Honor the Son John 5:19-30

We continue our study in John’s . If you’re new, welcome. It’s never too late to join us. [Pray]

When I was teaching in England a last month, I gave the class a list of reasons why preaching is exhausting, and one of my points was that you are always talking about something that’s controversial when you expound the . (You spend about 20 hours a week studying, wrestling, writing, editing, praying, then delivering this word in front of people, and many of them won’t like it! It’s a strange vocation). I said, “Who you are cheering for in the world cup is really not controversial. [They were drinking tea] and I added, “Tea is not controversial.” One of them corrected me, seeing how it was July 4th! The student said, “Apparently it is controversial!” But they got the point.

This passage is controversial. It’s in the context of a conflict. What says here is big - these are life-changing claims. (To the end of the chapter)

This passage is challenging because of what Jesus says about himself, God, life, death, salvation, and judgment. “Nowhere else in the do we find our Lord making such a formal, systematic, orderly, regularly statement of his own unity with the Father, his divine commission and authority, and the proofs of His Messiahship, as we find in this discourse” (JC Ryle).

Burge: [This discourse] presents us with claims unlike anything we have thus far heard [in John].” Indeed, and these claims eventually led to his crucifixion.

Many didn’t like Jesus claims then, and many reject them today. Some affirm a belief in God, but it’s popular to hear this sort of thing: “Oh, I believe in God, but I’m not into Jesus and the Bible.”

Well, brace yourself for John 5. • What Jesus claimed got him crucified, not primarily because these were Jews, but because they were human.

This passage is all about who the Son of God is, what he does, what He will do, and how we all must respond to Him. • It’s about how we must respond if we want spiritual life now, and a glorious life beyond the grave. Here are 2 things I would give everyone: satisfaction in this life, and a glorious life beyond the grave. • That’s what this text is about: ultimate issues. • And at the center of it, is the Son of God. • The notion, “I believe in God, but I don’t see where Jesus fits in” gets addressed here. Jesus tells us himself where he fits in! o He fits in at the very center of salvation and judgment! • He’s the one declaring these truths. • Elsewhere, he asks the disciples, “Who do men say that ?” • Here, we (in effect) ask Jesus, “Who do you think you are?”

Context The context of this discourse is related to the healing of the lame man at the on the day. • This healing brought conflict with the religious leaders. • Jesus took their Sabbath problems and presented a Christological problem. • The Jews are offended by his claim of deity in verse 17 (that He and the Father are one in action), and the implications of that reality (v. 18). • Jesus takes this context as an opportunity to make some colossal claims about himself. • You say I’m equal with God, let me tell you just how equal I am...!

He claims divine authority and power. • He claims to do what only God can do. • He claims the honor that only God can receive. • If Jesus’ claims are true, then everything changes. o We must bow to him, worship him, and rest all our hope in Him.

So as we focus on the Son of God, we shall do so by considering this text in three parts… #1: The Son’s Relationship with the Father (5:19-20)

Jesus grounds his claim of divine power and authority, of equality with God, in his unique relationship with the Father.

“Truly, Truly.” This is important. It’s like what I’m about to say is in all caps. Underline it. Everything Jesus says is true. But this is especially important!

A. Jesus reveals the nature of the Father (19a). “Nothing of his own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing.” • Wanna know what God is like? Look to Jesus. • He never acts independently one single day. We can’t see God, but Jesus does and he does what the Father does. • His life is in perfect correspondence with the Father, so when we see Him, we see the Father. (cf., 1:18). • He is the perfect revelation of God. • Jodie Foster, “How can I believe in God when there’s no evidence to see?” o General revelation, yes. Special revelation, yes. But look to the Son of God, Perfect, final revelation! • “Nothing of his own accord” – Jesus has perfectly revealed God by his perfect obedience to the Father (see also verse 30) • We can’t claim perfect obedience, but Jesus can. • He obeyed the Father’s will perfectly and thus revealed to us the character of God.

Jesus shares the same goals as the Father (19b). “Whatever the Father does, the Son does.” • He is one in action and will with the Father. • “Like Father, like Son.” • He uses the language of a father teaching the son a trade (common in that day).

