John 5:19-30:
The Claims of Jesus Christ
By Dr. Hal Harless
Foundation Fellowship of Greenville, TX
September 6, 2009
I. Introduction
A. Please turn to John 5:19.
B. While you are turning....
One of the first
grave dissensions in the early Christian church was the Arian controversy. Arius taught that it was unreasonable
to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was the eternal, uncreated Son of the
Father. He maintained that instead
of that He was the first created being, that He was not eternal, that He was
not one with the Father from eternal ages. This man was opposed by Athanasius, who maintained the truth
that the Lord Jesus, whose goings forth are from everlasting, was the eternal
Son as God the Father is the eternal Father and as the Holy Spirit is the eternal
Spirit. That controversy disrupted
the church for many years, but finally at the Council of Nicea it was
definitely declared that the Scriptures taught that the Lord Jesus Christ was
one with the Father from all eternity....
On
one occasion, Athanasius, the valiant defender of the truth as to Christ's
equality with the Father, was summoned before one of the emperors [Constantine
I] who had given his own royal son [Constantius] the honor of sharing the
imperial power and sitting with himself upon the throne. Athanasius bowed low before the emperor
but utterly ignored his son.
"What!" exclaimed the angry ruler, "do you pretend to
honor us while dishonoring and paying no attention to our son, whom we have
made the sharer of our authority?"
"Do not you," answered Athanasius, "profess to honor God
the Father, while refusing to give the same honor His coequal Son?"[1]
Apparently, Constantine I did not listen to Athanasius and had him exiled to Trier in Germania.
II. Exposition
A. Background
1. We are still in Jesus' public ministry (John 2:1-12:36a).
2. Last week, we looked at the third of Jesus' signs in John's gospel: the cure of a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda.
a. We have had the context of the man's cure (John 5:1-5).
b. Then, we had the conversation in which Jesus cured the man (John 5:6-9a).
c. Next, we saw the controversy that this ignited (John 5:9b-18). The controversy centered around two charges:
1) That Jesus broke the Sabbath (John 5:9b-17).
2) And that He claimed to be equal with God (John 5:18).
3. This third discourse in John's gospel comes in response to that controversy.
a. In this discourse, we have the claims of Christ in answer to these charges (John 5:19-30).
b. Next week, we will have the confirmation of those claims (John 5:31-47).
c. Jesus presents His case almost entirely in the third person.
1) The audience probably wondered, "Who is this Son of God? Is He talking about Himself?"
2) Jesus kept them in suspense until verse 30 when He removes all doubt by switching to the first person.
B. Exposition: The third discourse: the claims of Christ (John 5:19-47)
1. Jesus claimed equality with God (John 5:19-23).
a. The Son imitates the Father (John 5:19-22).
1) The general principle of imitation (John 5:19-20)
19 Therefore Jesus
answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can
do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for
whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the
Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will
show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel" (John 5:19-20).
a) "Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.'"
i) Jesus answered the charge of blasphemy by asserting that He is, in fact, the Son of God.
(a) The rabbis taught, "The ways of God differ from those of man; whereas man directs others to do a thing whilst he does nothing, God only tells Israel to do and observe those things which He himself does."[2]
(b) First, He argued that, as the Son of God, His actions are only imitating His Father.
(i) "Truly, truly" (amēn amēn) is actually the Heb. 'āmēn repeated for emphasis.
(ii) This phrase appears only in John's gospel, but in John, it appears twenty-five times.
(iii) The Heb. 'āman is from a "basic m[eanin]g to be firm, trustworthy, safe" and means "to prove to be firm, reliable, faithful.... 'surely!'"[3] or "to be established ... to be certain."[4]
(iv) This is a "strong affirmation of what is stated."[5]
(v) The translation "I tell you the solemn truth" (NET) captures something of the solemnity of this pronouncement.
ii) Jesus solemnly told them that, as a good Son, He does not act independently, but acts as He sees the Father acting.
(a) This could be said of all the persons of the Trinity.
(i) The Son does not act independently of the Father.
(ii) However, the Father does not act independently of the Son.
(iii) Neither does the Holy Spirit act independently of the Son and the Father.
(iv) Nor do they act independently of Him.
(b) There is total harmony within the Trinity.
b) "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel."
i) Jesus explained that the Father loves Him and shows Him everything that He is doing.
