The Father and the Son! -- John 5:16-24

The Father and the Son! -- John 5:16-24
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 21 2014

Bill Crowder writes for the Radio Bible Class that “The Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland, are known for their beautiful sweaters. Patterns are woven into the fabric using sheep’s wool to craft the garments. Many of them relate to the culture and folklore of these small islands, but some are more personal. Each family on the islands has its own trademark pattern, which is so distinctive that if a fisherman were to drown it is said that he could be identified simply by examining his sweater for the family trademark.” We all have the distinctive marks of our own father imprinted in us and not just in our DNA but often in our mannerism and even sometimes in our spirituality.

Fathers and their sons do not always have the greatest of relationships and in fact it has only gotten worse because so many fathers are absent in the lives of their children. Yet we discover in John’s Gospel that Jesus had an excellent relationship with his father. Let’s discover what this relationship was between the Father and the Son…

READ: John 5:16-24

In John’s gospel we discover that Jesus’ DNA runs deep and that…

I. Like Father like Son! (Vv. 16-18)

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

  1. Last time we discussed how the Jews persecuted Jesus because he dared do things on the Sabbath that benefited his fellow human beings. And isn’t interesting that while God became man in in human flesh as Jesus, the Jews lost their humanity in trying to please God and themselves. Their answer was to get angry and persecute the Messiah God sent them! What they did not realize is that Jesus was busy doing the will of God. “Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’” God was not asleep nor had he forgotten his people, even though they often felt he had. Sometimes we often think that God does not care or is not concerned about what occurs here on earth, yet he does. Just as he entered onto human existence as a baby, he still is involved moment by moment with those he loves today. David wrote that God “will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalms 121:3-4 NIV)” Israel had forgotten this promise. Have you? And it was for this very reason that “the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” You see they understood what Jesus was telling them, but they did not want to believe it because it did not fit into their paradigm of what they wanted the Messiah to be. How could God have a son and how could this carpenter’s son really be the offspring of God? It was blaspheme to them! However, Jesus would later tell them, “I and the Father are one. (John 10:30 NIV)” and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9 NIV)” In other words, like Father like Son!

  EXAMPLE: We often forget what Christmas is all about. It is more than presents, decorated trees, or carols. It is not a Hallmark moment written in a card. It is about the incarnation of God into human existence! God become flesh! When Mary held Jesus she was holding God. No longer would God be unknowable, no longer would he be untouchable, and no longer would he be something out there somewhere because he was here and now! And when we read about Jesus and how he interacted with the folks of his day and age we can understand how he acts with us today! We can trust him because Jesus is the complete embodiment of the Father and now we know what God is like! In other words, like Father like Son!

However, Jesus continues with his discussion to his persecutors and we discover that…

II. The Son bestows life to those who believe his Father! (Vv. 19-24)

Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For 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. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

  1. Jesus would later let his detractors know “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)” Jesus is the Truth and there is no other truth but him. This is why he would often begin his statements by relating, “Amen, amen” or “Truly, truly,” meaning that what he was about to relate was the absolute truth! So when he turns to his accusers here in John’s Gospel, “I tell you the truth” he means that what he is about to relate to them they should listen to and understand completely. Jesus tells them that “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Jesus could only do what he saw his Father doing because they were and are the same! We must ask ourselves, “Why this is so important for them to trash and why it is the one thing that Jesus’ detractors always try to dismiss?” The answer is simple: Because if Jesus is God then what he said and what he did does matter! In fact, Jesus goes further and states, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” Wow! God and Jesus are in complete sync because their relationship is built on who they are and their attributes! The greatest of these is the grace or love of God! And, if they had a problem with him healing a lame man then they were going to have a real problem with what he was going to do next! “Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For 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.” God can create or bestow life to those he desires and Jesus would do this very thing because he was the Messiah! In fact, those who now stood in judgment of Jesus would one day face his judgment because God would entrust all judgment concerning life and death to Jesus his Son! Why would God do this? Because “that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” A holy God was willing to send himself as a man to die for us; we had better recognize this truth or suffer the consequences of our dismissal! Jesus bluntly relates, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” The Son bestows life to those who believe his Father!

  EXAMPLE: In the face of certain death or danger the hero turns to the victim, holds out his hand, and says, “If you want to live, come with me.” Whatever the end-of-the-world apocalyptic scenario is for the movie script we find folks are often saved at the last minute by some tough guy or gal who steps up and fights off the bad guys. Here in John’s Gospel we discover a hero who is unassuming, not some tough guy, but rather a spiritual intellect who offers his listeners salvation in the face of certain death. How do we know this to be true? We know it is true because God the Father said it was. He sent his Son to save mankind. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)” The Son bestows life to those who believe his Father!

Conclusion:
We have discovered that like Father like Son and that the Son bestows life to those who believe his Father!

This article is copyrighted © 2014 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

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