John 5:31-47 “Whose approval are you living for?” (Dec 4th, 25)

The thread running through John 5:30–47 is not simply a debate about Sabbath rules; it is a searching question about glory and approval. Jesus lives wholly from the Father’s will, judges as He hears, and refuses to trade the glory of God for the praise of people. He summons three public witnesses—John the Baptist, His works, and the Scriptures—so that hearers may be saved. These witnesses show that faith is not built on private impressions but on God’s clear, historic testimony. To reject them is not an intellectual problem; it is a love problem: loving human applause more than the glory that comes from the only God.

The Sabbath controversy exposes the deeper issue. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus unmasks a heart that equates strict rule-keeping with divine approval and misses the Sabbath’s very meaning—trust. The Sabbath was given as a sign of God’s provision and love, a weekly invitation to cease striving and rest in Him. In this light, the healing on the Sabbath is not an infraction but a fulfillment—a gift of life that reveals the Giver. Where the Pharisees tried to earn approval through performance, Jesus embodies the rest that God provides.

All of Scripture points to Him. From Moses to the Prophets, the storyline converges on the Son: the true and better Prophet, Lamb, King, and Son of Man. Searching the Scriptures without coming to Christ breeds pride; coming to Christ through the Scriptures brings life. The approval that matters is not seized by effort but received by faith.

At the center stands the Son’s exchange. The perfectly approved Son lived in unbroken delight with the Father, yet on the cross He bore forsakenness so that those who believe would be accepted. This frees disciples from the treadmill of human praise and gives courage to speak of Him openly, even when it costs. The call is clear: hear His word, believe the One who sent Him, and pass from death to life. Live for the Father’s approval—the only approval that lasts.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Seek the Father’s approval alone To chase human praise is to make oneself a mirror of the crowd, always adjusting, never at rest. Jesus refuses that bargain, rooting His identity in the Father’s will and verdict. Freedom begins where the need to be seen and celebrated ends, because the Father’s delight is enough. Practice unseen obedience to starve the appetite for applause. [04:08]
• 2. Believe the witnesses God provided God has not left faith to private whispers; He has given public testimony—John’s witness, Jesus’ works, and Scripture’s voice. These converge on the same conclusion: the Father sent the Son. Receiving these witnesses honors God’s way of making Himself known and guards against counterfeit revelations. Doubt less by listening better to the witnesses He chose. [07:44]
• 3. The Sabbath exposes trust, not performance Jesus heals on the Sabbath to reveal its heart: resting in God’s provision rather than proving ourselves to God. Legalism turns rest into a resume; Christ turns rest into relationship. Practicing Sabbath disciplines the soul to release control, receive care, and delight in God’s people and presence. Rest becomes resistance against the tyranny of self-approval. [28:30]
• 4. Scripture leads to Christ or to pride Searching the Scriptures without coming to Christ weaponizes knowledge and hardens the heart. Reading to meet the Son, however, humbles, heals, and gives life. The Bible’s unity is not literary coincidence but redemptive design; Christ is its center. Approach every passage with the prayer, “Show me Jesus here.” [22:29]
• 5. At the cross, approval is exchanged The Son who always pleased the Father was willing to be forsaken so that the undeserving might be welcomed. This is not motivational fuel but a new identity—approved in the Beloved. From that secure verdict, bold witness becomes possible, even when it costs social standing. Receive, don’t achieve, the only approval that endures. [19:52]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:33] - A perspective shift on approval
• [01:02] - Whose approval are we living for?
• [02:42] - Scripture reading: John 5:30–47
• [04:56] - Bethesda healing and Sabbath clash
• [06:56] - Equal with God; courtroom framing
• [07:44] - Three witnesses: John, works, Scriptures
• [11:07] - “God told me” and Scripture’s sufficiency
• [13:48] - Written that you may be saved
• [15:00] - Evangelism and fear of man
• [16:20] - The works as signs of the Father
• [22:29] - Christ in all of Scripture
• [28:30] - Sabbath as trust, not performance
• [32:56] - Praise of men vs. praise of God
• [33:51] - Hear, believe, and receive life

1. In John 5:31–39, what three witnesses does Jesus point to, and what does each one specifically confirm about Him?
2. According to John 5:41–44, what keeps people from believing, and how does seeking human glory relate to that?
3. In John 5:45–47, why does Jesus say Moses will accuse His hearers, and what does that imply about how to read the Old Testament?
4. When the healed man carried his mat, what did the leaders fixate on, and what does that reveal about their priorities? [05:33]

1. Why does Jesus ground faith in public witnesses (John, His works, and Scripture) rather than private impressions? What does that teach about how God wants to be known? [11:07]
2. “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” What does it practically mean to seek the Father’s glory instead of human praise (John 5:44)?
3. How does Jesus’ Sabbath healing fulfill the Sabbath’s true meaning of trust and rest rather than performance and self-approval? [28:30]
4. All Scripture points to Christ. What happens when someone searches the Scriptures yet refuses to come to Him, and why does that lead to pride instead of life? [22:29]

1. Whose approval is driving your week right now—God’s or people’s? Where does that show up most clearly (work reviews, social media, family expectations, friend groups)? What one pattern might need to change to make space for the Father’s approval to matter most? [32:56]
2. Practice unseen obedience: what is one specific act of obedience you can do this week without telling anyone (giving privately, serving quietly, praying in secret) to starve the appetite for applause? [04:08]
3. Name one person in your life you can gently point to Jesus this month. What small next step will you take (share a story, extend an invite, pray and follow up)? What fear holds you back, and how will you face it? [15:00]
4. Sabbath as trust, not performance: if you set aside regular time to cease from work, what would you stop doing, and what would you receive from God instead (worship, meals with others, a nap, unhurried prayer)? What practical guardrails would help? [29:00]
5. Reading the Bible to meet Christ: when you open Scripture this week, where will you start, and how will you pray, “Show me Jesus here”? What helps you move from information to encounter? [22:29]
6. Believe the witnesses God provided: which witness strengthens your faith most right now—John’s testimony, Jesus’ works, or Scripture’s voice—and how will you listen more carefully to that witness this week? [07:44]
7. Approved in the Beloved: if the cross means you are accepted by the Father, what social cost are you newly willing to risk (being misunderstood, overlooked, or excluded)? How does that change one conversation or decision you’re facing? [19:52]