Anchor My Faith

I Do What I See the Father Doing

Scripture: John 5:19-21

In the previous lesson it was made clear that Jesus is being persecuted by the Jews because he was doing work on the Sabbath. He justified this because he identified God as his Father and he continues to work, even on the Sabbath. And because the Father is working, Jesus said that he must also work. We also mentioned that after creation, God rested and said everything was good, and it was until Adam’s disobedience in the garden, which damaged the perfect universe. At that point God set in motion a plan of restoration and work began.

This restoration involves God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We could spend lessons on the work each is doing, but we will limit our focus to just a piece of the work assigned to Jesus, who is the Son of God in the body of human flesh. This work that Jesus is doing will not stop until it is finished. On earth it continued to the cross and today it continues in and from heaven. It does not stop when our calendar shows that the day is a sabbath day. It is that work on the Sabbath and now the claim that Jesus is making about God being his Father that has turned the Jews against him.

^{Jn 5:19} “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” If we link this verse with verses 17 and 18, we see two themes: (1) we see that Jesus is equal to God, that he is fully divine; (2) we see that Jesus and his Father have different roles and functions and that Jesus is subject to his Father in everything he does. Jesus does not work on his own accord implies that he is working according to a master plan established by God. As Jesus sees the Father doing his part, Jesus is busy doing his part, as is the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Old Testament we see the Father working and at various places we can even see manifestations of Jesus at work. As the Son of God, Jesus can see this spiritual world that is invisible to us and he sees the Father working and he works along with him. We see this in the next verse.

^{Jn 5:20} “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” Out of the Father’s love for his Son, he shows him what he is doing so that Jesus can do the same thing in a way that is visible to people. Jesus is the visible Son and he makes visible what he sees the Father doing. In our walk with Jesus, we have seen some of these works, but Jesus says to the Jews that they will see even greater works so that you may marvel.

Jesus gives an example of this work relationship: ^{Jn 5:21} “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” Only God can raise the dead and give life. We see this in Deuteronomy 32:39 (ESV): “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.” Just like Jesus working on the Sabbath demonstrates that he is working with the Father on restoration, being able to raise the dead as only God can, implies that he is able to give eternal life to dead souls. As we draw closer to the cross, in our journey along the gospel path, we will learn more about the ability Jesus has to give life.

Prayer

Father, the lessons in this section open some powerful, meaningful themes that people should learn more about. I look forward to further lessons in this section about the claim Jesus makes about being equal to God and to see what some of those ways are.