App: This idea of the Father and Son sharing in the same thing is important for a number of reasons, and one of them is how we are to understand the cross. • Many critics through the years have looked at the cross and claimed that the Father was abusing his Son on the cross. • They think too humanly, they aren’t thinking Trinitarianly. They are missing the unity of the Godhead. • They shared in that experience. • To be clear, the Father didn’t die on the cross, the Son did. • But they shared in that sacrifice. They were and are united in action.

Kent Hughes writes of this popular objection: In his book Donahue, talk-show host Phil Donahue explains why he left the faith in his autobiography: If God the Father is so all-loving, why didn’t he come down and go to Calvary? Then Jesus could have said “This is my Father in whom I am well pleased.” … How could an all-knowing, all-loving God allow his Son to be murdered on a cross in order that he might redeem my sins? Hughes writes, “Donahue’s indictment of God’s love comes from ignorance of the Scriptures, for Jesus’ claims of equality with the Father make the Father a sharer in Jesus’ sacrifice, pain, and love. As verse 19 says, “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.” Jesus’ claim to equality with the Father demands that we see two hearts beating as one.”

Indeed, the shared in unity in heart, will, and action.

And that unity is a unity of love…

B. Jesus and the Father have a relationship of divine delight. “Father loves the Son.” (20a) • He we are brought into the most holy union of the Father and Son (Jesus will give us essential teaching on the Spirit in the upcoming chapters). • The Father and Son share a unique relationship. • The word for love here is not “agape” which is the usual word to describe the love within the Trinity, but here Jesus uses the word “phileo,” a word that speaks of friendship love. • Just as friends delight in each other, so the Father and Son share in a relationship of divine delight. • The tense here is present, denoting continuous action. The Father always loves the Son, and the Son always loves the Father.

App: This is the God who made us, my friends. • We have been created by a relational God. o We’re made for relationships, for community. o We’ve been made to know Him; to have a relationship w/ Him; to delight in Him.

• This is what’s going to make heaven so awesome: our delighting in our God! • Our affections will be totally purified. • J. Edwards called Heaven “a world of love” and indeed it will be. • Heaven is for people who delight in Jesus now. • I have no interest in the Muslim heaven – because Jesus is not the center of it. • I have no interest in Buddhism’s reincarnation. I don’t want to come back as a roach, which is what I’d probably be! Jesus is not at the center of their afterlife either. • We want to go to heaven because we delight in the Son. • “Though we have not seen him, we love him, and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Pet 1)

• And we love him because He has graciously revealed himself, and the way of salvation to us, and has brought us to life. • What’s amazing is not that there’s only way, but that we’ve been told the way. • The Father loves the Son, and when we are united to Christ, we are united to the beloved; we are swept up into this love. • Maybe you aren’t a Christian but you’re searching, and perhaps you actually sense God melting your heart, and giving you affections for the Savior. I pray you would come to know this love; that you would come to know him.

“He shows Him all that he does.” (20a) • There is no problem of communication among the Father/Son! • In Jesus we have full revelation of God, and God has gladly, lovingly revealed everything to him. • Love gives; love does not withhold. The Father in love shows the Son everything.

C. Jesus speaks of the Father showing “greater works” to Him so they may marvel (20b) • The healing of the lame man was one thing, but Jesus will go on to say in the following verses, that he has the power and authority to raise the dead and execute judgment. • Jesus assumes the prerogatives of God himself. So that they may “marvel” • It’s not that he is doing cool magic tricks in front of these religious leaders. He isn’t into cheap thrills. • These opponents don’t believe in him, and so he says these things will be done so that they will take a step of faith in him (Carson) • The will go on to reveal more and more signs – all of which are intended to point us not to the sign, but to the Savior.

#2: The Son’s Role in Granting Life and Executing Judgment (5:21-23)

A. Granting Life (21) 21: You think healing the lame man was something! Consider this: Jesus can raise the dead! • In the Bible, giving life was equivalent to raising the dead. • It was something only God could do (2 Ki 5:7). o Some Rabbis claimed that God had three keys that were not entrusted to any representative of his: (1) rain (Deut 28:12), the womb (Gn 30:22), and resurrection (Ezek 37:13) – with Elijah sometimes being an exception. (Carson) • But here, Jesus, the one greater than Elijah and all others, says just as the Father has raised the dead, so he will do the same!

