「父なる神の御心を行う御子イエス」 八月第二主日礼拝 宣教 2024年8月11日
ヨハネによる福音書 John 5章19〜30節 牧師 河野信一郎
Good morning. We thank the Lord for the blessing of being able to worship with you this morning. The hot days continue. I seem to have caught a little cold, and my cough, which had finally gone away, has come back. We need to use the air conditioner, but we also need to set the temperature appropriately and dehumidify the air conditioner as needed. We should take in water, salt, and above all, good nutrition, and try to lead a lifestyle that does not put too much strain on our bodies. I pray that everyone’s daily health and life will be protected.
Well, last week we remembered the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This week, on the 15th, we will remember the 79th anniversary of the end of the war, the day of our defeat. As the only country to have suffered nuclear bombings, Japan has a duty and responsibility to continue to appeal to other countries for world peace. However, looking around Japan, the country continues to be in a state of chaos with earthquakes, disasters, and unstable economies in many parts of the world. The same is true around the world. Wars and conflicts continue in many parts of the world, yet sports festivals have continued in Paris. It seems to me that the world is in a state of chaos and deep darkness, and is heading toward destruction.
World peace will not come by force. It will not come simply by wishing for peace. Each of us must actually work for peace. What actions should we take? Christians must begin by praying to Almighty God. Then we must heed the words of peace of Jesus Christ. We should not wait for others to come to us, but go out on our own and meet various people who are different from ourselves. We need to meet, talk, and share what we value in each other.
Of course, we will share our past sins, pain and sorrow. But if we are afraid to do so, it will be peace only at the top and will not lead to true peace. Through patience and time spent in dialogue, we can recognize our differences, see them as good qualities, and recognize and accept each other. I think it is important that we make a commitment to walk together despite our mutual differences. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to build true peace together.
As a result of our human disregard for God’s will and sin against God, our strong relationship with God was severed, and at that time we became separated from God’s love and wandered in total darkness. We became a people who were unable to find the meaning of life, the purpose of life, the purpose of life, or the joy of life, and we became a people who were living in agony and suffering, a people who were living toward death. What an empty and sad life we lead, “living toward death”. But we have walked that empty road, the road that leads to death. But it was not God’s will for us to follow such a path. The will of God, who created us, is that we turn to Him and live forever in His abundant love.
The Lord God took initiative first to give us humans salvation, to make us walk in God’s peace again. In order to build peace with us, God has provided the Word, the way of reconciliation, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us. Through this Son of God, Jesus Christ, God’s grace and truth have appeared to us.
What is truth? In John 3:16-17, we read, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” This is the truth, and it is God’s will that we be saved through Jesus Christ our Savior and be made children of God. It is God’s love and mercy that keeps us alive today, not because we are qualified or meritorious to be saved, but because of God’s grace.
Now, in the morning service at Okubo Church, we are listening to the Word of God with a series on the theme of “Searching and Living for the Will of God”. Incidentally, a new series on Ruth will start from today’s evening service, so if you would like to join us, please attend the evening service as well. To return to the topic at hand, we will be listening to the Gospel of John six times from July 28 to September 1, and I personally think that this morning’s Gospel is the most difficult part of the series, but let’s listen to it while entrusting it to the Lord.
Last week, through chapter 4:31-38, we heard that Jesus Christ took the greatest joy and fulfillment in doing the will of God who sent Him into the world and accomplishing the Lord’s work rather than having meals. God’s will that Jesus did is that no one who believes in God through Him should perish but have eternal life. For this purpose, Jesus died on the cross in our place to pay the price for our sins and gave His precious life to us. Through the Passion, blood, sacrifice, and death of Jesus Christ, the work of saving us was accomplished in exchange for our lives.
One of the many other things that Jesus did on earth was to heal the sick. In chapter 5, verses 1-18, just before the present text, there is a record of Jesus healing a sick man who was sitting at the pool of Bethzatha, and after this Jesus was persecuted by the Jews, who wanted to kill him. There are two reasons for this. One is that Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath. The other is that in verses 17 and 18, Jesus called God “My Father” and made Himself equal with God.
Look at our text this morning, chapter 5, verse 19. It says, “Then Jesus said to them…” and “They” are the Jews who began plotting to kill Jesus. What did Jesus say to them?
This morning I want to talk about three things. Common to all three are Jesus’ words, “I tell you plainly,” found in verses 19, 24, and 25. The Greek is, “Amen, amen, I say it surely”. It becomes, “Truly, truly, I say to you.” In other words, Jesus is reminding them to listen attentively because he is about to tell them something important. This includes not only the Jews, but also us.
The first “let me tell you plainly” is verses 19-23. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives lifeto whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”
What Jesus is saying here is, “I am not being selfish; I am only doing the will of God the Father faithfully. Loving, healing, giving life to the dead, and judging are all entrusted to me by God the Father.” He is saying that his thoughts and deeds are all in agreement with God the Father.
Verse 20 says, “For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He does. And greater works than these He will show to the Son, that you may be amazed,” which indicates Jesus’ atoning death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day, showing God’s love.
Verse 24 says, “I tell you plainly. He who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life, and he is not judged, but has passed from death to life.” This is related to John 3:16 and 17, which I mentioned earlier, and is an invitation to receive eternal life from God. Hear my words,” which means not only to listen to Jesus’ words and take them to heart, but also to listen and obey, that is, to put into practice what we have heard, which is God’s will.
Verse 25 says, “Let me tell you plainly. The time will come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Now is that time. He who hears his voice will live. The “dead” here means those who are alive biologically, but whose hearts and souls are dead and wandering in the darkness. The time will come when they will hear the voice of the Son of God. Now is that time. He who hears the voice of his Savior will live,” Jesus said. These are words that free us from sin and invite us to salvation. They are words that invite us out of darkness and into light. They are words that invite us out of anxiety and fear and into peace.
Do you have peace, joy, purpose, and fulfillment in your heart right now? If not, how can you receive it? It is given to us by God as we listen to the voice of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, believe in Him, and follow Him. Jesus said in verse 30, “I can do nothing of myself. I do not do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me”.
Just as Jesus did the Father’s will as He stayed connected to God the Father, as we believe in Jesus and stay connected to Him, we will know God’s will and be able to do His will with true joy and peace. Believe in Jesus and stay connected. This invitation to salvation is what Jesus meant when he said, “Let me tell you plainly”. Let us Listen and obey to the Lord Jesus.