Jesus is Life. Jesus is Lord.

Read John 5

This is why John is considered more reflective than the Synoptic Gospels.  The last part of this chapter is not about Jesus going here or there or performing a miracle.  It’s about the testimony of God.

Here is a statement that I think all of you believe.  Life comes through believing in Jesus Christ.

It sounds a little crazy at first, but the more you follow him, the more that you understand.

C’mon, believing in this person called Jesus counts for more than dotting my I’s and crossing my T’s with regards as to how to live?  Are you crazy?

God grading on a curve, I can believe that.  I mean who can get all of the rules right?

God being full of mercy, I can believe that.  I’ve been a parent and I know what it is to forgive.

God being full of grace, I can believe that.  I love to give my kids stuff even when they don’t deserve it.

God being love, I can believe that.  I mean, he’s God.  He can decide and define who he is, and he did.  He is love.

God being sovereign, I can believe that.  I mean, there is so much going on just to make the world go around, that somebody has to be at the universal wheel, right?

But believing in the name and the person of Jesus is my way to life, that’s a stretch.  I think the requirements are more rigorous.  Right?  They have to be, don’t they?

Believing that God raised him from the dead, OK, he’s God and created everything and can bring us all back from the dead, so I can understand that, but just believing in Jesus is the key here, really?

The Jews also had some trouble with this whole Son of God thing.  Jesus said that he would not testify on his own behalf.  Any testimony that he gave would be of the Father and from the Father.  Jesus was not doing his own thing.

John the Baptist told them that the Christ was coming.  Did you listen?

Jesus said that he didn’t need John’s testimony, but that the Jews did.  John was sent to wake up these knuckleheads. 

Jesus had the Father in him and he was in the Father. 

Jesus told these Jews that they studied the scriptures but God’s words were not in them.  They did not live up to the treasure they were to have been.

They accepted the testimony of and glory of each other—they had a mutual admiration society—but they were blind to the testimony from God.  Jesus was telling them that the real testimony was standing before them.

He told them that they keep searching the scriptures in hopes of finding life there but that they should have seen the scriptures pointing to life in him.

These same scriptures accuse you before God but you will not receive the one whom God has sent to redeem you. Moses has accused you.  The Christ comes to set you free.

Are you trying to make God’s ways into your ways?  It doesn’t work like that.  He created everything that we know but can’t define how we come to right standing with him, really?

Let’s go back to where we started.  Life comes through believing in Jesus Christ.

We get that today, or do we?  Do we believe that Jesus is the Son of God?  Do we believe that he died for our sins?  Do we believe that God raised him from the dead?

If we believe this, we must receive him as Lord.  Salvation was sent into the world.  We know that salvation as Jesus.  Jesus is Lord and it’s not a part-time position.

He is Lord when things are going great.  He is Lord on our worst day.  He is Lord in the middle of COVID-19 Madness.  He is Lord.

He is not second to our job.

He does not come after our political affiliation.

He is not something we considered after we have watched the Sooners and Cowboys to our hearts content.

The Jews did not want to believe in Jesus.  It would require them to change their lives. 

Jesus, not rote memorization of rules and mindless compliance, would lead them to life.

Jesus, not their religious status as sons of Abraham, would make them right with God.

Moses condemned through the law.  Jesus redeemed those who believed in him; yet the religious Jews chose words of condemnation over words of life.

What do we choose?  God already chose us to be his children.  Will we live for him in the name of Jesus?

Believe the testimony of the scriptures that tell us Jesus is the way to life.  Jesus is life.  Jesus is Lord!

This week as we draw closer to the time when we meet together once again—there will be more to follow on that soon—I ask you to start something new to awaken us to the times ahead.

I ask you to greet each other with Jesus is Life, and respond with Jesus is Lord!

Jesus is Life.

Jesus is Lord.

If we can handle God Loves you and Love one another, we can do this too.  Let’s make it our COVID-19 wake up call.

Jesus is Life.

Jesus is Lord.

Amen.