Jesus’ Claims: A Verdict Is Required
John 5:16-30
Jesus Makes Bold Claims: A Verdict Is Required
Have you ever encountered a claim so significant that you couldn’t simply ignore it? Throughout history, there have been moments when individuals made specific claims that changed everything. “In 1492, Christopher Columbus claimed that he could reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic. Many believed that the journey was too dangerous or impossible. But his claim forced a response. Either dismiss what he thought would be true or support it. And folks, we know that his voyage didn’t just test a theory. It changed really the course of world history.”
But no claim in history compares to what Jesus declares about Himself in John chapter 5. These aren’t casual conversations or gentle suggestions—they are bold declarations that demand a response from every person who hears them.
The Context: Controversy on the Sabbath
In John 5:16-30, we find Jesus in the midst of controversy with the Jewish religious leaders. “This was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus. Because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.” Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath day, and this man was carrying his bed—both actions that violated the Pharisees’ strict interpretation of Sabbath law.
But what happens next escalates the situation dramatically. Jesus responds with words that would either prove Him to be exactly who He claimed to be, or Mark Him as a blasphemer deserving death.
Five Claims That Demand a Verdict
Claim #1: Jesus Is Equal with God as His Son
“Jesus answered them, my Father is working until now, and I am working.” This wasn’t just a casual reference to God as Father. “The Jews understood what he was saying, and that’s why they respond the way they do in verse 18. This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him… he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
“So I ask you this morning, do you believe that Jesus the Son is equal to God the Father?” This isn’t about explaining the Trinity in all its complexity—”The Bible teaches it, Jesus claims it. And I believe it because Jesus said it.”
Many people will acknowledge Jesus as “a wise teacher” or “a compassionate leader” or even “a godly prophet. And all of those things are true. But it’s not the rest of the story. Muslims will believe those three things about Jesus… Jehovah’s Witnesses will believe this. Hindus and Buddhists and Jews and some atheists will say, well, yeah, I’m sure he was a good man. But Jesus isn’t just these. He is claiming to be equal with God.”
Claim #2: Jesus Works in Perfect Unity with the Father
In verses 19-20 of John 5, Jesus explains this relationship further: “So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”
“Jesus says that he doesn’t do anything independent, that he works in conjunction. He works with the Father. Same purpose, same power, the same will. What Jesus does and is doing is the same with the Father.”
Claim #3: Jesus Has Authority to Give Eternal Life
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (John 5:21). This goes far beyond what we see with Old Testament prophets like Elijah and Elisha, who raised people from the dead. “When they brought someone back from the dead, those people died again. And that’s the problem.”
“What the Scriptures teach here is that Jesus is not just the instrument of life, he’s the source of life. And if you are a believer here this morning, you have eternal life because Jesus has given you this… salvation is not merely offered by Jesus. He gives it, he grants it.”
Claim #4: Jesus Is the Final Judge of All People
John 5:22 declares, “For the Father Judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” This means that “Jesus Christ will either be your savior or he’ll be your judge… Every person will stand before the Lord.”
“Your salvation is not determined by your religion. Your salvation is not determined by your good works. Your salvation is not determined by your sincerity, folks. Your salvation is determined by your relationship with Jesus. Do you know him? Is he your Savior?”
Claim #5: Jesus Must Be Honored Exactly as God Is Honored
“This claim here is the boldest of all claims. Jesus claims that he must be honored exactly as God is honored.” John 5:23-24 states: “That all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
“What Jesus is saying here is it’s not similar honor between God and the Son. It’s not lesser honor between Jesus and the Father. It’s the same honor… And if you are not honoring Jesus, you are not honoring God. What a claim.”
The Response: What Will You Do?
“Jesus does not allow any neutrality. You must make a decision. Equality with God, unity with God, authority over life, authority over judgment, and worthiness of divine worship. Folks, so these are the claims that Jesus makes.”
For those who respond in faith, the promises are incredible:
You Have Eternal Life Right Now: “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life” (John 5:24). “This word has eternal life in verse 24. It’s what’s called present tense. It’s not, well, I will have it one day. No, you have it right now.”
You Will Never Face Condemnation: “He does not come into judgment. It’s a guaranteed exemption. If you are in Christ, there will be no judgment on you.”
You Have Passed from Death to Life: “This wording here of having passed is really what’s called a perfect tense. A perfect tense is a completed action with ongoing results. We have passed from death, no longer dead, but we’re alive in Christ.”
The Stakes Are Eternal
But we must also face the sobering reality for those who reject these claims. “If you are here this morning without Christ, you will remain spiritually dead… If you’re here this morning and you’re without Christ, you don’t understand the gospel. You are under God’s judgment.”
“If he is not God, he cannot give life. If he is not God, he cannot remove the judgment that we deserve. And if he is not God, he cannot raise the dead. So is Jesus really all that he claims to be?”
Putting It Into Practice
“You can dismiss a politician’s claim, you can dismiss a scientist’s claim, you can debate a philosopher’s claim, but you cannot safely ignore the claims of Jesus.”
Here’s how to respond to Jesus’s claims:
Examine Your Heart: “Do you believe that Jesus is who he claims to be?” Don’t settle for viewing Jesus as merely a good teacher or moral example. He claimed equality with God—either He is, or He isn’t.
Make Your Decision: “Jesus does not allow any neutrality. You must make a decision.” These claims demand a verdict from every person.
Live Like You Believe: If you’ve accepted these claims as true, “Do you sing about Jesus because you understand that these things are true? Are you willing to go? Are you willing to give? Are you willing to sacrifice your life for the cause of Christ because you understand that what Jesus claims is true?”
Trust in His Promises: Remember that “if you believe, if you have faith in who Jesus is, the Bible says in verse 24 that you have eternal life” right now, not someday in the future.
The question that confronts every person is simple yet profound: “Are the claims in John 5, Is Jesus really who he claims to be? And if he is, then receive him.” The verdict is yours to make, but make no mistake—a verdict is required.
Israel Confesses Her Unbelief
Man By The Pool
When You Meet Jesus
The Suffering Servant’s Success
When The Crowd Leaves
Where Are You Really Heading
We hope you enjoyed the sermon and would love to see you in person. Plan your visit to Community Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee today!