Is Jesus really God?

What if God was one of us?

I'm showing my age.

Do you know the song?

What if God was one of us?

There we go.

I'm not allowed to sing anymore because YouTube will give us a strike and kick us off.

However, in 1995, that song was written.

It goes like this.

If God had a face, what would it look like?

And would you want to see if seeing meant believing,

it meant that you would have to believe in things like heaven and Jesus?

God is great.

God is good.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What if God was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us.

Just a stranger on a bus trying to make his way home.

Back up to heaven all alone.

Nobody calling on the phone except the Pope maybe in Rome.

What if God was one of us?

I remember being 10 years old on a bus, on the bus to school and hearing that song and

sitting there for the whole bus ride just thinking about that question.

What if God was one of us?

As a kid, though, I missed all the sarcasm and the bitterness in the song.

Because it's the song of a secular person.

It's a song of someone who believes that God doesn't exist.

And even if he does, it wouldn't matter even if he did show up.

But what if God was one of us?

Today we're going to hear from a man like one of us called Jesus, who claimed to be God.

The wildest claim anyone could make.

But if it's true, it really does matter.

Is Jesus really God?

If you went down into Chatswood and asked people that crazy question, what would people say?

They might say, God doesn't exist, so Jesus is a fraud.

Is Jesus really God?

Or God does exist, but he doesn't care or can't or won't do anything.

He's lazy or voiceless or vindictive.

Jesus, no, he doesn't matter.

Or maybe Jesus is God or some other deity.

Maybe they're all the same.

Or I'm a good person.

I live a good life.

So I don't need Jesus, even if he is God.

How would you answer?

I want you to imagine you're on a plane.

But the plane is crashing.

I'm sorry.

The plane is crashing.

What do you worry about in that moment?

Would you be devastated that your life is about to end?

Or angry at a God who doesn't care?

Or be counting up your sins and checking your moral status?

Would you have any assurance of what meeting with God will be like after you die?

The truth is, we are all on a plane like that.

A plane that is our lifetime with no landing gear.

No matter what point in the flight you are, every life hits a mountain called death.

We need someone to give us life beyond the crash before we crash.

And we'll see today that there is only hope for life if Jesus really is God.

So get John chapter 5 in front of you.

John 5 · chapter mention

The beginning of this chapter, we heard this last week from John Lauer.

And Jesus went to work on the Sabbath day.

When it was illegal to work.

He went and found a man who could not walk and did the work of healing him.

And then in verse 16 of chapter 5 it says,

The religious leaders began to persecute him for doing this.

Why?

Because Jesus deliberately broke the law as they knew it.

It was said that only God could work on the Sabbath.

For God is always working and his work is effortless.

God only needs to speak and creation obeys.

But Jesus says in verse 17,

My father is always at his work to this very day.

And I too am working.

See, Jesus was claiming to be working legally.

He was claiming to be God.

And the religious leaders understood exactly what he claimed.

No longer were they going to just persecute him as a nuisance.

But from that point, as soon as Jesus said that,

they sought to kill him.

Not only was he breaking the Sabbath,

but he was even calling God his own father,

making himself equal with God.

And the rest of the chapter

is Jesus' answer to their charges and judgment of him.

That he was not God and deserved punishment.

Deserved death.

So Jesus stated his case before them in our passage today,

outlining his claims in more detail,

and how he planned to prove that those claims are true.

Jesus claimed to be God.

He said that he was doing God's works,

like a son following in his father's trade.

Imagine a son and a father in a workshop.

Maybe they're working on some wood.

I'm not very handy.

But I'm imagining this is the kind of language

and picture Jesus is trying to paint

when he says in verse 20,

for the father loves the son

and shows him all he does.

Jesus even said he's worthy of worship like the father.

Verse 23.

Whoever does not honor the son

does not honor the father who sent him.

But the two-edged swords of his claim to be God is this,

that he is the judge of all

and he is the giver of life.

Let's read from verse 28.

A time is coming when all who are in their graves

will hear his voice and come out.

Those who have done what is good will rise to live

and those who have done what is evil

will rise to be condemned.

Jesus' accusers were not shocked

that he said every person will be raised to judgment,

either to death and condemnation

or death and to eternal life.

But they were shocked

because Jesus said he is the voice.

He is the voice that would rise the dead

into judgment.

Verse 22.

The father has entrusted all judgment to the son.

Verse 27.

And he has given him authority to judge.

Jesus literally claimed he will judge all people

for the life that they live.

Their eternal destiny,

my eternal destiny,

will be determined by Jesus.

Man.

Speaking in Palestine 2,000 years ago.

Verse 25.

Very truly I tell you,

a time is coming

when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God

and those who hear will live.

Were you reading along with your Bible?

