How does John 5:17 reveal Jesus' relationship with God the Father? Setting the Scene • Jesus has just healed the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath (John 5:1-16). • Religious leaders accuse Him of breaking Sabbath law. • In response, “Jesus answered them, ‘To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.’ ” (John 5:17) What the Verse Says, Word by Word • “My Father” – personal, intimate designation; Jesus does not say “our Father” but claims a unique relationship. • “is at His work” – the Father never ceases sustaining creation (cf. Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). • “to this very day” – continual, unbroken activity since creation’s completion (Genesis 2:2). • “and I too am working” – Jesus places His own work on the same plane and timeline as the Father’s. Continuous Divine Work • Creation did not wind down after Day Seven; God preserves life, judges sin, and extends grace every moment. • By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus joins that ongoing divine maintenance of the universe. • The miracle is not a violation of Sabbath rest; it is evidence that God’s restorative work never stops—and neither does the Son’s. Shared Divine Nature • Equal activity implies equal essence. • John later records Jesus saying, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). • Philippians 2:6 affirms that Christ, “existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” His equality is settled. Unity of Purpose • Father and Son act together, never in competition. • John 14:10-11: “The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.” • Their shared mission: reveal God’s love, redeem the lost, restore creation. Authority and Equality Declared • Jewish leaders grasped the claim: “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him…He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). • Jesus’ statement is not mere collaboration; it is a declaration of co-sovereignty. Implications for Believers Today • Assurance: The same divine partnership that healed the lame man secures our salvation (John 10:28-29). • Rest: Because Father and Son work ceaselessly, we can rest in their finished redemption (Hebrews 4:9-10). • Imitation: We join God’s ongoing work—sharing the gospel, serving others—confident that we labor with Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9). Takeaway John 5:17 unveils a relationship of perfect unity, shared authority, and continual divine action. Jesus works because the Father works; therefore, seeing the Son is seeing the Father at work in the world. |
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