Introduction
Last week we were studying verses 1 to 18 of John 5 where the Lord healed the man at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem who had been an invalid for 38 years.
Do you remember? Lots of people with disabilities were lying around this pool because they believed that the first person who got into the pool whenever the water was stirred up would be healed. But the man who is the focus of the story had been unable to get to the pool before anyone else. However, because of his overflowing love, God the Father sent his only begotten Son to this man to heal him. And the Lord Jesus said the word and the man was able to get up and walk. It was a wonderful miracle and a demonstration of the greatness of God’s love for that one man. And it was also a sign of what the Lord will do for all of his people when the Lord Jesus comes again in glory and with power, because when he comes again, he will not restore just one of us, but he will restore all of his people to full health and strength in our resurrected bodies. And in the meantime, while we wait for that, he sends us all kinds of health professionals and others to help us and to relieve our present suffering.
None of us deserves any of this, because we’re sinners who disobey God continually. But because of his abounding, overflowing love for us, the Lord comes to us again and again and again with his mercy and grace and kindness to help us and to sustain us and to uphold us. And one day he’ll come to perfect us.
But do you also remember? The Lord healed the man on the Sabbath. And because the Lord was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute him. And when the Lord said to them that his Father has always been working and he is working too, they tried all the harder to kill him. And they tried all the harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but by calling God his Father, he was making himself equal with God.
And we thought about how they understood what he was saying. Since God is his Father, then that means he has come from the Father. And since he comes from the Father, then that means he has one and the same divine being as the Father. The Father and the Son are the same as one another, because the Father communicates all that he is to the Son and the only difference between them is that one is the Father and the other is the Son. Apart from that one difference, they are the same. And therefore they are equal.
And so, the Jews understood what the Lord meant when he called God his Father. They understood that this meant they were equal. However, the Jews did not believe it. They understood what he was saying, but they did not accept it. And therefore they wanted to kill him for blasphemy.
But it is true! The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father. He is God’s only begotten Son who is equal with his Father and who is to be worshipped with the Father both now and forevermore.
The Son can do nothing by himself
And so, we come to today’s passage which begins with the Lord saying to his opponents: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.’
At the midweek on Wednesday evenings we’ve been going through the Nicene Creed, which was written by the bishops who attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 and then it was expanded by the bishops who attended the Council of Constantinople in 381. And the bishops — who represented the whole church — assembled in Nicaea in 325 in order to respond to the teaching of Arius, who was the bishop in Alexandria and who denied the full divinity of the Lord Jesus.
As I explained when we began the series, Arius wasn’t trying to be a heretic. He was trying to uphold the simplicity of God. Do you remember what we mean when we say God is simple? We mean that he’s not made of parts. God is not partly this and partly that. He is one. He is undivided. And since that’s the case, then Arius argued that we’re dividing God when we say that there’s more to God than the Father. He would say that we’re introducing complexity to God when we say that the Son is also God. He would say that we’re dividing God’s being when we say that the Father is God and the Son is also God.
In the end, however, the bishops at Nicaea rejected his views and they confessed that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, who is begotten of the Father before all ages and he’s God from God and he’s Light from Light and he’s true God from true God and he is begotten, not made, and he has the same divine being as the Father and all things were made through him. In other words, the Son is God in the same way as the Father is God.
The reason I bring this up is because Arius used John 5:19 to argue that the Lord Jesus is not fully God. Arius said that the Son can’t be fully God, because, as the Lord says here, he can do nothing by himself and he can only do what he sees the Father doing. And if he can do nothing by himself, but only what he sees the Father doing, then he must be less than the Father. He can’t be the same as the Father, because he can’t do anything by himself the way the Father can.
Arius argued that the Lord said the words of verse 19 to correct a misunderstanding among the Jews. The Jews thought he was claiming to be equal with God. And so, to correct their misunderstanding, he, as it were, said to them: ‘I’m not equal with God, because unlike God, I can do nothing by myself. One who can only do what he sees the Father doing is obviously less and not equal.’
That was one of us Arius’s arguments. But the bishops in Nicaea decreed that Arius was wrong and that the Son is equal with the Father. The Son is God in the same way as the Father is God. They are equal.
But if Arius is wrong, then what are we to make of the Lord’s words in John 5:19? Well, on Wednesday evening we were thinking about the line in the Creed where it says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. And I explained that we believe that the Son and the Spirit come from the Father. The Father is, in a sense, first. He’s the origin. He’s the source. And God the Son and God the Holy Spirit come from him. But they come from him eternally so that there never was a time when the Son did not exist; and there never was a time when the Holy Spirit did not exist. The Son comes from the Father eternally by generation or by being begotten; and the Spirit comes from the Father eternally by procession.
And that should help us understand the Lord’s words in verse 19. When the Lord refers to what he can do, he’s talking about his power. He’s talking about his ability to act. And the Son’s power, his ability to act, is from the Father, because the Son himself is from the Father. The Father communicates all that the Father is to the Son; and the Son receives from the Father all that the Father is. And so, the Son does nothing from himself. He does nothing from himself, because his power, his ability to act, is from the Father. But that doesn’t mean that the Father is greater than the Son, because the Son has received all that the Father is. They are the same. They are equal.