(a) The Father revealed His love for the Son
(i) At His baptism, "and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased'" (Matt 3:17).
(ii) Moreover, at the transfiguration, "a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!'" (Matt 17:5)
(iii) Peter later wrote that 'such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased'" (2 Pet 1:17).
(iv) The Gk. word translated "beloved" in these Scriptures is always a form of agapē.
(b) However, the love that the Father here has for the Son is the Gk. word phileō, which normally means "consider someone a friend."[6]
(i) Here the meaning is more "to have a special interest in someone or someth[ing], freq[uently] with focus on close association."[7]
(ii) In John 3:35, we read, "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand."
(iii) The Gk. word translated "loves" there is agapaō, which means "to have a warm regard for and interest in another, cherish, have affection for, love."[8]
(c) The Father cherishes the Son in a love relationship of the highest order. Therefore, He has given everything to Him. Nonetheless, it is the close association that Father has with the Son that is the foundation of their cooperative work.
ii) Jesus added that greater works would be forthcoming, works that would amaze.
(a) Greater things than the signs that He has performed are coming, such as His death and resurrection, and even the general resurrection and the final judgment.
(b) The Gk. word translated "marvel" means "to be extraordinarily impressed or disturbed by someth[ing]."[9]
2) In giving life (John 5:21)
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes (John 5:21).
a) Jesus explained that the Son imitates God the Father by giving life.
i) God told Moses, "See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life" (Deut 32:39).
ii) John told us that "in Him was life, and the life was the Light of men" (John 1:4).
iii) Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies" (John 11:25).
b) However, this involves more than just the resurrection; eternal life is a present possession.
i) Paul wrote that, before becoming believers, we "were dead in your trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1).
ii) Jesus said that God "gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life" (John 17:2).
iii) Those that Jesus wishes to give life to, those that the Father gave Him, are those who trust Him (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24).
3) In judgment (John 5:22)
22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has
given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22).
a) Jesus continued by explaining that the Son of God will be the Judge at the final judgment.
i) This was Peter's testimony that God "ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:42).
ii) It was also Paul's message that God "will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).
b) The criteria at the judgment is our response to God's offer of grace, "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).
i) At the final judgment, it will be Jesus Christ seated upon the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15).
ii) God gives us a fateful choice. We may meet Jesus Christ now as our Savior, or then as our Judge.
b. Honoring the Son is honoring the Father (John 5:23).
23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor
the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent
Him (John 5:23).
1) Jesus explained that God the Father's purpose in ordering things this way was to bring honor to the Son.
a) The Gk. word translated "honor" means "to show high regard for."[10]
b) The Gk. word translated "even as" means "just as" and is used "of extent or degree to which, as, to the degree that."[11]
c) God has purposed that the Son be revered in the same way and to the same degree as the Father.
i) Isaiah wrote, "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another" (Isa 42:8) and "My glory I will not give to another" (Isa 48:11).
ii) The only way that this can make sense is for Jesus to be divine.
2) Jesus concluded that the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father either.
a) The three great monotheistic religions all trace their roots back to Abraham.
b) Islam
i) Islam claims that their Allah is the same as the God of Christians and Jews, "Do you dispute with us about Allah, and [yet] He is our Lord and your Lord" (Qur'an 2:139).
ii) However, Islam emphatically does not acknowledge the deity of Christ:
O followers of the
Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies)
against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa [Arabic for Jesus] son
of Marium [Arabic for Mary] is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He
communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and
His apostles, and say not, Three.
Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His
glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in
the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector (Qur'an 4:171).
iii) Therefore, the verdict against Islam is "he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
c) Jesus Himself explicitly identified the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as His Father, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'" (John 8:54).
i) Nevertheless, Judaism, with the exception of Messianic Judaism, is opposed to Jesus' deity as well as His being Messiah.
ii) Therefore, the verdict against Judaism is "he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
d) Jehovah's witnesses profess to worship God, but consider Jesus a lesser being than God.
i) Therefore, the verdict against Jehovah's witnesses is "he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
ii) Any religion must pass this test: do you honor and reverence Jesus Christ in the same manner and to the same degree that you do God?
2. Jesus claimed that judgment and life belong to the Son (John 5:24-30).
a. Everyone who believes the Son does not come into judgment (John 5:24).
24 Truly, truly, I
say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal
life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life
(John 5:24).
