February 9
Lesson 11 (KJV)
God-Honoring Piety
Devotional Reading: Luke 11:1–13
Background Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:1–6; Matthew 6:1–18
Matthew 6:1–8
- Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
- Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
- But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
- That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
- And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
- But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
- But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
- Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
- Describe hypocrisy.
- Contrast hypocritical and sincere attitudes.
- Identify his or her motivations in giving and actively repent of ungodly motives.
HOW TO SAY IT
| Baal | Bay-ul. |
| Deuteronomy | Due-ter-ahn-uh-me. |
| Galatians | Guh-lay-sunz. |
| Galilee | Gal-uh-lee. |
| Gethsemane | Geth-sem-uh-nee (G as in get). |
| Pharisees | Fair-ih-seez. |
| synagogue | sin-uh-gog. |
Introduction
A. Christian Charity
In a church I served for several years, we once had a “burn the mortgage” campaign. The leaders launched the campaign to raise the $100,000 needed to retire the congregation’s only debt. Several members were capable of writing a check for the entire amount, so it seemed like the project should be quick and successful.
I was surprised, however, when raising the final $20,000 stalled for several weeks. Wondering why, I was told that two of the wealthier men of the church were each intending to give $10,000, but each one wanted to be recognized as the person who put the campaign “over the top.” Both men desired to be seen by the congregation as timely and generous; both believed there was room for only one person in this honored position.
Eventually, the two men worked this out somehow, and neither was announced as the final giver. This was as it should have been. While this giving was not directly for relief of the poor (a context of this week’s lesson), its intent to eliminate the congregation’s debt would free up budget funds for international missions giving and support of the city’s rescue mission.
The campaign was never intended to be a contest for recognition. Today’s lesson tells us how that turn could have been prevented.
B. Lesson Context
The literary context of today’s lesson is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which encompasses chapters 5–7 of Matthew’s Gospel. This sermon is Jesus’ exposition of what it means to live under the reign of God in the kingdom of Heaven, as Matthew calls it (Matthew 4:17; 11:11, 12; 16:19; 18:1; etc.; the other Gospels use the phrase “kingdom of God”). Early in the sermon, Jesus pronounced blessing on those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (5:6) and the “pure in heart” (5:8). A little later, Jesus warned that those who belong to God’s kingdom must have righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees (5:20). The middle section of Jesus’ sermon explains those challenging ideas.
Jesus stressed that true righteousness means righteousness not just on the outside but on the inside as well. Obedience to God means not just avoiding murder but controlling anger (Matthew 5:21–24); not just avoiding adultery but controlling lustful thoughts (5:27–30). Genuine purity is that of the heart. Those who live under the rule of God are obedient not just where everyone can see but even in places God alone can see. This leads up to Jesus’ condemnation of hypocrites and hypocrisy.
Today’s text introduces the first of a series of Jesus’ teachings regarding motives of the heart. His preferred method of teaching was to use parables (Matthew 13:34). But today’s text is a picture of Jesus teaching by means of plain-spoken directives.
I. On Giving
(Matthew 6:1–4)
A. As a Hypocrite (vv. 1–2)
1. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Alms is an older English word that refers to offerings for relief of the poor. To show mercy to the poor is a central duty of the righteous who seek to obey the Law of Moses (see Deuteronomy 15:11). God is not concerned with only the outward appearance of doing what is right. He also looks to the heart (1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 9:4). He desires our good deeds to come from pure motives not from a desire for accolades.
| What Do You Think? What guardrails can Christians erect to ensure proper motives regarding any reward they expect as a result of giving? Digging Deeper |
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.In the Galilee of Jesus’ day, there are no funds coming from the Roman government to alleviate the grinding poverty that many experience. The Jewish community sees a duty in making sure its most vulnerable members (especially widows and orphans) do not starve or go without housing or clothing. Jesus’ criticism does not target this worthy activity in and of itself, for the early church continues to care for the poor (see Matthew 19:21; 25:37–40; Luke 19:8; Acts 6:1–3; Galatians 2:10). Jesus has no problem with poverty relief; He assumes that His followers will practice giving to the poor.
