John 5:17–24 17But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

1. John 5:17–24 17But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18For this reason 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. 19Therefore Jesus 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. 20“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. 21“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23so 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. 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 has passed out of death into life.

4. I. The Father and Son are Equal A. Equal in Work

5. John 6:28–29 28Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” NASB

6. I. The Father and Son are Equal A. Equal in Work B. Equal in Being

7. Hebrews 1:1–3 1God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, NASB

8. Colossians 2:9 9For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, NASB

9. John 10:30–33 30“I and the Father are one.” 31The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” NASB

10. II. The Father and Son are Unified A. One in Purpose B. One in Plan

11. This in the only time in the New Testament that it is used to refer to the Father’s love for the Son. The present tense of the verb indicates an eternally uninterrupted and all-knowing love that leaves no room for ignorance making it impossible for Jesus to have been unaware of God’s will, whether about the Sabbath, or about anything else.

12. II. The Father and Son are Unified A. One in Purpose B. One in Plan C. One in Provision of life

13. Deuteronomy 32:39 39‘See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. 1 Samuel 2:6 6“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. NASB

14. Romans 8:11 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Acts 26:8 8“Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? NASB

15. Romans 10:9–10 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. NASB

16. III. The Son’s Unique Role A. The Son as Judge

17. Psalm 7:11 11God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day. Psalm 50:6 6And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. NASB

18. Psalm 96:11–13 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; 12Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13Before the Lord, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness. NASB

19. John 3:18–19 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. NASB

20. III. The Son’s Unique Role A. The Son as Judge B. The Son as Honorable

21. In a theistic universe, such a statement belongs to one who is himself to be addressed as God, or to stark insanity. The one who utters such things is to be dismissed with pity or scorn, or worshipped as Lord. If with much current scholarship we retreat to seeing in such material less the claims of the Son than the beliefs and witness of the Evangelist and his church, the same options confront us. Either John is supremely deluded and must be dismissed as a fool, or his witness is true and Jesus is to be ascribed the honours due God alone. There is no rational middle ground.

22. Response Do you believe and confess that God and Jesus Christ are One? Have you received “life” from Jesus Christ? Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord and have believed that God raised Him from the dead? He who does not believe has been judged already!