November 10, 2010
JESUS IS THE REAL McCoy
John 5:30-47
Paul Schmidth
Central Truth
Jesus is the real McCoy! All evidence points to Him being the long awaited Messiah. But that was not the Messiah the Jewish leaders of the day wanted or were willing to follow.
Key Verse | John 5:39–40
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." (John 5:39-40)
John 5:30-47
Witnesses to Jesus
30 I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
Dive Deeper | John 5:30-47
In this passage we see Jesus engaging the religious big boys of His day. They were well respected, enjoyed the best seats at civic gatherings, the best food at dinners, no waiting in long lines for them. They also enjoyed the respect and adoration of their contemporaries; they had a kind of pro-athlete status! Talk about slick threads. They were the gatekeeper of truth. People depended on them to announce the long awaited Messiah.
Jesus takes some time to build his case. First, He makes several claims: that He is equal with God (verse 18), He gives eternal life (verse 24), and that He judges sin (verse 27). Then, Jesus calls witnesses to affirm His claims. John the Baptist (verse 33), God the Father (verse 37), Scriptures (verse 39), even Moses (verse 46). All of these lead to a undeniable case, yet they cannot see him as the real McCoy!
The Jews had been looking for the Messiah all their lives. In the moment Jesus stands right in front of them, and all evidence indicates that He IS the Messiah. Yet, they did not recognize Him. They were looking for a Messiah who would fit their needs, not a Messiah that would make demands on them or call them to a different way of life.
Flash forward a few thousand years. Very little has changed! We still desperately need a Savior that is the real McCoy! We still have many looking for a convenience-store Savior. Many seek a Savior who will not shake things up too much. They want to be saved from God's impending wrath, but do not want to commit everything to that Savior.
As Jesus condemned those religious leaders in His day, so, too, will the same testimony convict us of an inability to satisfy God's demands for a perfect and righteous sacrifice.
Later in John, Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but though Me." (John 14:6) Rest complete in our Savior, the real McCoy.
Discussion Questions
1. Are you trusting your salvation to something other than Jesus?
2. What distracts you from following Him completely?
3. Who in your life needs to know about this Savior?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Find the three things that Jesus said prove that He is God’s Son (Hint: people [verse 33], His works [verse 36], the Scripture [verse 39])
2. Do you believe that Jesus is God’s Son?
3. What has helped you to believe?