Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing from Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same manner. 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. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 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.
John 5:19-23
Introduction
After the Pharisees recognize Jesus makes Himself equal with God, He begins to clarify the matter. He pulls back the curtain to give people a glimpse of the inner workings of the Trinity. God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4), and indivisible. Even still, there are unique roles each member of the Trinity fill in relation to one another. And in this brief introduction, the Son makes it clear that His role is first to do the will of the Father.
This is why Jesus passed through the temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4), doing nothing from His own power (which He does have), but instead fulfilling His role as the perfect servant of the Father as a man to represent a new humanity before God. In this, He becomes our savior. But after salvation comes judgment. And while Jesus is the savior, He is also judge.
This judgment has both an immediate fulfillment and an eternal one. In the short-term, Jesus pronounces judgment on the wicked and rebellious generation which rejected Him (Matthew 21-24), while in the long-term, Jesus serves as the eternal judge at the end of time (Matthew 25).
Begotten, not made
All this language of the Son doing things because of the Father, the Father showing the Son great works, and giving authority to the Son can make it seem like the Father is greater in being than the Son. Almost like there is one Major God and one minor god. While it may seem like that on the surface, it would run entirely afoul of what scripture tells us about the nature of God.
For instance, Isaiah 43:10-11 states, “know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no god formed, and there will be none after me. I, even I, am Yahweh, and there is no savior besides Me.” Thus the very notion of multiple gods is precluded by scripture. There is One God, and God is One. Even still, there are three distinct persons amidst the Godhead. If this were not the case, then before creating, God would have been without the blessing of community. Since God is all sufficient in Himself, we know this cannot be true, and so the Trinity becomes a logical necessity.
And so, even though the Son does the work of the Father, that does not make Him less than the Father. Even though He is called “begotten,” that does not mean He was made.
The One who judges
As the One who does the will of the Father, He does so both as savior and as judge. The scripture is clear about why, as well, “so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”
Throughout world religions, a creator is acknowledged. Even in the midst of secular materialism, there is a creator in the natural order. Consider how many times you have heard, “because of evolution, this creature has that feature.” But what is conspicuously absent across world religions is the Savior. Only in Christ can a Savior be found, and only from the line of David could that Savior come.
When we pray, we ought to thank God for the marvelous way He has revealed Himself in Father, Son, and Spirit. We ought to praise Him for the wonderful gift of a Savior, and we should honor the Son just as we honor the Father. Rejoice in His salvation, and praise His Name forever.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
Leave a Reply