Mark

There is a few more important points to mote on John 5. The Jews want to kill Jesus becasue of two reasons- he broke the Sabbath and he claimed to be equal with God (5:18). Jesus expounds on his authority as the Son (5:19-29).
Jesus tells the Jews that what he saids to them is so they may be saved (34). He also confirms that the Jews were ‘willing’ to abide in the light of John for a while (35). BUT (36), Jesus sais his testimony and works are greater than John the Baptist. He tells the Jews they have never seen nor heard the Father, and that they do not have God’s word in them, and the reason is important- becasue they do not believe the one he sent. He expounds how the Jews seek eternal life in the scriptures, yet fail to see how the scriptures point to Jesus [with particular ref to Moses (45-47)].
I agree that Jesus knows their hearts (42).

However i reject Cheryl’s point that these Jews have no ‘fear’ of God. THis is not in the text anywhere. These Jews were pious and religious. They searched the scriptures looking for eternal life. Where they went wrong is failing to recognise the prophetic passages ref to Jesus. 5:18 teaches us that the reason they wanted to kill Jesus was becasue he broke the sabbath (their religious laws) and claimed equality with God. They were ‘unwilling’ to come to Jesus because they did not love God. This was clear because they did not recognise the scriptures about him. To say these people had no ‘fear’ of God is not in the text.