Absolute Equality

Have you ever gone up to someone and started to visit with them, only to discover that they were someone other than who you thought they were.  It’s obviously one of those embarrassing and awkward situations where you wish you could hide.  

I recall one time when I came into a restaurant and sat down at a table near a large group of men having coffee.  They were discussing and cussing this preacher in town.  A couple of them had some good things to say about the preacher, but the rest went on making rude comments.  Then a friend walked in to join me at this restaurant and proceeded to greet me with “Good morning, Pastor.”  At that point, the other men at this large grouping of tables became silent.  One of them, who had been saying positive things about the preacher, spoke up:  “By the way, fellas, this here is the new preacher in town, Pastor Reiss.”  With much clearing of throats and sheepish apologies, the air was quickly cleared.  The point is that most of them had no clue as to who I really was when I first walked in.

In today’s passage in John 5.17-24, we’re going to see Jesus making it painfully obvious that He is absolutely equal with God the Father.  He is God. 

Christian, we must understand that Jesus is not just our Savior; He is not just a good teacher or prophet; He doesn’t issue fire escape tickets from hell.  Jesus was and is fully God.  If anyone dares to suggest that Jesus Christ is not God, Who He says He is, then that person claims to have more intelligence and insight than all those people who were eyewitnesses and who heard the actual words of Jesus. 

When we understand that Jesus is God, it should change how we live our lives on a daily basis.

As we look at this section, we need to remember what it is following.  In the section prior to this, when healing the man who had been ill for 38 years, we see the beginning of a locking of horns between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders.  He had not actually broken any Sabbath Laws by healing on the Sabbath.  Yet, we know that He didn’t waste any time explaining to those religious hypocrites the ludicrous position they were taking.  He threw the gauntlet down at their feet by stating that He was equal with God and since He made the Sabbath He could do what He wanted.  

We will see five different aspects of absolute equality this morning.

Jesus is Equal with the Father In His Likeness.

. . . In His Labors

. . . As a Life-Giver

. . . In His Legal Judgment

. . . In His Receiving Laud

Jesus Is Equal with the Father In His Likeness. - 5.17-18

But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”  For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

Jesus’ answer in verse 17 is a somewhat humorous expression.  For in fact, God doesn’t need a break from work.  The Bible tells us that God doesn’t grow tired or weary.  His taking a Sabbath break after creation was for the benefit of humanity.  It was to set an example for us.  

To understand this better, it would be wise to go back to Genesis 2.1-3.  Verse 3 tells us that God “sanctified” it, referring to day seven. In other words, God set it apart.  Apart from what?  Obviously, the other six days of creation would be the “what.”  But why does this day need to be set apart?

Verse 1 tells us that creation was completed.  By the way, that means there was no need for evolution.  Then we’re told that God rested.  It’s not because He was tired.  It was because there was nothing else He needed to do; it was completed. 

Then, verse 3 tells us that He “blessed” day 7.  In other words, this is a special day reminding all of us that God made all that there already is in the first 6 days.  That seems like a good cause for celebration.  Humanly speaking, this also allows our bodies to operate at peak efficiency with this sort of a cycle.  When one does not take a break from their regular activities, the body and mind tend to get sluggish and begins to falter.

Interestingly, God hasn’t stopped working.  Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1 remind us that God is still sustaining the universe and keeping everything going.  Thus, if God does good and blesses on the Sabbath, plus keeping our universe going, then Jesus was going to do the same.  Interestingly, we see in John 7 and Luke 14 that the Jews themselves performed acts of mercy on the Sabbath.  Their hypocrisy was quite obvious.

Their focus on religious rules in an attempt to make themselves acceptable to God was pathetic.  God has always been concerned about the heart and not outward appearance.  People are always more important than procedure.  Ministry to the desperate always takes priority over minutiae about details.  When we understand that Jesus is God, it should change how we live our lives on a daily basis.

Don’t miss the fact that these Jews were understanding quite clearly what Jesus was stating.  He called God the Father, His Father.  The last part of verse 18 lets us know they understood the ramifications; He was making Himself equal with God.  Yet, they did miss it, for they were making it as though He were trying to replace God.  That is not what Jesus was saying.

In the next few verses, Jesus is going to elaborate even more in showing that there is absolute equality between the Father and Himself.

Jesus Is Equal with the Father In His Labors. - 5.19-20

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.”

Jesus could have responded and denied this, making everything okay with the Jewish leaders.  However, He continued to hammer his point home showing that He is God.  Now He shows that whatever He does is an exact replica of what the Father would be doing.  If God the Father wants it done and would do it, then Jesus would do it.  In addition, Jesus could not nor would He do anything the Father didn’t want. Simply put, everything the Father does, the Son does.  There can be no misunderstanding.  Jesus is letting the religious leaders know that He is equal to the Father.  The only way that is possible is if He’s God.  

To my simplistic way of looking at this, if I were a Jewish leader who truly wanted to live for God and not for myself, I would have been apologizing right then and there.  I would have understood the idea that one does not reprimand God, much less try to educate Him on what is spiritually appropriate and what is not.  However, by their attacking Jesus for healing on the Sabbath and lecturing Him, they were in essence, attacking God.  

When we understand that Jesus is God, it should change how we live our lives on a daily basis.  Simply put, we have no business trying to tell God how to get things done. We need to be submissive and obedient to him and his ways. When the Bible states that the work he began in us will be carried on until the day of completion, we can trust that.

