John 5, Part 2
Notes
Transcript
The religionists were not able to see past the law. From the time of Ezra, they had followed the Talmud, a body of literature that covered legal interpretation of the Old Testament. Legalism had become their form of worship - and one might submit the Talmud had become an idol. Jesus had healed the lame at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, a day of ceremonial rest, and one in which the interpretations had them finding ways to not “work” even in “working”. It was a serious matter to break the Sabbath law. A person was condemned, and if the offense were serious enough, the person was to die. They missed the whole point...
Yet, Jesus points out to them the intent of the law - to care for one another. Yes, Sabbath is a day of rest from the normal toil, but we cannot take the spiritual aspect out of the equation. After the exchange with the Pharisees, Jesus speaks these words:
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Jesus claims His authority given to Him by the Father. He called God “My Father” not “our Father.” Jesus was claiming a unique relationship, a Father-Son union with God. His claim was unquestionable. They knew exactly what He was claiming. He made the claim God was still working, that is, God never ceases to work even on the Sabbath. It is true that when God created the world, Scripture says He rested on the Sabbath day; but this means He rested from His creative work, not from His other work. His work of love and mercy, helping and caring (compassion), looking after and overseeing (sovereignty) continued. Note: Jesus said, “And I work,” meaning that He did good on the Sabbath as well as God. Again, He was claiming to be equal with God, claiming to have the same right to work even as God works: that is, to erase the wrong laws of men and to establish the just and compassionate laws of God.
For these reasons, the claim of being equal to God, and working on the Sabbath, the religious sought to kill Jesus.
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.
Jesus goes on to claim He is only acting out of obedience to the Father. He states He did nothing on His own. He did not act independently of God, He was not disobedient to God, He simple said He did what the Father was doing. 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.
The second proof that Jesus was equal with God was His great works. Notice His defense statements: The Father loves the Son. The idea is that the Father continues to love and never stops loving the Son. There is never a moment when the love diminishes. It is a perfect love that never ceases to give. Therefore, the Father showed the Son all things which He did. Everything Jesus did, the Father did. We will see further acts where God is manifest through the Son when He calmed the storm, when He multiplied the food, when He raised the dead, when He healed multitudes of people, but then further controversy would arise when He instituted the law of the Son of Man and new ordinances.
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
God gives life, and only God can give life. Therefore if He wishes to give life to a dead body, He can. The Son, Jesus Christ, gives life to whom He wills. Just as God does, so Christ does. Christ is equal with God in giving life and raising the dead. Furthermore, the work of Christ gives a person an abundant, and eternal life.
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.
Jesus further proves he was equal with God by His control over the whole judicial process. Most people think that God (the Father) will judge the world and that they will have to stand before God in the day of judgment. But not so, Jesus says. He claims that God will judge “no man, but [He] hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” The scene is the picture of a supreme court—not just the supreme court of a nation, but the supreme court of the universe presided over by Jesus Christ.
As we have discussed before, Jesus is the only one who lived a sinless life here on earth, and is the only one with the experience to judge mankind.
The purpose for all judgment being given to Christ is onefold: God has willed that all men honor the Son just as they honor Him. The idea is that God has determined that men will keep on honoring the Son with the very same honor and worship they give Him. This is a truth that brings us most of our controversy, it means that if we do not honor Christ, we does not honor God; and if we does not worship Christ, we do not worship God.
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.
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.
Jesus goes on to prove He was equal with God through His power over people’s destiny, the power to save people from death. Notice how He says we are saved: By hearing the Word of Jesus. The idea is commitment and obedience to it. In order to be saved, men must hear and follow Jesus’ Word, doing exactly as He says. They are saved by believing God, that is, by believing that God has sent His Son Jesus Christ to save them. The result of being saved: eternal life. A man passes from the state of death into the state of life, from the state of condemnation into the state of justification. When a man is truly saved, he is never condemned to die; he is declared righteous and given eternal life. Note the descriptive way of expressing it: “is passed from death to life.” Note also that man is presently in a state of death; that is, man is in the process of dying. Man must die and will die. He cannot stop the process.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
Jesus proves His equality to God again through His self-existence. God is the energy, the power, the being, the possessor, the source, the essence, the sovereignty, and the self-existence of life.
God has life within Himself. And note: God has given the very same energy of life to the Son. Jesus Christ possesses “the very being” of life, the power and energy of self-existence within Himself.
The implication is clear: Jesus Christ has the power to give everlasting life to those who hear Him and believe on God.
27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Jesus again claims His equality with God through His authority to execute judgment being the Son of Man. Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, having lived just as all sons of men live. He walked through life as Man, bearing all the weight and pressure, trials and temptations, sufferings and death, joys and victories that men experience. He knows every facet and fiber of human life; therefore, He is able to execute perfect judgment. For this reason, God has given Him the right and the authority to judge men.
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.
Jesus again proves His equality to God as He had power to resurrect all people from the Grave. It is the voice—the Word, the power of Jesus—that shall resurrect “all that are in the graves.” “All that are in the graves” shall be resurrected. Not a single one will be left in the earth. Everyone “shall come forth.” “The hour is coming” when all shall be resurrected. The hour is set, fixed, already determined. Men are to “marvel not at this.” It is not incredible or ridiculous, for God is; He does exist, and He has a plan for the world. The world has not just happened. Life has not happened by chance, without purpose and meaning beyond a few brief years. Life is not doomed, without hope, destined to despair and dirt. There is meaning, purpose, and significance, both to life and to the world. Men who have done good shall “come forth to the resurrection of life.” How one lives matters. The man who professes and lives for God will take part in the resurrection of life, but they who have done evil will “come forth to the resurrection of damnation” (judgment, condemnation, see Jn. 3:17). What a person has professed will not matter. All that will matter will be how a person has lived. Has he lived righteously and godly in this present world—believing on Christ and serving Him? Believing on Christ means that a person has committed His life to follow Christ, to obey and serve Him. The judgment of Christ will be a just judgment. He will judge precisely as He “hears,” exactly as God wills. He hears and does the will of God perfectly; therefore, He will hear God and execute God’s judgment exactly as He wills. Only men who have lived godly lives will take part in the “resurrection of life.” All others will come forth to the “resurrection of damnation.”
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2004. The Gospel according to John. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
