“Like Father, Like Son”
John 5:19-24
In a healthy family relationship, a father has a special relationship with his son. A son receives the special love which a father naturally gives to his son. Today we examine four essential truths concerning the eternal relationship between God the Father and God the Son and which stand as evidence of the Divine Authority of the Lord Jesus.
Look at John 5:18-23: The last verse we studied was John 5:18: “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” Here Jesus associates His own healings on the Sabbath with the Father Himself. An extremely important understanding!
Here was Jesus’ four point response to their evil intents:19“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, (Absolute truth-the AMEN, AMEN, no debate) 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.”
The Second Point is: Verse 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.”
Here’s the third: 21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.”
And the fourth: 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 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.”
Here is the verdict: 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.”
“Like Father, like Son.”
The first principle of the Divine authority of Jesus, an essential in His relationship with the Father is in verse 19 and it reminds you of the famous saying “Like Father, like Son.” “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.” Most sons mimic their dads, sometimes the good things and many times the “not-so-good things”; Dads are sinners, whether saved or not, and their sons are all born sinners as well. Every one of us has this battle going on within us, that we desire to do the good, but the old evil nature still rears its ugly head so often. But Jesus did not have that challenge.
Jesus has never done anything on His own initiative, but has eternally been perfectly submissive to the will of His Infinite Holy Father. We saw in John 1 that Jesus has always, at all times, co-existed with the Father in perfect unity and He never did one thing without the prompting of the Father, and so Jesus implies that the only One who could possibly do what the Father does must be as great as the Father and as Divine as the Father! Jesus is the unique, one and only, one of a kind Son, who, like verse 18 stated, Jesus is equal with the Father in all respects, He IS GOD and SON, AND simultaneously and continually perfectly submissive to the Father.
“The Father loves the Son”
The second essential is in verse 20: "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing.” The present tense of the word “loves” denotes an ongoing, continual habitual practice of this love. “The Father loves the Son and in that love, manifests His perfect will and purpose to the Son.” There exists a continual MUTUAL LOVE between the Father and the Son. The Father’s true love for the Son precludes His withholding anything from the Son. The Father shows all things that He is doing to the Son and the Son never exceeds the Father’s will.
Since an eternal, perfect, unique and MUTUAL LOVE exists between the Father and the Son, together they display a unity in their very nature. Since the Son will demonstrate ALL that the Father leads Him to do, He is the perfect example and exegete, if you will, of the Father: Jesus alone is the one who explains the Father to us and speaks on the Father’s behalf because He is one with the Father.
It is NOT God’s love for us that He reveals the pleasure of His will and His purpose but rather it’s the Father’s love for the Son and the Son’s love of the Father, an absolutely perfect love. Because of the unblemished love of the Father and Son, Jesus would even be obedient to death on the cross, slain as the innocent for the guilty, never once disappointing the Father’s will or purpose but perfectly fulfilling EACH AND EVERY REQUIREMENT of God’s perfect love and law. He loves the Father PERFECTLY and Eternally and the Father loves the Son PERFECTLY and Eternally.
The second part of verse 20 declares: “and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.” What “greater works” will cause these people to be amazed and astonished that will make them gasp in wonder? I believe the answer is in the next verse, 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.”
“Giving Life to whom HE WISHES”
The greater works would be Jesus’ power over death! He would raise people from the dead because He is the very life of God. Later in this chapter in verse 26 Jesus declares: "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself!” In John 1: 4 we studied: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” In the power and providence of the one true God, The Father Raises people from the Dead because He is the power of the Almighty. He gives life because it is in His omnipotence to do so, because He is God.
In the same way, the Son, the Lord Jesus would raise people from the dead; He would give life to bodies that had died to demonstrate that His power was from the Almighty God because He is God. More powerful yet would be His own resurrection by the Power of God, and He would be the firstfruit of all who would believe into His Name.
Far greater than being given physical life is to be given spiritual life, an eternal birth from above. We studied John 1:12-13: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Those who are truly born from above by the Power of God are raised to newness of life; they are New Creations by the power of God. They have been born again by the power of the Almighty Spirit of the Living God. No other way can a person enter into the Kingdom of God, into God’s Heaven.
