Why does Jesus question the love for God in John 5:42? Canonical Context of John 5:42 John 5 records Jesus’ healing of the paralytic at Bethesda on the Sabbath (vv. 1-9), the subsequent confrontation with Jerusalem’s religious leadership (vv. 10-18), and His extended discourse defending His identity (vv. 19-47). Verse 42 falls near the climax of that discourse: “but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you” . The charge is delivered to men who are rigorously religious yet plotting His death (v. 18). Jesus exposes a fatal disconnect between their outward orthopraxy and the inward affection God commands. Immediate Literary Flow 1. v. 37-38 – They have neither heard God’s voice nor kept His word because His word has no abiding place in them. 2. v. 39-40 – They search the Scriptures yet refuse to come to Him for life. 3. v. 41 – He seeks no glory from men. 4. v. 42 – Their deficiency: the love of God is absent. 5. v. 43-44 – Their void of divine love leaves them vulnerable to false messiahs and human praise. 6. v. 45-47 – Moses himself will accuse them because disbelief in Jesus equals disbelief in the Torah. Old Testament Background Deuteronomy 6:4-5 commands Israel, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart.” This “Shema” is Israel’s theological center (cited Mark 12:29-30). In prophetic critique, failure of heart-love is the root of hypocrisy (Isaiah 29:13; Hosea 6:4-6). Jesus’ words stand squarely in that prophetic tradition, indicting counterfeit piety. Religious-Historical Setting Second-Temple Judaism prized meticulous law-keeping and reverence for Scripture (see Josephus, Antiquities 13.171-173). Yet extrabiblical burdens (Matthew 15:3, 6) often eclipsed heartfelt devotion. The Mishnah attests to debates over Sabbath minutiae (Shabbath 7.2) contemporaneous with John 5. Healing on Sabbath exposed priorities: ritual exactitude over merciful fidelity (cf. Micah 6:8). Why Jesus Questions Their Love 1. Rejection of Divine Testimony: Multiple witnesses verify Him—John the Baptist (John 5:32-35), His works (v. 36), the Father’s voice (v. 37), and Scripture (v. 39)—yet they remain unmoved. Genuine love for God receives His revelation (John 8:42). 2. Misaligned Motivations: They crave human honor (v. 44). The pursuit of peer approval crowds out affection for God (Galatians 1:10). 3. Legalistic Externalism: They suppose life is in the text alone rather than in the Person to whom the text points (v. 39-40). Scripture divorced from encounter breeds spiritual sterility (2 Corinthians 3:6). 4. Moral Incongruence: Plotting murder while policing Sabbath rules exposes a heart void of agápē (John 7:19). 5. Prophetic Fulfillment: Their spiritual state fulfills Isaiah 53:3; Jesus is “despised and rejected” by those ostensibly committed to YHWH. Theological Implications • Love as the Fulfillment of Law: Romans 13:10 links true obedience to authentic love. Absence of love nullifies law-keeping (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). • Christological Criterion: Acceptance of Jesus is the litmus test of loving God (John 14:21). • Regeneration Necessity: Love for God is poured out by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Unregenerate leaders lack that infusion (John 3:3). Pastoral Instruction 1. Cultivate Scripture-Engendered Affection: Read the Word to meet the Living Word (Luke 24:32). 2. Seek God’s Approval Over Human Praise: Practice disciplines of secrecy (Matthew 6:4). 3. Embrace Works of Mercy: Align Sabbath rest with restorative compassion. 4. Depend on the Spirit: Plead for the Spirit’s outpouring of love (Ephesians 3:16-19). Cross-References for Study Dt 6:4-5; 1 Sm 16:7; Psalm 51:6; Isaiah 29:13; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8; Matthew 15:8-9; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 11:42; John 8:42-47; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7-10. Conclusion Jesus questions their love for God because authentic covenant love is verified by receptive faith in the One He sent, by motives free from human adulation, and by merciful obedience. Their rejection unveils a loveless religiosity that, then and now, stands condemned—not by lack of information, but by lack of affection regenerated by the Spirit. |
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