Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
The life of the Lord Jesus Christ and how He utilized the sword of the Spirit in His personal life.
Purpose of miracles = was not to relieve people from suffering, that was a secondary aspect. Miracles were designed to focus attention upon the purpose and the work of TLJC.
The most important thing in the world is the message of the Gospel and the miracle of receiving eternal life.
These miracles announced to Israel and those that observed that TLJC is the Eternal Son of God as well as the Messiah.
JOH 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.
If these things were written that even the world itself could not contain both in quality and quantity, the works about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the first half of this chapter we have two miracles and then we have four messages.
There is also another reason for miracles which this passage will bring out which is to test believers. In this case, the disciples.
They listened to the discourse that TLJC gave them in chapter 5 on the steps of the temple, which of course dealt with His deity.
They saw the lame man healed on the Sabbath.
One was on the land, the other is on the sea, both were designed to test the disciples.
The disciples are going to flunk both tests.
JOH 5:8-10, Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk. And immediately the man became well, and took up his pallet and {began} to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. Therefore the Jews were saying to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”
JOH 5:12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up {your pallet,} and walk’?”
He has just put the religious crowd down in their own backyard and the steps of the temple.
He has really put them down hard and they are out to get him.
He was popular because people just love to be entertained and in that day the number 1 type of entertainment was the performance of a miracle.
In chapter 5, He called upon 6 witnesses to testify of his deity…but that isn’t why the crowd is following Him.
They are following Him so that they can see some miracle and then go back home and become a celebrity.
They missed the whole point of His miracles which was designed to focus attention on the person and the work of Jesus Christ.
They kept on seeing the signs or the miracles which He was performing rather than those who were sick.
They are not with Him because He is the Son of God, the only Savior. They are with him because of what He can do for them.
Back in Jerusalem they are celebrating the Passover which speaks of Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ is on a mountain by the Sea of Galilee at the Passover time.
Back in Jerusalem the religious crowd rules.
And they will slaughter a lamb….which speaks of Christ on the cross bearing the sins of the world.
JOH 1:29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Back in Jerusalem, They will sprinkle the lambs blood. They will eat part of the lamb.
The true lamb of God is sitting upon a mountain miles away as the religious crowd are going through ritual without reality.
In verse 4, we are told what’s going on back at the ranch in Jerusalem, it is the thing that is truly biblical and that is the fact that TLJC
is as far away from the religious crowd as you can get.
The Lord would leave a place where He was well known and a place where He was even appreciated.
To leave some environment where you’re not appreciated, or where you even think that you are appreciated, but you’re not, is an embarrassment and also keeping you from getting Bible doctrine.
JOH 1:9-10, TLJC is called the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
Wherever there is positive volition toward doctrine, God provides the spiritual food even if it means a change of residence.
Therefore, the importance of a change of environment and circumstances.
When environment is not conducive to the persistent positive volition toward doctrine necessary to keep pressing on then God uproots the believer who is positive.
2TI 3:1-4, But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self‑control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
They have an appearance of God or religion in 2TI 3:5 holding to a form of godliness or religion, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.
2TI 3:6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2TI 3:5 “They [believers and unbelievers in the cosmic system] hold to external forms of spirituality, but have renounced the power of that same spirituality; you also be turning yourself away from these men.”
1TH 5:11-18 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing. But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.