March 22, 2026
Teacher: Mike Laughrun
Big Truth:
Jesus Is The Son Who Is Equal With God
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18).
John 20:31
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 5:8-9
(8) Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” (9) And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
John 5:16-17
(16) And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.(17) But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
John 5:18
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Big Truth:
Jesus is the Son who is equal with God.
John 5:30-47
(30) “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (31) If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. (32) There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. (33) You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. (34) Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. (35) He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. (36) But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. (37) And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, (38) and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. (39) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (40) yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (41) I do not receive glory from people. (42) But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. (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. (44) How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (45) Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
John 5:31-32
(31) If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. (32) There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.
John 5:37-38
(37) And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, (38) and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
Big Idea:
God the Father gave testimony about Jesus through His prophet.
John 5:33, 35
(33) You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. … (35) He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
Psalm 132:17
There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
Big Idea:
God the Father gave testimony about Jesus by the miraculous works.
John 5:36
But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
John 7:31
Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Acts 2:22
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know–
Matthew 11:21
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Big Idea:
God the Father gives testimony about Jesus in the Scriptures.
John 5:39
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
Luke 24:27, 44-47
(27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. … (44) Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (45) Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (46) and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (47) and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
1 John 5:9-12
(9) If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. (10) Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. (11) And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
John 5:40
…yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Big Idea:
God holds each person responsible for their unwillingness to believe.
John 5:40, 43
(40) yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. … (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.
Why did the Jews refuse to come to Jesus?
- Unwilling to honor Jesus.
John 5:40, 43-44
(40) yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. … (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. (44) How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
2 Corinthians 4:4
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Philippians 3:3-8
(3) For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh– (4) though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: (5) circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; (6) as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (7) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (8) Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
- Unwilling to love God.
John 5:42
But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
- Unwilling to believe Scripture.
John 5:45-47
(45) Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?
Mark 8:34-35
(34) And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (35) For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
John 1:11-13
(11) He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (12) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (13) who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
this week: John 5:30-47
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