Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 5:19
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.
19. can do nothing of himself ] It is impossible for Him to act with individual self-assertion independent of God, because He is the Son: Their Will and working are one. The Jews accuse Him of blasphemy; and blasphemy implies opposition to God: but He and the Father are most intimately united.
but what he seeth, &c.] Better, unless He seeth the Father doing it.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
19, 20. Intimacy of the Son with the Father further enforced.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Son can do nothing of himself – Jesus, having stated the extent of his authority, proceeds here to show its source and nature, and to prove to them that what he had said was true. The first explanation which he gives is in these words: The Son – whom he had just impliedly affirmed to be equal with God – did nothing of himself; that is, nothing without the appointment of the Father; nothing contrary to the Father, as he immediately explains it. When it is said that he can do nothing of himself, it is meant that such is the union subsisting between the Father and the Son that he can do nothing independently or separate from the Father. Such is the nature of this union that he can do nothing which has not the concurrence of the Father, and which he does not command. In all things he must, from the necessity of his nature, act in accordance with the nature and will of God. Such is the intimacy of the union, that the fact that he does anything is proof that it is by the concurring agency of God. There is no separate action – no separate existence; but, alike in being and in action, there is the most perfect oneness between him and the Father. Compare Joh 10:30; Joh 17:21.
What he seeth the Father do – In the works of creation and providence, in making laws, and in the government of the universe. There is a special force in the word seeth here. No person can see God acting in his works; but the word here implies that the Son sees him act, as we see our fellow-men act, and that he has a knowledge of him, therefore, which no mere mortal could possess.
What things soever – In the works of creation and of providence, and in the government of the worlds. The word is without limit – all that the Father does the Son likewise does. This is as high an assertion as possible of his being equal with God. If one does all that another does or can do, then there must be equality. If the Son does all that the Father does, then, like him, he must be almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, and infinite in every perfection; or, in other words, he must be God. If he had this power, then he had authority, also, to do on the Sabbath day what God did.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joh 5:19-23
The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do
The unity of the Father and the Son
The Jews sought to kill Jesus in obedience to the law
(1) because He wrought a miracle on the Sabbath;
(2) because He vindicated Himself on the ground of His equality with God, who constantly works such miracles in His providence on the Sabbath.
So far from disclaiming the Jewish inference He here confirms it. Note
I. CHRISTS RELATION TO THE FATHER IN ALL HE DOES (Joh 5:19).
1. Unity of operation. These words assert that as it is impossible for the Son to do anything of Himself, so it is impossible that the Father can do anything without the Son. The cure of the impotent man, therefore, was by both.
2. Distinction of persons. The Father shows, the Son sees; the Father purposes, the Son executes.
3. Identity of works. They do the same, not similar things. The same Jesus stands in the midst of us and says, Wilt thou be made whole? If we despise Him speaking in His word we despise the great God with whom we have to do.
II. THE GROUND OF THIS RELATION (Joh 5:20).
1. Love is the expression of the Fathers feeling toward the Son.
2. He communicates Himself to the Son and makes Him His counsellor.
3. This relation Christ made known that they might marvel–admire Gods glorious manifestation of Himself and give Him glory.
III. INSTANCES OF THE WORKS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THIS RELATION.
1. (Joh 5:21). Resurrection and quickening, including no doubt the physical, but referring mainly to the spiritual process.
(1) Raising up. Sin, as a frightful incubus, rests on the soul exerting its paralysing influence. This spiritual death is chased away.
(2) Quickening. New life is imparted. Death implies previous life. A tree cut down and withered is different from a stone. In Adam the soul died; when the Son quickens a new and more glorious life is communicated.
(3) There can be no consideration more alarming than our continuance in this death. How dreadful to pass away without having the experience of this raising up and quickening, and to lie for ever in condemnation as self-destroyed.
2. (Joh 5:22-23). Judgment.
(1) To Him is committed the whole administration of the gospel; and when His supreme government is asserted as here, it means that the Father judgeth no man alone–both judge.
(2) He will preside at the eternal awards.
IV. IMPORTANT INFERENCES DEDUCED FROM THIS RELATION.
1. If Christ is not worshipped God is not (Joh 5:23). God must be approached according to the revelation He has made of Himself: we cannot do so unless we know Him as the Father who sent the Son.
2. Salvation comes by the word of Christ (Joh 5:24).
(1) This hearing, no doubt, includes listening with the outward ear; a great and necessary duty. But it is also (Joh 5:25) of a kind which awakens to life, with the mind and spirit, therefore, prompting to action, so that we become not hearers only, but doers.
(2) Salvation is by resting on the true object of faith–in God as sending the Son not as the Creator, etc.
(3) This salvation is everlasting life–a great salvation therefore. How shall we escape if we neglect it. (A. Beith, D. D.)
The Fathers love to the Son
I. THE FATHER LOVETH THE SON. What has this to do with us What have we to do with the Son? The answer to the latter will answer the former. If we are one with Christ the fact that God loves Him
1. Will solve a number of curious and doubtful questions. Satan is always trying to draw believers away from what is simple. The Father loveth the Son. Can Satan deny that? If not, then if I be the Sons, all the outgoings and principles of God concerning me must be of love. Everything must be consistent with that.
2. Will lift us up above a number of depressions.
(1) Are we tried?
(2) lonely;
(3) poor;
(4) weary and worn. Whoever was so tried as the beloved Son?
II. CHRIST RESTED IN THE FATHERS LOVE, AND IN THE DEEP CONSCIOUSNESS OF IT PUT FORTH IMMENSE POWER.
1. Wherever love attains its highest form there is rest. It puts away all ifs and speculations, and goes down into the ocean depths of certainties which are beyond the reach of surface storms.
2. This should give us great power
(1) in prayer, passing into Gods mind through an inlet of love; its answer coming forth through the outlet of love;
(2) in faith;
(3) in hope.
III. CHRISTS RELATION TO THE FATHER DETERMINES HIS ADMINISTRATION OF THE FUTURE, AND OUR RELATION TO HIM DETERMINES OUR PART IN IT. In present and future resurrection and judgment. (P. B. Power, M. A.)
Christs reply
resembles Luthers: I cannot do otherwise; or, to take a nearer example, Jesus puts His work under the guarantee of the Fathers, as the impotent man had just put his under the shelter of Jesus. (F. Godet, D. D.)
