Jesus - Equal with God

Amen. We'll take your Bible this morning turn with me to the Gospel of John, John chapter 5. You know that we are in our series Christ the Son of God, believe and live, and when we get to the end of this message this morning, we get to the end of these verses, you will see that again John comes back to the theme of a book, that evangelistic theme. It was John's desire, the Apostle John's desire, that those that read this Gospel would know of Christ, a proper understanding of who Christ was and is, but also believe and live. He had an evangelistic heart. Now our verses this morning will be verse 17 on down to verse 24.

We really ended in an incomplete manner last week. Verse 17 was part of that message starting in verse 9, but we kind of left that verse. I left that verse out there a little because we're going to really start with that verse again in this morning's message. Now we are progressing in this portion of Scripture into greater persecution for Jesus. Remember I told you as we started this portion of Scripture that we would see two changes in the ministry of Jesus.

He would begin to interact with more crowds, greater crowds of people, but also I told you that he would begin to have greater hostility in his ministry and we will see a greater hostility in this ministry of Jesus. Now remember the situation that we've seen. Jesus goes to Jerusalem at one of the feasts. We do not know what feast it was. Some Bible commentators believe that this was the Passover and he heals the crippled man on the Sabbath. Remember he goes to that pool, the pool called Bethsaida, where so many of those crippled, the lame, the blind, the paralyzed were there desiring to be healed.

Now not only did he heal the man, but he told the man to take up his pallet, to take up his sick bed, and to walk. Of course to the Jewish leaders this would have been a complete violation of the Sabbath. After this healing things begin to escalate. Jesus gets into what I called last week a standoff with the Jewish leadership because he had broken the traditions of the elders which they saw as breaking the Old Testament law itself. We saw in verse 16 that the Jews began to persecute Jesus because of these types of things that he was doing on the Sabbath. Remember this was the first time he had done something like this.

The construction of the language tells us. Now as we progress through these verses we see that the situation escalates even farther and it escalates on two fronts. Take note of this. First, Jesus goes from healing on the Sabbath to making statements equating himself with God which the Jews would have seen as nothing more than blasphemous. Second, for the Jewish leadership they go from persecuting Jesus which we saw in verse 16 last week to literally wanting to kill Jesus which we will see in verse 18. See the escalation on both fronts.

Now these statements Jesus makes in our verses this morning equating himself with God were not the first nor the last. Previously he had confessed that being the Messiah to the Samaritan woman in chapter 4 verse 26. But now he is equating himself with God in these verses. Now later on in John he will use similar language. In chapter 8 verse 23 he says, "You are from below. I am from above. You are of this world and I am not of this world." What is he doing? He is indicating he is speaking of his deity equating himself with God. In chapter 16 verse 28 he says to the disciples, "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world.

I am leaving the world again and going to the Father." He again is alluding to this similar language equating himself with God. Chapter 17 verse 5 Jesus talked of the glory he possessed when he was with the Father before the world was created. Now what am I showing you? There are far more passages of scripture that speak to what Jesus is developing, what Jesus is doing. He is beginning to explain and equate himself with God. Simply put, Jesus is beginning a habit, a habit of claiming deity or equating himself with God. In verse 18 we see that he is calling God his Father and he is making himself equal with God.

That is what we see happening in our verses this morning. That brings us to the title of the message this morning. We have Jesus equal with God. Jesus equal with God. We will be in verses 17 through 24. We will look at four main truths out of these verses. He was equal with God and his person. Then you can abbreviate the remaining truths in works and then truth number three in power and truth number four in worship. All through these verses Jesus is driving home the same thing. He is equal with God in his person, in his works, in his power and in his worship. In his worship.

As you are writing or finishing up taking some of your notes I will begin in verse 17. This familiar verse that we left off with last week. "But he answered them, 'My Father is working until now and I myself am working.'" This is speaking of what he had just done in healing this crippled man on the Sabbath. Then verse 18 is like a summary of the situation. "For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the war to kill him." Because not only was he breaking the Sabbath but also was calling God his own father making himself equal with God. Verse 19.

"Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly, 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. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him that you may marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he wishes." Verse 22.

"For not even the Father judges anyone, but he is given all judgment to the Son in order that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who's seen him." And then verse 24, which will be our last verse this morning, this familiar language, "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 is passed out of death into life." Quite a few verses, verses that are loaded with truth, but there is one main theme which brings us to the title, and that is Jesus equal with God.

And we're getting that title out of verse 18. So let's begin to dive into these verses. Let's look at main truth number one. Jesus was equal with God in his person. Jesus was equal with God in his person. We're going to skip verse 17 and deal with verse 18, and then we'll come back to verse 17. But notice verse 18, "For this cause 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." Now all of the translations that we study together say the same thing.

And you will notice that the first verse we will study is not the first verse in this portion of Scripture. This is really a summation of the situation, and the Jews, the Jewish leadership interpretation of this situation. But we must understand verse 18, in my opinion, before we can understand the remaining verses. So I want us to see a couple of things. First, he was calling the Father his Father. He was calling the Father his Father. Verse 17, "My Father is working until now, and I myself am working." He's calling the Father his Father. Verse 18, at the end, they had an issue because he was calling the Father his own Father.

Jesus did not speak of the Father as the Jews spoke of God the Father. The Jews spoke of God as our Father, while Jesus spoke of God as my Father. I've already read verse 17 because that is a perfect example. Now this seems subtle, but this is not subtle. The Jews would have immediately picked up on this habit of Jesus. He did not say our Father, he said, "My Father." And then the second truth, second thing out of this truth is, he was equating himself with God. Clearly in verse 17, Jesus is putting himself on equal plane with God the Father. Verse 18 clearly states that this was a habit of Jesus. What does it say?

He is making himself equal with God. This is John explaining how the Jews interpreted this situation. And he was putting himself on equal plane with God the Father. And this is a clear habit that Jesus begins to develop. John seems to be making a general statement here, which indicates that this is a part of his habit of teaching and speaking about God his Father and equating himself with God. Now in learning of Jesus' equality with God in these verses here, it is important for us to see Jesus was equal with God, now listen, in his person. Of course there are still the clear and distinctive roles.

We have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But God the Son was one with the Father in nature, yet clearly distinct in his role and function. And we must understand that. That is our proper biblical understanding of the Trinity. We have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. And Jesus was one with the Father in nature, but yet clearly distinct in his role and his function. Paul alludes to this in the book of Colossians chapter 2 verse 9. For in him, talking about Jesus, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.

Jesus was in the form, listen, in a physical body, that tabernacle, that physical tent, but yet he was true in the nature, one being one in nature with God. Let's move on. Let's notice truth number two. Truth number two, he was equal with God in his works. He was equal with God in his works. Go back to verse 17. My Father is working until now and I myself am working. Go on down to verse 19. Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, truly, truly, 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 does in like manner. Verse 20.

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing and greater works than these he will show him that you may marvel. Now, Jesus had already been at work. On the Sabbath day, Jesus had been at work healing the crippled man. Prior to healing the man, Jesus had gone up to Jerusalem. He had gone up to the temple. And here we will see that Jesus' works were not independent works, but they were works of the Father, which he was participating in. If you write in your Bible, you can go back and you can notice some of these words. Verse 17. My Father is working until now. I myself am working.

Then we go on down to verse 19. Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, truly, truly, I say to you, the Son of man can do nothing of himself unless he sees, unless it is something he sees the Father doing. And you can go all the way down to verse 20 and you see language speaking about what activity works, things that the Father is doing and the Son are doing. Let me show you some truth out of these verses. First, the example of the Father and Jesus working together. We see that in verse 17. This, of course, is referring to the healing work Jesus did on the Sabbath previously.

