He came to His own John 5:1-47

Context Chapter 5 opens a new section that runs right through to 10:42. In chapters 2–4 Jesus is presented as having come from heaven to earth; He announces the arrival of His messianic kingdom and teaches about membership of it. In chapters 5–10 the issues dealt with all relate to Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and equal with God. His claims are challenged by the Jews who already consider themselves to be God’s covenant people (e.g. 8:33). As we observe the move from mere reservation and hesitation about Jesus to murderous hostility, the question is, ‘What will happen in this extraordinary conflict between God’s Son and God’s historic people who want to kill Him?’ In chapter 5 the presenting issue is the Sabbath. By setting out and expounding His claim to equality with God, with the right to give life and to judge, Jesus shows the Jews what is at stake if they reject Him. We are left wondering why they reject Him, and what will happen to them.

Jesus is equal with the Father (John 5:1-18)

The purpose of this sign is to illustrate Jesus’ claim to be the giver of spiritual life and the judge of all mankind on the Last Day.

The signs in John are significant. This sign again announces the arrival of God’s king and His rescue (see OT ideas). However, it also sparks off a controversy with the Jewish authorities which runs through chapters 7–10. The controversy is about Jesus’ action of healing on the Sabbath, which He claims is justifiable on the basis of His equality with God (vv. 17-18). To that end, John emphasizes the severity of the man’s plight: he has been an invalid for 38 years; he has been there a long time; he is ‘sick’, unable even to put himself in the water. It is interesting that John makes no comment on the state of the man’s faith – this is to emphasize that all of the initiative in the healing (and therefore in salvation) rests with Jesus.

How do you know Jesus is qual to the Father?

Jesus heals by his authoritative word (John 5:8)

First, the man is healed by the authoritative word of Jesus (v. 8) - here is the powerful voice of the judge on the Last Day (explained in verse 25).

Jesus heals proving he can reverse the curse of fallen man John 5:8-10

John 5:8–10 ESV

8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”

here is evidence of the Son of Man’s power to reverse the effects of human fallenness on the Last Day (the word translated ‘get up’ in verse 8 is the same as the word used for the general resurrection in v. 29) .

Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath (John 5:10-13)

John 5:10–13 ESV

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

The Sabbath was the day of rest when God’s people were meant to remember that they were both made by God (Exodus 20:8-11) and redeemed by God (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Both great events pointed ahead to God’s new creation - the ultimate realisation of His creation purposes (Gen. 2:1-3). However, for the Jews of Jesus’ day, the Sabbath had become an end in itself. The keeping of the Sabbath rules and regulations was more important than the God of the Sabbath. They should have recognised, in Jesus’ healing of the paralytic, the clear sign that the ‘future rest’ of the messianic age was at hand; instead, they quibbled about the keeping of rules.

here is the Son of Man accomplishing, for the paralytic, all that the Sabbath pointed to in terms of rest and rescue (just as the 38 years emphasise the severity of the problem, so the man‘s ability to pick up his mat and walk emphasises the completeness of Jesus’ cure).

Jesus warns of a greater judgement (John 5:14)

John 5:14 ESV

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

The worse Jesus is speaking of in verse 14 is God’s condemnation of sinners. Thirty eight years was a long time to be bound by the effects of sin. The misery was real and certain. But how much greater is the misery of hell for all eternity? Jesus is speaking to the man as both his healer and his judge. Only God can forgive and judge sins.

Jesus calls God His Father making himself equal with the Father (John 5:15-19)

John 5:15–19 ESV

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

As Jesus justifies His action in healing the paralytic on the Sabbath, He makes a most radical claim: God has always worked on the Sabbath, and in healing the paralytic Jesus was simply engaged in His Father’s work. The Jews see this as a claim to equality with God – which it is! An idea which is strengthened by Jesus’ reference to God as, ‘My Father’ (cf. 2:16). But His claim needs explanation. On what basis does He have the right to do this sort of thing? (It is also worth noting that verse 17 marks a change in approach from Jesus. In verse 13, Jesus withdrew to avoid a crowd. In verse 17, however, Jesus seems to seek out controversy with the Pharisees for the first time: He ‘answers’ their plots by provoking them to even greater hostility.)

Jesus is the Son Equal with God who gives life and judges (John 5:19-30)

Jesus is the giver of life and the judge. Honor Him! (John 5:19-23)

John 5:19–23 ESV

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

In this passage Jesus explains the basis of His relationship with His Father. He is dependent on the Father’s revelation to Him. He restricts Himself to doing only what His Father reveals. He has chosen, in obedience (v. 30), to do exactly what He sees His Father doing.

This relationship of obedience and submission guarantees the Father’s love. The Son’s perfect dependence (in obedience) guarantees rather than limits His equality. Because He only does what He sees, so the Father loves Him completely and reveals everything to Him. This is how the Son perfectly accomplishes His Father’s work and, at the same time, perfectly reveals the Father to us. (‘Though Jesus is the unique Son of God (1:49) and may truly be called God (1:1, 18; 20:28) and take to Himself divine names (8:58) as well as divine rights (5:17), yet He is always submissive to His Father.’ Carson, p. 250.)

We are to resist the strange modern idea that there was a complete ‘reciprocity’ of relationship between the Father and the Son. The Son is everything that the Father is, except Father. Thus, the Father initiates, sends, commands, commissions and grants while the Son responds, obeys, performs His Father’s will and receives authority from Him. They are equal, but different. The argument is that it would be impossible for the Son to work against the Father, because He is the perfect Son - sharing will and purpose with His Father.

In verse 20b, however, Jesus claims that the Father will show Him two greater ‘works’. These greater works are to be shown to the Son in order that people may be amazed (v. 20b) and that they may ‘honour the Son’ (v. 23) as much as they honour the Father. These greater works are: the divine work of giving eternal life. the divine work of judgement.

Key Scripture: John 5:24

John 5:24 ESV

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

We may be so familiar with Jesus’ astonishing claims that verse 23 passes us by: whoever does not honour Him, does not honour God: ‘such a statement belongs to one who is Himself to be addressed as God, or to stark insanity... Either John is supremely deluded and must be dismissed as a fool, or his witness is true and Jesus is to be ascribed the honours due God alone.’ (Carson, p. 255.)

He is the life-giver and the judge – so believe in His words and in His Father who sent Him.

This verse emphasizes both the necessity of belief and the present possibility of ‘crossing over’. Having told us what sort of ‘Son’ He is, Jesus now promises eternal life to anyone who takes His words seriously. Anyone who hears and believes the words of God’s appointed judge now may be assured of salvation both now and then (the Day of judgement

Jesus is the life-giver and the judge. Do not be amazed! (John 5:25-30)

John 5:25-30

John 5:25–30 ESV

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, 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 also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Verses 25–26 tell us that Jesus is able to give eternal life to the spiritually dead because He has the very life of God within Himself, and verses 28–30 give us two reasons why we should not be amazed (‘marvel’) at what Jesus does in the present.

He is to be the Great Judge of the Last Day.

He has already made that clear (vv. 19-23), but here He amplifies it.

His perfect obedient relationship with the Father ensures his perfect judgement.

Secondly, His perfect relationship with His Father guarantees the perfection of His judgement, both now and then. Notice the repeated, ‘An hour is coming, and is now here...’ and, ‘An hour is coming...’ that we saw in chapter 4: Jesus is able to give eternal life in the present (v. 25) in anticipation of the general resurrection at the end of time (v. 28) Those who do good (which in this context must mean that they hear the words of Jesus and believe the one who sent Him) have life, while those who have done evil (those who have failed to honour the Son, just as they honour the Father) will be judged.