Iron Girls ~ John 5 Notes

Notes on John 5:30 – 39             
In this passage we see that there are 4 witnesses of Christ:
V. 33 ~ John the Baptizer witnessed of Christ
He was the voice in the wilderness, "a burning and shining lamp..."
Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:19 that the prophetic word is as "light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in {our} hearts..."


V. 36 ~ Jesus' own works testify of Himself.
"...for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." 

V. 37~ The Father has witnessed of Christ.
Upon Jesus' water baptism, the Father spoke, "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' " (Matthew 3:17)
Although the baptism of John was of repentance, Jesus had no need of repentance. This is why
John, at first, refused to baptize Jesus saying, "I have need to be baptized of You, and You come to me.?"
But there are 2 aspects of this water baptism to realize:
1) Priests were purified by water just before representing the people before God in the Most Holy Place.
2) Jesus' cleansing by water marked the beginning of his public ministry and the pursuit of His call.

V. 39 ~ The Scriptures testify of Christ.
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."

Thoughts on John 5:7
Jesus asks the disabled man, "Do you want to be made well?"
The man replies, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before. Me." 

A few years ago I spoke on a Sunday morning in my church on this passage. What impressed me from the scripture in verse 7 was the reply of man on the mat, "I have no man..."
I thought of how we often look for someone else to help us out. We look for someone to give us a break. We look for a mentor or a teacher and that is fine because mentors, teachers and helpers can be of great assistance. And there are seasons when we are stuck in a "lame" position because we feel we just need someone to give us a hand to get from one point to the other. I've been there. I lived for a few years of my life waiting for someone to tell me I had been called of God, that I had a gift. The truth is each of us are called and each of us has been gifted in some way to glorify God and serve the Body of Christ. I realized as I studied this passage a few years ago and as the Holy Spirit illuminated this specific phrase: "I have no man..." that I was "disabled" so to speak.
I kept waiting around for someone to validate me when all along Christ was standing and asking me, "Do you want to get up and walk?"

You see, THE MAN is Jesus. Each of has THE MAN. I think of the Samaritan woman who called out, "Come, see a Man..."

There is a man and His name is Christ Jesus. He validates us. He calls us. We really don't have to wait around for someone else. There is something you can be doing right now to use the gift you have been given.
After my son went to Heaven, I said I would never stand before a group and speak or teach again. But God poured in the oil and began to massage my wounded heart and gave me a new message. And although I have had several opportunities to speak since the fall of 2010, I have nothing else scheduled at this time, except a tentative date in the fall. Rather than giving into the excuse of "I have no man..." I am going to busy myself learning more, studying more, memorizing more Scripture and "showing up" in the prayer closet and in the Word so that I can keep "growing up" and maturing in Christ.

I have a Man. His name is Jesus.
Take His hand and carry on!