Jesus Approved of God

Introduction

When Jesus made the claim, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father except by me. It was one of the most radical statements that could have been made. At least even in his time, from the Jews’ viewpoint, they were ready to kill him as a blasphemer. But even to this day, in the midst of a world, as you no doubt know, filled with hundreds, millions, in fact, who are believers in Muhammad as the prophet and Islam as the true religion. In addition to that, we have Hinduism, Buddhism, atheism, and other isns. How could Jesus be the only one, the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can come to the Father except by him. How would you go about proving that yourself?

1. A Man Attested by God by Miracles, Wonders and Signs

If in fact you are confronted with someone who say, for example, isn’t a member of the Islam religion, what would you say? How would you go about proving Jesus to be the Son of God? I find it interesting that on the day of Pentecost, after the crucifixion of Jesus, in fact, at the time when the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles, that we find the Apostle Peter making this claim. The fact is that men of Israel, he said, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in your midst, as you yourselves also know. There are many ways to prove, I believe, that Jesus really is the way, the truth, and the life, that he is the Son of God.

Not only the witnesses who were with him and walked the pathway of the earth during his three years at least of his personal ministry, but also in the fulfillment of prophecies, prophecies that were made hundreds of years before that were fulfilled in the Christ, those give proof that he is what he claimed to be. But especially Peter on the day of Pentecost simply said to these Jews, these are things you yourselves know. The miracles, the wonders, and the signs which God did through him. When we look at the very words, the word miracles, wonders, and signs are not three different methods, but rather three different words that describe the same action. The word miracle literally describes some supernatural intervention of nature’s laws. I know sometimes today we use the word miracle in a in a different way.

There’s an automobile accident, and someone comes out of it and say, Oh, that was a miracle. Well, that’s not the miracle in this in the Bible use of the word. In fact, even today there’s some maybe who are healed. And the doctors may say, I do not know what caused it. He should have died. It’s out of our hands. And I do believe today in indeed what I call divine healing. That is that God does intervene. But even these kind of cases, it’s not a matter of something that happens immediately. But rather, nature’s laws still are involved, and there’s a process of healing that may take several days, weeks, or months. The doctors may not know what changed, and we would say, Well, God is the one who made a change.

I believe in that kind of healing today. And yet, in the Bible sense of the word miracle, these were supernatural interventions of nature’s laws, and that always immediately you could find it was an action that occurred so instantaneously that it produced wonders. The effect was the beholder marveled. In fact, it’s quite often you read in the scripture where they were amazed and they were bewildered. How could this be? And not only that, it was for the purpose of being a sign. That is, the effect served as proof that the origin was from God. It was not simply a matter that Peter or John or any of the apostles were had the power within themselves. It was by God’s means that they were occurring. The miracles, the wonders and signs.

But I want you to notice that what Peter said on that day of Pentecost, he said, as you yourselves know. The miracles that Jesus did were not done, say in a staged setting where the people who came to be healed had been interviewed already, and there’s a process of time. But rather in various places and at different occasions, Jesus worked these signs as proof that he is the Son of God. Even Nicodemus in John chapter 3 and verse 2, when he came to Jesus by night, he said, No man can do these miracles that you do except God be with him. That is the effect that God was with him. In our auditorium class this quarter, with the teachers Jim and Tim are teaching from the Gospel of John.

It’s a great study. And I hope if you’re involved, you will take your workbook, you read and study each lesson before you come into class, whether it’s Sunday or Wednesday night. Because the Gospel of John is written from the point of view that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I want to study with you not only this morning, but maybe another lesson or two thereafter, not to duplicate what they’ll be teaching in class, but rather to build upon and approach from a different point of view. They’re studying verse by verse, chapter after chapter, the Gospel of John, which is written as that gospel that gives us the proof that he’s the Son of God. But I think that if we look at the scriptures and just draw from various lessons through the Gospel of John, we’ll learn that even as the book itself comes or is drawing to a conclusion.

