Go Deep

(John 5:17-23)

Read the story of the man Jesus helped (John 5:1-16). What stands out to you?

If the Father really led Jesus to heal the invalid, why did the man behave so badly afterward?

What can we learn from this story about doing God’s work?

Was what Jesus did a violation of the Old Testament Sabbath laws?

John does not mention some of the Sabbath controversies the other Gospels include. Is there evidence here that he was nevertheless aware of them?

Have you ever discovered after the fact that God was at work in your situation? Have you ever discovered God’s work while it was still going on? If so, think through how that came about.

How can Jesus say in verse 17 that his Father is at work until now, when the Bible says that God rested on the seventh day?

Read verse 18. In what sense did the Jews believe Jesus was “making himself equal with God”?

What are some ramifications of the fact that God is even now at work in the world around us? What does it mean for Jesus’s followers?

 

Read John 6:38 and 4:34. Did Jesus have his own, separate agenda to fulfill?

 

Compare what Jesus says of himself in John 5:19 with what he says of his disciples in John 15:4-5. What similarities do you see?

 

What does Jesus mean when he says he “can do nothing by” (or “nothing originating from”) “himself”?

 

What next step should a person take when he thinks he has seen what the Father and Son are doing around him?

 

How should a person approach the Bible who wants to see what God is doing?

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