Jesus, The Persecuted One
John 5:10-18
When last we looked at the book of John,
We took a look at Jesus the deliverer.
There was a pool called Bethesda, many in Jesus day thought it was a place of healing, but what it really was, was a place of extreme bondage.
Jesus however is the true deliverer.
He approached this man and uttered a very powerful term.
“Do you want to get well?”
The text went on to show us that Jesus did indeed heal this man,
And then verse 9 provides the bridge to our text this morning.
Verse 9, “Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.”
Now, I don’t know if you caught it last Sunday night or not,
But that last phrase is far more than incidental.
“Now it was the Sabbath on that day.”
When you read through the gospels, and you are familiar with the works of Jesus, you read that last phrase and everyone says to themselves,
“Uh-oh, here we go again.”
He did it on the Sabbath – AGAIN.
It is far from incidental. As we talked about when Jesus cleared out the temple, sometimes Jesus sought out confrontation.
And so you and I both know what is coming next.
Vs. 10, “So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”
They were here in Jerusalem, when Jesus healed this man and told him to carry his pallet and walk, it was literally only a matter of minutes before someone ridiculed him for it.
The Jews had taken an extreme legalistic approach to the Law
Especially those who were Pharisees.
And according to their legalities, this man was busted.
He was carrying a pallet, and immediately someone calls him on it.
So he responds in his own defense.
Vs. 11, “But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.'”
This man’s point was that he was not intentionally breaking God’s law,
But surely anyone with the authority to heal his sickness
Had the authority to tell him to pick up his pallet and walk.
This man was simply trying to do what he was told.
Vs. 12, “They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”
What manner of blindness can’t even see the workings of God simply because they can’t see past their legalism?
These people couldn’t even see
That God had worked a major miracle in this man’s life
Because they were concerned
That their man-made laws were being violated.
They wanted to know who this man was.
Vs. 13, “But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.”
And so at this point Jesus is off the hook.
He went out and healed on the Sabbath, but no one knows who did this.
If He just lets everything alone, He can bypass the trouble.
But you and I know better.
We know what happens and here we see,
“Jesus: The Persecuted One”
Vs 16 says, “For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus…”
Vs. 18 says, “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him…”
Jesus was about to find Himself in the middle of persecution.
WHY?
WHY WHERE THEY PERSECUTING JESUS?
WHY DID THEY WANT TO KILL HIM?
As we examine why Jesus was persecuted,
We will see three truths about Jesus
That further help us understand exactly who He is.
In seeing why Jesus was persecuted,
We are going to learn what things are truly important to Him.
If a man will suffer for something,
We know he cares about it.
There are three reasons in this text why Jesus was persecuted, and through this we see three things that Jesus is passionate about.
#1 HIS CONCERN FOR THE SINNER
John 5:14-15
Alright, consider the scene.
Certainly Jesus knew that they were angry about what happened.
He had to know that coming forward would mean trouble for Him.
SO WHY DID HE?
Because Jesus’ concern was not for safety,
Or for popularity, or even just for curing social ills.
Jesus’ concern was that men be set free from sin
And it’s consequences.
He had more to tell this man.
Jesus wanted to make sure that this man understood
That his biggest problem wasn’t a disease.
His biggest problem was sin,
And Jesus was willing to risk it all to make sure this man knew that.
Jesus was willing to expose Himself to this ridicule
Because He was still concerned about this man.
Look at what Jesus came and told him.
Vs. 14, “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
Jesus wanted to make sure that this man understood
That sin was his enemy, not just sickness.
I am not implying that this man was sick because he sinned.
That could have been the case, but it is not necessarily the case.
John 9:1-3 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Just because a person is sick does not necessarily mean they sinned, but it also does not mean they haven’t.
The simple truth is that sin brings consequences,
Jesus understands that
So He continually warns people
That sickness is not their enemy, sin is their enemy.
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
This is something we should all remember.
It was important enough to Jesus
That He was willing to be persecuted to tell you.
Satan would have you believe that God is trying to ruin your life.
He would have you believe that God’s laws
Are just to kill all your fun and make you miserable.
This is the first lie he ever told, and he still tells it today.
Remember Eve?
Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
Satan still does this today.
God says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me”
Is it because He just doesn’t want any other god to get any credit, and doesn’t want you to have other religious experiences? No.
Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.”
He knows that to worship any other god will leave you in hell.
He is the only one who can save.
God says, “Thou shalt not make any graven image.”
Is it because God doesn’t want you worshiping a god that is exactly like you want him to be, and He is trying to steal your fun? No.
Isaiah 46:5-7 “To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike? “Those who lavish gold from the purse And weigh silver on the scale Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. “They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; They set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress.”
He doesn’t want you to worship a god that you have to carry,
He wants you to worship the God that can carry you.
God says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”
Is it because He doesn’t want you having sex, or enjoying a relationship? No.