Christs limitations
Neither the man nor the angel exists who could dare to say of himself: I can do nothing of myself; because no mans and no angels self is essentially and inseparably one with the self of God. The creature can tear itself away from its Creator, and place its I in opposition to Him; it can seek its life in itself, instead of in Him, and it can act in its own name (Joh 8:44); the Son of God, on the contrary, has nothingof His own, no self, which does not eternally contain the same life which the Father has. (R. Besser, D. D.)
The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son
The delegation of judicial authority to Christ
I. JUDGMENT APPERTAINS TO GOD. It is His in criminal causes (Rom 12:19) and in civil things (Psa 82:1). No function of God is so often reiterated. And He is the Judge of judges themselves. Judgment is so essential to God that it is co-eternal with Him.
1. He knows, and therefore naturally detests evil. We are blind, and need the assistance of the law to know what is evil. And if a man be a judge what an exact knowledge of the law is required of him–for some things are sins to one nation which are not to another, and some things are sin at one time which are not at another. Only God has a universal knowledge, and therefore detestation of evil.
2. He discerns when thou committest evil. Hence you have to supply defects in laws so that things done in one country may be tried in another. But God has the power of discerning all actions in all places. Earthly judges have their distinctions and so their restrictions; some things they cannot know–what mortal can, and some things they cannot take knowledge of, for they are bound by evidence. But nothing keeps God from discerning and judging everything.
3. He knows how to punish evil. The office of a judge being not to contract or extend the law, but to declare its true meaning. God hath this judgment in perfection, for He made the law by which He judges. Who then can dispute His interpretation? As, then, God is judge in all these three respects, so He is a judge
(1) without appeal;
(2) without needing any evidence (Pro 24:12; Pro 16:2; 1Co 4:4); and if so, not only I, but not the most righteous man, nor the Church He hath washed in His own blood, shall appear righteous in His sight.
II. How then, seeing that judgment is an inseparable character of God, can it be said that THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN? Not certainly because weary. He judges as God, not as Father. In the three great judgments of God the whole Trinity judges.
1. Before all times in our election.
2. Now in separating of servants from enemies.
3. At the last judgment in separating the sheep from the goats.
Consider God altogether, and so in all outward works, all the Trinity concurs, because all are one God; but consider God in relation, in distinct persons, and so the several persons do something in which the other persons are not interested. So the Son judgeth, the Father judgeth not, for that judgment He hath committed.
III. TO THE SON HE HATH COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT, the image of the invisible God, and so more proportional unto us, more apprehensible by us.
1. But doth He judge as Son of God or as Son of Man. Upon this the Fathers and Reformers are divided. But take this rule, God hath given Christ this commission as Man, but Christ had not been capable of it had He not been God too. The ability is in Him eternally, but the power of actual execution was given Him as Man.
2. All judgment
(1) Of our election. If I were under the condemnation of the law, and going to execution, and the kings pardon were presented to me, I should ask no question as to motives and circumstances, but thankfully attribute it to his goodness and accept it; so when I consider myself as under Gods consideration, and yet by the working of Gods Spirit I find I am delivered from it I inquire not what God did in His cabinet council. I know that He hath elected me in Christ. And, therefore, that I may know whether I do not deceive myself I examine myself whether I can truly tell my conscience that Christ died for me, which I cannot do if I have not a desire to conform myself to Him; and if I do that then I find my predestination.
(2) Of our justification, for there is none other name, etc. Do I then remember what I contracted with Christ when I took His name at baptism? Have I fulfilled those conditions? Do I find a remorse when I have not? Do I feel remission of those sins when I hear the gracious promises of the gospel to repentant sinners? Have I a true and solid consolation when I receive the seal of pardon at the Sacrament? Therefore this judgment is His also.
(3) Of our glorification (Rev 1:7). Then He shall come as Man and give judgment for things done or omitted towards Him as Man, for not feeding, etc. Conclusion: Such is the goodness of God that He deals with man by the Son of Man.
1. If you would be tried by the first judgment; are you elected or no? Do you believe in Christ?
2. If by the second, are you justified or no? Do you find comfort in the Word and sacraments of Christ?
3. If by the third, do you expect a glorification? Are you so reconciled to Jesus Christ now that you durst say now, Come quickly, Lord Jesus? then you are partakers of all that blessedness which the Father intended for you when, for your sake, He committed all judgment to the Son. (J. Donne, D. D.)
The Redeemer our Judge
That our Saviour was perfect God and perfect man is a truth which cannot be denied and Christianity not fall to the ground. But this very combination will cause apparent inconsistencies in the way in which He is spoken of. And it should be remembered that what holds good of Him in one capacity may be inapplicable to Him in another. As God judgment could not be committed to Him. He had it by Divine necessity and right. But it is as Mediator, a Being in which the two natures combine, that He is entrusted with the authority as Judge.
I. HE WILL JUDGE AT THE LAST DAY. What are the qualifications requisite for such an office?
1. Obviously no mere creature can fulfil that function. There must be acquaintance with secrecies of character as well as open actions. Hypocrisy must not pass undetected, nor unobtrusive merit fail of recompense. Angels cannot be judges of human character, nor possess themselves of all the necessary evidence. Omniscience alone will suffice.
2. But if we cannot approach an angelic judge with confidence, how approach omniscient Deity? A created judge is immeasurably nearer than the Creator, though of a different nature.
3. You ask, therefore, for one who shall have a thorough fellow feeling with those brought to his bar, i.e., a man. But how can you hope to have a man who, qualified by sympathy, should yet possess the qualification of omniscience?
4. This combination, however, does exist. A man sits on that great white throne, bone of our bone, but God to whom all things are naked and open.
II. HE JUDGES NOW, for all judgment is committed to Him.
1. To this we are indebted for that tenderness which characterizes Gods present judgments. Afflictions are not allowed to come together; the rough wind is restrained till the east wind has passed away. Chastisement is very different conceived as inflicted by God and inflicted by the Mediator.
2. If this be so how heavy will be the final judgment! There will be no pleading that our case was not thoroughly understood. All along we have been drawn by the cords of a man; then the impenitent will be judged by the Man who died for them and tried by every possible means to turn them from enemies into friends. His presence itself will condemn, and they will call to the rocks, etc., to hide them from not the thunderbolts of avenging Deity, but from the face of Him who became man for their salvation. Anything might be better borne than the glance of this face so eloquent of rejected mercies. (H. Melvill, B. D.)
