John 5:14-30 (NKJV) Jesus Makes a Defense

14  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." 15  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." 18  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23  that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27  and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29  and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30  I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

​Question to Consider:

1. Since most people believed in Jesus on the basis of the miracles they saw Him perform, what made the Jews so cynical?
2. How can a religious mindset blind us from seeing what the Holy Spirit might be doing?
3. ​What do you think of C.S. Lewis' "Liar, Lord or Lunatic" argument?

John does not tell us what motivated the man who had been healed to point out Jesus to the Jews, but that is exactly what he did.  According to the Jews, Jesus had violated the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath and needed to be held accountable for His actions.  How extreme were they in their efforts to rein Jesus in?  They tried to kill him.
Jesus answered the Jews accusations.  Side note: The miracle that Jesus performed should have caused the Jews to give pause.  A miracle-working Rabbi might be the Messiah.  Instead, they obsessed on the possibility that Jesus broke the rules concerning Sabbath rest.  They were so buried in the rules of their religion that they wanted to persecute their own Messiah.
Jesus started by answering the question of healing on the Sabbath.  He simply pointed out the fact that the healing was a work of both the Father and the Son.  (The logic here is that it is impossible for the Lord of the Sabbath to violate the Sabbath)
This is where the question of "Belief" becomes important.  The disciples were following Jesus, because they believed in Him.  The Samaritans believed in Jesus and their hearts prepared for a revival that would come later.  A growing group of people throughout Israel were starting to believe in Jesus.  The unbelief of this group of Jews made them spiritually blind to the Christ.
Jesus speaks to them as if He believes that He is the Christ.  v. 19 The Son does what the Father directs Him to do.  v.20 The Father will work miracles through the Son.  v.21 Both the Father and the Son have the power over death.  v.22 The Son will act as the judge.  v.23 The Son is worthy of honor.  v.24 Those who believe in Jesus and the Father who sent Him will be given eternal life.  v.25 The Son of God will raise the dead.  v.26 There is life in the Son.  v.27 The son will execute judgment.  v.28 Even the dead will hear the voice of the Son.  v.29 The Son will judge the deeds of man.  v.30 The Son does the will of the Father.
If a person made all the claims that Jesus made; and if said person was not the Son of God; then the Jews would have been justified in claiming that blasphemy had been committed.  If Jesus wasn't the Son of God, then He was indeed a blasphemer.  This is where C.S. Lewis' "Liar, Lord or Lunatic" argument has merit.  Jesus' defense against the attacks of the Jews is outlandish if He isn't who He claims to be.  
Jesus is insanely proud or He is the Messiah.  Jesus is a masterful deceiver or He is the Christ.  Jesus is absolutely crazy or He is the Son of God.  The Jews would have been correct in challenging Jesus' blasphemous words but for "one thing" that stood as a logical roadblock to their erroneous conclusion.  Jesus performed a miracle.
Try this one for size: Go out somewhere, find someone in need of a visible miracle, and then...perform a miracle in front of a large group of witnesses.  Are you feeling up to taking on the challenge?  Not one of Jesus' critics could refute what Jesus was saying, because the miracle boldly stated otherwise. ​