• This is an astonishing claim. • If you’ve read ahead in John’s gospel, you can’t help but to think of Lazarus. o Jesus will show that he has power to raise the dead by his powerful word. • And this also sets up what we will observe in verses 25-29, final resurrection through Jesus.

21b: He gives it to whom He will. • His giving of life is a gift of grace; it’s not earned or merited.

B. Executing Judgment (22) A remarkable negative, “The Father judges no one” Then a remarkable comprehensive statement, “all judgment to the Son”

This is one of the most colossal claims of Jesus in the all the Gospels: Jesus is going to judge the whole world!

• He is fully qualified! • He is perfectly just (V. 30), • He knows all things. • He is the Son of Man (27);

Throughout the history of evangelical churches, there has often been a weak appeal when it comes to preaching the gospel. • It involves preaching Jesus as Savior but not also as Judge. • Many don’t see him as a Savior, because they don’t see their need for a Savior.

Often presentations are like this: • “Look at Jesus on the cross. Don’t you feel sorry for Jesus? Won’t you turn to him? Doesn’t he mean anything to you?” o This. appeal doesn’t take into an account the fact that he will judge the world, and he won’t be pathetic looking man on a cross, but He will be glorified conquering King.

• Or this appeal: “Jesus is standing outside the door, knocking. Won’t you let him in?” o He sounds helpless in his appeal.

We need to invite people to trust in Jesus, yes, but we must also tell people – with truth and love – that you will meet Jesus as your Judge.

• You are going to meet Jesus whether you like it or not – whether you let him in or not, whether you are paying any attention to him now or not, whether you are prepared or not. • Every single person you will drive by today; every person in your office, or your school, will meet Jesus Christ as Judge.

This is sobering. It puts things in proper perspective. It should stimulate faith in Jesus.

What hope do we have in light of this judgment? • Romans 8:1 –all who are in Christ don’t have to fear judgment. • By believing in Jesus, you don’t have to fear judgment. • Why? Because Jesus is not only Judge, but he was the judged one. • He took our judgment on the cross. • And now, we look forward to the day in which this Savior and Judge will set all wrong things right in this world, and bring us into a new heaven and new earth. In that sense, his judgment is good news.

Purpose: So that all may honor the Son. • Do you honor the Son? That’s what we must ask everyone. • Not, “Do you believe in a god?” like many would confess in our contemporary world. But, “Do you honor the Son?” • What abut the cults that come to your front door – do they honor the Son? Of course not. They don’t put Jesus Christ in the same category as God. They witness to Jehovah but not Jesus. • Do Jews honor the Son? No. That’s why they wanted to kill Jesus. • You don’t honor the Father if you don’t honor the Son.

In the Bible, others are referred to as a “son of God,” or “sons of God,” but Jesus is unique. o are referred to as “sons of God” (Gen 6; Job 1) o Israel is referred to as God’s son (Ex 4:23) o The Kings were called God’s son (Ps 2) o But Israel failed as God’s Son, as did the Davidic Kings.

• But Jesus is the Son par excellence. o Psalm 2 looks ahead to the ultimate King, the ultimate Son, who will have the nations as his inheritance. o We are told to “Kiss the Son” lest we perish. o We are to trust Him, honor Him, make him our refuge. o God’s people are united in the Son; He is the (Israel was also called a Vine), and it is through our union with him, the True Vine, the True Israelite, that we have life now and forevermore.

Many argue that this sounds, “narrow” or “exclusive.” • But don’t be intimidated by that, and don’t feel ashamed of affirming these things. • Remember also that every faith is narrow; even the faith that says all religions are the same exclude people who disagree with them (TK). • The question is whether or not your faith is legit. • In whom are you resting your hope and faith?....

#3: Our Responsibility to Listen and Believe on the Son for Eternal Life (5:24-29)

A. How to have this life (24) – listen and believe on the Son To Listen: This is the first matter. Are you listening to Jesus’ word? To Believe: It really is that simple. Listen to the word of Christ and believe!

B. Who can have this life (24) – whoever believes!

C. When can we have this life (24) – now! “has eternal life” • We have eternal life now! • We have crossed from death to life now. • Verse 24 is a great summary of John’s gospel, or more specifically Christ’s gospel. • And it demands a response!

