Embracing Life: The Call to Come to Christ
Summary
In the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verse 40, Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders with a profound truth: "And ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life." This statement is a pivotal moment in Jesus' discourse, highlighting the tragic reality of unbelief despite overwhelming evidence of His divine nature and mission. Jesus had performed miracles, such as healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, and provided testimonies from John the Baptist, His miracles, and the Scriptures themselves, all pointing to His identity as the Son of God. Yet, the Jewish leaders refused to come to Him for eternal life.
This refusal to come to Christ is not just a historical issue but a timeless one, reflecting the human condition of sin and pride. Jesus' analysis of unbelief reveals that it stems from a refusal to acknowledge one's need for Him, a reluctance to leave behind prejudices and self-righteousness, and a failure to submit to His authority. Coming to Christ involves a conscious decision, a personal relationship with Him, and an acknowledgment of one's need for salvation. It means believing in His identity as the Son of God, accepting His teachings, and submitting to His authority.
The call to come to Christ is an invitation to receive life, a life that is not merely physical but spiritual and eternal. It is a call to experience the transformative power of His grace, to be born again, and to live in communion with God. This invitation is extended to all, regardless of past sins or present condition. Jesus promises that those who come to Him will not be cast out but will find rest and eternal life.
Key Takeaways:
- The Tragedy of Unbelief: Despite the evidence of Jesus' divine nature and mission, the Jewish leaders refused to come to Him for life. This reflects a deeper issue of human pride and sin, which blinds people to their need for Christ. Unbelief is not just a lack of evidence but a refusal to acknowledge one's need for a Savior. [06:50]
- The Call to Come to Christ: Jesus' invitation to "come unto me" is central to Christianity. It involves a personal relationship with Him, not just adherence to His teachings or moral principles. Coming to Christ means entering into a transformative relationship that brings eternal life. [09:57]
- The Necessity of Acknowledging Need: Coming to Christ requires an acknowledgment of one's need for salvation. It is the recognition of one's sinfulness and helplessness that draws a person to Christ. Those who are self-satisfied and self-righteous often fail to see their need for Him. [23:55]
- Belief in Jesus' Identity and Authority: To come to Christ is to believe in His identity as the Son of God and to submit to His authority. It means accepting His teachings, including His purpose for coming into the world and His sacrificial death on the cross. [27:44]
- The Transformative Power of Christ's Life: Jesus offers life that is spiritual and eternal. This life involves being born again, experiencing the presence of God, and living in communion with Him. It is a life of grace, strength, and eternal security in Christ. [37:14]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Introduction to John 5:40
- [01:09] - The Pool of Bethesda Miracle
- [02:44] - Controversy with Jewish Leaders
- [03:47] - Jesus' Claim of Equality with God
- [04:36] - Witnesses to Jesus' Identity
- [06:13] - The Tragic Position of Unbelief
- [08:38] - Jesus' Appeal to Come to Him
- [10:15] - What It Means to Be a Christian
- [13:01] - The Personal Relationship with Christ
- [17:00] - Leaving Prejudices Behind
- [19:08] - The Drawing Power of the Holy Spirit
- [21:21] - Acknowledgment of Need
- [27:07] - Belief in Jesus' Identity
- [37:14] - The Life Jesus Offers
- [44:10] - Invitation to Come to Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- John 5:40
- John 6:37
- Matthew 11:28
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Observation Questions:
1. What evidence did Jesus present to the Jewish leaders to support His identity as the Son of God? How did they respond to this evidence? [05:54]
2. What was the significance of the miracle at the pool of Bethesda in the context of Jesus' discourse with the Jewish leaders? [02:30]
3. How does Jesus describe the relationship between coming to Him and receiving eternal life? [10:15]
4. What reasons does Jesus give for the Jewish leaders' refusal to come to Him, despite the evidence? [06:50]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the refusal of the Jewish leaders to come to Jesus reflect a broader human condition of pride and unbelief? [06:50]
2. In what ways does Jesus' invitation to "come unto me" challenge the notion of merely following His teachings without a personal relationship? [09:57]
3. How does acknowledging one's need for salvation play a crucial role in coming to Christ, according to the sermon? [23:55]
4. What does it mean to submit to Jesus' authority, and how does this submission relate to believing in His identity as the Son of God? [27:44]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where pride or self-righteousness might be preventing you from fully coming to Christ? How can you address these areas? [06:50]