Of course, you and I know they weren’t getting it.  Jesus goes on to let them have a glimpse into the future by letting them know that they hadn’t seen anything yet.  As the Father continues to show Jesus even greater works, Jesus was going to do them.  Even to the point that they themselves would marvel.  But what could that possibly mean?  Let’s look at verse 21.

Jesus Is Equal with the Father as a Life-Giver. - 5.21

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.”

It would seem that the greatest power of all, which no human could possibly have, would be the power to raise the dead.  Since God created life and sustains life, it would make sense that He could renew life.  It was man’s sin that caused death to become the way of the world.  Throughout the entirety of the Old Testament, there is prophecy and foreshadowing of our living eternally.  Even Job commented that he knew that his redeemer lives and that he would one day see him.  

Of course, if anyone could raise the dead, it could only be God.  Anything else would be some sort of a trick or illusion.  Well, Jesus goes on to talk about this very thing.  However, He continues to put Himself on the same level as the Father.  Just like the Father is able to raise the dead and give life, so He, the Son, gives life to whom He wishes.

We must understand that this is not just physical life.  This is spiritual life, as we discovered in earlier parts of John, with the dialogue with Nicodemus, as well as the woman at the well.  Jesus is not just someone representing God, He was and is God and is in complete agreement with all that God the Father chooses to do in giving life.

But how is that Jesus gets to choose?  What makes Him so special and knowledgeable?  Let’s look at the next verse.

Jesus Is Equal with the Father In His Legal Judgment. - 5.22

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,”

This is one that no religious leader could ever make on their own, for a normal person’s judgment would be flawed and faulty.  However, we are told in the Bible that God is the judge of all the earth.  We are also reminded here that this judgment responsibility has been handed to the Son by the Father.  Could that be a problem?  Not at all.  Jesus does exactly what the Father would do.  There will never need to be a coin toss to decide an issue.  There will never be a disagreement about any judgment.  There will not be any need for instant replay to correct or change a previous judgment.  They are both in perfect harmony; absolute equality.  

Now, we understand from John’s writing in chapter 3, that Jesus didn’t come for the purpose of judgment.  He came to provide salvation.  However, judgment has to take place.  It is inevitable because God is holy, righteous, and just.  Unbelief must be judged.  Rejection of the Son must be judged.  

When we understand that Jesus is God, it should change how we live our lives on a daily basis.  Christian, we cannot present a Jesus who is only love. We have to present a Jesus who is the Jesus of the Bible; who is equal with the Father. We have to present a Jesus that will pronounce judgment on those who reject Him choose not to believe in Him.

Now the Jewish leaders were probably sputtering and stammering in their arrogance and self-righteousness.  What they didn’t realize was that they were in the presence of God Himself.  They may have thought Jesus to simply be a carpenter’s son.  The reality was they were debating and battling with the Heavenly Father’s Son. They certainly were not interested in seeing Jesus as anyone to honor. However, Jesus goes on to discuss that issue.

Jesus Is Equal with the Father In His Receiving Laud (Praise). - 5.23-24

“so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

It makes sense that if the Son is equal to the Father in all these various areas, that equal honor would be given to Him, as well.  This doesn’t reduce the honor which is due to the Father.  In fact, it actually magnifies it all the more. 

What incredible love the Father had to send His own Son to put up with humanity, much less die to purchase our salvation!  We should fall down in worship and adoration at such an act of love for such an unlovable people.

Interestingly, Jesus drives His point home with some intensity.  The religious leaders were dishonoring Jesus by attacking Him for healing on the Sabbath.  By the Jewish leaders dishonoring Him, they were not honoring the Father.  One theologian, John Heading writes:  In religious circles, it is too easy for unbelief to contemplate God but not the Son. Knowledge of One implies knowledge of the Other (John 8:19); hatred of One implies hatred of the Other (15:23); denial of the One implies denial of the Other.  

Since we know throughout the Bible that God will not share His glory, then it also stands to reason that Jesus, the Son, is God.  

Then Jesus gets back to the reason He was here.  He came to provide eternal life to those who hear and believe.  We, who have eternal life, believe in the Father Who sent the Son.  We hear the words of the Son, which are the words of God.  We have passed from death to life because of what the Father and Son have done.

Reflections

Whether or not a person believes that Jesus is truly God is of monumental importance.  This understanding is the difference between life and death.  If one chooses to refuse to accept this and simply will not believe, they have, in essence, chosen death.  However, for the one who will accept the fact that Jesus is God, whether or not you can explain it, you have chosen life.

You can say Jesus was a great teacher only; you can say Jesus was a wonderful example; you can equate Jesus to Allah, Buddha, or a multitude of other religious names.  However, you do so to your own condemnation.  You will discover one day that the One whom you belittled and tried to frame in your own mind and in your own comfort zone will be the One Who will be your judge. I am thankful that He is not my judge, but my Savior!

When we understand that Jesus is God, it should change how we live our lives on a daily basis. We are to present Jesus to a dying, lost world as being God. To present Jesus as a solution, or to present Jesus as someone who will take you just as you are and let you stay just as you are, is totally contradictory to the Bible. To claim that you have put your faith and hope and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then to live like you always have lived in the past, is to deny who Jesus really is. Christian, let Jesus, the son of God, shine through you in such a way that the world wants to know Him; believing on His name for salvation.