Memorize: Testimony to Jesus’ deity
Key Verses: 9, 18, 46
Jesus seems to break all the rules that were placed on him by the religious leaders. He didn’t fit the mold; he broke it. Jesus helped the Samaritan woman and the official, both of whom were rejects by Jewish standards and both began telling others about what Jesus had done for them. Now he goes to a pool filled with people who are viewed as receiving physical punishment for their sin. Their understanding of all sickness was that it was a sign of God’s disfavor. This was especially true of chronic conditions like blindness and crippling. And yet Jesus goes to them. “Pick up your mat and walk.”
But Jesus has the audacity to do this on the Sabbath when we are not allowed to engage in our regular work. This man carries his mat! What a terrible crime. When the religious leaders confront Jesus on this point, Jesus equates His work with the work of the Father. The Jews know what Jesus is claiming, equality with God, so they get their spiritual feathers in a dither. But Jesus does not back down. He doesn’t retract His statement. Instead, Jesus says he does what the Father does. He raises the dead and gives life. He judges and receives honor due only to God. Jesus says that believing in Him will bring life and that His voice is the voice of God. But Jesus’ words about His own identity are not the only testimony about who Jesus is. John the Baptist, Jesus’ works, the Scriptures and Moses all lend their voice to the testimony of Jesus’ deity.
These testimonies all point to Jesus being God. And this started with Jesus stopping by a pool of water where people waited for God to show up. They could believe that the first in the ‘stirred’ water would be healed. They were desperate enough to believe something that seemed farfetched, outside the realm of possibility. Jesus’ testimony, supported by these others, all put forth the claim that Jesus is God. Are you willing to step into this pool and believe? Are you willing to risk your life and reputation, and as a result be healed?
REVIEW: Acrostic Theme & each chapter’s phrase.
The Arnold Journey 