Week 5: More Signs amid Mounting Jewish Opposition (John 5:1–10:42)

John 5:1–10:42

At this juncture in John, the conflict escalates between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Along the way, Jesus defends his ministry and reveals more about the aims of his mission. In his defense, Jesus further reveals his identity, performs more signs, and cites several major witnesses on his behalf.

In John 5:1–10:42 Jesus explicitly declares that he is God, the second person of the Trinity, and that he has authority over all things.

Read through the complete passage for this study, John 5:1–10:42. Then review the three sections below and write your notes on the questions concerning this phase of escalating conflict and revelation in Jesus’ ministry. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 2030–2045; also available online at www.esvbible.org.)

1. Jesus Is God (5:1–6:71)

According to John 5:18, why were the Jews1 seeking to kill Jesus?

Review John 5. Make a list of everything this passage teaches us about God the Father, about God the Son, and about the relationship God the Father and God the Son enjoy.

During Passover,2 Jesus turns five loaves and two fish into a feast for thousands. What does this sign teach us about Jesus? What Old Testament account might form the background to this miracle? What does the aftermath of this miracle (John 6:22–71) teach us about the human heart and mankind’s ultimate need?

What does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)?

2. Jesus Is the Christ (7:1–8:59)

Read Proverbs 4:23 and Isaiah 58:11. Jesus is likely referring to these two Old Testament passages when he likens himself and the work of the Holy Spirit3 to “rivers of living water” (John 7:37–39). When John says, “for as yet the Spirit had not been given” (7:39), he doesn’t mean that there was no work of the Holy Spirit in the world prior to Jesus’ resurrection. After all, the opening page of our Bible testifies to the Spirit’s activity in the world (Gen. 1:2), as do several more Old Testament passages. John is simply stating that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given in the full and powerful sense as promised in Joel 2:28–29, and as later experienced on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–11). How do these supporting passages from Joel and Acts help illuminate John 7:37–39?

The earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of John do not contain John 7:53–8:11. It seems best to view the story as something that happened during Jesus’ ministry but was not an original part of what John wrote. What does this scene teach us about how Jesus treats sinners who are aware of their sin and how Jesus treats sinners who are unaware of their sin?

3. Jesus Is One with the Father (9:1–10:42)

In John 9:2 Jesus’ disciples ask an important question about suffering. How does Jesus answer their question? What do you think of this answer, and how does it help us make sense out of the suffering we see and experience?

As John’s Gospel progresses, Jesus more explicitly reveals his identity and his mission. Review John 10:22–42. What do we learn here about who Jesus is and what he came to do?

Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to reflect on the Personal Implications these sections may have for your walk with the Lord.

THE POWER OF JESUS. John 5:1–17 narrates Jesus’ encounter with a man who had been an “invalid” (the Greek term for a “disabled” condition) for thirty-eight years. This man had stationed himself near a pool thought to have healing powers. Jesus speaks a sentence to him, and he is instantly healed: “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ And at once the man was healed” (John 5:8–9). Thirty-eight years of disability are shed simply through the voice of Jesus. No matter the extent of sin or sickness in someone’s life, Jesus can completely transform him or her through his power. In fact, the only people Jesus works with to save and change are sick and sinful people.

THE ANSWER. Throughout this section of John, Jesus constantly reveals himself as the ultimate answer to the world’s problems. Jesus is the “bread of life” (John 6) who relieves our true hunger, a hunger that food cannot fix. Jesus offers “living water” (John 7) that quenches the thirst we can’t quench on our own. Jesus is the “light of the world” (John 8) who takes away the darkness that engulfs us. And Jesus is the “good shepherd” (John 10) who tenderly cares for us. And unlike bread and water, it requires no money or effort to know Jesus. All we need to do is admit our hunger and ask for this free “bread of life.”

TWO TYPES OF SINNERS. Though the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of John do not include John 7:53–8:11, this story reveals an important distinction that shows up throughout the Bible: there are two types of sinners. The woman caught in adultery is a sinner, and she knows it. Thus, Jesus immediately forgives the woman. The scribes and Pharisees are sinners, but they don’t know it. Thus, Jesus confronts them with the truth of their sin. For grace to be enjoyed and received, one must first see one’s own sin and need for grace.

