WITNESSES FOR THE DEFENSE (19 OF 75)
by Mike Stone
Scripture: John 5:31-47
This content is part of a series.
Witnesses for the Defense (19 of 75)
Series: The Gospel of John
Mike Stone
John 5:31-47
For the last few weeks we've been in John 5 looking at the healing of a paralytic and the dust-up that followed. The whole incident took place on the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders were furious about it.
As Jesus began His response in verse 17, the Jews understood Him to be claiming equality with God, the Father. It's really a staggering thing to claim to be God. It was no more acceptable in that say than in ours.
Two doctors were touring a local insane asylum. As they paced down the halls they heard a man shouting at the top of his lungs, ''I am George Washington.'' He continued to shout several times, ''I am George Washington''. Finally when they came to his room the lead physician said, ''Who told you that you are George Washington?'' The man replied, ''God told me I'm George Washington''. The man in the next bed sat up and said, ''I didn't tell you any such thing''.
It would surely appear to be lunacy for a man to claim to be God.
Buddhism -says Jesus was wise and enlightened teacher who taught similar things to Buddha but he was only a man. Islam says that Jesus was a prophet sent by God, but still a man. Jehovah's Witnesses - says that Jesus was neither God nor man, but the Archangel Michael.
Mormonism says that Jesus was a created man who became a god, but not the eternal God of the Universe. Unitarianism says that Jesus was a great example of God's love who demonstrated God's compassion for humanity. Scientology's founder L.Ron Hubbard doesn't believe Jesus even existed.
But Jesus' claims were far different than these heretical claims of the false religions. He claimed to be eternal God come in human flesh. Such a claim was surely blasphemy and was worthy of death. The ONLY defense against the charge of blasphemy would be for Jesus to prove His claim was true.
Through the Bible, John records some of the evidence as part of his attempt to p ...
Series: The Gospel of John
Mike Stone
John 5:31-47
For the last few weeks we've been in John 5 looking at the healing of a paralytic and the dust-up that followed. The whole incident took place on the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders were furious about it.
As Jesus began His response in verse 17, the Jews understood Him to be claiming equality with God, the Father. It's really a staggering thing to claim to be God. It was no more acceptable in that say than in ours.
Two doctors were touring a local insane asylum. As they paced down the halls they heard a man shouting at the top of his lungs, ''I am George Washington.'' He continued to shout several times, ''I am George Washington''. Finally when they came to his room the lead physician said, ''Who told you that you are George Washington?'' The man replied, ''God told me I'm George Washington''. The man in the next bed sat up and said, ''I didn't tell you any such thing''.
It would surely appear to be lunacy for a man to claim to be God.
Buddhism -says Jesus was wise and enlightened teacher who taught similar things to Buddha but he was only a man. Islam says that Jesus was a prophet sent by God, but still a man. Jehovah's Witnesses - says that Jesus was neither God nor man, but the Archangel Michael.
Mormonism says that Jesus was a created man who became a god, but not the eternal God of the Universe. Unitarianism says that Jesus was a great example of God's love who demonstrated God's compassion for humanity. Scientology's founder L.Ron Hubbard doesn't believe Jesus even existed.
But Jesus' claims were far different than these heretical claims of the false religions. He claimed to be eternal God come in human flesh. Such a claim was surely blasphemy and was worthy of death. The ONLY defense against the charge of blasphemy would be for Jesus to prove His claim was true.
Through the Bible, John records some of the evidence as part of his attempt to p ...
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