What he sees the Father doing
And according to verse 19, the Son can only do what he sees the Father doing. Now, we mustn’t think the Lord means that the Father acts first and then the Son sees what he did and acts second. We mustn’t think of them as if the Father is like a skilled craftsman and the Son is his apprentice. A skilled craftsman knows what he’s doing and he tells his apprentice to follow his example. So, the craftsman makes one thing and the apprentice watches him and learns from him and then makes his own thing.
But the Lord is not talking about that. He doesn’t mean that the Father does something and the Son watches him and then makes his own thing. He can’t mean that, because do you remember what we learned from John 1:3? From John 1:3 we learned that God the Father made all things through the Son. So, it’s not that the Father made some things and then the Son made other things. No, the Father made all things through the Son. They worked together. They worked inseparably. The Father created all things, but he created all things through the Son.
So, what does the Lord mean when he says that he can only do what he sees the Father doing? Well, before we do something, we have to see what needs to be done. I’ll say that again. Before we do something, we have to see what needs to be done. I’ll give you an example. The top of the oil tank in the manse is loose and there’s the possibility that it may let in water, which wouldn’t be good for the boiler. I mentioned this to one of our members. And so, he came to the manse on Friday morning to see what needs to be done. Now that he’s seen what needs to be done, he’ll come back one day to do it. Before we do anything, we need to see what needs to be done. We might need to see physically or we might need to see mentally. We might need to see it with our own eyes, or we see it with our mind’s eye and think about what needs to be done.
And so, we’re to imagine God the Father showing the Son what needs to be done before they do it. And when they do it, they do it together. So, the Father and the Son see what needs to be done and then they do it.
But since God is eternal, then there’s no before and after with God. It’s not that God sees first and then, afterwards, does something. For God, the seeing and the doing happen eternally. And so, from all eternity the Son sees what the Father sees and the Son knows what the Father knows and the Son does what the Father does.
Whatever the Father does the Son also does
In fact, the Lord says that whatever the Father does the Son also does. That’s also in verse 19.
These are important words for making clear that the Son is equal with the Father. They are equal with one another because whatever the Father does the Son also does. So, there’s no limitation in what the Son can do. There are things I can do, but my children can’t do. And there are things they can do, but I can’t do. We’re not the same. We’re different. And our abilities and talents are not the same. But God the Father and God the Son are the same. And so, whatever the Father does the Son also does. The Son is not restricted. He’s not limited in any way. His ability to act is not less than the Father’s ability to act. Their ability to act is one and the same, because they’re equal.
And they are equal with one another because there’s no difference between what one does and what the other does. So, in any household, one member of the family does one thing and another member of the family does another thing. We divide out the tasks so that no-one has too much to do and everyone plays their part and pulls their weight. We don’t all do the same thing, but we do different things. But the Father and the Son do the same things, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. God the Father didn’t create the world by himself, but he created it with the Son. And the Father doesn’t save us from our sin and misery by himself, but he saves us through the Son. The Father and the Son work inseparably so that the Father saves us through the Son. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
And they are equal with one another, because there’s no imperfection in what they do. So, a skilled craftsman makes a piece of furniture and he makes it well because he uses all of his skill and experience and knowledge. The apprentice copies him and makes another chair. But the apprentices’s chair is not as good as the craftsman’s chair, because the apprentice doesn’t have the same skill and experience and knowledge as the craftsman. The apprentice’s chair is less perfect than the craftsman’s chair, because his skill is less perfect than the craftsman’s skill. But the Son’s power is the same as the Father’s power because the Son’s power is from the Father. And their power is perfect. And it’s equal, because they are equal.
For the Father loves the Son
And the Lord goes on to say in verse 20 that the Father loves the Son. One commentator suggests that the Father’s love for the Son is a sign that the Father has communicated all things to the Son.
So, think of it this way. Human parents are delighted when they see their own likeness in their children. Perhaps their children look the same or they have the same characteristics or they develop the same interests. The parents can see a little of themselves in their children and it delights them. And God the Father loves God the Son because the Son is the perfect image of the Father. The Father sees in the Son his own exact likeness. The Son is not different from the Father, but is a repetition of the Father. And therefore the Father’s love for the Son is a sign that they are the same and that the Son perfectly reflects the Father. And he perfectly reflects him because they’re equal.
The Father shows the Son all that he does
And the Father shows his beloved Son all that he does. That’s also in verse 20.
By saying this, the Lord is really repeating what he said earlier, when he said that the Son sees what the Father does. He sees what the Father does because the Father shows the Son all that he does. And so, from all eternity, the Son sees what the Father sees and the Son knows what the Father knows and the Son does what the Father does. There’s no difference between them, because what the Father knows and does, the Son knows and does. And therefore they are equal.
