In considering John 5
● remember that this chapter begins with the rather detailed story- Why might that be so?- of Jesus healing the lame man,
● notice the often repeated words “take up your bed” (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) that situate the healing in a Sabbath-violating event that Jesus initiates and even extends by finding the man a second time,
● understand how Jesus includes “My Father” (17) in his explanation of his own work on the Sabbath, in order to link his work to his Father’s work,
● register the awareness of Jesus’ foes that the healing, the calling of God “his own Father” (18), and the implicit equality with God are all tied together,
● see the extended intertwining of the work of God and the work of the Son (19) along with God the Father handing judgment to the Son (22), so that honor will gather to the Son as it does to the Father,
● trace the references to life (21, 21, 24, 24, 25, 26, 26, 27, 39, 40), noting especially- that which gets the “Truly truly”()- the pairing of hearing Jesus’s words and believing “him who sent me” (24),
● appreciate how verse 24 extends the ideas of John 3:16, giving a somewhat different means to eternal life and thereby reminding readers to read that most familiar verse for all it is worth, while remembering that it has company,
● see how reference to Jesus’ “authority” (27) to judge is elaborated (24-30),
● notice in this book of signs that Jesus’ “works” (36) “bear witness” (36) of Jesus’ connection to the Father and further John’s attempt to help readers “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31), and
● register John’s closing claim that Moses in his writing also bore witness of Jesus (39; 45- 47).
Thank you,
Randy Tumlinson