Jesus’ concern, rather, is that of hypocrisy. To confront this problem, He presents extreme examples of hypocritical behavior in this area. One can imagine a rich man staging a parade from his house to his synagogue. Accompanied by trumpeters and lavishly dressed attendants, the spectacle is intended to create maximum exposure of his generous gift. Such behavior is hardly for relief of the poor but for garnering public praise for a rich person—who himself may be complicit in the poverty of the oppressed (see Matthew 23:5–7; Luke 11:39–42; James 2:6, 7; 5:1–5). It is a created drama with the rich person playing the leading role: that of a praiseworthy benefactor. The short-lived reward for this hypocritical behavior is like the theater crowd’s applause: when the hands quit clapping and the sound fades, nothing is left.
Hypocrites are the common target of today’s lesson text. Various forms of this Greek term occur about two dozen times in the New Testament; the majority of those are in Matthew. A well-known background for the word hypocrite is the Greek drama tradition. A hypocrite in that context was an actor, one who played a role and pretended on stage to be a character created by a writer. Such actors traditionally used theatrical masks to define their characters. Such masks were known to the Greeks as “faces.”
Therefore, the word hypocrite did not have the negative connotation that we understand today. The hypocrites who are targeted in this lesson are play-acting religious roles. These religious hypocrites perform for the audience of the adoring public. They wear masks of piousness to hide their hearts of evil (Matthew 23:27). Their pretense may fool the crowds but not Jesus. He knows their hearts (9:4). Jesus never uses the word hypocrite in a positive or even a neutral sense, although the larger culture of His day might do so. For Jesus, the hypocrite is a deceiver, a pretender who conceals true motives for actions.
Jesus often exposes His opponents’ hypocrisies. Among these foes are the esteemed religious leaders of the Jews: the scribes and Pharisees (see Matthew 23:13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29). Jesus identifies His opponents’ false representations and lays bare their deviousness. He rips off the masks the hypocrites have been hiding behind, revealing their true faces.
| What Do You Think? In what ways, if any, does the kind of hypocrisy noted here call for different guardrails than those of the hypocrisies of Matthew 7:1–5 and 22:15–18? Why? Digging Deeper |
The Best Giver
Years ago, I was hired by a certain parachurch ministry. During my first board meeting, a glowing picture was painted of the organization’s financial future, which was based on a program of receiving real-estate donations.
The program was promoted by a strong-willed board member whose term expired at that very meeting. Within a few months, we found the program was costing the ministry money. In the interests of good stewardship, we canceled it.
The former board member demanded to speak at the next board meeting as a result. He began, “I’m the largest single contributor to this ministry.” His pride convinced him that he had the right to continue to exert influence over the ministry. But that man didn’t contribute the most. My wife worked in the financial office—she knew.
Jesus warned that boasting about our righteousness brings into question the sincerity of our motives. How do you avoid temptation in this regard?
—C. R. B.
B. As a True Worshipper (vv. 3, 4)
3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.
Jesus assumes that His followers will continue giving for relief of the poor, and He offers an unhypocritical way to do so. As with His extreme example of the rich man’s parade, Jesus paints an equally extreme picture of privacy. For a person’s left hand not to know what the right hand is doing is a near, if not outright, impossibility! But Jesus often paints extreme pictures to make an extreme point. In this case, giving should be done with as much secrecy as possible. This will ensure motives that are centered on concern for others not that of garnering attention for oneself.
At first glance, this teaching may seem to contradict what Jesus has already said in this sermon. How can good deeds be a light to others (Matthew 5:16) if they are to be a secret even from oneself (if that were even possible)? As always, the human heart is the very center of the matter. It seems that we are tempted to hide what we ought to show and to show what we ought to hide! Doing a good deed from the heart, whether in secret or in the open, pleases the Lord. Going through the motions—whether for attention or because we believe that outward actions can save us—never pleases God.
When you give of your resources to help people, you are continuing a long tradition of the church, with even older roots in ancient Israel. Wealth, however, can always be transferred inappropriately. That happens when the gift is leveraged to be more for the advantage of the giver than the receiver. If the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, it cannot expect a kickback. We are to give when we see a need and realize we can help not for recognition or praise.
| What Do You Think? What are some practical ways you can honor Jesus’ imagery of the left and right hands? Digging Deeper |
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Aiding the poor is a godly action, showing we love poor people as does our Father in Heaven (Deuteronomy 15:7–11; Luke 1:52, 53; James 1:27). By mentioning a reward from the Father, Jesus is not saying we can earn salvation by our good works. Rather, Jesus is stressing that God does indeed notice, for He sees all things, even those done in secret (compare Matthew 6:6, 18; James 2:18, 26).
