soul. It'll get you in touch with truth.

It'll talk about the necessary daily regulation, regulating your life, getting you back on track, nourishing and feeding your soul like it said in Psalm 19, reviving the soul, David said.

But I love what Gypsy Smith, the old evangelist during the time of G. Campbell Morgan used to say.

He said it's not how many times you've been through the Bible. It's how many times the Bible's been through you.

And I love going through the Bible. I love studying it. I love reading it daily.

But when I do, I always pray that it would go through me, and it would be just a part of who I am.

My very speech, my attitudes would be changed because of it.




Now, John Chapter Six, and we get into the very familiar story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.

Everybody's heard of and hopefully read this story. Its hard to read a gospel without coming to this miracle. It's one of the only miracles mentioned in all four gospels. So I know in your mind, you're picturing 5,000 people. That's a lot of people on a hillside. But you have to picture many more because the four gospels in the composite rendering, putting them all together, tell us there were 5,000 men who were present, and that is because the estimation of the crowd was about 5,000 men, not counting wives who may have been there or children..

Possibly there were double this amount in reality..,

It says…"Then, a great multitude followed him." Isn't that encouraging? A great multitude followed Jesus. Isn't that what it's all about? The bigger the crowd, the better?

Well, not necessarily. You will notice what it says in qualifying that statement. "A great multitude followed him because they saw his signs, which he performed on those who were diseased."

Crowds are exciting. Growth is exciting. But what I find interesting is that Jesus himself

wasn't always excited by the size of the crowd. In fact, listen to this. All these people that are gathering around him, and more will come-- by the time you get to the end of this chapter, he will have thinned out the ranks.

It says many disciples turned and followed him no longer. After he produced witness to attest to his truth, after he has performed incredible miracles… many disciples just went home… They didn’t have the faith, the capacity for understanding or the spirit of Christ within them and they left..

That's because he's going to make claims on them and give them some hard sayings, hard truths. They're not going to like what they hear. Oh, they'll like it as long as he gives them food,

and as long as he has a happy event and does things that didn’t offend. But Jesus won't do that and didn’t do that because the big crowds didn't excite him all that much.

John Chapter Two-- it said many believed in him because of the signs which he did, but Jesus did not commit himself to them, for he knew all men, and he didn't need anybody to testify of man, for he knew what was in man.

they're there. They're following him because they saw the signs which he performed on those who were diseased. Have you ever met someone-- they follow the Lord seemingly. They love the Lord, apparently. They're on fire. They sing. They're in church temporarily. But then something happens.

A catastrophe happens. Something unexpected happens, something tragic and gut wrenching, and they're moved from that position. They become bitter at God. They become angry at God. They double up their fists and-- how could you allow this, God? What makes a person get to that place?

If you study that person and dig deeper, you will discover there are unfulfilled expectations that that person is now discovering. They had expectations. When they began their journey…When they decided to follow Jesus, they had certain expectations they wanted Jesus to meet for them. They didn't voice it, but they were there. I will follow Jesus as long as whatever. You can Fill in the blank. They'll follow him, but they'll follow him under their terms. So some people are followers, but they're selfish followers, and they have a theology. Oh, it's unwritten. It's unspoken. But their theology is this. I am the Lord, and Jesus is my servant. If he serves me well, if he provides for me well, if he heals me when I got a problem, good. I'm following him. If he doesn't do that, I'm not going to follow him.

Didn't Jesus talk about this kind of a follower? He said the sower went out to sow seed, and some of it fell on stony ground, and it sprung up immediately. There was joy and emotion. But then the sun came, and they didn't have much earth. Jesus said that's the tribulation of this life, and they fall away. And you all know people who are like that.

They were red hot. They were on fire. And then all of a sudden, cold. No pulse. No life. No trust.

So he had big crowds, but because of the signs which he performed on those who were disease-- and Jesus went up on the mountain, and there we sat with his disciples. Now, the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near, OK?

at the same time, Jesus does have a compassionate heart for people with physical needs, and he's going to do something about it. He's not going to say, you're not following me for the right reason.

He's going to feed them. That's how gracious, and merciful, and kind he is. He's still going to feed them because it's Passover time, and that means the roads are more crowded than ever before.

They're on their way down to the festival, the feast.

Jesus is up in Galilee, and he will be on the northeast side of the Lake of Galilee, and the crowds are growing thick, and they don't have food.

They're ill prepared for this kind of event, so something has to be done.

"The Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near, and Jesus lifted up his eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward him, he said to Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat? But this he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered and said to him 200 denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."

Now, why did Jesus turned to Philip and ask Philip this? Because Philip lived at a little village

called Bethsaida Julias.

But it is on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee at the time of Jesus. He's from the area.

If anybody knows the area, knows what stores are around it would be him,

He's from the area. Of course, it says Jesus said this to test him. It really was an impossible situation.

5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000-- don't know exactly the total number, but 1,000-- how are you're going to feed them?

The test was the test of trust. Will this man trust me? Does Philip know me well enough now to give me the right answer to this question? There is a right answer.

Now, as I see it, Philip failed the test. He said 200 denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."