You've got to hold me accountable here

because I left something out.

I did it on purpose,

but you've got to be reading along.

Because, he says,

a time is coming

and is now here.

The determining of eternal destiny

started the moment we heard Jesus' voice.

The judge of the world has arrived.

He came with a voice

that would condemn

or bring life.

And Jesus also claimed

to be the giver of life.

At the beginning of chapter 5,

he goes to work

and does a healing.

He heals completely dead legs.

And then in verse 12,

he came to be able

to raise the completely dead

just as the Father raises the dead

and gives them life.

Even so, the Son gives life.

It's not just physical death, though,

that he claimed to have power over.

It's spiritual deadness, too.

In verse 24,

whoever hears my word

and believes him who sent me

has eternal life

and will not be judged,

but is crossed over

from death to life.

This judge claimed

to be able

to grant

life

on one condition.

salvation.

And it's backwards

to what people

in our city

might expect.

It's backwards

to what the people

hearing Jesus

expected.

Because it's not merit.

It's not good works.

It's not our own goodness.

Jesus said

just by believing

he would grant

eternal life.

This believing

is hearing Jesus

claim to be God

and agreeing

that God,

the Father,

sent him.

Look again

at verse 24.

Look at this promise.

Jesus said

that by believing

in him

we have

eternal life.

We have

crossed over

from death

to life

at the moment

of believing.

how could

Jesus

promise people

this?

There's a clue

in the next verse.

Verse 25.

A time is coming

and has now come

when the dead

will hear

the voice

of the Son of God

and those who hear

will live.

Jesus is the start

of eternal life.

It's his initiative.

It's his life

and it's his promise.

Believing in him

now

begins

an eternal life.

with him.

We will all

one day

be physically dead

and without

an eternal life

beyond death

where spiritually

is good as dead.

Yet anyone,

Jesus says,

can receive

eternal life

now

by believing

in him

and cross

from death

to immediate

abundant

eternal

life.

Life that begins

in eternity

with him

as your God.

Free from

condemnation,

free from fear,

free from

hopelessness

by simply

believing

that Jesus

really is

God.

These claims

shatter

the expectations

of our city.

God

and over

100 years

ago,

a man

called

C.S.

Lewis

in a

different

city

that didn't

care about

God

and if they

did,

they had

the wrong

expectations.

He wrote

this about

all that

Jesus claims

as a challenge

to us.

in the mouth

of any

speaker

who is

not

God,

these words

would imply

what I

can only

regard as

a silliness

and conceit

unrivaled by

any character

in history.

You must

make your

choice.

Either this

man was

and is

the son

of God

or else

a madman

or something

worse.

You can

shut him

up a

fool,

you can

spit at

him and

kill him

as a

demon

or you

can fall

at his

feet and

call him

Lord and

God.

Chatswood,

we've got

to make

a choice.

Is Jesus

a mad fool

worthy of

death or

the judge

of the

world freely

offering you

immediate

abundant

eternal

life?

Those claims

are astonishing.

But Jesus

claimed he

can prove

it to

you.

He lines

up witnesses

to his

claims.

For he

says it's

not enough

for me

just to

say,

in verse

31,

that I

am God.

It's not

enough for

me to

witness to

myself.

According

to Jesus,

John the

Baptist,

the greatest

man of

all time

as Jesus

described him

in Matthew

11,

John the

Baptist

declared

Jesus as

the Lamb

of God.

And God

the Father

declared

audibly from

heaven,

this is

my Son,

listen to

him.

But Jesus

says in

this passage

that his

accusers don't

recognize the

Father.

They've never

seen him,

they don't

know his

voice.

So what he

says of

Jesus goes

unheard.

John 5,

37,

he says,

you've never

heard his

voice.

And

agreeing with

the Father

is scripture

itself.

That whole

Old Testament

that's come

before.

Jesus

summarizes it

as Moses,

the great

prophet and

champion of

Israel.

He says in

verse 46 and

47,

if you

believed

Moses,

you would

have believed

me.

For he

wrote about

me.

But since

you do not

believe what

he wrote,

how are you

going to

believe what

I say?

The religious

leaders of

the time had

their heads

buried in

God's words,

but that was

not enough for

them to

recognize God

right in

front of

them.

But most

of all,

it's Jesus

works

themselves

that witness

strongest to

the truth of

his claim to

be God.

Have a look

at verse

36.

Jesus

says,

I have

testimony

weightier

for the

works that

the Father

has given

me to

finish.

The works

that I

am doing

testify that

the Father

has sent

me.

If you've

been following

along with

this at

church,

or if you've

ever read

it before,

the book

of John

describes

Jesus'

miracles,

not with

that word

miracle,

but the

word sign.

Signs

point to

something.

They can

be proved

right or

wrong.

