John 5:18-29
Jesus is Equal with God & The Authority of the Son
Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture. Reread them. From memory, determine the central points.
- It is one thing to be a Sabbath breaker, it is quite another to claim equality with God. Indeed, the religious authorities understand what Jesus meant when He said, “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17).
- Jesus proceeds to explain what He meant as John recorded in verses 19 to 29.
- In statement after statement Jesus affirms that the God of Israel in His Father. You can imagine what might be going through the hearts and minds of those who are hearing Him.
- Indeed, the Son does what the Father does. We might understand this to mean that Jesus reveals both who the Father is and what the Father does.
- Jesus brings up the issue of judgment and states that the Father commits all judgment to the Son, meaning Himself.
- And even more, those who honor the Son are also honoring the Father. The religious authorities could not help but be upset and angry.
- There is yet more; Jesus asserts that those who both believe in Him and He who sent Him, meaning the Father, has eternal life. This person does not experience judgement but passes from death to life.
- Jesus now speaks more of the coming judgment. The dead will actually hear His voice and will live, have eternal life. The Son has life in Himself as only God has.
- Jesus Himself is the one who will judge and the result will be either the resurrection to life or the resurrection to judgment.