Note:
For the next three posts, we’ll be looking at Jesus’ response to the Jews
(Pharisees) for the charge against healing the invalid man on the Sabbath. I’ll
be posting the entire discussion, but will break it into three segments. As
always, to properly discuss Scripture, we must keep it in context, so I
encourage you to read the entire passage with each post. Of course, the first 15
verses of John 5 are also part of the context because the healing of the
invalid man is what instigates the following encounter with the Jews. So keep
all this in mind as you read.
The
Passage
John 5:16-47
16 For this reason the Jews
persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on
the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now,
and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought
all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said
that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered
and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of
Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also
does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things
that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you
may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even
so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has
committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as
they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father
who sent Him.
24
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent
Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from
death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now
is, 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
to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment
also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come
forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have
done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing.
As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own
will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
31
“If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who
bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is
true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I
do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be
saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time
to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the
works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear
witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent
Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen
His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent,
Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you
have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not
willing to come to Me that you may have life.
41
“I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the
love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive
Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you
believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that
comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father;
there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed
Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not
believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Explanation
Context.
Context. Context. To rightly interpret Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15) we must be
diligent to be faithful to its context. John 5:16-47 is Jesus’ response to the
Jews’ charge against breaking the Sabbath by healing the invalid man and
commanding him to pick up his bedding and walk.
Jesus gives only one argument for His defense and that is His deity: He
declares equality with God. The first section (vv. 16-23) is Jesus explaining His
relationship to the Father. The second section declares His authority with the
Father (vv. 24-30). In the last section, Jesus defends His deity by four faithful
witnesses (vv 31-47).
The
fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy. God
commanded that violating the Sabbath was punishable by death. The Sabbath issue
was rightfully very important to the Jews; however, they had made it unbearable
by adding their own traditions from the oral law.
“My Father has been working until now, and I
have been working...” No work was to be done on the Sabbath, but Jesus
declared that as God the Father continues to “work”, so also the Son continues
to work. Psalm 121:4 states that God neither slumbers nor sleeps as He keeps
watch over Israel.
“Therefore the Jews sought all
the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that
God was His Father, making Himself equal with God...” Jesus’ claim was blasphemous
to these Jews and that incited them to begin to plot His murder.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do
nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the
Son also does in like manner...” Jesus statement is descriptive, not prescriptive.
Jesus is describing His relationship to the Father in the context of His deity—His
Godhood. Within this context, Jesus is not prescribing or giving instruction to
us that we must do the same thing that He does.
Jesus
then specifically tells us what the “work” is that He sees the Father do: “For as the Father raises the dead and gives
life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” This is the
greater work that is described: “...He
will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.”
“...For as the Father raises the
dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For
the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son...” Notice that Jesus states
that He Himself will judge rather than the Father.
“Verses 21-22 refer to two major ‘works’ that
Jews recognized God continued to perform on the Sabbath – giving life (as
children were born) and exercising judgment (as people died).”
Observations
and Insights
Several
years ago, a popular teaching arose from John 5:19 that just like Jesus saw
what His Father was doing, we also are to watch what God is doing in the world
and join Him. But keeping this passage within its rightful context teaches
exactly the opposite. Only Jesus could do that because the Son is in the Father; the
Father is in the Son; they are one. (John 17) It is not as if Jesus is looking
and watching God do something and then copying Him. The Father and the Son have
perfect equality and unity of nature.
Another
popular teaching current today is that Jesus did all His works (miracles) as a
man filled with the Holy Spirit; therefore, we also can (in fact, must)
be filled with the Spirit to do everything that Jesus did. Reading this passage
in its context refutes both of these teachings.
We
cannot be in the Father as Jesus was to do miracles today because Jesus in fact
is God in flesh as a man, the Son. The greater “work” that Jesus is proclaiming
here-within context-is His authority to give eternal life which He would ultimately purchase on
the cross. It is His “cross-work”.
Of
course we most certainly must obey Jesus’ command to preach the Gospel and make
disciples. Doing so requires that we give of ourselves, serving, teaching, and
doing a variety of good works to glorify God. However, requiring believers to
somehow “see God” doing things to determine where and how to minister in order
to guarantee success is a great misinterpretation of this passage. It creates a
great spiritual burden to “see” or “hear” God, and creates condemnation when an
effort fails or we see no fruit. Additionally, it causes believers to make
judgment calls as to whether God is “doing something” in a particular situation
or working in an individual’s heart.
I am a
simple sheep just like those I serve. I know that my own heart is deceitful
above all and desperately wicked. It yearns for “self” to be validated and
affirmed even when I am wrong. No one can know the heart of another; we can
only know our own hearts. (1 Corinthians 2:11). We put ourselves in a very
dangerous place when we claim that we can see what God is doing in others’
hearts.
We
honor the Father and the Son when we believe and proclaim His Word. May we
never cease to marvel at the greatest work that Jesus did on our behalf to
purchase our salvation.