God is the only audience that matters, and He will surely be pleased by properly motivated actions. Such actions will be rewarded eternally. That will happen very publicly at the appropriate time (Colossians 3:23, 24; Revelation 22:12).
II. On Prayer
(Matthew 6:5–8)A. Seen by Others (v. 5)
5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.Jesus now turns to a second act of righteousness practiced by hypocritical Jews of the first century AD: prayer. Again, He presents an extreme example for effect. In Jesus’ day, many prayer postures are acceptable (see Numbers 16:22; 1 Samuel 1:26; 2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Chronicles 6:13). The problem with the hypocrites is not their standing posture in and of itself during times of prayer. Rather, the problem is their attitude of desiring to be seen of men.
Prayer is regularly offered three times daily: “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray” (Psalm 55:17; compare Daniel 6:10; Acts 3:1). Prayer within the confines of the synagogues would seem to be the ideal place for it, right? Not if the desire is to be seen and thought highly of.
The same is true even of (or especially of) prayer in the temple. And Jesus has a parable in that regard: that of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9–14). In this parable, the motives of the hypocrite are seen in the content of the Pharisee’s prayer: “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men.… I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (18:11, 12). This is hardly communication with God! It is merely self-serving praise and self-justification. It is the prayer a trained actor on stage might recite from a script. As with the applause of a theater crowd, the reward is only for the performance and quickly fades.
Shifting location from synagogue to the corners of the streets changes nothing. Praise-seeking hypocrites are drawn to public places like a moth to a flame. But for Jesus, motives trump location in all cases and at all times.B. Seen by God (v. 6)
6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Jesus describes the sincere, unhypocritical prayer practice in extreme terms as well: prayer should happen in a closet. The Greek word refers to a room not intended for social purposes (compare Matthew 24:26; Luke 12:3). To shut the door prevents the possibility of even an accidental crowd.
The Father sees into the closet, though, for nothing is secret from Him. The only purpose of such a prayer is the true one: communication with God. The prayer does not have to be eloquent or perfect, only sincere (compare Romans 8:26). God shall reward such praying by listening and caring openly.
We should note in passing that some Christians take this passage quite literally. They do so by designating a closet intended for storage as the only proper place for their prayer. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this practice, there is nothing particularly virtuous about praying inside a broom closet per se. The issue is one of privacy.It only requires a place where the one praying won’t be distracted by surroundings or tempted to display one’s self-thought righteousness to others. This requires planning and deliberate effort, because our world is full of distractions. Take time to turn off the television, silence your phone, and be alone.
Though some have thought this verse causes issues with public prayer in worship, elsewhere the first-century church is seen to engage in this very practice (see Acts 1:24; 3:1; 4:24–30). Today, congregational prayers have nearly disappeared in some churches. But this should not be the case. The one who is offering such a prayer should be prepared to do so while remembering that leading the congregation to the throne of God is not a performance.
| What Do You Think? What steps can you take to create time for “in secret” prayer in your daily schedule? Digging Deeper |
Better at Doing or Telling?
I entered seminary as a young man. At a retreat for incoming students, we had opportunity to get acquainted with our professors outside of the formal classroom setting. A featured speaker was a leader widely known in Christian circles for his devotional life. It seemed we were in for a treat.
The “treat” turned into a “treatment.” The speaker described in great detail how he arose early every morning to pray for four hours—detailing everything he thought the Lord needed to know. Not once did he mention listening to what God might be trying to tell him.
I admit that my prayer life is less disciplined, and possibly even less effective, than that of our speaker. And yet something about the whole experience seemed to be a bit off in light of Jesus’ admonishment about making a public display. Are you better at doing or telling?
—C. R. B.
C. Many Words or Few? (vv. 7, 8)
7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Jesus now expands His teaching on prayer beyond that of hypocritical practices. His next target are the Gentiles (that is, non-Jews) and their heathen practices. The fictitious gods they pray to are seen as having human weaknesses. They can be moved to action by long, wordy, repetitious prayers (of which we have written examples).
The idea behind their prayer blabber is that such repetition will grab the gods’ attention and wear them down. Eventually the god gives in to grant the request. This is a little like the parent who says no to a child’s request a hundred times, then finally yields with a yes simply to get the child to be quiet. Because the gods are seen as not inclined to listen or care, one needs to say a lot, over and over, in hopes of receiving a response.