If you

follow

them.

If you're

local or

you've

been around

Chatswood

at all,

or if

you've

ever been

to our

church,

you go

straight down

this street

here,

down

Help

Street.

Over

the train

line is a

gigantic

sign.

It looks

like it

could be as

big as

that wall

right there.

That sign

is trying to

convince you

that a new

breakfast cereal

or a new

car or a new

hair product

is better

than your

current one.

The

flattering

photoshopped

picture is

its proof

that their

cereal is

tastier,

that the

car has a

smoother ride,

or that you

really can

regrow your

hair.

Chatswood is

a prove-it

kind of

place.

If you

made the

claim Jesus

is God

in

Chatswood,

if I

put Jesus

is God

on that

sign,

people would

drive down,

it's hilarious,

it's called

Help

Street,

but they

drive down

Help

Street,

look at

that and

go,

prove it.

Chatswood

is a

prove-it

kind of

place.

And Jesus

says,

his proof

is in

his signs.

So let's

look to

some of

Jesus'

signs.

And see,

can Jesus

really give

us the

life he

claims to

offer?

Look back

at verse

21.

Just as

the Father

raises the

dead,

even so

the Son

gives life

to whom

he is

pleased

to give

it.

Jesus

was able

to give

life to

dead

legs.

Can he

give life

to dead

people?

Can he

give life

beyond the

grave?

Let's

look in

John for

some

proof.

John

11.

Later in

John's

Gospel,

Jesus

received a

message that

his friend

Lazarus was

sick and

to come

quick to

the town

nearby and

heal him.

But Jesus

waited.

He waited.

He didn't

go.

And when he

finally did

go,

Lazarus had

been dead

four days.

And

Lazarus's

sister

Martha said

to Jesus

in verse

21,

if you'd

been there,

my brother

would not

have died.

And just

as an

aside,

last week

we looked

at John

4.

There was

a man

who lived

20 miles

away from

where Jesus

was and

he traveled

to Jesus

and asked

him,

can you

come the

20 miles

to my

town to

heal my

dying

son?

And Jesus

just said,

your son

will be

healed.

The man

went back

to 20 miles

and found

his son

healed.

Jesus

doesn't

need to

go.

Remember

the signs

people.

So

Lazarus

went with

those in

mourning.

Jesus

went with

those in

mourning to

Lazarus's

tomb.

and he

commanded

it to

be opened

and the

smell

hit everyone

full in

the face

and Jesus

shouted,

Lazarus

come out

and Lazarus

walked out

in burial

cloths

alive.

Jesus

proved he

could raise

the dead.

He

proved he

could bring

dead limbs

back to

life.

He

proved he

could bring

dead people

back to

life.

How

could he

prove that

he could

offer

eternal

life?

John

knows that

that's

his next

question

because

immediately

after he

describes

this

wonderful

moment of

celebration,

this wonderful

sign,

he says,

and now the

religious leaders

literally signed

his death

warrant.

That was the

moment they

said,

nope,

enough is

enough,

no more

planning,

he's got

to die

now.

And

spoiler alert,

he did.

Jesus'

plane hit

the mountain.

How can a

man that

claims he

is God

and the

giver of

eternal

life be

legitimate

if he

dies?

Well,

in a

similar tomb

to Lazarus,

Jesus was

buried.

And a

couple of

days after

his brutal

murder,

his followers

went to

properly

prepare

his dead

body,

because they

couldn't

go on

the

Sabbath,

because that

would have

been work.

But the

tomb was

empty and

the body

was gone.

And then

Jesus revealed

himself as

alive,

unexpectedly

risen,

still scarred

from his

cross,

and hundreds

met with

him.

And many

of them

died

witnessing

to his

resurrection.

But one

disciple,

early on,

Thomas,

missed seeing

the risen

Jesus with

the rest

of them.

And he

doubted that

Jesus lived,

and he

demanded,

in John

20,

25,

he says,

unless I

see and

put my

finger where

the nails

were,

put my

hand in

his side,

I will

not believe.

He challenged

Jesus'

claims.

He's

Chatswood

in that

moment.

We join in

with him

and we

say,

prove it.

Then Jesus

appeared to

Thomas,

as if to

us,

and said,

go ahead,

touch my

scars,

it's really

me.

But for

Thomas,

seeing was

believing,

as he

witnessed,

my Lord

and my

God.

Jesus

really is

God.

Jesus

claimed to be

God who can

offer immediate,

abundant,

eternal life,

and proved

it.

He proved

it by signs

he performed

as the

God and

the giver

of life.

And Jesus

was on the

plane of

life like

we are,

and died

like we

will,

yet lives

to prove

that he

has life

to give

for now

and for

eternity.

And that's

why this

gospel exists.

Just read it

out before.