1) Next, Jesus defended His equality with God by claiming that judgment and life are His to give.
2) He began by making the truly astounding offer that believers will avoid the final judgment altogether.
a) "Truly, truly"--"I tell you the solemn truth" (NET).
b) It is not just hearing His word; faith is also required.
i) Believing Jesus' words is believing the One who sent Him since His words were God's words.
ii) The Gk. word translated "believes" means "to consider someth[ing] to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust."[12]
c) Eternal life is a present possession.
i) The Gk. word translated "has" is a present tense verb.
ii) Such a person "does not come into judgment" or "will not be condemned" (NET, NIV).
iii) This is the reason that Paul can write, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1).
iv) The Gk. word translated "has passed" is a perfect tense verb. Wuest translates this, "has been permanently transferred" (NTET).
v) If we were ever to come into judgment or be condemned, the very word of Jesus Christ would be proven a lie!
b. The Son is the source of life in the resurrection (John 5:25-26).
25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an 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 just
as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life
in Himself (John 5:25-26).
1) "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."
a) Jesus then solemnly announced that the Son of God will call the dead back to life in the resurrection.
i) "Truly, truly" or "I tell you the solemn truth" (NET).
ii) "An hour is coming" refers to the future general resurrection.
b) However, "and now is" refers to those who hear and believe now and pass out of death into life.
2) "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself."
a) Jesus explained that this too was in imitation of the Father who gives life to all.
i) Elihu told Job that "the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:4).
ii) John wrote in the prologue, "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men" (John 1:4).
b) The Son is the source of life.
c. The Son will be the agent of divine judgment in the resurrection (John 5:27-30).
27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment,
because He is the Son of Man. 28
Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs
will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good
deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a
resurrection of judgment. 30 I
can do nothing on My own initiative.
As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My
own will, but the will of Him who sent Me (John 5:27-30).
1) "And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man."
a) Jesus then claimed that He as the Son of Man would be the one to execute Judgment.
b) Daniel prophesied about the Son of Man:
I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days And was
presented before Him. And to Him
was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men
of every language might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away; and
His kingdom is one, which will not be destroyed (Dan 7:13-14).
c) God has given the authority to judge to Jesus because He is the Messianic ruler.
2) "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth."
a) Jesus reminded them that He would be the one to raise the dead.
b) This hour is coming, but is not yet here.
c) The resurrection takes place in three stages.
i) First, at the Rapture, "the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess 4:16-17).
ii) Second, those believers who died during the tribulation will be resurrected:
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (Rev 20:4).
iii) Finally, after the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ, will come the last resurrection and the Great White Throne judgment:
And I saw the dead, the
great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and
another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged
from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were
in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were
judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This
is the second death, the lake of fire (Rev 20:12-14).
iv) The Lord Jesus Christ will preside over each of these resurrections.
3) "Those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment."
a) Jesus explained that, although all will be raised, there would be two fates, a resurrection of life and a resurrection of judgment.
b) The good refers not to good deeds, but to the good of trusting Christ.
i) "The good deeds" is literally "the good" or as Barclay translates, "who have lived well" (Barclay).
ii) Our salvation is "not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph 2:9).
iii) Jesus replied to those who asked what good works they should do that "this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29).
iv) Our eternal fate depends upon our trust in or rejection of Jesus, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36 NIV).
4) "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
a) Jesus returned to the first person removing any doubt that He was referring to Himself.
b) Jesus concluded that even His judgment is not based on His own initiative.
i) Jesus claimed to judge precisely as He heard from the Father, "As I hear, I judge."
ii) Williams translates this, "As I get orders, so I judge" (NTLP).
c) He explains that His judgment is just because it will completely reflect God the Father's will, "I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
i) Jesus derives His authority from the one who sent Him, God the Father.[13]
ii) Thus, Jesus' defense ends as it began by stating that the Son imitates the Father.
II. Applications
A. Jesus
1. Jesus does not act independently from the other persons in the Trinity; there is total harmony and cooperation within the Trinity.
2. Jesus is the source of eternal life, both now and in the resurrection.
3. Jesus will be the Judge at the final judgment.
B. Us
1. We must revere and honor the Son in the same manner and to the same degree as the Father.
2. It is not possible for a believer in Jesus Christ to come into judgment or be condemned.
3. God gives us a fateful choice; we may meet Jesus Christ now as our Savior, or then as our Judge.