2. Seven Signs Written That You May Believe

In John chapter 20, truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. You find in the Gospel of John, there are seven specific miracles. Now, when I use the term specific, there’s a time, occasion or two where you find that there were a multitude, and he healed many, but that doesn’t tell you who or what the exact occasion was. But it’s remarkable that there are seven specific miracles that John does record in different places and with a different outcome that I think verify, together verify the fact that he is the Son of God. And therefore, in this verse, he said, These are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

In all, if you take Matthew, Mark, Luke, as well as John, it is said there’s some 33 different specific miracles that are recorded that Jesus did. But there, and I say specific again, because there are several times where in the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, you may find that there was a multitude. There were many who came, and they brought the sick and the blind and the deaf so forth. But out of 33, there are only seven that are in the Gospel of John. And in fact, in the Gospel of John, five of the seven are not found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John has selected certain signs. These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Well, let’s look at these.

3. Power Over Quality and Power Over Distance

What were the wonders that Jesus worked? No doubt, if someone were to ask you, give me a give you a sheet of paper and say, write down a miracle, could you remember that Jesus did? This probably pops in your head first and foremost. In fact, it is the first miracle the scripture says that Jesus worked. In Cana, near his home of Nazareth, there was a wedding feast. It was at a time, in fact, we do not know who it was that was getting married, but some suspect by the setting there that might have been some kind of kin to Jesus. But Jesus and his disciples were invited. And as the wine was served, the master of the feast came and said, There is no more wine.

Mary, in fact, came to Jesus first and approached him. Now Mary, even before his birth, was told that she was going to give birth to the Son of the highest, the one who’d be sitting on David’s throne. So you might say, even before birth, she knew that she was going to give birth to one who was certainly of God and from God. And maybe with that in the background, why she approached Jesus as though surely you can do something about it. But Jesus, in effect, just says, It’s my concern, leave it to me. And you know the story, perhaps, how that indeed, knowing that there were six water pots there, the scripture says each of them, maybe some twenty to thirty gallons would hold twenty to thirty gallons of water.

Jesus had the servants to go fill them up. And then Jesus turned that water to wine. When the master of the feast came and tasted of it, his reaction to the bridegroom was amazement. He did not know where the water had where the wine had come from. He didn’t know the servants had put water in the pots. But he did know that it was better wine than what had earlier been served. In fact, his reasoning was that, you know, after men are well drunk, you give them the worst. You don’t say the best to last. You give the best at the first, but what had happened in this feast turned out to be the best wine. I know there are many people who like to take this story and say, oh, this is proof we can have a social drinking.

But really there’s several circumstances. First of all, the word wine does not always mean intoxicated or fermented. There certainly in Matthew chapter 9, where Jesus said, talked about the very illustration, you don’t put new wine into old bags, because the as the bag would expand with the fermentation, it would it would burst. You put new wine in the new. And so the word wine there was certainly what we would call grape juice. And I believe that’s what’s happening in this first miracle that Jesus worked. That is simply that it was precious, the sweetest tasting. It was the best that would be served. The new miracle, the first miracle that Jesus worked, the scripture said it manifested his glory, and his disciples believed. But from that occasion, the scripture would have Jesus then going down to Jerusalem where he cleansed the temple.

But then when he comes back into that area of Galilee near uh near at near Cana, there was a nobleman in chapter 4. The scripture describes this nobleman who perhaps was some kind of authority under Herod, Antipas. And he learns that Jesus is back in Cana. Perhaps he’s heard of the first miracle that was worked there. This nobleman is at Capernaum. Now the point is that Capernaum, some 16 miles away from Cana. And so he goes to Jesus and begs of Jesus that he would come and heal his lad, his son, who is very seriously ill. Jesus simply says for him to go his way, that his son was healed. The next day, as the nobleman is heading back to home, and while to us 16 miles doesn’t sound that that far, I mean, some of you probably travel that just getting here this morning, but you had a good automobile and you had paved roads to come.

And when you think back in these days, where they mostly was by walking, it was it was quite a trip from Canaan to Capernaum and Vice and Back. But when the nobleman starts home, his own servants meet him on the way and tell him, Your son is healed. And his first question is, Well, what hour was it? When was it? And when he learns it was at the seventh hour, the nobleman knows that’s exactly the time that Jesus had said, Your son is healed. What’s the proof? Well, when we look at the water to wine, which said it was the best wine, Jesus had power over quality. In this case, it’s a different type of miracle. As I was saying in the introduction, Jesus didn’t do these as staged events where there’s a crowd and they’ve already been built up by some kind of singing and whatever, and and a man who claims to be a so-called faith healer that it’s a similar kind of miracle that was done before.