Another aspect of praying to these fickle gods is their assumed short attention span and tendency to be easily distracted by other matters. Pagans praying to their gods may think such deities are too busy for them. We see this in Elijah’s mocking of the prayers of the prophets of Baal. At the famous contest on Mount Carmel, those prophets leaped on their altar and shouted to their god from early morning until noon. Elijah encouraged these rival prophets to pray louder and more vigorously, because their god may have been busy, or sleeping, or on a journey (1 Kings 18:26, 27).
Then Elijah prayed a brief prayer to God. “Then the fire of the Lord fell” from the sky to consume his sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38). Elijah was in public, but his prayer was not a look-how-great-I-am show. His desire was for the Lord to show himself as the only God who listens and acts (18:36).
This is the kind of prayer Jesus teaches His followers to pray. His instructions contrast with pagan fears that their gods are not inclined to listen. God hears even a few words (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
We should point out that the phrase vain repetitions doesn’t mean that we can’t be persistent in prayer (Luke 18:1–8). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus will repeat His own prayer (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44). It’s all the pointless babble that we are to avoid.
| What Do You Think? How can you ensure that your repeated prayers do not result in the prayer style that Jesus condemns? Digging Deeper |
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.Unlike fictitious heathen gods, our Father does not need to be convinced of our needs. He already knows them (compare Matthew 6:31, 32). Some have therefore asked, “Why, then, ask God for anything since He already knows what we need?” This misses the point. Prayer is a way of developing a relationship with God. Surely, God himself is not psychologically needy, desiring for us to ask to satisfy something lacking in His personality. The point is that praying helps us learn to trust that He already knows what we need before we ask.
We do still bring our petitions before the Lord (for example, Matthew 6:9–13, next week’s lesson). But what are proper things to ask God for, and what are improper? We dare not treat prayer as if we are on the lap of the department store Santa, giving him our Christmas list (compare James 4:3). Yet we should be bold to ask God for those things we need (see Hebrews 4:16). We ask God because we believe that He cares. We ask because it positions us properly within His will. It meets His desire that our relationship with Him would grow and flourish. God wants us to share our hearts with Him.Conclusion
A. Publicly or Privately?
How public should our religious acts be? Should we expect public/published recognition when we give to a church or charity? Professional fundraisers tell us that public recognition is important and motivating. But this seems to be contrary to Jesus’ teaching.
Public acts of worship are not necessarily hypocritical. The issue is motive. Are we drawing attention to ourselves or pointing others to God? Is our giving intended to draw the praise of people or to encourage others to give? Are our public prayers designed to impress or to lead others to God’s throne?
Jesus’ teaching in this regard has not grown stale. It is still needed in the church and the lives of Christians. Jesus expects His disciples of any era to be different, rejecting the ways of the world. We should not try to impress either God or others.
We all struggle with hypocrisy at some level, whether we call it mixed motives or desire for respect. However, we can examine our hearts and motives as we live to please our Lord. May we seek to eliminate our hypocrisy by focusing on a true, sincere relationship with the Lord.B. Prayer
Father, we often act the part of the righteous person to impress others, not to serve You. Give us new, pure, unhypocritical hearts, Lord. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Hypocrisy cannot be overcome until it is identified and acknowledged.
KID’S CORNERS
Misinterpret Moses or Believe Jesus
Sunday, February 9, 2020
John 5:39-47
John 5:39-47
(John 5:39) “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
Jesus told the religious leaders that the word of God did not abide or dwell within them; if it had, they would have believed what He told them. The Scriptures are the Word of God written. The Scriptures contain the record of God’s acts in history. Not all of them, of course, but acts that prepared the way and pointed the way for the coming of Jesus as Lord and Savior of the world. The Scriptures also contain the record of God’s words in history both to and through people such as Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and supremely through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. The Bible contains the words of God that reveal the purposes for many of the works of God, and the words and works of God testify to Jesus, the coming of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and even more about Jesus than can be listed here. The Bible reveals the reality of and truth about the nature, character, and purposes of God. As Christians, we depend on and teach the Bible as the true revelation from God regarding how people can receive eternal life through faith in Jesus, God’s Messiah.
