The Creative and Saving Power of God

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. 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. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:19-25).

The Jews wanted to know why Jesus violated their Sabbath laws when He healed the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda. His response revealed important truth about who he was. He told the Jews that He did nothing on His own. It was by the authority of God that He worked. Even more, He told them He had no choice… “The Son can do nothing of his own accord”. He could only do the work He saw His Father already doing. He pointed to specific works of healing and resurrection. He promised they would see even greater works soon. Then He told them the primary purpose of His work here among them was to reveal God’s judgment. He used this moment of confrontation to affirm His divinity. Jesus taught here that the Father and the Son are one and the Word we see both the creative and saving power of God.

The Spirit teaches that the power and glory of God are revealed clearly in all He has created… “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Our teacher reaffirms this truth through the pen of the apostle Paul… “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). Because He is the same essence as God, Jesus reveals the glory and power of God every time He does the creative, sustaining, and redeeming work of God… “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created… all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16). Because He is of the same essence as God Jesus can do only the healing, forgiving, and redeeming works that reveal and confirm that He is God… “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (John 10:37-38). Jesus taught the skeptical, curious Jews that the creative works he was doing confirmed that He was God dwelling with them… “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:11).

Then Jesus took this lesson one step further. He told the crowd that there was one special work that the Father had given to Him, the work of Judgment… The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. The Holy Spirit moved Asaph to record that God alone is judge… “The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge” (Psalm 50:6). The Spirit also led the prophet Isaiah to reveal that God would give the work of judgment among His people to the Messiah… “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse… He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isaiah 11:1-4). The Word became flesh and dwelt with us to reveal God’s judgment to the world through His words and deeds… “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48). Jesus exhorts truth seekers to hear and believe the Word, escape God’s judgment, and receive the promise of eternal life… Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

As we grow up into Christ we learn that the words and deeds of Jesus confirm that He is God and offer us eternal life in the place of judgment because through faith in Him we experience both…

The Creative and Saving Power of God.