The second half of verse 21 states clearly: “even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.” “To whom He wishes”: Life and death are in the providence and power of God and life and death are in the providence of the Son! The Greek word for “wishes” is “thel'-o”, meaning to will, to have in mind, to intend, to be resolved or determined, to purpose. Jesus brings life to the spiritually dead as well as the Father, and you recall John 3:8: "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Jesus’ claim of Deity and Oneness with the Father
Jesus solidifies His claim of Deity and Oneness with the Father in John 5: 22-23: "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 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.” The Old Testament is full of examples of God as the initiator of Life and also examples of God as Judge over all. Verse 21 explains that Jesus and the Father give life. Then in Verse 22 we are taught that Jesus and the Father hold the authority of judgment over all mankind and the world.
Here the Jews stand before the Judge of Heaven and Earth in the flesh and charge HIM with blasphemy. It is they themselves who are under such condemnation. If Jesus were not God, He would be a blasphemer, but He was and is God. To claim honor that rightfully belongs to God is blasphemy. (Isa. 42:8) The intent and purpose of these verses is that equal honor might be given to the Father and the Son. Listen carefully here.
“The connection of the natures of the Father and Son is clear here. Although there is a distinctiveness between them, there is a unity. The unity is also manifest in the saving work of God…There is only one way to God (and eternal life)-it is through the Son. Here not giving honor to the Son is a denial of the Father who sent Him. To deny the Son is to dishonor the Father. What is done to one is done to the other. It cannot be said that Jesus is God’s ambassador or envoy, since no ambassador or envoy is ever accorded the same honor as the sender of the envoy. It is here that we see Jesus as one in nature with God the Father so that each receives equal honor. Again, Jesus speaks exclusivist language. One cannot have hope in God without honoring the Son. This is due to the intimate relationship, father to Son. AND THE JEWS WERE RIGHT! JESUS DID MAKE HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD.” (vs. 17-18) We see the Trinity clearly developed by Jesus: The Father sends the Son (distinction); The Son is to be honored as the Father is honored (Unity). Jesus’ Jewish opponents pick up this claim to (their) unity.” (taken from G. Boesenecker, Exegetical Notes, 1999, John 5 p.11)
The Conclusive Verdict
We close with the conclusive verdict taught by Jesus Himself, who deserves equal honor with the Father: Verse 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.” Oh the privilege and joy to have passed out of death into life by the touch of God. Romans 8:1 says: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Col. 1: 13-14 says so beautifully: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” And so it is to God alone, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that Glory be given. Amen
Divine Essentials of the Eternal Father/Son Relationship
I. “Like Father, like Son.” (vs. 19)
A. Jesus does nothing on His own initiative, always submissive to the Father.
B. Jesus does all things with the prompting of the Father.
II. There is continual MUTUAL LOVE between the Father and the Son. (vs. 20)
A. The Father shows all things to the Son and the Son never exceeds the Father’s will.
B. There exists an eternal, perfect, unique MUTUAL LOVE, a unity of nature.
C. Purpose: The Father’s extravagant love for the Son should astonish us.
III. "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. (vs. 21) (Note parallels between vs. 26 and John 1:4)
A. In the power and providence of God, The Father Raises the Dead=Gives Life.
B. In the power and providence of God, The Son Raises the Dead=Gives Life.
C. Jesus and the Father have the power and authority to give LIFE.
IV. Jesus’ claim of Deity and Oneness with the Father is substantiated. (vs. 22-23)
A. Jesus and the Father give life. (vs. 21)
B. Jesus and the Father hold the authority of judgment over all mankind and the world. (vs.22)
C. Purpose: That equal honor might be given to the Father and the Son. (vs. 23)
CONCLUSIVE TRUTHS (vs. 24):
1. Jesus gives life to whomever He desires.
2. Those who receive that life are those who hear the Word and believe in the unity and equality of the Father and the Son! (Rom. 8:1, Col. 1:13)