He will show him even greater things than these
Let’s move on to the middle of verse 20, where the Lord says that the Father will show the Son even greater things than these.
Greater things than what things? Greater things than the kind of thing we’ve read about in verses 1 to 18. So, greater than the miracle we’ve just read about, when the Lord Jesus restored an invalid to health and strength. That miracle was marvellous. The man had been unable to walk for 38 years. And then the Lord spoke to him and he was healed. He was able to get up immediately and walk. The Lord didn’t have to do anything. There was no therapy. There was no treatment. And there was no recuperation. One moment the man could not walk and the next he was walking. It was wonderful.
And yet, a time is coming when the Father will show the Son even greater things than that kind of thing. What greater things is he talking about? He goes on to explain that he’s talking about the resurrection. Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
So, restoring an invalid to health and strength is wonderful. But restoring a dead man to life is far more wonderful. And the Father is able to raise the dead: he’s able to raise the dead and to give them life. And since the Father communicates all that he is to the Son, then the Son is also able to raise the dead and to give them life. Not only the Father, but the Son can do these greater things. What the Father can do the Son can do, because they are equal.
And it’s not that the Son is a mere tool in the hands of the Father. So, when I’m writing my sermons, I use my computer. But the computer can’t write the sermons without me. It can’t think. It can’t write. It’s just the tool I use. But the Son is not a tool in the Father’s hand, because the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. And since the Father and the Son are the same, then we can say that the Father wills to raise his people and the Son also wills to raise the same people. The Father and the Son are equal in what they will and in what they do. They are not different. They are the same.
The Father judges no one
And I think that helps us understand verse 22 where the Lord says that the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. I think he must mean that the Father judges no one by himself. The Father does nothing by himself, because he always works through the Son. And therefore the Father judges no one by himself, because he judges the world through his Son.
And since the Father and the Son judge the world together, then the Father and the Son deserve to be honoured equally. Years ago when I was at Queen’s, I’d have to read these journal articles which might have been written by a whole team of researchers. And each article would list the names of all the researchers who contributed to the work. But when someone was referring to the article in a book or in another article, they’d only mentioned the first person’s name and then they’d add ‘et al’. ‘Et al’ is an abbreviation which means ‘and others’. So, one person got the honour of having their name cited, but the rest were just ‘others’. They were nobodies.
But the Son is not a nobody. It’s not God the Father et al who judges the world. It’s the Father and the Son. Both will judge the world and both deserve equal glory and honour and praise. The deserve equal honour because they are equal.
Hearing and believing
And now we come to the final verse. Before we do, let me sum up what we’ve seen. Back in verse 18, the Jews tried all the harder to kill the Lord Jesus, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. And although Arius said the Lord went on to deny what the Jews thought, the truth is that the Lord was doubling-down on it. In various ways he makes the point that he is equal with the Father. He is equal with the Father, because he has received the power to act from the Father. And whatever the Father sees and knows and does, the Son sees and knows and does. And the Father’s love for the Son is sign that they are the same, because the Father sees in the Son his own perfect image. And just as the Father raises the dead and judges the world, so the Son raises the dead and judges the world. There’s no difference between them and they work inseparably because they are equal. And they are equal, because the Son has received from the Father everything that the Father is. The only difference between them is that one is the Father and the other is the Son. Apart from that one difference, they are the same.
And so, we come to the last verse today: verse 24. The Lord declares: ‘whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed from death to life.’
So, how do we receive eternal life? We receive eternal life by hearing the Lord’s word and by believing the one who sent the Lord Jesus into the world. And the one who sent the Lord Jesus into the world is the Father.
So, how do we receive eternal life? It’s by hearing the Lord’s word and believing the Father who sent him. In other words, it’s by hearing the Son and believing the Father. Or it’s by hearing and believing the Father and the Son. We’re to hear and believe them, because the Father sent the Son into the world as one of us to give up his life on the cross to pay for our sins and to make peace for us with God, before rising again to give us life. And whoever believes receives eternal life. The Father will reach out through his Son to whoever believes to raise them from the dead and to give them eternal life in his presence.
And so, whoever believes will have eternal life. That means they will not be condemned on the day of judgment, even though we deserve to be condemned for a lifetime of disobedience. But whoever believes will not be condemned, because the Lord Jesus loved us and was condemned in our place. And having eternal life also means that we have crossed over from death to life. Once we belonged to death, but now we have been set free from death to live for ever with God.
Conclusion
And what will we do in the presence of God? We’ll worship the Father who loves us with an abounding love. And since the Father and the Son are the same, then we’ll worship the Son who also loves us with an abounding love. And since the Father and the Son and the Spirit are the same, then we’ll worship the Spirit who also loves us with an abounding love.
Since they are the same, then all three persons of the Trinity love us with the same abounding love. And, as one God, they have reached out beyond themselves to give us our life in this world and to give us new life in Christ and they will give us everlasting life in the new heavens and earth through the resurrection, where we will be perfectly restored in the image of God and we will be loved by them for ever and for ever.
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