The religious leaders examined the Scriptures (the Old Testament) because they thought that they would have eternal life by doing so. However, they searched the Scriptures to reinforce their prior conclusions, traditional theologies, and the prior conclusions of others about God and the Law of God as their predecessors had done before them. The Pharisees searched the Scriptures to find out how best to apply the Law of God to themselves and others, and they thought that by applying the Law of God in every small detail that they would have eternal life. The Sadducees did something similar, but they only believed in the first five books of the Bible, the Books of Moses. Other lesser known religious groups did something similar; such as the Essenes, who copied or wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even today, some people think they have or will have eternal life because they regularly study the Bible or adhere to and defend a recognized theology.
Looking more deeply, people search for what they do not have. Because the word of God did not abide or dwell in the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, they felt an emptiness, a void, within them. They searched the Scriptures and applied the Law of God to the way they and others lived in the hope of filling that void. Even today, there are people who do not truly believe or have the word of God abiding within them; they feel a spiritual emptiness, and they sometimes study the Bible and try various theologies to find the answer to their spiritual emptiness, but they will not find fulfillment in Bible reading or theological study alone. They will only find fulfillment in Jesus Christ when they truly receive Him as their Lord and Savior and begin to love God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel of John reveals the solution to our most pressing spiritual problems and our problems with sin. People must come to Jesus: do what John and Jesus said, repent of their sins, believe in Jesus as He has revealed himself in the Bible, and receive Jesus as the Lord and Savior of one’s life. People will find the answers they seek in the Scriptures when they come to place their faith in Jesus Christ and become children of God—thus receiving the gift of eternal life. Jesus said that the Scriptures pointed to Him and in Him we will receive eternal life. The Old Testament pointed people to Jesus, and the New Testament does so even more. When we become children of God through faith in Jesus, the Word of God will dwell in us and the Holy Spirit will help us love and live according to the will of God. When we become children of God, we are no longer empty on the inside, for the Spirit of God fills us and the Word of God becomes alive within us. In John 4:14, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “But those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” Until we truly trust in Jesus and His word, we will not experience the eternal life that He wants us to enjoy.
(John 5:40) and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
Despite the testimony of the Scriptures, the testimony of the Father, the preaching of preparation by John the Baptist (who testified about Jesus coming), and the testimony of the words and works of Jesus, the religious leaders refused to come to Jesus that they might have life, a life of forgiven sin and free of condemnation. Truly, a person does not “have life” until they have the “eternal life” that Jesus Christ came to give. Tragically for them and others, the religious leaders wanted to kill the Author of Life, the Giver of Eternal life, and prevent as many as possible from believing in Jesus according to the Scriptures.
(John 5:41) “I do not receive glory from men;
Jesus told these leaders that He did not strive to receive glory, praise, and fame from human beings—that was not His goal upon the earth. In John 5:34, Jesus told them why He said and did what He said and did: “I say these things so that you may be saved.” Jesus came to save people from their sins and grant them eternal life. The religious leaders did not say and do what they said and did with the goal that others might be saved; rather, they wanted to receive the praise of other rabbis and the people. In John 12:43, Jesus said of the authorities who would not believe in Him, “for they loved human glory [the “praise of men”—KJV] more than the glory [the “praise of God”—KJV] that comes from God.” Many religious leaders achieve fame who do not try to help people find salvation from sin or receive eternal life. The same was true in Jesus’ day among the rabbis and priests in Jerusalem.
Note: The KJV and NASB translate the Greek as “receive,” and the NIV and the NRSV translate the Greek as “accept.” Compare John 5:41 to the words of Jesus in John 7:18 in all four versions, “Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him,” and John 8:50 in all four versions, “Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge.” Jesus certainly did not receive honor or glory from most of those who heard Him preach, especially the religious leaders, but His goal was to save people from their sins, grant them eternal life, and give them the power to become children of God through faith in Him.
(John 5:42) but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
If the authorities had had the love of God in them or if they had had love for God, they would have been God-centered instead of self-centered, They would have been concerned to truly know God and know God better than they did so they could express their love for God by doing the will of God through serving God and others. Their love for God would have motivated them to want to know the will of God so they could always do the loving will of God in every situation. In John 7:17, Jesus said, “Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own.” The authorities were selfish instead of loving; therefore, they self-centeredly focused on learning and adapting the Law of God in ways that they thought would guarantee them eternal life. They did not truly seek to know and do the will of God; otherwise, they would have heeded the prophets, John the Baptist, and Jesus.