Jesus is saying that both he and the Father were at work on that day. Now, a question. Are we saying Jesus was working? Is that a violation of the Sabbath? We've already explored this question. And the answer is no. One must understand the purpose of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was instituted for man's benefit, not God's benefit. The Father rested on the Sabbath as an example, according to Genesis 2 verses 2 through 3. God the Father had no need for rest and he is God and he worships no one. So why does God the Father do this? It serves as an example. Mark chapter 2, verse 27 speaks to this issue.

Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. And it is important to note that God is not restricted by the Sabbath and nor was Jesus. Both were working on that day in healing the poor, crippled man, according to verse 17. And we see God the Father working, Jesus working. This is not a violation of the Old Testament scripture and what do we see happening? This is a sign that is to point to Christ who was the fulfillment of the entire Jewish law. Second, Jesus unity with the Father. We see the example of both of them working. Now we see Jesus unity with the Father. Look at verse 19.

Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, 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 does also does in like manner." This speaks of the unity. Here we see unity and not only unity full submission. The Father and the Son are perfect in unity, but the Son is perfect in submission to the Father. Notice out of these verses that the Son can't work alone. But also notice that the Son does what the Father does. You see? This is perfect submission and perfect unity with the Father.

MacArthur says the perfect harmony that characterizes the joint working of the Father and the Son stems from the absolute unity of essence that they share because they are one in being, one eternal God to see Christ act is to see God act. So it's important for us to see. Take notice of language. What does he say at the beginning of verse 19? Truly, truly. This is an emphasis Jesus is giving. Jesus is saying, "Listen close. I'm giving you something that you really need to pay attention to." He is saying that we are one. And we know this language because we studied it in John chapter 3 with the story of Nicodemus.

So he was equal with God in his works and we saw that in the example of them working together and Jesus' unity with the Father. And then third, the Father's, notice the Father's love for the Son. Look at the beginning of verse 20. "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing." Now we see the verse says, "The Father loves the Son." Now an interesting note here in translation and that is this. In dealing with the original, the original word here is not agape but it is phileo. Now let me pause for a minute and explain something to you about the Greek language.

In the original Greek language, they had multiple words for love. Whereas in our English language, we have one word for love. If I say to you that I love my job but I love God, you understand there is a difference. If I say to you that I love you and I love God, you understand there is a difference. And it's implied. But in the original Greek language, they had the word agape. It was a form of love and it is best exemplified by talking about the love that God bestowed upon man. It is a love of choice. It is a volitional love. Jesus chose to surrender and give his life for mankind. That is agape love. For God so loved the world.

That is agape love. But then there is the word phileo. Phileo love. It speaks of brotherly love. And then there is another word called eros love. That is a physical sexual love, a sensual love. That's where the English word erotic comes from. But what do we see here? Right here in verse 20, John uses the word phileo. And not only is it interesting which word he uses, but it is also in the present tense which speaks of an uninterrupted love and a love which Jesus would have always been aware of. In all of Jesus' actions, in all of Jesus' goings on, Jesus would have been fully aware of the love of the Father for him.

And it was a phileo love which represented a love of deep warm affection and deep feelings. So Jesus was fully aware continuously of a great love that the Father had for him. Deep love, deep warm affections. So we see the Father's love for the Son. Then fourth, notice fourth, the greater works to come. The Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him that you may marvel. Now what is this greater works will come? As Jesus walks in perfect obedience, he will see even greater things than what he has previously seen.

He will perform greater miracles, assume greater authority, and be involved in kingdom work in a greater way. Ultimately, we know the end of the story. Jesus ultimately goes to the cross. He is resurrected on the third day. He ascends to the right hand of the Father. So John is saying that Jesus will do even greater things because he will participate and be that sacrificial lamb for you and for me. So we see the greater works. Now what have we seen? Jesus is equal with God in his works. Have we not already studied this truth?

In John chapter 1 verses 1 through 5, specifically verses 2 through 3, those verses teach us that Jesus was one with God in his works, the creation. Genesis chapter 1 verse 26 says, "Let us make man in our image according to our likeness." Jesus has been involved. Now listen, with the works of God, it says before the creation. So what are we seeing? We are seeing that Jesus, he is equal with God in his works. He's equal with God in his person and he is equal with God in his works. Let's move on. Let's notice truth number three in our outline. He was equal with God in power. He was equal with God in power.