The judgment
Men will have views very different from what they now have.
I. THE MISER will see a life spent in gathering gold with terror.
II. THE AMBITIOUS will wonder that he could barter his soul for office.
III. THE SENSUALIST will dread to review his luxury and lewdness.
IV. THE SOPHIST will argue no more against Divine truth.
V. THE IMPENITENT will be amazed at his madness in clinging to his sins.
VI. THE MOCKER will jest no more about sacred things,
VII. THE PROFANE will howl over the folly that resulted God. (W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
The judgment will be searching
I will tell you a dream of one of quality, related to myself by the dreamer himself. Said he, I dreamed the day of judgment was come, and all men appeared before Christ. Some were white, others spotted. Methought, said he, I was all white, saving that I had one black spot upon my breast, which I covered with my hand. Upon the separation of these two sorts I got among the white on the right band. Glad was I; but at last a narrow search was made, and one came and plucked away my hand from my breast; then appeared my spot, and I was thrust away among the spotted ones. (Thomas Larkham.)
That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father
Equal honour to be paid to the Father and to the Son
I. WHY?
1. Because the perfections of the Father are those of the Son (Joh 5:26). Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omniscience, Holiness, Love, etc.
2. Because the works of the Father are those of the Son (Joh 5:19). Creation, Providence, Redemption, Resurrection.
3. Because the administration of the Father is that of the Son (Joh 5:22).
(1) Now over kingdoms, cities, families, individuals.
(2) At the great day.
4. Because it is the special desire of both the Father and the Son.
(1) Of the Father, because on the honour of the Son the whole blessedness of the universe is centred.
(2) Of the Son, because the Father is only honoured through the Son. God was not honoured in Judaism, witness its lapses into idolatry and its ultimate formalism; nor by Mohammedanism, witness its cruelty and licentiousness; nor in heathenism, where He is not known at all; nor by Deism, as proved by its development into agnosticism and atheism. Only in Christendom is God honoured, because Christ is honoured.
II. How?
1. By admiring the perfections of the Divine Son. The chiefest among ten thousand, etc.
2. By acknowledging the services of the Divine Son. We are His because He made, preserved, and redeemed us; therefore we should glorify Him as our Master, Friend, Saviour.
3. By co-operating with the rule of the Divine Son.
(1) By obeying it ourselves.
(2) By securing its recognition in others.
4. By making the Supreme desire in the universe the master passion and motive of our souls; doing all things with the one aim of securing the honour of the Son and of the Father through Him.
III. Where?
1. At home.
(1) In secret prayer. This will test the purity and constancy of our motive.
(2) In our families, bringing them up to honour Christ by reverencing His name, word, and ordinances.
2. In the sanctuary.
(1) By attentively listening to the Word.
(2) By regular attendance at His table.
(3) By heartiness in His worship.
3. In the world eschewing all business, amusements, etc., likely to bring dishonour on Him. (J. W. Burn.)
He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father
Amphilochus, Bishop of Iconium, entered the palace of Theodosius, and bowed to the Emperor, but not to Arcadius his son. The Emperor reminding him of his neglect, the good man still refused, and on his showing great displeasure, Amphilochus replied, O king, how much more will Jehovah abhor those rejecting His Son! (W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
Christs demand of a man
Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy. He asks that for which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself; He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. (Napoleon I.)
Christ claims Divine honours
And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Did they sin in worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ? After their long career of intimacy, did love to such a being, who had exhausted the symbolism of life to express His life-giving relations to them; with every conceivable incitement, reverence, and worship; with love, wonder, joy, and gratitude kindling their imaginations towards Him; without a solitary word of caution lest they should be snared by their enthusiasm, and bestow upon Him the worship that belonged only to God–did they sin in worshipping Him? If they did, was not Christ Himself the tempter? If they did not, may not every living soul worship Him? (H. W.Beecher.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 19. The Son can do nothing of himself] Because of his inseparable union with the Father: nor can the Father do any thing of himself, because of his infinite unity with the Son.
What things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son] God does nothing but what Christ does. What God does is the work of God, and proper to no creature-Jesus does whatsoever God does, and therefore is no created being. The Son can do nothing but what he sees the Father do: now, any intelligent creature may do what God cannot do: he may err – he may sin. If Jesus can do nothing but what God does, then he is no creature – he can neither sin nor err, nor act imperfectly. The conclusion from our Lord’s argument is: If I have broken the Sabbath, so has God also; for I can do nothing but what I see him doing. He is ever governing and preserving; I am ever employed in saving.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Consider Christ as God, so he can do nothing but what the Father doth, that is, nothing that respected created beings: for it is a known rule, That the works of the Trinity out of itself are not divided; whatsoever one person doth, the others do; though, to denote the order of the Trinitys working, some works are most ordinarily ascribed to the Father, such are the works of creation and providence; some to the Son, as redemption; some to the Holy Spirit, as sanctification; yet they are not so ascribed to any Person, but that other Scriptures justify the cooperation of all three Persons. Consider the Son as the Messias; so also it is true, that
the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do. Nor is this any diminution to the glory of Christ, nor doth it speak any impotency in him, from whence the Arians and Socinians would conclude his inferiority to his Father; but rather his perfection, that he did only what pleased the Father: so that phrase, what he seeth the Father do, is to be interpreted; and that term, can do nothing, signifies no more than, he doth or will do nothing. See such a usage of the phrase, Gen 19:22; Luk 16:2; Joh 12:39. From this he leaveth them easily to conclude, that what he had done, in curing this impotent man upon the sabbath day, was the Fathers work, though by him; for whatsoever the Father doth, or willeth, the same doth the Son likewise. From hence will appear an easy solution to the difficulty arising upon the first view of the words, viz. How these words can prove Christ equal with the Father, when they rather prove the contrary, because he can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do? Some seek a solution in the words
can do nothing; he that cannot do those things which God cannot do, is equal with God. Some seek it in the word seeth; which they say signifieth here an identity of nature and will. Some seek the solution in the word do, which they say signifieth to will and consent to. The best solution is to be taken from those words, of himself; the Son hath done many things which he did not see the Father do, but he did them not of himself. Our Saviours meaning is plainly this: The Son neither willeth nor can do any thing, but what the Father willeth and doth in him; therefore he is one in essence with the Father, and equal to him.
