Pastor Caleb Eckerd | CrossView Community Church
Jesus wraps up John 5 by answering religious leaders who were tired of His Sabbath healings and growing influence. He does not need to defend Himself—yet He still does. He points to four witnesses that testify about Him: John the Baptist, the Father, the Scriptures, and Moses. The evidence is already there. The question is whether people will receive it.
In this message Pastor Caleb walks through three truths from the text:
- We must be compassionate convincers. Jesus takes time to reason with people He knows will reject Him. Followers of Jesus are called to live and speak in ways that make Him clearer, not harder to see.
- Good things can be a barrier to ultimate belief. The Pharisees searched the Scriptures thinking they already had life in them. Knowledge of the Bible, moral effort, and even general spirituality can become substitutes for coming to Jesus Himself.
- Pride is belief’s greatest barrier. Jesus asks how they can believe when they seek glory from one another instead of from God. Pride convinces us we can carry what only Christ can carry.
The episode also includes a brief update on the church’s prayer for a space of its own and a call to respond—asking the Spirit to remove pride and help us live as people who point others to Jesus.
Listen, open John 5, and consider what might still be standing between you (or someone you love) and real belief in Christ.
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