John 5.1-16 - Hope in the Healer for Hostages Facing Hostility

We return to the sermon series in the Gospel of John.  At the beginning of chapter 5 a new section of the book begins, focusing on the opposition of the Jewish leaders to Jesus.  So a secondary theme for a few weeks will be how we deal with hostility as believers from those around us.  The main theme of John is still that Jesus is our only hope.  Not Old Testament ritual (2:1-10), not the temple (2:11-25), not physical birth (3) or water (4).  And not a supernatural pool near the temple, either!   We will explore several more false hopes lurking in this text, and ways we are hostage to the ravages of sin, before turning to our dear Savior’s healing and saving actions, and His guiding words.

Sermon Theme: Though we are hostage to the ravages of sin, and though we face the hostility of others for following Jesus Christ, He is our hope for healing.

Sermon outline

Introduction

A. Hostages

B. Hostility

C. Hope

  1.  False hopes

  2.  Our true hope