For what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise: the Son doth those things which the Father doth; and, as the Messias, he doth those things which the Father willeth to be done.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19, 20. the Son can do nothing ofhimselfthat is, apart from and in rivalry of theFather, as they supposed. The meaning is, “The Son can have noseparate interest or action from the Father.”
for what things, &c.Onthe contrary, “whatever the Father doeth that same doeth theSon,”
likewise“in thelike manner.” What claim to absolute equality with the Fathercould exceed this: not only to do “the same things,” but todo them as the Father does them?
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then answered Jesus, and said unto them,…. They charged him with blasphemy for calling God his Father, and making himself equal to him: and his answer is so far from denying the thing, or observing any mistake, or misrepresentation of his words, that he allows the whole, and vindicates himself in so saying:
verily verily, I say unto you; nothing is more certain; it may be depended on as truth; I who am truth itself, the “Amen”, and faithful witness, aver it with the greatest assurance:
the Son can do nothing of himself; or he does do nothing of himself, nor will he do anything of himself; that is, he neither does, nor will, nor can do anything alone or separate from his Father, or in which he is not concerned; not anything without his knowledge and consent, or contrary to his will: he does everything in conjunction with him; with the same power, having the same will, being of the same nature, and equal to each other: for these words do not design any weakness in the Son, or want of power in him to do anything of himself; that is, by his own power: for he has by his word of power spoke all things out of nothing, and by the same upholds all things; he has himself bore the sins of his people, and by himself purged them away, and has raised himself from the dead; but they express his perfection; that he does nothing, and can do nothing of himself, in opposition to his Father, and in contradiction to his will: as Satan speaks of his own, and evil men alienated from God, act of themselves, and do that which is contrary to the nature and will of God; but the Son cannot do so, being of the same nature with God, and therefore never acts separate from him, or contrary to him, but always co-operates and acts with him, and therefore never to be blamed for what he does. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, “the Son cannot do anything of his own will”; so Nonnus; as separate from, or contrary to his Father’s will, but always in agreement with it, they being one in nature, and so in will and work. He does nothing therefore
but what he seeth the Father do; not that he sees the Father actually do a work, and then he does one after him, as the creation of the world, the assumption of human nature, and redemption of man, or any particular miracle, as if upon observing one done, he did the like; but that he being brought up with him, and lying in his bosom, was privy to the whole plan of his works, and saw in his nature and infinite mind, and in his vast counsels, purposes, and designs, all that he was doing, or would do, and so did the same, or acted agreeably to them; and which still shows and proves their unity of nature, and perfect equality, since there was nothing in the Father’s mind but was known to the Son, seen, and observed, and acted up to by him: so Philo the Jew e says of the
“Father’s most ancient Son, whom he otherwise calls the firstborn; that being begotten, he imitates the Father, and seeing, or looking to his exemplars and archetypes, forms species;”
that is, being conversant with the original and eternal ideas of things in the divine mind, acts according to them, which he could not do if he was not of the same nature with, and equal to his Father. Moreover, the Son sees what the Father does by co-operating with him, and so does no other than what he sees the Father do, in conjunction with him: to which may be added, that the phrase shows, that the Son does nothing but in wisdom, and with knowledge; and that as the Father, so he does all things after the counsel of his will:
for whatsoever things he doth, these also doth the Son likewise; the Son does the selfsame works as the Father does, such as the works of creation and providence, the government both of the church, and of the world; and he does these things in like manner, with the same power, and by the same authority, his Father does, and which proves him to be equal with him; the very thing the Jews understood him to have asserted, and which they charged him with: and this he strongly maintained. The Syriac version reads, “for the things which the Father does, the same also does the Son”; and the Persic version, “whatsoever God has done, the Son also does like unto it”.
e De Confus. Ling. p. 329.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Son ( ). The absolute use of the Son in relation to the Father admitting the charge in verse 18 and defending his equality with the Father.
Can do nothing by himself ( ‘ ). True in a sense of every man, but in a much deeper sense of Christ because of the intimate relation between him and the Father. See this same point in John 5:30; John 7:28; John 8:28; John 14:10. Jesus had already made it in 5:17. Now he repeats and defends it.
But what he seeth the Father doing ( ). Rather, “unless he sees the Father doing something.” Negative condition ( = , if not, unless) of third class with present (habit) subjunctive () and present active participle (). It is a supreme example of a son copying the spirit and work of a father. In his work on earth the Son sees continually what the Father is doing. In healing this poor man he was doing what the Father wishes him to do.
For what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner ( ). Indefinite relative clause with and the present active subjunctive (). Note , emphatic demonstrative, that one, referring to the Father. This sublime claim on the part of Jesus will exasperate his enemies still more.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Verily, verily. See on 1 51.
But what He seeth. Referring to can do nothing, not to of himself. Jesus, being one with God, can do nothing apart from Him.
The Father do [ ] . Rev., rightly, doing. The participle brings out more sharply the coincidence of action between the Father and the Son : “the inner and immediate intuition which the Son perpetually has of the Father ‘s work” (Meyer).
Likewise [] . Better, as Rev., in like manner. Likewise is popularly understood as equivalent to also; but the word indicates identity of action based upon identity of nature.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Then answered Jesus and said unto them,” (apekrinato oun ho lesous kai legei autois) “Jesus replied and said to them directly,” logically justifying His doing good on a sabbath day, healing one that these pious Jews had not helped in 38 year, and simply asking the man to take his own bed out of a public place, not leave it as an obstruction in a public place over which to stumble, Joh 5:8-9.
2) “Verily, verily. I say unto you,” (amen lego humin) “Truly, truly I tell you directly,” face to face, you sniping, faultfinding, self-righteous, hell-bound do-gooders, who trust that you are righteous, and despise others, Luk 18:9-14; Rom 10:14; Tit 3:5-6.
3) “The Son can do nothing of himself,” (ou dunatai ho huios poiein aph’ heautou ouden) “The Son is not able to do one thing (anything at all) from himself,” Joh 5:30, that is exclusive or apart from the will of God the Father, Joh 5:26.
4) “But what he seeth the Father do:- (an me ti blepe ton patera poiounta) “Except what he sees the Father doing,” repeatedly, continuously doing, night and day, extending mercy, life, and goodness to those who don’t deserve it, even you who have rejected His Son, Mat 5:45; Act 7:28; Joh 1:11-12.