(John 5:43) “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
If they had truly loved God and sought the will of God, they would have learned about the true God from their Scriptures and they would have joined God in His loving and merciful efforts to save people from their sins. They would have rejoiced when God sent a healer into their midst who explained more of the Scriptures to them—as Jesus did. They would have understood the prophets and they would have followed what the prophets taught instead of wanting to kill the prophets as their ancestors had done. They would have recognized that Jesus the Messiah was truly the Messiah that God promised, and they would have clearly seen how Jesus had come in the name of His Father. Instead, they never saw that whenever Jesus healed someone that was the work of their compassionate God. They did not accept Jesus and His way of life and teaching. They were self-centered and their desires for freedom from Rome, personal power, and prosperity were selfish. False Messiahs knew how to appeal to their selfishness when they came to the Jews in their own name. When someone pretending to be the Messiah came along that promised to free them from Roman oppression, as Moses had freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, or give them untold power and wealth as in the days of King Solomon, they accepted them as the Messiah. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” This indeed happened in a horrendous and tragic way when Simon Bar Kokhba, a false Messiah, led a revolt against Rome and achieved some independence for Judea between 132-135 AD. However, Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem once again with the loss of more lives than when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Pretending to be the Messiah, Simon Bar Kokhba took the title “Prince,” and came in his own name and not in the name of our Father in heaven. The Jews accepted him and others as they had done in the past and as Jesus prophesied.
(John 5:44) “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
Glory can be interpreted as honor. The Jewish leaders wanted glory from each other. The rabbi with the most knowledge of the Scriptures showed off his knowledge to receive honor or glory from his fellow rabbis and the people. The rabbi with the best arguments based on how much he had memorized the traditional rabbinic interpretations of the Law of God throughout history sought the praise and honor of those who saw him defeat others in debates. They did not seek the true honor and glory that can only come from God. If they had sought honor from the only true God, they would have searched the Scriptures to learn how best to love, honor and serve God.
(John 5:45) “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.
The religious authorities really did not believe the Bible. If they had really believed the Bible, they would have believed Jesus. Before God the Father, Jesus would not need to accuse them of not believing the Bible; rather, Moses would accuse them. They had set their hope on their ability to tell people what the Law of God “really meant” so they could also force the people to obey them and their laws, but that was not what God wanted from His people. Using one of their traditions, they accused Jesus and His disciples of breaking the Sabbath, and in Matthew 12:7, Jesus told them, “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.’” Throughout Jesus’ ministry, those who thought their knowledge of Moses would save them demonstrated that they had no understanding of the Law of Moses, a Law of Love, and of the justice and mercy that flows from true love of God and others. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus told a lawyer, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
(John 5:46) “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
We learn from this verse that Moses wrote about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses wrote, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” The religious leaders did not obey what Moses wrote and heed Jesus. After healing a man in Jesus’ name, Peter preached in the Temple portico, “Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days” (Acts 3:22-24). Speaking of Jesus the Messiah, Deuteronomy 18:18-19 fully reads, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable.” Jesus would not need to accuse them, for Moses would accuse them of not obeying him.
(John 5:47) “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Jesus concluded His reasons for doing what He said and did by telling the leaders that since they did not believe what Moses wrote, how would they ever believe what He said. In Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus, He concluded with much the same message, saying in Luke 16:27-31, “He (the rich man) said, ‘Then, father (Abraham), I beg you to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Jesus’ prophetic words in His parable proved right after He raised the human Lazarus from the dead. In John 12:9-11, John wrote, “When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.” On many occasions the religious leaders proved they did not have the love of God in them. In Luke 11:42, Jesus warned, “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.”
Misinterpret Moses or Believe Jesus
Sunday, February 9, 2020
John 5:39-47
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me (John 5:39—KJV). You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me (John 5:39— NASB). You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf (John 5:39—NRSV). As Jesus concluded His debate with the religious leaders who accused Him of violating their Sabbath laws by doing good, He told them what prevented them from believing what He said. One, they did not have the word of God dwelling or living within them. Two, they did not have the love of God in them. Three, they did not believe Moses, who testified and wrote about Jesus as a witness in Jesus’ behalf. For these reasons, among others, they mistreated Jesus and those Jesus healed. To help these leaders, Jesus pointed them to their scriptures, the Old Testament. As valid in a court of law, their scriptures testified or bore witness on behalf of Jesus, but they misread their scriptures and only partially believed them to be true. They searched the scriptures thinking that in them they could find what was missing in their lives—eternal life. However, they mistakenly thought that eternal life was to be found and maintained by obeying the laws in the scriptures, the traditional applications of these laws by former teachers, and by interpreting the scriptures as their cultural and political circumstances changed. Their treatment of those Jesus healed and their treatment of Jesus for doing good on the Sabbath in violation of their traditions indicated that they had not found eternal life by increasing the number of laws for them and others to obey. Instead, Jesus told them they needed to believe everything that Moses wrote, and based on Moses’ writings they needed to believe what Jesus said. By believing and accepting Jesus as Messiah, they would receive eternal life.
