“The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working’” John 5:15-17.
The man here is the one healed at the pool of Bethesda when Jesus told him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” John 5:8.
Jesus knew controversy would come when the man walked past the religious legalist; so legal that they would not praise God for this miracle.
Eager to follow rules expanded from the original Law of Moses, they sought to kill Jesus, yet they were blind to the question; if this Man were a heretic, why would God allow Him to heal to begin with?
According to one pastor, the Jews now have 613 rules and regulations; while the Law of Moses was more than the original ten, it was clear and not nearly as burdensome; it was also very specific and needed no additions.
The mother of the pastor who spoke of these rules lives near a Jewish community and he had the following experience while visiting her.
An elderly man fell down in his yard injuring himself, a neighbor across the street witnessed this, but he could only shout, “Somebody help him, somebody help him!”
You see, it was the Sabbath and he could not leave his property. Fortunately the pastor was nearby and was able to come to the man’s aid.
Israel has forgotten God’s words.
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6.
Ponderous manmade rules blinded the Jews to the true nature of God. Nothing in the Law of Moses says you cannot heal on the Sabbath, or any other day.
Their persecution of the Lord consisted of accusing and reviling Him, and His reply is as follows.
“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” John 5:17.
Their response to this statement shows that it was quite clear to them whom He was representing Himself as.
While Genesis speaks of God in this manner.
“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3.
It does not mean that God remained at rest, in fact when sin came into the world, God entered a new work, that of salvation.
Consider this also, God continually has His hand over all creation.
“To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” Says the Holy One. “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. There is no searching of His understanding.” Isaiah 40:25-28.
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself…’” Isaiah 44:24.
Speaking of God the Father who is seated on the throne in heaven described in Revelation chapter 4.
“Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’” Revelation 4:9-11.
The Son is no less occupied. Scripture tells us that in Jesus “all things consist”, or are held together. That means that all the while He was on earth He held all things in creation together, and continues to do so.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:15-17.
“…who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” Hebrews 1:3.
“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.” John 5:18.
The Jews had no problem understanding Christ’s claims to absolute equality with God. Yet instead of accepting Him, they conspire to kill Him.
“The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’” John 10:33.
Miracle after miracle and still they blindly lash out at Him.
“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. 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.’” John 5:19-20.
By saying the Son can do nothing of Himself is not that Jesus was waiting around for orders from the Father for His next move, and if He heard nothing, He did nothing. Rather it is the idea that the Son and the Father are one and they (including the Spirit) move in unison.
Jesus said this of Himself, “I and My Father are one.” John 10:30. That means they are one essence.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4.
Being one in a co-equal Godhead, including the Holy Spirit as the third part of the Trinity, all act as one. We tend to refer to them as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, giving the sense of a hierarchy; this is not true at all.
All are one, all act as one; the Spirit, the Father and the Son act in unison, no division, no argument.
“For in Him [Jesus] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily…” Colossians 2:9.
Consider the following.
“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18.
The words, “in the bosom of the Father” convey the idea of Jesus and the Father being of one nature or one essence as stated earlier. With the exception of the cross the connection in the Godhead was never broken; communion between the Father, Son and Spirit was always there.
What the Son sees the Father do, is carry out the plan of salvation agreed upon within the Godhead in eternity past, and what the Trinity does is carry out that plan.
“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” Ephesians 3:8-12.
“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.” John 5:20.
This is the communion between Father and Son as the plan of salvation goes forth. This includes Jesus’ death on the cross, and His resurrection. Though we are not God, we too can have an intimate communion with the Father through Christ if we walk in His ways.
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” John 5:21.
“…even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” Again this expresses the co-equal position Jesus has in the Trinity and shows that it is always the Trinity working in unity in resurrection.
Jesus Christ also gives spiritual life, which is giving life to the dead in sin, granting them everlasting life.
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…” Ephesians 2:1.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47.
“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.’” John 10:7-11.
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 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.” John 5:22-23.
God has been called the judge of the whole earth as indeed He is and has been since the beginning of time, but here the Father defers judgment to the Son that all might honor Him.
Judgment Day is a day of terror and of dread which is upon the hearts of all who are in hell right now and will be on those who join them.
The day is coming when all that have rejected Christ will stand before the great white throne to give an account of themselves before being cast into the lake of fire for eternity.
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21.
The Son Gives Life, John 5:15-23 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 8-15-12, updated on 7-26-17.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.