John 5:19-47
Title: Jesus
Declares His Equality with God the Father.
Analysis:
In
this specific section of the Gospel of John we see Jesus declare to the religious elite who He really was. He boldly proclaims that He is equal with God in power and
authority (5:19-30), next he gives the testimony of four witnesses each of
which prove his claims to be true. In
5:31-35 he gives the witness of John the Baptist, in 5:36 his works witness to
Him, In 5:37-38 the Father bears witness, and finally in 5:39-47 Moses bears
witness that Jesus is the Christ.
Herein
this first section (vs. 19-30) lays one of the greatest Christological
discourses in all of scripture proclaimed by the Lord himself. It begins with, “Jesus answered…” and it
proclaims the equality of The Son God with God himself. First, Jesus claims to
be equal with God as a person (vs. 19) saying, “The Son can do nothing of
Himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing…” Jesus says that both
He and God are one and the same. Secondly Jesus claims to be equal with God in
life, saying in verse 21, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.” Both the father
and the Son are givers of life, an attribute that con only be given to God.
Therefore in this claim, Christ once again declares himself equal with God.
Thirdly, Jesus claims to be equal with God in honour (vs. 23). “So that all
will honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the
Son does not honour the Fathers who sent Him.”
All throughout Scripture, we see that God alone is worthy of honour
(Rev. 19:10; 22:9), and this passage is no exception. If Jesus were not God, He
would not demand or receive worship from mankind. But Jesus was and is God;
therefore we must worship and honour Him in everything.
In
verse 24 Jesus makes a transition starting with “Truly, Truly, I say to you…”
And in the following verses, the Lord proclaims that all men will one day be
resurrected to life and will be judged by Himself who is the Son of Man. Those
who performed good deeds will receive life and those who committed evil deeds
will receive death. Jesus then summarizes in vs. 30 by confirming that all he
says is by the one who sent Him, that is the Father.
As
we reach verse 31, Jesus now begins to witness that what he says about Himself
is true by using four different sources. First, John the Baptist is a witness
to Jesus. Verse 33 says, “You have sent to John and he testified to the truth.”
And verse 35 says, “He was the lamp that was shining and you were willing to
rejoice for a while in its light.” John was witness to the Christ; the herald
that was prophesied to come before Messiah (Is. 40:3). As Jesus says his
testimony is true.
Secondly,
the very works that Jesus performed shouted forth as a witness that he must be
from God. Verse 36 reads, “…for the works which the Father has given Me to
accomplish – the very works that I do – testify about Me. That the Father has
sent Me.” Jesus says that his works are and even more powerful testimony than
John the Baptist was. The religious leaders knew this, for did not Nicodemus,
‘…the teacher of Israel…’ even say in John 3:2, “We know that You have
come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless
God is with him.” Christ’s miracles were undoubtedly true, for even the people
who rejected Him most, could not deny this fact.
Once
again, Jesus gives another witness that testifies about who He is. This third
witness is the Father himself. Verse 37 says, “And the Father who sent Me, He
has testified of Me.” The reason that the religious men do not believe in Jesus
is explained further by the Lord who says, “You have neither heard His voice at
any time nor seen His form.” Although the witness of the Father was also true
the people’s eyes were to open to this truth. Jesus now uses one more witness
that declares he must be the promised Messiah and Son of God.
This
fourth witness is the very words of God themselves (vs. 39-46). Jesus says in
verse 39, “You search the scriptures…it is these that testify about me.” These
religious men were amazing students of the law, many of them having memorized
most if not all of the Old Testament, but even with their knowledge they eyes
were blinded to see that the O.T. scriptures testified about Jesus as the
Messiah (Dt. 18:15; Is. 53; Is. 7:14; 9:6; 11:2;). Even Moses, says Jesus, will
accuse them for they believed in Moses but did not believe in the Son of God.
And
thus Jesus ends the most amazing declaration of Himself as the Messiah, Son of
God, and even God Himself. There can be no greater evidence than what the Lord
provided in this chapter and it is a call to unbelievers who doubt who He is to
turn from their sin and believe.
Response:
After
reading and studying such an amazing passage on the deity of the Lord Jesus
Christ, I feel that the only proper response is humility and worship. He was
and is God the very Saviour of my sins who bore such a harsh burden upon
the tree. In His sovereignty he knew he would bear this cross and be crushed as
a sacrificial lamb in my stead (Is. 53:5-7). Thoughts of His great mercy must evoke
songs of praise and adoration to his holy name. And I cannot help but say with
Paul, “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known
the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counselor? Or who has first given
to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him
and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