John says

immediately after

Thomas'

witnesses to

Jesus,

almost like

he's connecting

it on

purpose.

To show

us this

sign.

So that

you may

believe that

Jesus is

the Messiah,

the Son of

God,

and that by

believing you

might have

life in

his name.

That's why

he's written

the book.

He hopes

you'll see

Jesus through

his witness.

And that

Jesus really

is the

life-giving

judge of

all people.

And that

Jesus really

is God.

Remember

that song I

quoted at the

beginning?

What if

God was

one of

us?

I just

want to

point you

to verse

two.

Because it

asks this

bitter,

sarcastic

question of

us,

assuming that

it wouldn't

matter if

God was

one of

us.

Here's the

question.

If God

was one

of us,

would you

want to

see?

If seeing

meant that

you would

have to

believe in

Jesus?

Well,

like Thomas,

your answer

should be

yes.

Yes,

I want

to believe.

I'm

on a

crashing

plane and

Jesus is

offering me

life.

No matter

what you

right now

think of

God,

no matter

what,

Jesus

offers you

life.

No matter

what you

think of

your life,

Jesus offers

you an

abundant

life today.

life.

Jesus can

offer it

to you

because he

died your

death.

He

experienced

the crash

of your

life and

all of

your judgment

for you

as he

crashed on

his cross.

His

astonishing

offer of

life is

proved just

and fair

because his

perfect life

deserved no

end.

His life

deserved landing

gear.

instead,

he offers

you a

trade.

If you

claim the

trade Jesus

offers you,

you can

exchange your

life and

your judgments.

Evil for

good.

Condemnation

for life.

life and

he will

give it to

you right

now.

Crossing

over from

death to

life if

you believe.

Only

Jesus can

offer you

an abundant

life which

is rest and

peace from

all that

your life is

striving toward.

forward.

There's no

ticket on

offer here

off this

crashing

plane but

there's rest

and peace

for the

flight and

that's what

Jesus'

abundant

life redeems

you from.

It's a

life at rest

from the

striving that's

underneath all

the work that

you do.

The work in

striving for

your security,

for your

reputation,

for your own

righteousness.

righteousness and

it's peace from

having to work

your works to

earn anything

before God.

You can

receive belief

in him as

an unearned

gift.

Only Jesus

offers you

hope beyond

life.

Here's the

verse I would

write to this

song.

What if God

was one of

us?

In this

broken and

violent,

decaying,

deathward

world,

there is

an end to

your fear

of

condemnation,

an assurance

that cannot

be shaken.

It's joy for

today and

tomorrow and

hope beyond

death.

For God

was one

of us.

Jesus really

is God.

Is Jesus

really God?

Your answer

should be yes.

I want you

to believe in

Jesus.

You should

want to

believe in

Jesus.

Take your

next step

and believe

today.

Receive the

eternal life

that he

offers.

For Jesus

really is

God.

And if you

believe Jesus

is God,

then join

in with

John as

a witness

to Jesus.

Share

Jesus'

signs with

people so

that they

might believe

in him.

From

belief in

Jesus brings

a desire to

be a sign

that points

people to

Jesus Christ.

I'm going to

do something

we don't

often do in

church,

which is

get out

your phone.

Get out

your phone

and point it

at the

screen and

scan this

code.

And if

you do,

you will

download an

app that's

free.

It's a

resource called

Word

One-to-One.

This is the

Gospel of

John and

it's broken

up into

little short

readings.

There's

questions to

ask yourself,

to discuss

with others,

and there's

help to

understand the

context and

the meaning

of the

book of

John.

This app

will help

you share

the good

news of

John,

explore the

claims and

proof that

Jesus really

is God,

and how

it really

matters that

Jesus is

God.

Once you

have the

app,

there's a

button called

Share,

and you can

hold that

code out to

anyone who

has a phone,

and you

can open

the Bible

with someone

who doesn't

have one,

no matter

where you

are,

as long as

you have

battery on

their phone.

And if

you believe

that Jesus

is really

God,

then he's

worthy of

your worship.

As we enjoy

Jesus'

accomplishments

for us,

and the

peace and

rest in

him,

we reorder

the priorities

of our

life around

his.

For he

is worthy

of your

life.

That's why

we've sung

today.

That's why

we teach

and learn

new songs,

because he

inspires works

of thanks

and praise.

So,

what if

God was

one of

us?

He was.

He was

one of

us.

He is

Jesus.

He claimed

this,

and he

proved this,

and he

offers you

immediate,

abundant,

eternal life

in him.

So,

take your

next step

and open

your Bible

and hear

God speak.

Verse 24,

a time is

coming,

and has

now come,

where the

dead will

hear the

voice of

the Son

of God,

and those

who hear

will live.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.