But in this case, Jesus wasn’t even at the lad’s side, at his bedside. But at the very same hour that Jesus said, Go your way, your son liveth, so it is that he was healed. Power over distance, even in this case.

4. Power Over Time, Quantity and Nature

It was lying near this pool. The tradition was that at this pool, at certain time of the year, the angel would come and stir the water, and the first one who would get into the water would be healed, no matter what the affirmative may be. And the scriptures does say, in fact, that there were many people, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, who were there waiting for the moving or the moving of the water. But the man said, You know, I’ve been here, but when that happens, there are others who get into the pool before me. I’m not able to get in there first. Jesus doesn’t put him in the water. What Jesus says, do you want to be made well? And obviously the sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water stirred it, but but while I but while I’m coming, another steps down before me, and Jesus simply said, Rise, take up your bed and walk.

Take up your bed and walk. Your reaction that you see in this case in John chapter 5 is really where the Jews began to say, Well, this is the Sabbath day. Why are you carrying your bed and walking? It’s against their traditional interpretation of the law. And the man simply explains, Well, who the man who healed me is the one who told me to do so. Who healed you? And then they turn to Jesus when he finally points it out that Jesus is the one. Jesus made the statement when they accused him of breaking the Sabbath himself. Jesus says, My Father worketh, and I hitherto work. In other words, what was done here wasn’t just by the power of Jesus Himself, but even God Himself. Again, the Jews take action to put him to death.

He’s blasphemed. He calls himself the Son of God. That God was his father. But nevertheless, that was the reaction to the miracle. It’s significant they did not deny the miracle. They didn’t say, Well, you know, um, this man really uh, he he probably uh the time was that he began to walk again. No, they knew he had been afflicted, and as he said, 38 years. But immediately he got up and walked, carrying his bed. All they could do was say, he broke the Sabbath. They didn’t deny the miracle. When you come to chapter 6, there are two miracles that are found in chapter 6. I found it interesting, these are the only two that are recorded in other accounts of the gospel. In John chapter 6, there’s the feeding of the 5,000.

And actually there were more than 5,000, because Matthew 14 says, besides women and children. We could only guess. If you were to say double that, maybe 10,000, there was quite a crowd. And they followed Jesus to the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and there it came time, really no doubt, that multitude, what are we going to do to feed them? There was Philip who first of all said, Why, if we had 200 denarii, in other words, a denary represented a day’s wage, so multiply two hundred times a day’s wage, we still wouldn’t have enough to feed this multitude. Gives you some idea of how many people really were there. Two hundred days’ wage, and it wouldn’t be, and you go buy bread, it wouldn’t be enough to feed the multitude.

And there’s a lad here who who has uh the five uh barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus said for the men, make the people sit down. And as you know, he blessed, and they began to distribute the bread and the food, the fish, to feed that multitude of people. So much so that even when they were fully fed, there were twelve baskets remaining or left over. You see something different in this? It’s a different type of sign or miracle that proved power over quantity. The crowd was about to force or make him their king, of course, misunderstanding really how, or what the what the real king of kings would be like. But thinking in terms perhaps that he would be like David of the past in the physical reign.

But rather than allowing that to occur, Jesus removes himself from the crowd, goes up into the mountain to pray. And it’s later on that same evening that his disciples then rowing across the Sea of Galilee back toward Capernaum, that says over in the in the fourth hour of the of the watch, which would be something like between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the morning, that, and they’re some two to three miles now across Galilee. They’ve rolled that far that Jesus comes walking on the water. Now from Matthew’s account, we know, of course, how Peter responds and jumps in and of course begins to sink himself when he takes his eyes off of Jesus. But the real point is not so much about the lesson that Matthew records in it, but as the Gospel of John simply does.

