Equal With God | John 5:1-30 | Dave Cook

·47 min·4 clips

Why does the preacher say the most offensive thing about Christians isn't their controversial morals, but Jesus claiming to be God?

The episode is a sermon from Calvary Baptist Church in Greenwood, Indiana, preached by Dave Cook. It is part of a series walking through the Gospel of John. Cook begins by addressing how the world often views Christians primarily through their moral teachings, whether approvingly or critically. He asserts that the most important and offensive claim of Christianity is not its morals, but that Jesus Christ is equal with God. The sermon focuses on John 5:1-30, where Jesus heals a man who had been an invalid for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. Cook explains that up to this point, Jesus had been avoiding attention, but here he intentionally 'pokes the bear' to provoke the Jewish leadership. The healed man is confronted by Jewish leaders for carrying his bed on the Sabbath, and he identifies Jesus as the one who told him to do so. Jesus later finds the man in the temple and tells him to sin no more. When the Jewish leaders persecute Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, he responds, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.' Cook explains this as a claim that Jesus can work on the Sabbath because God works on the Sabbath, implicitly claiming equality with God. The Jewish leaders seek to kill him for this. Cook then analyzes Jesus's subsequent speech in verses 19-30. He notes that Jesus's works show his equality with God because he does only what the Father shows him, operating in perfect lockstep. Cook argues that Jesus's obedience demonstrates unity, not subordination. He highlights that the greatest work is yet to come: Jesus will raise the dead and execute judgment, as the Father has given him all authority. Cook emphasizes that this future resurrection and judgment mean Jesus's words carry ultimate authority. He redirects listeners from evaluating Christian morals based on personal intuition to first confronting Jesus's identity. The sermon concludes with an invitation to believe in Jesus for eternal life, based on John 5:24, and a prayer for boldness in sharing this message.

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