5) “For what things soever he doeth,” (ha gar an ekeinos poie) “For whatever (things) that one (the Father) does,” continually, repeatedly, in love, mercy, grace and compassion, for He works through nature, He sustains through His Spirit, through true believers, and through me, Joh 6:37; Joh 6:44.
6) ”These also doeth the Son likewise.” (tauta kai ho huios homoios poiei) “These things the Son also does or similar things, in a similar manner,” works of a similar supernatural nature, establishing my Sonship with Him whose will and work I came to do, Joh 6:38; Php_4:19.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
19. Jesus therefore answered. We see what I have said, that Christ is so far from vindicating himself from what the Jews asserted, though they intended it as a calumny, that he maintains more openly that it is true. And first he insists on this point, that the work which the Jews cavilled at was a divine work, to make them understand that they must fight with God himself, if they persist in condemning what must necessarily be ascribed to him. This passage was anciently debated in various ways between the orthodox Fathers and the Arians. Arius inferred from it that the Son is inferior to the Father, because he can do nothing of himself The Fathers replied that these words denote nothing more than the distinction of the person, so that it might be known that Christ is from the Father, and yet that he is not deprived of intrinsic power to act. But both parties were in the wrong. For the discourse does not relate to the simple Divinity of Christ, and those statements which we shall immediately see do not simply and of themselves relate to the eternal Word of God, but apply only to the Son of God, so far as he is manifested in the flesh.
Let us therefore keep Christ before our eyes, as he was sent into the world by the Father to be a Redeemer. The Jews beheld in him nothing higher than human nature, and, therefore, he argues that, when he cured the diseased man, he did it not by human power, but by a Divine power which was concealed under his visible flesh. The state of the case is this. As they, confining their attention to the appearance of the flesh, despised Christ, he bids them rise higher and look at God. The whole discourse must be referred to this contrast, that they err egregiously who think that they have to do with a mortal man, when they accuse Christ of works which are truly divine. This is his reason for affirming so strongly that in this work, there is no difference between him and his Father.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
EXPLANATORY AND CRITICAL NOTES
Joh. 5:19. The Son can do nothing of Himself.This statement refers back to and justifies that of Joh. 5:17. He is still speaking of the eternal relation in which He stands to the Father, but also of that relationship as manifested in His activity as the Son Incarnate. Even when in the form of a servant He sees and knows the Fathers working as men cannot see and know it, and His actions are the works of the Father.
Joh. 5:20. Loveth. expresses a feeling of tenderness and personal affection. Greater works.These works lay already, as it were, within the ken of the Son. The wonderful works already done are but the prelude of the greater that will follownot only the greater miracles which would cause the Jews to marvel (Joh. 11:47), though not to believe, but the quickening of the dead and the strange work of judgment (Isa. 28:16-22).
Joh. 5:22. Judgment.Literally, the judgment which comes and will come, wholly, in all its parts, now in its first beginning and hereafter in its complete accomplishment (Westcott).
Joh. 5:24-29. In this section the relation of the divine Son to humanity is dealt with as the quickener of the dead and the judge of men.
Joh. 5:24. Believeth Him. . not . Believing God is simply accepting His word and message as true.
Joh. 5:25. Now is.The quickening of the spiritually dead is what is chiefly in view in this verse.
Joh. 5:26. Life in Himself. is emphatic. As the Father is the self-existent One and the source of life, so is it with the Son. He also with the Father is a spring of self-sufficient life. He generated such a Son who should have life in Himself, not as a participator in life, but one who should be as He Himself isLife itself (Augustine in Reynolds).
Joh. 5:30. The Father and the Son do not act, so to speak, independently. Their action is ever in unison. So the judgments of the Son are in perfect accord with the Fathers will and thought.
Joh. 5:33. Ye sent.See Joh. 1:19.
Joh. 5:38. They had an idolatrous regard for the letter of the law; but the spiritual power of the word they did not know. Its searching and quickening power they had not experienced (Heb. 4:12).
Joh. 5:39. .Either indicative or imperativeye search or search.
Joh. 5:40. The freedom of mans will and his consequent responsibility are here clearly asserted.
Joh. 5:43. Should another come in his own name.There were many who did so; and who, by flattering national vanity, and homologating the Jewish carnal expectations of a Messiah who should reign as a temporal king, led many after them. In all sixty-four false Christs have been enumerated, the most famous being Bar Cocheba. The teacher who can utilise to the widest extent the fashionable worldliness, and can mingle the pungent human condiment with the princely food of the kings banqueting-house, is he who at the present hour meets with the loudest response and the readiest reception (Dr. Reynolds).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Joh. 5:19-47
Joh. 5:19-23. The activity of the divine Son.In these verses we again enter the region of unfathomable divine truth, already opened to us in the prologue, and into which we can enter but a little way. These verses give us a glimpse of the intimate union of God the Father and the Son, as it is revealed in the activity of the Son. The action and honour of the Son are coincident with the action and honour of the Father (Westcott). The impulse which moves them is the same. But as the Incarnate Son, who became obedient unto death for our sake, He does what He seeth the Father do; and the works which the Father gives Him these He finishes (Joh. 5:36).
I. There is identity of activity on the part of the Father and the Son.
1. This is seen to be the case from the beginning of things. He is identified with the Father in creation (Joh. 1:3); and also in upholding the visible universe (Col. 1:17).
2. Therefore in all the Fathers works of love and mercy He has been the constant participator. All through those ages darkened by sin and sorrow He has shared in all those exhibitions of divine goodness toward fallen humanity: so that His sun has shone and His rain has descended on the evil and the goodthe just and the unjust.
3. Above all He has shared in that compassionate love which yearned over the ruined race; and in reply to the impulse of that love He said: Lo, I come to do Thy will. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work (Joh. 4:34).
II. The Sons work during His life on earth was therefore the Fathers work.
1. The Jews had accused Him of contravening the Fathers will and law in healing the impotent man at Bethesda on the Sabbath, and bidding him take up his bed and walk.
2. Our Lord, in His vindication of His action, points out that He could not have acted otherwise. The Father is ever performing acts of beneficenceevery morning His mercies are new; and the day of rest forms no exception. In healing the sick and relieving the wretched, therefore, the Son is but doing what the Father does.
3. The greatness of this miracle also proved that the Father must have been in purpose and action one with the Son. And this unity in work was further shown in the end for which the miracle was wrought. It was to quicken and strengthen faith, and thus deliver from sins guilt and power.
