The Authority of Jesus: Many modern people object to the ethical teachings of Christianity, whether it be about sexuality, gender, money, forgiveness, or something else. However, if Jesus is who he claimed to be, he has authority over every aspect of life. The most important question is not "Do you agree with his teaching?" but "Who do you think Jesus is?" Recorded on Sep 17, 2023, on John 5:16-47 by Pastor David Parks. (Apologies for the audio issues!)

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

We’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re picking back up in John 5. If you missed any of the messages so far, you can always go back and watch or listen online. You can watch on YouTube or on the church app or listen to the audio podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. But today, Jesus addresses a big elephant in the room (and maybe this is something you’ve wondered about, too): where does Jesus get the authority to say/do everything that he says/does? Or, to put a finer point on it, what gives him the right to tell us what to do? That’s usually the problem, isn’t it? We don’t mind other people saying or doing things unless it affects us or makes demands of us. Very often, when I talk with people in the world about the Christian faith, the objections to Christianity have nothing to do with the person/work of Jesus. There seems to be a general acceptance today or even appreciation of Jesus, even among people who would never set foot in a church. However, the objections often center on the morals/ethics of Christianity, of what is taught to be right or wrong according to the Bible. Whether it’s the sexual ethic of Christianity or its teaching on gender or money or forgiveness or something else. Many people hear parts of these teachings and think, I could never be part of that. But here’s the deal: if Jesus is who he claims to be, then he has the authority, he has every right, to tell us how we ought to live. But if he isn’t who he claims to be, then nothing he says matters. But this isn’t a modern thing. It was no different in Jesus’ own day. When people met him or heard his teaching, or saw his ministry, he was constantly asked, “Where do you get the authority to be saying/doing these things?” How do you think Jesus responded? If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 5:16. This is a longer passage, but we’ll unpack it as we go. 

John 5:16-18 (NIV), “16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” Let’s pause here. So, our passage picks up right where we left off last week with the healing of the man at Bethesda. Jesus was in Jerusalem during a busy festival time when he healed a man who couldn’t walk for thirty-eight years. This was the third of seven miraculous signs in John’s gospel, and it was a sign of the power of Jesus not only to heal but also to restore what had been lost.