ONE BIG STORY. Jesus defends his divine identity and ministry by appealing to Moses, saying, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). This is one of the many places where Jesus argues that the Old Testament Scriptures are about him, that the Bible tells one big story about him. Jesus teaches us that the point of the Old Testament is to point to him—the Son of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.

DO NOT BE AFRAID. The command that appears most often in the Old Testament is the simple imperative “Do not be afraid,” or “Fear not.” The Old Testament is filled with God’s call not to be afraid. This command reaches a climax with the arrival of the Son of God. In the midst of a storm, while walking on water, Jesus says to his frightened disciples, “It is I; do not be afraid” (John 6:20). To come face-to-face with Jesus is to come face-to-face with God, and in this scene we see why God has filled the Scriptures with the attractive command to abandon fear: for God himself has left heaven to approach us in the midst of our storm and bring us safely back to shore. He does this ultimately through the cross of his own dear Son.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD. In John 10:11 Jesus announces, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” With these two sentences Jesus brings to a climax the longings of God’s people. “God . . . has been my shepherd all my life long,” said Jacob (Gen. 48:15). “The Lord is my shepherd,” wrote David (Ps. 23:1). God “will tend his flock like a shepherd,” prophesied Isaiah (Isa. 40:11). Over time, these ancient descriptions of God as the true shepherd fueled the longing for a shepherd-leader, a shepherd-king, a Messiah, who would lead God’s sheep in wisdom and restoration—“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. . . . And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord” (Mic. 5:2, 4; note also Num. 27:16–17; Jer. 3:15; 23:4). In this section of John—the feeding of the five thousand, the healing of the sick, the forgiving of sinners, and the claim to be “the good shepherd”—we see Jesus fulfilling this ancient longing and promise.

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE. Jesus repeatedly defends his ministry throughout this section of John by appealing to Scripture. Jesus quotes the Old Testament, most notably in reference to Moses and Abraham, to validate his identity and ministry. For Jesus, the highest appeal one can make is to the Scriptures, for the Scriptures are God’s authoritative Word. Among the many arguments to be made for the authority of Scripture, the greatest argument is that Jesus himself treated holy Scripture as authoritative and submitted his life to it.

THE CALL OF GOD. In John’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly states that a relationship with God begins with God’s initiative. To a crowd Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). Jesus’ words are consistent with the entire witness of the Bible—humans cannot self-generate a relationship with God. God must first call a person into relationship with himself. We see this first in Genesis 12, when God calls Abram out of the crowd and into a relationship with himself. Along with Jesus, the apostle Paul often highlighted this truth.

Take time to reflect on the implications of John 5:1–10:42 for your own life today. Make notes below on the personal implications for your walk with the Lord of (1) the Gospel Glimpses, (2) the Whole-Bible Connections, (3) the Theological Soundings, and (4) this passage as a whole.

1. Gospel Glimpses

2. Whole-Bible Connections

3. Theological Soundings

4. John 5:1–10:42

Take a moment now to ask for the Lord’s blessing and help as you engage in this study of John. And take a moment also to look back through this unit of study, to reflect on a few key things that the Lord may be teaching you—and perhaps to highlight or underline these to review again in the future.

Definitions

1 Jew – A person belonging to one of the tribes of Israel. The term, derived from the word “Judah/Judean,” came into general usage around the time of the Babylonian exile (c. 586–516 BC). It is sometimes clear that when John refers to “the Jews,” he has in mind particularly the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees.

2 Passover – An annual Israelite festival commemorating God’s final plague on the Egyptians, which led to the exodus. In this final plague, the Lord “passed over” the houses of those who spread the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintel of their homes (Exodus 12). Those who did not obey this command suffered the death of their firstborn.

3 Holy Spirit – One of the persons of the Trinity, and thus fully God. The Bible mentions several roles of the Holy Spirit, including convicting people of sin, bringing them to conversion, indwelling them and empowering them to live in righteousness and faithfulness, supporting them in times of trial, and enabling them to understand the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of Scripture, guiding them to record the very words of God. The Holy Spirit was uniquely active in Jesus’ life and ministry on earth (e.g., 1:32–34; Luke 3:22).

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