III. The future will testify to this unity in action as the past has done.
1. As His word was powerful in times past to heal men, and above all to give them spiritual healing, so He is still powerful to save unto the uttermost, etc. (Heb. 7:25). In His name still moral miracles are wrought among men, and will continue to be wrought till time shall end.
2. And then will be given yet more universal and striking proofs of that unanimity in thought and action which subsists between the Father and the Song of Solomon 3. To the Son is given the power of resurrection life for those who hear His word and believe on His name.
4. And to Him also is delegated the throne of judgment (Mat. 25:31 et seq.) by the Father, that He may appear as the visible representative of the divine majesty and righteousness. And this is to the end that all men should honour the Son, etc.
Joh. 5:19-29. Jesus is our Life.In this Gospel Jesus declares that He is the Lord and that we are His creatures. He has given us life, and will grant it in all fulness. He is the express image of God in His being and working. We reflect His light. He is set over us as judge. Those who appeal to Him are acquitted; those who do not recognise His jurisdiction lose the process of eternity in all particulars. Those who do not desire that death, the king of terrors, should rule over them eternally must turn to Jesus. He has the keys of Hades and death (Rev. 1:18). Those who make their reckoning for the judgment-day on any other rule have no deliverance. There are no side or back doors by which men can steal out of their graves and slink into heaven. The wide door of righteousnesson that day most wideis called Jesus; and the broad way of eternal blessednesson that day most wide and shiningis also called Jesus, and yet again Jesus. Therefore will we confess Jesus since Jesus is our life, because
I. He awakes us from spiritual death.He says in the Gospel that He quickens whom He will; and that the hour is coming in which the dead shall hear His voice and that those who hear shall livenay, is already come. The spiritual awakening, however, is the condition of the resurrection unto life of the body. When the Word of God pierces the heart it also penetrates the mind. When the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2Co. 4:6) lights up the soul the glorification of the body has already begun. And this will be apparent in victorious might when the change comes, for which we shall be sown in the field of death (1 Corinthians 15). When men who have lived in the world without true faith in God, without love to Christ or hope of eternal life, or any true delight in his Word, in prayer, etc., are awakened, and, looking around, ask how they stand, they see how far they were from the divine promises, how ignorant of their own hearts and of eternity. Now they see Christ, and in Christ the Father, and know that they have passed from death to life. This is a spiritual resurrection. It is that condition of heart in which men no more go about seeking Gods mercy because of their sin, crying out and hoping merely; but in which they joyfully appropriate itin which they lay hands on the treasures of eternity in the name of Jesus, and say, These are mine through grace; in which they have within themselves the trustful assurance that it is not necessary any more to seek because they have already found. This experience is the same to all believers, and it is always connected with the name of Jesus. This name is life to the dead in sin, strength and refreshment to those who are quickened. And this heavenly life-essence has, God be thanked, power also in our day. The Father loves the Son and gives Him ever new and greater work to do in the world. And the porches of the Church remain, and are, a true Bethesda. God give the name of Jesus power with us, and enable us to walk in newness of life, enduring to the end, so that we may attain to
II. The resurrection from the dead through the power of that same great name. Every one who has anything to hope for in life shuns the ways of death. None die willingly, else it had not been written, All men must die, but, All men may die. When therefore the Lord Jesus here promises that He will quicken men, and summon the dead, who have done good, to the resurrection of life, He evidently meant that He had gained for the miserable race, to which death brings so much anguish and sorrow, an unspeakable blessing. And surely He should have been received with open arms by all, more than a general who has victoriously snatched from the enemy a strong fortress which they had taken. And such a reception surely were well deserved! What were life to us were it to end in death? Our greatest desire is to live, not, indeed, in this life only: there must be another and better if it is to be truly life. He who merely brings us in one hand this uncertain life, and in the other certain death, from him I turn away. He cannot be my benefactor and friend. He who brings me life is He on whom I shall rely. It is incomprehensible how many people can live without a Saviour from deathespecially in view of those dear to them. One has a wife whom he cherishes with a love that is akin to devotion; another has children whom he treasures as lifes jewels, on whom he sets his hopes, for whom he will do his utmost. But when they come to die, does he leave them to fare forth without asking whether it be true that he shall never see them again, or what is essential in order to re-union with them? There must surely be a great chilling of love when men can endure the death of loved ones without having any certain hope of life eternal for them and for themselves; and to whom the only mitigation of their grief is that the image of the departed may be retained among the treasures of memory. If this is what is meant by living, then it were better never to have lived. But this truly is life, when we learn and are assured that Jesus will bring again those who sleep in Him, that there will not only be a glorification of the souls, but of the dust of His saints, and that our highest happiness will be found when the little joys of earth have come to an end. For this, Jesus, and He alone, has become our surety. And in view of this all pure souls will echo the confession of Peter: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, etc. (Joh. 6:68-69).Abridged from Lecher.
Joh. 5:25-26; Joh. 5:28-29. The Son as Quickener of the dead.The Son is the giver of life because He has life in Himself. It is the essence of the Father who is the living God, the I am; and therefore it is also essentially an attribute of the Son. And as the Father is not the God of the dead but of the living, so they who hear the Son shall live. And as death is but a type of spiritual corruptionindeed is in its present form a result of that corruptionso Jesus quickens the spiritually dead who listen to His voice; and thus through His life imparted to them gives the promise and potency of the resurrection life. That hour had already struck when Jesus spoke. An example of His quickening power had just been given; but they were not to wonder at what had been done and spoken: the time was coming when greater wonders would amaze them (Luk. 7:11; Joh. 11:43); and these would be but prophecies of His own rising, which is the prelude and prophecy of the end, when death shall be swallowed up in victory, etc.
I. Christ the living One has the keys of Hades and death.
1. The hour is coming (it is not here said now is, as this refers to the future) when all who are in their graves, etc. The emphasis is here upon all, and the reference is to the bodies of men.
2. The souls of the redeemed had already been quickened (Joh. 5:25). The meaning here evidently is that the bodies of the departed shall be raised, and united with the spirits awaiting the full consummation of their bliss or woe.
