John 5:17-25

John 5:17-25 (KJV)

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Verse 17-18, After Jesus tells the Jews that both He and the Father work on the Sabbath to serve and heal man, the Jews were even more aroused to harm Jesus because not only had He violated the Sabbath in their opinion, but He had made himself eqaul with God by stating that God was His Father. This passage is very revealing in that the Jews had an understanding that the coming Messiah would be God's Son and this Sonship would make the Messiah equal with the Father. Remember, the Jews considered themselves son's of God so if Jesus claim of Sonship was only metaphorical they would not have been offended at His claim of Sonship. They properly understood Jesus claim of Sonship as literal hence the statement that they took this as making himself equal with God. The Jews who claimed an adopted Sonship didn't consider themselves eqaul with God.

How is Jesus eqaul with God when other scriptures state that He is subject to God?
Because Jesus is the literal Son of God. His nature (DNA) is fully Divine as much as the Father's nature is. Jesus is equal in divinity to the Father. However in position of headship and authority, Jesus is subject to the Father. A human father begets a human son. God begat a divine Son. God could only beget from his own substance another divine being. A human father will always (in ideal situations-providing health and life circumstances) have headship over his son no matter how old his son gets and no matter how successful his son gets. The son gives his Father this respect and preference. A human father doesn't consider his son less than him just because he is older and has headship over him. A human Father esteems his son eqaul to himself as his son is a part of himself in DNA.

It pleases a human father to esteem his son as eqaul to himself. This doesn't mean the father doesn't have authority or headship over his son it just means that the father knows his son is eqaul to him as a person. Apply this same understanding to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. It pleases the Father to consider Jesus eqaul with himself as they are both made of the same divine substance. They could only be made of the same substance if they are a true Father and Son. It pleases Jesus to be subject to the Father in authority and headship just as it pleases a human son to give his father preference no matter how successful and old the son becomes.

Verses 19-20, Just as a human son learns from his father's example, Jesus learns from His Father. Jesus examples everything His Father does. Jesus explains his complete dependence on the Father. Jesus speaks of the Father's love for him and refers to himself as "the Son" denoting a real Sonship not a metaphorical one. Everything Jesus has done and still does he learned from the Father. Jesus is not an independent God as some doctrines teach but is dependent completely on the Father for everything.

Verse 21-23, Just as the Father raises the dead so does Jesus. The Father committed all judgment to the Son. We are to honour (revere, honour, value) the Son just as we honour the Father. Some denominations teach that we are not to worship Jesus and only worship the Father. This is absolutely false! The statement that "all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" clearly teaches that we are to worship Jesus as we also worship the Father. We worship Jesus as the divine Son of God and we worship the Father as the Almighty God. Any worship we give the Son goes to the Father. We can even worship Jesus as our God because He is just that, our Jehovah and our God as Thomas confessed. Even the Father calls Jesus God. Of course, we know the relationship between Jesus and Jehovah and that the Father is the eternal Almighty God and Jesus is the Son of the eternal Almighty God. We should be able to call Jesus God without apology or explanation. We don't honour the Son any less than the Father. Jesus is not a lessor God as some denominations teach but Jesus is fully God and eqaul in divinity with the Father. Jesus was worshipped even as a baby. Angels worship him. What makes us think that we are exempt from worshipping Jesus? Only satan desires to have people think we can't worship Jesus.

If we fail to honour the Son just as equally as we honour the Father then ultimately we don't honour the Father. Jesus was sent by the Father to the earth. He didn't come independently.

Verse 24, Jesus states that those who hear his words and believe on the Father have everlasting life. Jesus didn't speak his own words but was given a commandment from the Father to speak. This shows the oneness of the Father and Son and that they are in complete unity with each other. You can't have one without the other.

Verse 25, the dead in Christ will hear His voice at the second advent. This shows that when we die we fall asleep and are in the grave awaiting the return of Jesus. Our souls do not fly away to heaven at death otherwise the statement, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live", makes no sense at all, how do the dead in Christ hear Jesus voice if they are already in heaven with him? This would mean they have split personalities, one in heaven as a disembodied soul and one in the grave as a dead soul.

Also, notice that when Jesus returns at His second advent he identifies himself as "the Son of God". Jesus is never called "God the Son" in the bible. This statement by Jesus also confirms that His identity as the "Son of God" is not a temporary identity that was for his earthly life, but that this is His permanent identity due to the truth that His Sonship is a literal one. Jesus was the Son of God before his incarnation, He was the Son of God during his earthly life and He is the Son of God now and He will be the Son of God when he returns for His saints and He will always be the Son of God.