JOHN 5:17-30
17 In His defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.”18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,23 that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent Him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come 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 judge because He is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.
JOHN 5:17-30 JESUS: SENT BY THE FATHER
We continue to ask how it is that we can better KNOW GOD BY KNOWING JESUS.
There are various things that we know that we do not fully appreciate or recognize the significance of until the need arises.
For instance, you are taught in driver’s training that if the car goes into a skid, you should steer with the skid until you can regain control. We know that baking soda can put out a fire on the stove. We know the signs of a stroke or heart attack and that we should phone 911 immediately.
These, and many others, are pieces of knowledge that we carry with us and that have an impact on our lives or the lives of others at a particular time of need.
I want us to recognize together today the significance of knowing that Jesus, God’s Son has been sent into our world by God His Father. God had purpose in sending Jesus and as we examine today’s Scripture more closely, we can get a clearer picture of Who God is by knowing that He sent Jesus.
We will begin with Jesus’ response to those who were criticizing Him because He had healed someone on the Sabbath. Pause there for a moment. Even the fact that He had the power to heal indicated that He had been sent by God the Father. Those who criticized missed this altogether. We read in John 5:17-18,
17Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.”18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
The fact is that Jesus God’s Son is equal with God. This truth is emphasized here. Jesus has been sent by God the Father. Jesus provides the example of how God wants the Sabbath to be observed. God does not cease His acts of compassion on that holy day and neither did Jesus. Jesus was sent to carry out the will of God the Father.
Next we read, 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
It was not possible for Jesus to act independently of His Father. He could only act in dependence on His Father so whatever Jesus does represents what God would want. Jesus, Who has been sent by His Father perfectly reflects Who God is and what God would want.
Jesus continues, 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
This love of the Father for Jesus His Son results in God choosing to show Jesus all that He does. Jesus predicts that the One Who sent Him will show Him even greater works than have already been revealed and people will be amazed. Perhaps people who witness even greater works would not be so amazed if they would acknowledge that Jesus has been sent from God and is God’s own Son.
The even greater works are specifically raising the dead and judging. Jesus explains,
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,23 that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent Him.
That is a strong statement that whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent Him. God intends that people will come to know Him through Jesus His Son, but if people will not accept and believe that Jesus is God’s Son, they are rejecting God the Father.
Jesus persists in giving those listening the possibility of hearing truth and having their lives transformed when He declares,
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come 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 judge because He is the Son of Man.
Here is the offer of the irreplaceable gift of eternal life for those who will set aside their stubborn preconceptions and believe the truth that God the Father has sent Jesus. Let me emphasize that verse 25, Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live,” is a reference not only to the future resurrection, but to the promise that Jesus gives life now! Those who have been spiritually dead and hear his words of truth can choose to receive life from Him. Any judging that Jesus does will be just and right because He is representing God His Father Who is just and right.
Then Jesus explains,
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me. It is not that Jesus has invented these ideas Himself. This is all part of God’s everlasting plan. And when Jesus testifies that He does not seek to please Himself but the One who sent Him, we are given a crucial question to ask ourselves. Is our primary purpose in life to please God?
How will we know what is pleasing to God and how we need to be living our lives every day? The more we know God, the more we can know what will please God. Our God was very intentional in sending His Son Jesus, so that we could know through Jesus what kind of life God invites us into that will please Him!