3. All shall go forth; whether they died before Christs birth, to answer according to the measure of their less enlightened conscience, or whether they lived in the full noonday of Revelation,all; those who have sunk into the grave honoured, loved, lamented, or who died with none to receive their latest breath, wherever be their places of rest, in desert or ocean; all, whether they treasured the Word of the Son of God like our evangelist, or despised it like Pilate,this last voice louder than trumpet tone they shall hear without exception, and attend to the summons. But not only shall all hear that dread voice; it shall bring about a manifestation of character and a determination of destiny. There is therefore
II. The resurrection of life.
1. They that have done good shall come forth to it. And in the order in which the two resurrections are placed we see the confirmation of the apostolic words, so pregnant yet mysterious: The dead in Christ shall rise first. This is the first resurrection (1Th. 4:16; Rev. 20:5).
2. And it is those who have done good who shall participate in the resurrection of life, i.e. those who by their life and actions declare that their spiritual life has been quickened by the Redeemer (Joh. 5:25; Mat. 25:34-40).
3. They shall not come into condemnation, having already passed from death unto life (Joh. 5:24). Over them the second death has no power; for it cannot touch that spiritual life which is in them, and which makes them one with the Redeemer. Therefore is theirs a resurrection of life and to life, to be kings and priests unto God and His Christ. It is a resurrection of life because then they shall have escaped from all that fettered their spiritual life in its exercise; and shall have arrived at the full consummation of their salvation and the happiness of their complex nature, when the glorified spirit has been reunited to the purified and glorified body, and they shall be like Christ, seeing Him as He is. But there is also
III. The resurrection of judgment.
1. They that have done evil shall come forth to it. Their evil doing was evidence of their unrenewed nature, the proof that the tree was corrupt (Mat. 7:17-19).
2. Therefore their resurrection, because they had no life in them, is one from death to death (Rev. 20:12-15; Mat. 25:41-46), whatever maybe the actual meaning of the awful imagery used in Scripture to depict this terrible state.
3. But in any view it must be death; for those who awake to the resurrection of judgment have severed themselves from the only source of lifelife spiritual and eternalJesus Christ. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1Jn. 5:12). Who shall abide the day of His coming, who shall stand when He appeareth? Those who listen to that voice, now speaking in mercy, of the Son who can quicken us to newness of life.
O God of truth and grace,
Teach as that death to shun,
Lest we be banished from Thy face,
And evermore undone.
Montgomery.
Joh. 5:22; Joh. 5:27; Joh. 5:30. The Son as Judge.Christ occupies an altogether unique position as the Redeemer of men. He is our Advocate; for this end He took on Him the seed of Abraham, and passed into the heavens as our great High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. And this it is that peculiarly fits Him to be our Judge. He is not only the Omniscient, looking with piercing glance at our inmost being, and laying bare our most secret thoughts and feelings; but He is also the Son of man, having points of contact and sympathy with humanity. And the Father hath given Him authority to execute judgment because of thisto execute judgment; but in the fact of judgment the Son and the Father are one. There are two facts that seem to emerge clearly in this and other Scripture presentments of the future judgment, the first in regard to the materials, and the second in regard to the form of judgment. But notice
I. The intuitions and even the reasoned convictions of the race have ever pointed to a coming judgment.
1. It may be difficult to find the existence of this idea clearly defined among tribes wholly savage; although it is generally found in some form.
2. But when men rise higher in the scale of civilisation this idea emerges more strikingly, forming often a salutary check on mens evil passions and inclinations.
3. Often, however, it has become an instrument of terror in the hands of a corrupt order to keep men under their power.
4. The student of history will find much that is interesting and curious regarding this belief in the annals of the past. From the intuition of and belief in a judgment sprang the Egyptian Osiris myth, the Greek Minos and Rhadamanthus, the Roman Orcus.
5. The temples and shrines of antiquity are eloquent indeed in their testimony to this belief.
6. Human reason also on a view of our present state, with its inequalities, etc., led many earnest thinking men in the past to entertain the belief that there would be a day of reckoning. All this is confirmed by Scripture. Turning then to the two facts spoken of we notice
II. The materials on which the Judge shall base His decisions.
1. Men are justified by faith; thus it may be truly said that according to our faith will it be unto us in that day (Joh. 3:36).
2. But it is no less strongly asserted that mens works shall form the ground of condemnation or acquittal.
3. Faith and works indeed are in a sense correlatives; and both are simply manifestations of the state of the heart. They are related to each other as the ray to the flame, the stream to the fountain, fragrance to the flower. They are both the produce of an inner spiritual life which comes from Christ.
4. A mans works, therefore, are, as the fruit of his inner being, the witness of the spirit which is in him, the materials on which he will be judged on the day of judgment. Nothing is more clear and definite in Scripture than the statement of the truth, that in that day we shall receive the things done in the body according to that we have done, whether it be good or bad (2Co. 5:10; Rev. 20:13, etc.).
5. And this truth is conformable to reason as well. Faith without works must evidently be dead, and therefore worthless; and the proof of the possession of spiritual life in Christ is a life of new obedience to the glory of God. This brings us to the next fact.
III. The form of the judgment.
1. From what has been advanced it is evident that it will be simply a manifestation and a separation. The imagery used in Scripture to depict the reality is merely employed as a vehicle to bring home the truth to our comprehension.
2. Judgment may even sometimes be said to begin here. Some mens sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, etc. (1Ti. 5:24-25). Christs judgments are even now on the earth.
3. But it is at the last great day that the full manifestation will take place, when the Lord, the light of the world, shall come and bring to light the hidden things of darkness, etc. (1Co. 4:5). The good shall then be attracted to the source of all goodness; and the wicked shall then find every subterfuge vain, and seek to hide themselves from Him who sits upon the throne (Rev. 6:15-16).
4. The sentence indeed will be that already pronounced by men on themselvesit will be the declaration of what they are. Sinseparation from God, spiritual death. Righteousnessunion with Christ, eternal life.
Therefore the books which will on that day be opened are being written now. The deeds done in the body will manifest our state. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light (Rom. 13:12).
Joh. 5:31-47. Witnesses to Christ.To the unbelieving Jews our Lord graciously pointed out these witnesses to Himself, and to the divine origin and purpose of His mission which they had despised or neglected. Thus another opportunity was given to them to reconsider their position. In the first place He speaks of
I. His witness concerning Himself.
1. It was matter of accusation on the part of the Jews afterward (this shows how falsely) that He bore witness of Himself (Joh. 8:13). But in view of the ordinary and, in our present state, necessary custom among men not to receive personal witness alone, as the Incarnate Son He forbore to do so.
