What is the meaning of John 5:26? For as the Father Jesus roots His claim in the Father’s identity. From creation onward, Scripture presents the Father as the ultimate source of everything (Genesis 1:1; James 1:17). In John 5 the Lord has just called God “My Father” (5:17-18), emphasizing intimate unity yet personal distinction. Because the Father alone is uncreated, every other form of life derives from Him. Bullet points to keep in mind: • The Father eternally exists, independent of anything outside Himself (Psalm 90:2). • His works include sustaining the universe each moment (Hebrews 1:3). • This declaration frames the Son’s authority within the Father’s eternal reality (John 5:19-20). has life in Himself The phrase underscores self-existence. God is not merely alive; He is life (Acts 17:25; 1 Timothy 6:16). No external power keeps Him alive or fuels Him. By declaring the Father’s self-existent life, Jesus draws a straight line from divine nature to divine action: because the Father possesses life intrinsically, He can impart life to others (John 6:57). Key observations: • “Life” here is more than biological existence; it is the spiritual, eternal quality that only God possesses (John 17:3). • This life flows outward—creation, redemption, resurrection all spring from the Father’s self-existent life (Revelation 4:11; Romans 6:23). so also He has granted “Granted” highlights purposeful bestowal. The Father willingly shares His own prerogative with the Son (John 3:35; 5:22). Far from implying inferiority, the language reveals harmony within the Godhead—what the Father possesses, the Son fully exercises. Consider how Scripture fleshes this out: • The Father “sent” the Son (John 3:16-17), “loves” the Son (John 15:9), and “exalts” Him (Philippians 2:9-11). • Every grant is relational, anchoring the Son’s mission in the Father’s will (John 8:28-29). • The perfect unity keeps divine authority undivided, even as roles differ (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). the Son to have life in Himself Here lies the heart of the verse: the Son shares the same self-existent life. At the Incarnation He retained full deity (John 1:1-4, 14). Thus He can: • Give eternal life to believers (John 10:28; 17:2). • Call the dead from the grave (John 5:28-29; 11:25-26). • Serve as the exclusive way, truth, and life (John 14:6). Because the Son has life in Himself, faith in Him brings immediate spiritual life and guarantees bodily resurrection (1 John 5:11-12; 1 Corinthians 15:22). summary John 5:26 reveals the shared divine life of Father and Son. The Father is eternally self-existent; out of that fullness He grants the same self-existent life to the Son. Consequently, Jesus can bestow life, judge the world, and secure our eternal destiny. Trusting Him is not aligning with a mere prophet but embracing the living God who holds life within Himself and freely offers it to all who believe. |
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