Kicking the Hornet's Nest: Sermon Notes for Sunday, October 7, 2012

It’s a Sign!
Part Four: Kicking the Hornet’s Nest
John 5:1-18 (19-47)
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 7, 2012

I. Jesus Pities the Powerless - John 5:1-9
A. Sin, Death, and Despair
B. Hope is in Christ, not the Water!
* Jesus’ supremacy as the Savior - Great ‘Troubler of the Waters’ (Psalm 77:16-20; same phrase, used of God leading his people in the Exodus through the Red Sea where he tells them “I am the Lord that heals Thee” - Exodus 15).
- Jesus greater than the waters of John’s baptism (1:30-33); greater than the waters of ritual purity (John 2:1-11); greater than water from Jacob’s well (John 4); and greater than the supply of water in the wilderness (John 7). He is Life and Source of Life.

II. Jesus Provokes the Powers - John 5:9ff
A. Jesus ‘works’ on the Sabbath, showing what the Sabbath is truly for - Liberation from the Law of Sin and Death
* Redeeming the Sabbath as gift
B. The man ‘works’ on the Sabbath, showing the grace of God given to him in Jesus, liberating him from sin’s power and paralysis.
* But there are always those who prefer the power of the Law to the power of the Gospel!
C. Jesus confesses his Identity and the source of his Power
D. Jesus’ charged; he offers his witnesses - John 5:31-32
1. John the Baptist - v.33-35
2. His Miracles - v.36
3. The Father - v.37-38
4. The Scriptures - v.39-47


III. Jesus Proclaims the Power of the Gospel - John 5:19-30
Because Jesus is God come as man to men -
* He has Life in Himself and Gives it as a Free Gift, Raising those Dead in Sin
* He has the authority to act as Judge as ‘the Son of Man’
- “You think you’re putting me on trial? You are the ones on trial!”
- “You want to quote Scripture to me? I’m the author and the words are about Me!”
* He has the keys of heaven and hell

This sign should disturb you - that is, if you think Jesus is ‘nice’.
Jesus is merciful and seeks to heal the powerless; he is also just and seeks to topple the arrogant; he is not nice. He has no problem picking fights with the pompous and humiliating them - because he loves them!

The Gospel hope of the broken is to be raised up; the Gospel hope of the proud - especially the religious proud! - is to be brought low so that they might see the glory of the Savior and love him, receiving his love.