5. Power Over Darkness and Power Over Death and Life

What does it prove? Power over nature itself. How could it be that he could walk on the water? Indeed, what it produced in the heart of the disciples, that he was the master, master of the wind and the wave, the Lord of gravity, you might say, in its power, Jesus had power over. But then we come to chapter 9. And one of the interesting miracles that Jesus worked was to take a man who’d been blind from his birth and give him sight. And what was remarkable even to the Jews, even then, never before had anyone been born blind was made able to see. Now, you know, we may have modern medicines and methods by which that can take place, but through surgery or whatever process. But back 2,000 years ago, it wasn’t possible that a man who is born blind could be healed.

But Jesus healed him. The fact is there was some dialogue, first of all, when his own disciples asked, Rabbi, who who sinned? Did this man or his parents that he was born blind? In other words, blame God for it. Why was it? They must have sinned, that’s why he’s born blind. Jesus answer, really, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work. But as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. That’s a significant statement. I am the light of the world. Then the scripture says that he spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said to him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam.

So he went and he washed and came back seeing. Jesus had power over darkness. He is the light. And of course, in a spiritual sense, we understand more about than just giving physical sight, able to see. But in the spiritual sense, he made provision where you and I can see in a spiritual sense, understand what is truth, that Jesus really is the Son of God. Power over darkness. But probably one of the miracles that we all certainly remember the most, like the water to wine, I would suppose maybe the healing of Lazarus may be the second most remembered. In chapter 11, the story is told about Lazarus. And of course, the scripture, if you’re familiar with the life of Christ, Martha and Mary and Lazarus, their brother, were living in Bethany, became friends of Jesus, had him, no doubt, hosted them in their home.

And the word came to Jesus that Lazarus is sick. Jesus tarried two days. Jesus knew, no doubt. In fact, Jesus said to his own disciples, he is asleep. The disciples didn’t understand that Jesus meant he is dead after he had died. They thought, oh well, if he’s asleep, he’ll awaken. But Jesus waited. Till finally when he arrived in Bethany, it had it had been four days since Lazarus had died. In fact, when Martha met him, she said, Oh Lord, if you’d have just been here, he would not have died. Mary later, in fact, said the same words. If you had just been here, he would not have died. They believed in Jesus, but but to raise one from the dead, perhaps was not in their heart.

They’d seen him, no doubt, heal the sick of the blind. They knew other miracles that he had done, but to raise the dead. Jesus indeed said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Martha’s reaction, yes, Lord, I believe that you’re Christ, the Son of God, who’s to come in the world. And I believe in the resurrection. I know that one day he’ll be. Jesus meant more than just the resurrection in the final day. In fact, as Jesus came to the grave, he gave the words Lazarus come forth. And as the scripture says, he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes.

His face was wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, loose him and let him go. I know I’ve heard some today even say, Well, you know, there’s stories about some who’ve died and been come back to life even in our time. I always find it interesting that it’s somebody somewhere that, you know, they told the story, and it’s repeated. I’d like to see firsthand evidence, wouldn’t you? Those who saw Jesus raise Lazarus, Mary and Martha and those disciples around, they knew firsthand. It wasn’t, well, it happened in Africa somewhere, or it happened way off, and somebody told me about this, and that it was, as Peter said on the day of Pentecost, you yourselves also know. Here are the wonders that Jesus performed, caused a bewilderment, amazement in their hearts.

Water to wine, power over quality. Healed an obliged in the sun, sixteen miles away, power over distance. Heal a man who’s been lame thirty-eight years, power over time. Defeat a multitude of five thousand plus women and children, with leftovers, twelve basketfuls, power over quantity. Walk on water, power over nature. Restore the sight of the blind, power over darkness. Raise Lazarus from the grave, power over death and life. Why did Jesus do this? In fact, you would say again, the Gospel of John, how John has taken just these seven different specific ones. And there are others that were given in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that are not recorded in John, but these are recorded. That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life through his name.

6. Did Everybody Believe? They Never Denied the Miracles

That you may believe. So we may ask the question, well, what was the result of these miracles? Did everybody believe? And again, the answer would have to be no. The enemies didn’t really did not believe, but they never denied that a miracles work. That’s significant. Not a single occasion do you read. They did say, well, he did this by the power of Elzebub, Matthew chapter 12. And Jesus, of course, responded to that. Well, how could if I, if I’m working by the power of Elzebub, as you call me, you know, of the devil myself, you deny I’m the Son of God. That’d be a house divided against itself. And of course, a house divided against itself cannot logically, Jesus is answering them. That could not be.

