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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy
word.
For this reason they tried all the more to kill Him; not
only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father,
making Himself equal with God.
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the
Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing,
because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the
Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works
than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead
and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give
it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted 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.”
John 5:18-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be
to God.
You look so much like your father.
It’s something I have heard more than a few times and I
guess it’s inevitable when you are genetically connected.
In fact, there has even been a saying that was born out
of the relationship between a parent and male child that goes like this:
Like father, like son.
Of course, this saying intends to go well beyond looks.
It typically includes behaviors, attitudes, and actions as well. And I can
honestly say that I often find myself saying things or even thinking things
that remind me of the way my father thought and spoke.
Well, as we turn to our scripture passage and continued
study of the aftermath of Jesus’ healing of a paralytic by the pool of
Bethesda, keep in mind this matter of a son being like his father because it is
central to this passage and devotion. Look again at these words from the fifth
chapter of John’s Gospel:
For this reason they
tried all the more to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He
was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Jesus gave them
this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can
do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son
also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He
will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For
just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives
life to whom He is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but
has entrusted 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.” John 5:18-23
You’ll recall that the paralyzed man who had received the
gift of healing from Jesus had spilled the beans to the Jewish religious
authorities who had inquired as to who had told him to get up and carry his mat
on the Sabbath. This in its own right had angered the Jewish leadership enough
to begin persecuting Jesus about what He had done.
With this, Jesus went on to let the Jewish leaders know
that God was His Father who was always working and thus He was doing likewise,
thus why He was healing on the Sabbath.
In other words, like Father, like Son.
Well, this really incited the Jewish religious leaders
who shifted their focus from persecution to murder because not only had Jesus
worked on the Sabbath but now He was committing an act of blasphemy in their
opinion, calling Himself God’s Son and in doing so “making Himself equal with
God.”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus decided to set them
straight on who He was and expand on His earlier words, saying:
“Very truly I tell
you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father
doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves
the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works
than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead
and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give
it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted 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.”
In providing a defense argument for Himself, Jesus was
simply telling the Jewish religious authorities that He had no other choice
than to do what He was doing because He was bound to do what God, His Father,
was doing. Jesus wasn’t on His own program. Rather, He was following God’s
lead, plain and simple. God, Jesus’ Father, showed His Son what to do out of
love for Him. He wanted Jesus to do all the right things and so He showed Him
the way. All Jesus had to do is be obedient to His Father and walk in His
footsteps.
But God had done more than just be a holy role model for
His Son to follow. He also had great things in store for Jesus as He would
display works that would leave everyone amazed, including the Jewish leaders.
This would include not only resurrections (later Jesus would be included in this
number) but the power of salvation that would be delegated to His Son along
with the authority to judge. The intent was that Jesus would garner the same
honor and respect that God had, an honor and respect that was expected lest
someone be convicted of not honoring and respecting God Himself by proxy.
In other words, like Father, like Son.
Imagine how the heads of the Jewish religious leaders
were spinning at this point as their blood pressures elevated to dangerous
heights.
For Jesus not only said He had the right to work on the
Sabbath because God, His Father, did so, that He and God were one, and that His
actions were completely dictated by God who Jesus was following religiously.
Not only had Jesus said all these things but now He was telling the Jewish
authorities that God had actually passed down the authority to grant salvation
and judge others, adding that the same honor and respect given to God was to be
given to Jesus.
How would the religious leaders respond?
As we know from the story of Jesus’ life, they never
stopped in trying to do away with Him, even though He was speaking the truth.
Indeed, the Son was just like the Father.
As I think about this passage and its present day
application, I’m drawn to these words from Paul’s letter to the Galatians:
So in Christ Jesus
you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:26
God’s word is perfect truth and this word tells us that
if we are Christians (or in other words, if we are in Christ Jesus), then we
are children of God. We are His sons and daughters. And as long as we do as we
should as Christians, strive to live in every way as Jesus did, then we will be
following the lead of God the Father, until that day when He calls us to His
side to live with Him and Jesus forever.
Or in other words, like Father, like His sons (and
daughters), not just for now but forever.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be
blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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