2. Jesus invites us to a personal relationship with Him. How can you deepen your relationship with Christ beyond just following His teachings? [09:57]
3. Consider a time when you felt self-sufficient. How did that impact your relationship with Christ? What steps can you take to acknowledge your need for Him more consistently? [23:55]
4. What does submitting to Jesus' authority look like in your daily life? Are there specific teachings of Jesus that you find challenging to accept or follow? [27:44]
5. Jesus offers a life that is spiritual and eternal. How can you experience more of this transformative life in your current circumstances? [37:14]
6. Think of someone in your life who might be struggling with unbelief. How can you share the evidence of Jesus' identity and mission with them in a loving and understanding way? [05:54]
7. Reflect on the invitation to "come unto me" that Jesus extends. What practical steps can you take this week to respond to this invitation and find rest in Him? [09:57]
Devotional
Day 1: The Blindness of Pride
The tragedy of unbelief is not due to a lack of evidence but a refusal to acknowledge one's need for a Savior. Despite the miracles and testimonies pointing to Jesus' divine nature, the Jewish leaders' pride and sin blinded them to the truth. This reflects a deeper issue within the human heart, where pride and self-righteousness prevent individuals from seeing their need for Christ. Unbelief is a conscious choice to reject the life that Jesus offers, rooted in a refusal to submit to His authority and acknowledge one's own spiritual poverty. [06:50]
Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV): "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 'I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.'"
Reflection: In what areas of your life might pride be blinding you to your need for Jesus? How can you begin to surrender these areas to Him today?
Day 2: The Invitation to Life
Jesus' call to "come unto me" is an invitation to enter into a personal and transformative relationship with Him. It is not merely about following His teachings or adhering to moral principles but about experiencing the life-changing power of His grace. This invitation is extended to all, regardless of past sins or present condition, promising rest and eternal life to those who respond. Coming to Christ means embracing His identity as the Son of God and allowing His presence to transform every aspect of one's life. [09:57]
Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Reflection: What burdens are you carrying that you need to bring to Jesus today? How can you actively respond to His invitation to find rest in Him?
Day 3: Recognizing Our Need for Salvation
Acknowledging one's need for salvation is a crucial step in coming to Christ. It requires a recognition of one's sinfulness and helplessness, leading to a genuine desire for the life that Jesus offers. Those who are self-satisfied and self-righteous often fail to see their need for Him, missing out on the transformative power of His grace. Coming to Christ involves a humble acknowledgment of one's spiritual poverty and a willingness to receive His gift of salvation. [23:55]
Isaiah 55:1-2 (ESV): "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food."
Reflection: In what ways have you been trying to satisfy your spiritual hunger with things that do not fulfill? How can you turn to Jesus to meet your deepest needs today?
Day 4: Embracing Jesus' Identity and Authority
To come to Christ is to believe in His identity as the Son of God and to submit to His authority. It means accepting His teachings, including His purpose for coming into the world and His sacrificial death on the cross. This belief is not just intellectual assent but a wholehearted commitment to follow Him and live according to His will. Embracing Jesus' identity and authority leads to a life of obedience and transformation, rooted in the assurance of His love and grace. [27:44]
Colossians 1:15-17 (ESV): "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Reflection: What areas of your life are you struggling to submit to Jesus' authority? What steps can you take to align your life more closely with His teachings?
Day 5: Experiencing the Transformative Power of Christ's Life
Jesus offers a life that is spiritual and eternal, characterized by being born again and living in communion with God. This life involves experiencing the presence of God, receiving His grace, and finding strength and security in Christ. It is a life of transformation, where old patterns of sin and self-reliance are replaced by a new identity in Christ. Embracing this life means allowing Jesus to shape every aspect of one's being, leading to a deeper relationship with God and a greater impact on the world. [37:14]
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."
Reflection: How has your life been transformed since coming to Christ? What areas still need to be surrendered to His transformative power?