God created sex.
He’s trying to save you from the heartache of adultery.
(teenage pregnancy, AIDS, or just the shame on your wedding night)
Proverbs 6:26 “For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life.”
God says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness”
Is it because He doesn’t want you to have the fun when you talk with your friends? No.
He just knows that deception leads to a tangled web in life.
Proverbs 17:4 “An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.”
God says, “Thou shalt not covet”
Is it because He doesn’t want you to want nice things and enjoy getting stuff that makes you happy? No.
He just knows that happiness is fleeting
And if you sell yourself to it, it will destroy you.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Jesus doesn’t enforce righteousness
Because He is some egotistical domineering control freak.
Jesus enforces righteousness
Because He knows sin will kill you.
And Jesus is so concerned that you know this, that He was even willing to face persecution in order to make sure you understand.
And sure enough, persecution is what He would earn.
Vs. 15, “The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.”
I don’t know why this man did it.
I don’t know if it was to save his own skin…
I don’t know if it was to glorify Jesus…
I don’t know if he resented Jesus implication…
But for whatever reason, the word is out.
This was the risk Jesus took
Because He was so concerned that sinners be set free from sin.
He was persecuted because of His concern for the sinner
#2 HIS CONTEMPT FOR RITUAL
John 5:16
Now to catch why they are upset at Jesus,
You have to read this verse very carefully.
It does not say, “For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus because He did this thing on the Sabbath.”
It says, “because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.”
If this were just a one time deal…
If this were just a one time occurrence…
But this was getting all too common.
Jesus constantly healed on the Sabbath.
This man didn’t approach Jesus wanting healing.
Jesus approached Him and asked, “Do you want to get well?”
Jesus didn’t have to do this on the Sabbath, but just like so many other times, He did it on the Sabbath on purpose.
Matthew 12:1-14 “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. “But if you had known what this means, ‘ I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” — so that they might accuse Him. And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? “How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.”
And of course that story is just one of many.
The point is Jesus purposely healed on the Sabbath
WHY?
Because He hated their ritual.
He hated these stupid ordinances that would actually prefer
That men be bound than to forsake their traditions.
Jesus had so much contempt
For this ritualistic, man-made, tradition led, religion
That He was willing to be persecuted in order to expose it.
Jesus didn’t have to do this on the Sabbath again,
But He wanted them to know, He doesn’t approve of ritual.
Matthew 6:1-6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:16-18 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
In fact, not only did Jesus teach against ritualistic religion,
He scorned it.
Matthew 9:14-17 “Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. “But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”
Matthew 15:1-9 “Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'”
All the Jews had was a man made standard by which they could justify themselves, and that made Jesus sick.
That is all that religion does.
It eliminates God’s standard of heart righteousness
And enforces a man made standard that allows self-justification.
Remember the Sermon on the Mount?
“You have heard…but I say…”
Jesus condemned them because their hearts were filthy.
Remember Jesus confrontation of the Pharisees?
Matthew 23:25-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Jesus wanted you to understand it so bad
That He was willing to be persecuted to expose it.
He was persecuted be of His concern for the sinner, because of His contempt for ritual…
#3 HIS CLAIM TO BE LIKE GOD
John 5:17-18
OK Jesus, you were already in enough trouble.
You had healed on the Sabbath – AGAIN,
And the people were getting pretty riled about it.
If you don’t want to be persecuted, then I suggest you start trying to keep the peace a little bit. I suggest you do Your healing on another day of the week, and that start playing by the rules that everyone else is playing by.
But Jesus wasn’t finished.
There was one more thing that Jesus wanted you to know,
He was doing was what God wanted,
And everyone else had missed the boat.
Vs. 17, “But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
Jesus response to their anger was that, “I am just doing the same things My Father is doing.”
CAN YOU HEAR THE REBUKE IN THAT STATEMENT?
He is point out that He is the One who is right,
And everyone else has missed the point.
OK that does it!
Vs. 18, “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
Now they didn’t just want to malign Him or punish Him,
They wanted to kill Him, and they wanted to kill Him bad.
But Jesus wanted you to know that religion doesn’t please God so bad that He was willing to be persecuted to tell you.
1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”
Isaiah 58:5-7 “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”
1 Samuel 15:22-23 “Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”
Amos 5:21-24 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
God hated their religious displays, and so did Jesus,
Because it had nothing to do with pleasing God.
Psalms 51:16-17 “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
Hosea 6:6 “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”
Jesus was passionate that you know
That righteousness is what is important,
That religion is not what works,
That this is exactly how God feels.
He was persecuted to give you this truth, so what have you done with it?
Are you living in the sin Jesus is desperately trying to get you out of?
Are you trying to appease Jesus through religion?
He doesn’t want your attendance, He wants your heart.
CAN HE HAVE IT?
Joel 2:12-13 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.”