Thinking Further
Misinterpret Moses or Believe Jesus
Sunday, February 9, 2020
John 5:39-47
Name _________________________________
- Why did the religious leaders search the Scriptures? According to Jesus, what is one reason to study the Scriptures?
- What are some of the benefits of coming to Jesus?
- What was missing in the lives of the religious leaders? What was one or more of the effects of this?
- What did Jesus say about people seeking glory?
- When Jesus spoke to the religious leaders, what did Jesus say about Moses and them?
Discussion and Thinking Further
- Why did the religious leaders search the Scriptures? According to Jesus, what is one reason to study the Scriptures? They searched the Scriptures thinking that they could find the way of or to eternal life through their study of the Scriptures. In Matthew 19:16, a rich young man asked Jesus what good deed or thing he needed to do to inherit eternal life. The religious leaders searched the Scriptures for similar reasons, and developed laws of “good things” to do and “bad things” to avoid in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus said that one reason to study the Scriptures, the most important reason, was because they testified on His behalf (He was/is the Way to eternal life)—the Way, the Truth, the Life.
- What are some of the benefits of coming to Jesus? We can have life, eternal life. We can receive power to become children of God. Jesus will pour the love of God into us through the Holy Spirit.
- What was missing in the lives of the religious leaders? What was one or more of the effects of this? The love of God was not in them. Lacking love, they did not glorify God when they learned Jesus healed people. They wanted to kill Jesus.
- What did Jesus say about people seeking glory? Many people seek glory from one another, rather than seeking the glory that comes from God.
- When Jesus spoke to the religious leaders, what did Jesus say about Moses and them? Moses will accuse them before the Father, because they did not believe Moses. If they believed Moses, they would believe Jesus. Moses wrote about Jesus. If they will not believe what Moses wrote, how will they believe what Jesus says.
Word Search
Misinterpret Moses or Believe Jesus
Sunday, February 9, 2020
John 5:39-47
Name ________________________________________
T O I E F L Q C E V O L M D Q
R H P V T E S T I F Y H E I F
M E O E P R V L V X K U P Q C
S V A I C U D A R O Z M O T U
C L X L F P C H T E U A H S C
R Y F E Z C T S Y N F N J X P
I L T B U P Y H X Q Z U Z C D
P F G S E S J E S U S I S H Q
T K E C E G H G L O R Y C E R
U N C M T P C M Y S X M A L U
R A S W E D R E N H O C R K W
E Y D B R U A M U S E T B C F
S O I M N O E O E L F L S J T
G W J Y A C S S J O I C B F A
P Y K F L M V W C Y L P Q D C
Search
Scriptures
Eternal
Life
Testify
Refuse
Glory
Human
God
Love
Believe
Accept
Accuse
Moses
Hope
True and False Test for John
Misinterpret Moses or Believe Jesus
Sunday, February 9, 2020
John 5:39-47
Name ______________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
- If you search the Scriptures, you can learn about Jesus as the way to have eternal life. True or False
- Even though there is much evidence and testimony that Jesus is the Son of God and Messiah sent by the Father, some refuse to come to Jesus to have life. True or False
- When Jesus came, He sought the glory of human beings. True or False
- From what we know about the religious leaders in Jesus’ day, they obviously did not have the love of God in them. True or False
- Many would not accept Jesus even though He told them that He came in the Father’s name. True or False
- The scribes and Pharisees refused to accept honor and glory from one another, preferring to always do God’s will in the most loving ways. True or False
- It is better to seek the honor that God can give than to seek the honor that only other people can give. True or False
- The Jews were delighted to believe in Moses and Jesus and in doing whatever they wrote. True or False
- Before the Father, Jesus and Moses will accuse those who break the Ten Commandments. True or False
- Though the religious leaders set their hope on Moses, they did not believe Jesus. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
10.False
Prayer
Father, we often act the part of the righteous person to impress others, not to serve You. Give us new, pure, unhypocritical hearts, Lord. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.