And as somebody once said, when God

wants to do something wonderful, he begins with a difficulty.

But when he wants to do something very wonderful, he begins with an impossibility. Here's an impossibility. There's no source they could feed this group that has gathered there with them.

Now, I say he failed, what do I mean by that?

Well, he calculates, which is a good thing. He's the accountant type. He surveys the crowd. He has an idea of how many people are there, what kind of need is present, and he has a calculator for brain. So he quickly goes to work and does the math, and he goes, OK, the way I figured it, it would take 200 denarii, 3/4 of a year's wage for a common person. So whatever that is-- let's say $10,000, $25,000. ½ a million pesos or more..

And you have to understand something about Philip. Philip had to see it. He was the pessimist-- not the doubter, the pessimist. You know, there's a difference. Who was the doubter? Thomas.

So in the upper room-- do you remember the story? They're gathered together around Jesus, and Jesus said, hey, let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house, there are many abiding places, rooms, mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also. Beautiful truth, beautiful promise.

And then he said, and where I go, you know, and the way, you know.

And Thomas goes, we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way?

That's doubt.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Then Philip speaks. Know what he said?

Show us the Father, and that's good enough. That'd be good enough for anybody.

Show us God, your Father, and we'll be OK. We'll be convinced.

Philip is the pessimist.

But I love it, how God just honors the faith

So there's Philip. Thomas is probably over there going, yeah, I'm with this guy.

See, here's the math of a miracle. 2 plus 5-- because there's loaves and fishes, you'll discover-- don't add up to much, just seven things, a few loaves, a few fish. But when you add plus God, changes the whole scenario.

Difficulty must always be measured by the capacity of the agent doing the work.

Here's the right answer. Jesus, this is an impossible situation. There's not a bakery around here big enough. Doesn't matter. I've seen you work. I was there at the pool of Bethesda. I was there at the miracle of Canaan. I saw the water get turned into wine. I saw that with my own eyes.

Do whatever you want to do.

That's the right answer

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, there's a lad who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?

Now, who is Andrew? It tells you. He’s Simon Peter's brother. Now, here's the thing about Andrew.

He is not a prominent apostle. Did he write any book of the New Testament? Not a one. Did he give any sermon? Not that we know of. It's not recorded.

He is known as Simon Peter's brother. But here's what I want you to see. Unknown, unnamed does not mean insignificant because I'll tell you who he was and what he did. He was a connector. He connected people with Jesus Christ. That's his claim to fame. He didn't have to write a Bible book. He didn't have to perform a miracle or preach a sermon. He connected people. He was the one that led his brother Peter to Jesus.

Peter's salvation and the Book of Peter and all that he did is because he had a faithful brother who connected him to Jesus.

The whole miracle is based upon what this little kid brought to the table, brought to the equation.

Here's a lad who has five barley loaves and two small fish, and look at this question. What are they among so many? Not much. But add Jesus to the equation-- a lot.

We'll have 12 baskets of leftovers.

See, it depends on whose hands they're in. The miracle didn't happen in the apostles' hands. Happened in Jesus' hands. Now, this boy was a poor boy. How do we know that? He had barley loaves. Barley was the poorest of the grains, often fed to animals. It was hearty, wasn't all that tasty.

The barley loaves back then-- they're

small little loaves like pancakes, like pita bread, flat and kind of hard to chew. It was the bread of the poor. Then he has these fish, and the fish were either dried fish or pickled fish, little ones,

Jesus answered, make the people sit down.

Now, there was much grass in the place.

And so the men sat down, a number of about 5,000, and Jesus took the loaves.

Some of you look at your life. You see it as insignificant. You're so down on yourself. Who am I? I don't have many gifts. I don't have many talents. I can't do much. But Your are precious in his sight.

He has given you all that you need to change the world, Make sure that you get into his hands. Let him get his hands on you and show the world what he can do through just a few simple-- what

When he had given thanks, public prayer, he distributed them to the disciples, and Jesus

to those sitting down, and likewise, the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, he said to his disciples, gather up the fragments, the remains, so that nothing is lost. Therefore, they gathered them up and filled 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which were leftover by those who had eaten.

Jesus gave thanks. He prayed a prayer. Jesus gave them as much as they wanted.

Well, there's 12 disciples, apostles.

Leftovers for tomorrow, just to show that he does things exceedingly, abundantly, that there's no limitation to him.

Therefore, they gathered them up,

Lord we thank you this morning for our blessings none of which are insignificant. We are grateful for our humble gathering and for the words of our brother this morning. We ask that our eyes be open to the realities which lay before us because of your patience and grace. Open our hearts to your word so that we may conclude this meeting with more substance in our lives.. We are thankful for all prayers answered and all of our pleas that you have heard. Help us to pray better, and to rely on our faith that you are always with us and love us…We ask for your blessing on this bible study and all of its members and their families. Be with those who are suffering this morning, heal them if it be your will. We acknowledge Lord that we cannot do your will without you as our guide and good Father. Be with us always and help us to discern the right path daily.

We ask these things in Jesus’s name…

Amen