Let's notice verses 21 through 22, "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives him life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but he is given all judgment to the Son." Now all of the translations that we use and study basically say the same thing. The King James uses the word quickeneth for the English that we have giving life, but it means the same thing. In these next two verses, we will see that Jesus seems to up the claim of equality with God. He moves on from equating himself to his Father in works to equating himself to his Father in power.

Some of the Jewish leadership would have definitely noticed that he seems to be upping the claim. Now let's break down these verses. First notice, the Father raises the dead to life. Look at verse 21, the beginning of verse 21, "For just as the Father raises the dead." Now of course this is referring to Old Testament passages of Scripture which teach that only God has the ability to raise the dead. I will give you a couple. Deuteronomy 32, 39, 1 Samuel 2, 6, 2 Kings 5, 7, "All speak of God having the ability to raise the dead to life." I'll read you a couple.

1 Samuel 2, 6 says, "The Lord kills and brings to life, he brings down to Sheol and raises up." 2 Kings 5, 7 says, "Am I God to kill and to make a life?" What do these verses speak of? They speak of the Father, God the Father, having the ability to bring the dead to life. But then second notice, the Son raises the dead to life as well. Go back to the verse, verse 21, "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to him whom he wishes." John chapter 1 verse 3 says, "That all things came into being through Christ.

If it is so, he," that's Christ, "is the source of life." So the source of life is from the Father as well as the Son. And of course we know that Jesus did raise people physically from the dead. Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, did he not, in John chapter 11. I like how D.A. Carson deals with this. He says, "Although the Son can do nothing by himself," according to verse 19, "his will, his pleasure, his choices are so completely at one with the Father that it is no less true to say the crucial decisions are his.

They are one and therefore both can bring the dead from dead to life." Third, I want us to notice judgment is reserved for the Son. Look at verse 22, "For not even the Father judges anyone, but he is given all judgment to the Son. Because the Son is one with the Father and the Father is one with the Son, the Father can entrust all judgment to the Son, knowing full well that this act of judgment will be accurate." Of course, this is speaking of the final judgment, which is in the future. Second Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 7 through 8, those verses speak of the day in which the world will be judged according to Christ.

MacArthur says, "Because their wills," talking about God the Father and God the Son, "are in perfect harmony, all judgment can be given to Christ in the assurance that his judgment will be in fact the very same as the Father's judgment." You see? Judgment is reserved for the Son. Now, what do we see here? Jesus is equal to God in power. Just like the Father, Jesus has the power to raise the dead also, and there is power given. The Father gives the Son the power of judgment, and this is extremely important for us to understand. There is one word, authority. Christ has been given this authority by God the Father.

So, let's move on, and I want us to notice truth number 4. He was equal with God in worship. He is equal with God in worship. Look at verse 23. "In order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father, he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." In this one verse, we learn that worship of the Son is the same as worship of the Father. Worship and rejection here are both intertwined, and I want you to notice. First, there is acceptance. Go back to the verse. "In order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." There is acceptance.

In this first portion of this verse, honoring the Son and honoring the Father are one in the same. One cannot honor one without honoring the other. One thing that we will see is we continue in the Gospel of John. Many times the Jews would look to Jesus and say, "We have Abraham as our Father," and Jesus would say, "If Abraham was your Father, you would know who I am," because they said they honored the Father while they dishonored the Son. And what we see here is you cannot honor one without honoring the other. So when one honors the Son, they honor the Father, and when one truly honors the Father, they honor the Son.

But also out of this verse, we see there is rejection. Look at verse 23. "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." Here we learn that to reject the Son is to reject the Father. That's exactly what the Jewish leaders did. One cannot receive one without receiving the other. One cannot reject one without rejecting the other. And so what we see is Christ is equal with God in worship, and we must see what we are seeing here. Jesus is definitively equating himself with God. The Jewish leadership would have definitely understood this declaration.

