Sin Offering
John 5:31-47
This chapter is basically an unofficial trial of Jesus and the reader is put into the position of a juror, who is going to have to decide the question of “who is Jesus”?
It started when Jesus healed a paralyzed man on the Sabbath day, a day which the Jews had established a lot of restrictive rules all designed to show the Jew’s obedience to God. The authorities found this man carrying his bedding and accused him of breaking Sabbath day rules (v18), upon further questioning this individual eventually turned in Jesus to them as the man who had healed him. The Jews then accuse Jesus of two charges 1) breaking the Sabbath and 2) making he himself equal with God. Jesus does not try to minimize the charges but emphatically agrees by stating 1) he does the same work as the Father (v19), 2) that he is the source of life (v21) and 3) that he is sovereign (v27).
In our verses Jesus gives four evidences to back up the claim that he is God. He tells them to examine the testimony of John the Baptist, who stated, “Behold the Lamb of God” concerning Jesus. He then has them examine all the works that he had been doing in their midst, all which pointed out that he is their Messiah, even Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee made that connection. He then asks them to listen to the testimony of the Father himself. At the baptism of Jesus, the Father audibly spoke to the people and later on spoke again on the Mount of Transfiguration. Lastly he points out that while they were studying the scripture, they had missed the main point.
In verses 40-47, Jesus charges his accusers (v44) that they had no interest in the saving love of God. They were attached to their religion and personal pride and therefore unwilling to bow to the humiliating terms of the gospel. He then points out that Moses himself would be their judge, by what he wrote concerning Jesus (Deut 18:19).
You the reader are now the jury and must decide the question “is Jesus right in what he claims”. Eternal ramification looms ahead.