I’m going to read you a quote from a guy who actually sounds like Billy Graham, or some other evangelist in a stadium. But it’s actually Bultmann, who was one of the most radical and destructive critics of the NT in recent history. He was a brilliant man in many ways, but if he could disbelieve a central idea, or throw teaching in the trash, he would do so. But even Bultmann can’t avoid verse 24. (Lucas): “Jesus’ words are not didactic propositions but an invitation and call to decision.” (Theology of the NT, 21)

Bultmann is on point here. Jesus is not saying something here that is abstract. He is presenting his credentials before people and saying, “Now, do you believe me?”

D. What we anticipate after death (25-29)

Now, this final paragraph is a look into the future. Jesus takes us to our bodily resurrection.

Jesus will raise all the dead (both believers and unbelievers, v. 28-29; cf. Acts 24:15)

Just ponder this…. Jesus will raise every person who has ever lived and died without exception. And they will stand before him, and so will we.

25, 28: Physical resurrection comes out most clearly in verse 28.

25 says “and is now here” has puzzled scholars. • Is John still talking about “spiritual resurrection” (like in verse 24) or is he speaking of physical resurrection? Both are true. He gives us life now, and he will raise us later. • • I think he is speaking of physical resurrection in verse 25, and he adds this phrase, “and now has come” to say that the power to raise the dead physically is already here because “I am here.” • The power to raise the dead was in their midst. • Jesus coming was a foretaste of what’s to come. • He will prove it in just a few chapters with Lazarus. • Further, “For” in verse 26 connects this idea, which speaks of the power of Christ.

26-27: The power to raise the dead and the authority to judge. • No one can give to others what he or she lacks. • No sinful human being can generate eternal life for one self or for another. • God alone possesses it, and grants it through Jesus to whomever He wills.

V. 27: The Son of Man, that great Messianic title. • This is why judgment has been committed to him (read Dan 7:14). • His judgment is inescapable and it will be unmistakable. • Acts 17:31: “God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

28: What’s striking about this resurrection is that it will be involuntary. • In verse 24, we have the responsibility of listening. o But you can ignore the call to believe. o You can ignore the gospel; ignore preaching; ignore the books your Christian friends give you to read; you can suppress the truth and ignore your conscious. o But on the last day, no one will ignore this call!

The voice of the Son of God will bring the dead out of their graves!!!

• Truly, truly, truly.

• I don’t know how he will do it; will he call us one by one? • Someone said it was a good thing Jesus said Lazarus’ name, otherwise the whole graveyard would have risen!

• However he will do it, it will happen. Paul goes into more detail in 1 Cor 15, with the trumpet, and with the beautiful phrase, “the mortal will put on immortality.” • I have done a lot of funerals, and I have observed people trying to speak to their dead loved one. That’s not strange. That’s understandable. But what I’ve never seen is a person is the casket talking back. You can talk all you want, but they won’t respond. That’s what makes it so sad. • But when Jesus Christ speaks, the dead will live again!

App: This puts everything today in our lives in their proper perspective. • These transcendent truths remind us of what really matters.

Jesus’ mighty voice will echo over the whole of humanity, no one will avoid it, and all will rise to meet him.

• Honor Him now so that this fact will be good news to you, rather than dreadful news.

29: If you have faith in Jesus, it will lead you to a life of goodness, of fruitfulness, and you have nothing to fear. But if you disbelieve, then we read of the consequences: raised to judgment [read v. 29]. And we’re told in verse 30 that his judgment is just. It’s perfect. • Now, by saying those who have “done good,” is not a works based gospel. • We’ve been told what to do: believe (v. 24; Jn 6:29); but real saving faith will produce good works (as we studied in James)

Conclusion • We all will be raised. • So my friends, believe on the Son, the who has conquered death, the one who has the power to raise the dead; the one who is the coming judge. • And if you do, then this chapter will be an aroma of life and hope and glory.

C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle illustrates the profound hope these verses bring to those who have believed on the Son. At the end of the book, Aslan tells Peter, Edmund, and Lucy there has been a railroad accident and they are dead. And as he [Aslan] spoke he no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. Its true, friends. This life is only the title page. • Soon, every chapter will be better than the one before. • We who have believed on the Son, have life now, and we will be raised later for glory. • Jesus promises it. • Jesus has power to make it happen. • Honor the Son.

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