Day 15 - John 5:19-23
27 Jan 2017
Jesus is God. No other conclusion will do. He is God the Son incarnate. John has begun his gospel with that great conclusion, and at the end of his gospel he will underline that point. During his life on earth, this claim was obvious to the Jewish authorities. That was why they wanted to kill him (see verse 18). Believe and worship, or want to get rid of him. Those are the only two realistic options open to us when faced with Jesus’ claim about himself.
Jesus knew what the people were thinking, so he explains a bit more about who he is. These verses give us an insight into the relationship within the Trinity. It is worth slowing down and reading them carefully.
First, Jesus tells us he does what God the Father does (verse 19). He is God, but not a second, rival God. He does not act independently of the Father. He does not improve or change what the Father does. No, he is the second person of the trinity, who does what the Father does. As the trinitarian God, God the Father and God the Son and God the Spirit have one will.
Second, the Father shows the Son all he does (verse 20). Even in the closet of human relationships, people still do things that take us by surprise. That is not true within the godhead. There is perfect intimacy.
This is important for us. How can we know God? Only if God himself comes and reveals himself to us. Jesus is saying to us - I can God to you, because I do what God does, and because I know what God knows. I am God!
Third, Jesus (God the Son) gives life just as the Father the gives life. In Jewish tradition there were three keys that God held in his hand - things only God could do. The key of rain, the key of the womb (only God could give children to barren women), and the key of death (only God can raise the dead). Here Jesus makes this claim about himself. Yet, we know this life is more than just extra physical life. The life Jesus gives is eternal life in relationship with him.
Forth, Jesus tells us the Father has given judgement to the Son. God is described in the Old Testament as “the judge of all the earth”. In Daniel 7 this task is given to a Son of Man figure. Jesus is saying - “this is me - both man and God.”
Then last, Jesus draws the obvious conclusion. If those points are true, everyone must honour the Son as they honour the Father (verse 23). You cannot claim to worship God if you reject the Son. This is precisely what these Jewish leaders were doing. We must not do the same.