They didn’t deny the miracle. They simply accused it’s from other source. The scripture certainly says how that prejudice so hardened their hearts. There was, as even Isaiah, God through Isaiah said, There will come a time, Isaiah, where they will close their eyes and stop their ears, and their hearts, their minds will be so waxed over. They will not seek truth. And of the prophets say, You honor me with your lips, and you you draw near unto me with your mouth, but your heart is far from me. In vain you worship me, teaching with doctrine, commandments, the doctrine of men. Or teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. So it is that the Jews made up their mind, he could not be. They were not going to believe no matter what Jesus did.

In fact, they cast the blind man out. Back in chapter 9, quite a story. You just read chapter 9 itself, where, you know, uh when the people marveled that this man born blind could now see, and finally he was asked by different ones, is this really the one that was blind? And there was some question, maybe it just looks like him. And the others said, No, no. In fact, the man born blind who could now see said, I am the one. I am he. And they said, Well, how were your eyes opened? And he said, Well, a man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, Go to the pool of Soloam and wash. So I went and washed, and I received sight.

They said, Where is he? At that point, the blind man, now seeing, said, I don’t know. And so there follows after that quite a series of questioning. The Pharisees get involved. It was a Sabbath day again when Jesus made the clay, and so the Pharisees asked him, Well, how did you get sight? And so he repeated it. He he put uh clay on my eyes, and I wash and I see. And the Pharisees reacted, Well, this man’s not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath. It couldn’t be from God. He doesn’t keep the Sabbath. But the blind man really, in effect, said, Well, he is a prophet. How could it be that if he is not from God that he was able to heal me?

Really, the ruler said, Are you trying to teach us now? You know, who do you think you are? And we know that he couldn’t be of God. A simple answer. We know that God heareth not sinners. That’s established from the law of Moses that you believe in. And if if this man was heard by God and I’m able to see, he certainly must not be a sinner. What did it do? Well, they cast him out. They just got rid of it. It was not that here’s a great miracle done. It just can’t be a man of God. The chief priest sought the death of Lazarus again. Isn’t that remarkable? That not only would we rejoice in the fact that here’s a man could be raised from the dead, but there were many who were believing on him.

And therefore the solution? We’ll put him to death again. Indeed, what an attitude. Because many believed. Others would not believe, even though many signs were done. In John chapter 12 and in verse 37, the scripture says, although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke. Lord, who has believed I will report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? They had closed their eyes and would not believe. Well, I ask, would you believe? Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, and his response was, No man can do these works that you do except God be with him. This is the same Nicodemus who with Joseph of Arimathea had prepared Jesus for the grave after his crucifixion.

Conclusion

A ruler of the Jews, remember the Sanhedrin. And yet he saw these signs and believed. What would you do had you been living there? What would you do today? When maybe you’re asked by someone, how would you prove Jesus is the Son of God? He claimed it. Mohammed never worked a miracle, never claimed to work a miracle. And yet there are those who believe in Mohammed as a prophet who deny Jesus as the Son of God. Worthy of thought. I hope these thoughts will help you as you study the word of God and teach others. We’ll close with a word of prayer, and then to those who are visiting, we’ll have a brief intermission, and then we’ll have our Bible classes beginning promptly at the 10 a.m.

hour. Would you bow with me? Almighty God, our Father, we’re truly grateful for your love and for the many wonders that you have proven through Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God. We’re thankful for his life on earth, the works that he did, and that he was willing to give himself that we might have life. That he came as the light of the world that we might see what is truth. Help us, therefore, to keep an open mind and an attitude always to say, Thy will be done and not ours. Help us always to be of the heart that says, even if it makes radical changes in our life, that we’re willing to make those changes to obey the gospel. We hope, Father, that you will bless us in everything we do.

That will be to your glory and to your honor. Be with us now as we continue in our worship this morning in our Bible classes, be with the teachers who instruct. And then later, as we worship, as we surround the Lord’s table, that we would keep in memory the death and resurrection of our Lord, and then that we’ll be drawn closer even through the study of your word. In all things, Father, we pray your will be done, not ours. Save us, we pray, in the name of Christ. And amen.