Quotes
"Now there is the ter this coming to Christ oh how often did he use it it's one of the most glorious statements to be found anywhere in the scriptures you noticed how in that sixth chapter which we read he keeps on using it he that cometh unto me he it's all coming unto him we all remember the great statement come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest come unto me this gracious invitation of the Gospel." [00:09:57]
"Well a Christian is one who has come to the Lord Jesus Christ, that's precisely what it means he says if you only came to me you'd have eternal life but you won't so to obtain eternal life and to be a Christian means that we have gone to Christ we have hearkened to the invitation and we have come to him this surely therefore we all must agree is the most important thing in life." [00:10:15]
"Coming to Christ involves a conscious action it involves if you like a decision now let's look at that you can't come to Christ without knowing that you've come to Christ ah says someone you know I I I seem to have been a Christian all my life I I can't say that there was any given point when I came to Christ now wait a minute all I want to know from you is this do you know him do you know him you may have adopted the Christian position because of your early background and training that's all right." [00:15:55]
"Coming to Christ means that you believe that he is whom he claims to be that's what he was arguing with about these with these Jews he claims to be the Son of God he says come to me which means believe that I am who I am and what I say I am or John Newton had learned this hadn't he Thou Art coming to a King he said come my soul thy suit prepared Jesus loves to answer prayer Thou Art coming to a King he's recognized him that he is indeed the only begotten Son of God." [00:27:44]
"Coming to him means that you believe that that your only hope of being forgiven is that Christ has borne your punishment taken your guilt upon himself and has borne the wroth of God against your sin that you believe that you are healed by his stripes that your peace is the result of his chastisement coming to Christ I say means that and then it goes on to believe to mean this that you believe him when he says he's going to rise and Ascend into heaven and that he has thus been given all authority and that therefore he can give us as he says here life." [00:36:39]
"Why don't you come to me and I'll let you know that God has forgiven your sins that you're reconciled to him that he is your father and has adopted you as his children and you'll be able to go into his presence and speak to him and speak to me you'll be conscious of my presence he'd said it all to the woman of Samaria he says look here whosoever drinketh of that water there in that well shall thirst again but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him as a well of water springing up into Everlasting ing life." [00:37:14]
"Coming to Christ involves this surrender of yourself and your life to him and you see it means this it means that you tell him that a man who rarely comes to Christ tells him that oh didn't you see it all there in that Hymn of John newon that we were singing just now you remember that man's story don't you what a vile life he lived slave dealer drunkard oh everything that a man shouldn't be but John Newton came to Christ and he began speaking to Christ he has reminded himself that he's coming to a King and that he's going to bring large petitions and now he begins to speak." [00:44:10]
"Lord remove this load of sin let thy blood for Sinners spil set my conscience free from guilt he said that to Christ coming to Christ means that you and I say that to him we don't believe these things as doctrines no no we believe them to be facts so we go to him and we say Lord with my burden I begin get rid of this Lord of sin that is crushing me and you tell him that you believe in his blood and that it's got power to cleanse you from all sin and unrighteousness." [00:44:10]
"Lord I come to thee for rest take possession of my breast I've been arguing I've been trying and I fail I don't know where I am I'm confused I come to thee for rest take possession of my breast there thy Blood Bought right maintain and without a rival reign in other words I go to him and in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 at the end I say this Lord Christ I believe that thou has bought me with a price I'm no longer my own I am thine take me I renounce and resign my right to myself ye are not your own he are bought with a price." [00:44:10]
"Go to him speak to him tell him and you will receive eternal life the closing hymn expresses it again 376 acious Bona I heard the voice of Jesus say come unto me and rest lay down the weary one lay down thy head upon my breast I came to Jesus as I was weary and worn and sad I found in him a resting place and he has made me glad." [00:50:33]
"Come unto me he says he encourages you him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out you may be the vest sinner that has ever trod the Earth there may be no sin but that you haven't committed it and committed it many times you may be the blackest soul out of hell I say in his blessed name this evening come come unto him him that cometh unto me in vness and rags and foulness come unto me he says and he will give you rest he will not cast you out vengeance on him make no ter hear his gentle voice that calls you unto him even now." [00:49:33]
"Wash Me cleanse me in thy blood that flow down Calvary go to him speak to him tell him and you will receive eternal life the closing hymn expresses it again 376 acious Bona I heard the voice of Jesus say come unto me and rest lay down the weary one lay down thy head upon my breast I came to Jesus as I was weary and worn and sad I found in him a resting place and he has made me glad." [00:50:33]
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