Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.
I dearly love John’s eyewitness account of Jesus. John was part of Jesus’ inner circle—a close friend who walked with Him daily. He witnessed the miracles, heard the teachings, and stood by as Jesus boldly rebuked the religious leaders. Because of this, what John records should matter deeply to anyone who claims to follow Jesus.
In John 5, John tells us that Jesus openly claimed to be God. This statement was deeply offensive to the religious leaders and likely shocking to everyone listening. Jesus’ words carry a tone of firm correction as He explains that if they truly knew the Scriptures—what we now call the Old Testament—they would recognize Him. In verses 38–39, it’s almost as if Jesus is saying, “God the Father told you I was coming. Why are you surprised to see me?”
Many religions outside of Christianity do not believe that Jesus is God. Christians, however, believe in the Holy Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—one God revealed in three distinct persons. While this can be difficult for our human minds to grasp, I once heard it explained this way: an egg has a shell, a yolk, and egg whites. Each part is called an egg, and together they are still one egg.
One God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus performed countless miracles, signs, and wonders, as we see at the beginning of John 5. Yet even then, many still refused to believe that He was God.
Not much has changed today. God is at work in our lives in powerful ways, yet we often fail to recognize it—or worse, we overlook it altogether. Because we lack knowledge of Scripture, we sometimes disrespect Jesus without even realizing it. We are all guilty of this.
But here is the good news, straight from Jesus Himself. In verse 24, He promises that anyone who hears God’s Word and believes in their heart that Jesus is Lord will be saved.
Jesus is either Lord, a liar, or a lunatic. He is either telling the truth in John 5, or He is not. Each of us must decide who He is to us. Oh, how I hope you earnestly consider making Him the Lord of your life.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your Word, Your Life, and Your Grace. You are a Miracle Worker and a Promise Keeper. You were a Light then and You are the Light now. Help us to know, love, and follow You. Help us to teach others how to know, love, and follow You! Amen!