Jesus was going beyond saying that he is one in person, and now he is saying he deserves the honor that God the Father deserves. We see this communicated in Paul's writings. We see this in the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse 9. I'll read you the text. "Therefore also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every name should bow, and of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." What do we see? That Jesus is equal with God in worship.

Now as I begin to conclude in this message, I want to conclude with verse 24, and then conclude with application. Look at 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 he passes out of death into life." I want to conclude with verse 24. Jesus begins this verse by making this familiar statement. Here again, what does he say? "Truly, truly, I like what the Amplified says.

The Amplified says, 'I assure you most solemnly, Jesus, everything that Jesus ever said was noteworthy, it was true, it was worthy of banking on, but now he's saying, what I'm saying you really need to take note of." This is nothing more than Jesus assuring the listeners that what he is about to say is true and really should be taken to heart. Now I want us to notice some things out of this verse. Notice there are those who hear and believe.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me." These are two important words here, and in the original construction, hearing and believing are tied together describing one event. Let me repeat that. In the original, the construction of the language brings hearing and believing together, and they are tied together describing one event. And if we're not careful, we will move these two apart. We will look at hearing and we will look at believing as two different events. But according to this construction of the language, this describes one event. The Samaritan woman and those Samaritans, what did they do?

They heard and they believed. The crippled man seemingly did not hear and believe. We see that all through the Gospels. We see that all through the writings of the Word of God. There are those that hear and believe, and then there are some who do not hear and believe. So I want you to notice in verse 24, "Truly, truly," Jesus says, "really listen, he who hears my words and believes one event." We must understand that. And then notice, there are those who hear and believe, they do not face judgment, but they pass from death unto life.

Go back to the verse, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life." So we notice there are those who hear and believe, one event, and then there are those who hear and believe, and they do not pass into judgment. Carson says the believer does not come to the final judgment but leaves the court already acquitted. And that is very accurate. What do we see? They do not face the judgment.

Oh, those of us who were born again, we stand at the, not at the great white throne judgment, but what's called the bemacy, the place of rewards. But what John is talking about is the final judgment. So in application, as we close the message, I want to ask you a question. Has this happened to you? Have you heard and believed, which is a one-time event? Listen, all Christ has been doing all along, starting in verse 17. It's really not about the works. It's about Christ using what he had previously done to explain to those who are listening that he is God. "Deity in the flesh, equal with God the Father." That's all Jesus is doing. I am God.

I am God. I am God. And now what he says is he says, "He who hears and believes," they're not judged. They're acquitted. So my question for you is, has this happened to you? Have you passed, and I noticed the end, from death to life. This means to pass from one place to another. We must get that because in our culture, I'm afraid a lot of people view this as an intellectual decision. No, that's not the case. Excuse me. This is not intellectual Christianity here. This is what happens when a man comes to a place, a woman comes to a place, a young person comes to a place by the supernatural working and the power of the spirit.

They hear and they believe, and they are moved from being at a position of death and facing judgment to a position of life. And my question is, has this happened to you? And if this has happened to you, take note of who did it. God. Jesus. God in the flesh. And if this has not happened to you, I want you to notice who you are learning about in your mind. Jesus. God in the flesh. So my question for you this morning, as we're exploring and looking and learning Jesus equal with God, my question for you is, has this happened to you? Have you moved from death to life?

And it is verses like this that reiterate to me that conversion is a one-time event. It is not a process. It is something that happens miraculously to someone and they will know it. They might have a hard time articulating it, but they will know that they have gone from death to life, darkness to light. And my question is, has this happened to you? And then it also for me, it is very comforting. It is very comforting because I understand that your conversion does not depend on me. Your conversion depends on God the Son in the workings of God the Father and that which only God can do. Jesus is equal with God.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the truths that we learn here. Just layer upon layer, picture upon picture. Lord seeing that you are equal with God in your being.