John 5:16-30
Read
Illus : Forest Ranger…. ( below )
5:16-18
Background to the text
Importance of His CLAIM
5:19-21
Like Father , like Son
Illus / Owen frown
5:22-23
Honor
Freedom = honor the sacrifice of those who’ve gone before
5:24-27
Authority – have life / give life
Authority to judge
( Background – sabbath breaker )
5:28 – 30
Don’t be amazed by __________
Why ?
The motivation of Jesus….
ILLUS:
As I approach our text, I am reminded of a story circulating among the outdoor types, which goes something like this. In the mountains of the Northwest, a man was sitting beside a campfire while he roasted some kind of bird over the fire with eager anticipation. About this time, a forest ranger came upon the camp and asked the camper what he was preparing for dinner. The camper replied that it was a seagull. A frown came over the ranger’s face as he informed this fellow that it was against the law to kill that particular bird, and that he would have to give him a citation.
The camper responded by telling the ranger how he had lost his way and had consumed all of his food. In desperation, he had managed to kill this seagull to maintain his strength. After listening sympathetically, the forest ranger told the fellow he would let him go this time with just a warning, and the camper thanked the ranger profusely. Just as the ranger was about to leave, he asked the camper, “Just out of curiosity, what does seagull taste like?” Thinking for a moment, the camper responded, “Well, I would place it somewhere between a spotted owl and a bald eagle.”