2. Taking His word in connection with His life and works, the purity of His life, the beauty of His character, the heavenliness of His teaching, the majesty of His miracles, there should have been no difficulty in receiving that word as yea and amen. And it is so to all believing hearts.
3. But in condescension to mens weakness, and to take out of the way every excuse and occasion for offence, He waived His own inalienable right as the Truth to bear testimony concerning Himself. How great His grace and condescension! (Php. 2:6-7). He appealed first to
II. The witness of John.
1. I receive not witness from a man, said our Lord. The testimony of His Father is that which He chiefly relied on (Joh. 5:37). But graciously remembering the human weakness of His hearers, He called in the testimony of the Baptist.
2. John the Baptist indeed bore witness loyally to Christ. He was as a Lamp that burneth and shineth, although it was a light that must wane; and in reference to him men for a time realised that here was a man sent from God to bear witness to the truth.
3. And what was the witness He bore? It was that Jesus was before him; that He was the Lamb of God, who should take up and bear away the sin of the world; that He was the Son of God, the heavenly Bridegroom, whose voice His bride, the Church, would hear. And what other claim did Jesus advance but this? This witness, therefore, according to their own first estimate of him, should have had weight with the Jews. But, alas! they had not received his witness, and now his voice had gone silent. But however great the Baptist was in character and office, and however powerful his testimony was to convince unprejudiced minds, Christ cannot rest on his witness alone. There is
III. A greater witness than John.
1. The works which the Father gave Me to finish, etc. Under those works may be comprehended our Lords whole activity. From the divine side His works are contemplated as a complete whole. But in this world, during His incarnation and among men, they were done by Him at the time and in the place where they were best calculated to carry out His purpose.
2. But more especially to His miracles does this reference point. These are all to be regarded, so to say, as one witness. They form a cumulative testimony of the redeeming love of God to men in Christ. In them the old prophecies of the wonders and blessedness of Messiahs reign were fulfilled and symbolisedthey were types of the spiritual wonders which should be done in His name (Isaiah 35; Isaiah 41). In the spiritual sphere the sick in soul as in body were healed, and to the poor was the gospel preached. In the realm of nature the winds and waves obeyed His voice, so that the storm was stilled; the water was turned into wine; disease and death yielded to His word of power. All these miracles witnessed in unison to the divine origin and mission of the incarnate Son, so that He could afterward say, If I do not the works of My Father, etc. (Joh. 10:37).
3. If one like Jesus rose among men to-day, would calm, right-thinking men doubt for a moment whence He derived His beneficent power and supermundane wisdom? But not alone do the works, given to Him by the Father to finish, testify of Christ.
IV. The Father Himself bears witness to the Son.
1. The Fathers witness here seems to refer to all the testimony borne to Jesus as the Messiah, outside of His personal activity as the Redeemer.
2. This was given especially in the testimony of the Father through prophets and holy men of old. They believed; they saw My day and were glad; but the Word that came to them finds no response in your hearts, is not living and abiding in you. Thus you are unable to rise to the true knowledge of the Father, and have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape.
3. But the Fathers testimony was given also in the miraculous occurrences which took place at Christs birth and baptism; and also in the evident concurrence of the Father in Christs works of power. And this leads naturally up to the last witness called in.
V. The witness of Scripture.
1. If it be true, Jesus seems to say, that the Father hath witnessed of Me in those Scriptures by attending to the outward letter of which you think you will find salvation, then know that they indeed testify of Me.
2. Christ is the centre of Scriptureits beginning, middle, and end. And He came to fulfil the law and prophets; for law and prophets bear witness to Him.
Joh. 5:39. The clearness and sufficiency of the witness of Scripture.We notice these objections: Is Scripture intelligible? Has not our age gone far beyond it? Is the reading of Scripture in any way fruitful? Does it merit unconditional confidence? In opposition to this, four characteristic traits of Holy Scripture may be mentioned in its honour. It is pellucid and clear; it is sufficient and adequate; it is fraught with authority and power. And each of these characteristic traits is founded on the fact that the Scripture bears witness to Christ. Because Scripture witnesses to Christ it is
I. Clear and pellucid.But how?
1. Is there not a science of theology which seeks to open up the meaning of Scripture by means of languages, etc.? Yes. Would that the origin and aim of theology were less forgotten! Luthers most cherished title was that of Doctor of Theology. But a theologian must pray also, What shall I do to be saved? or Scripture remains to him a book with seven seals.
2. Truly, even to the prayerful believer many things in Scripture remain enigmatical. We see here in a glass darkly; and only on yonder side, when tongues and prophets cease, etc., shall we know as we are known (1 Corinthians 13).
3. But is it not clear when, as the gates of paradise are shut, etc., in the wilderness the tender promise of One who should bruise the serpents head is given, etc.? A unity of advance from book to book, one spirit of prophecy, one cry of longing, Come, Lord Jesus: He it is, said John, with outstretched finger. To Him bare all the prophets witness, said Peter. In Him all the promises are yea and amen, said Paul. Search the Scriptures, etc., said Jesus Himself. Here is clearness, perspicuity, to those who are pure in heart.
II. Search the Scripture; it is sufficient and adequate.
1. It contains all which suffices for the movements and necessities of the spiritual life. It will not satisfy the Athenian desire for novelty. It would then be no book from eternity and for eternity.
2. All the news-sheets and journals of last night are this morning withered leaves. And all the journals for entertainment and amusement may help to drive away ennui, but not the fear of death, the terrors of conscience, or the horror of judgment.
3. Scripture, it is true, will not minister to that importunate curiosity which would seek to tear the veil from the spiritual world; but neither does it anticipate science, nor oppose it. What men can gain by culture and research Scripture does not reveal, etc. It is enough that the Originator of heaven and earth is the same as the Author of Scripturethat He who spake the first word will speak the lastthat all men may drink from this fountain and be satisfied, because Holy Scripture gives full satisfaction, since it witnesses of Christ.
III. Search the Scripture; it is fraught with power.
1. True, a number of men have not been affected by it. Philosophers sit in their chairs and despise the Nazarene and His eternal word. Leaders of thought mock at the deposed majesty of the Bible. Carnal men, etc., plume themselves on the idea that the doctrines of Scripture are coins now out of circulation. Even many preachersthey lead a dusty existence, for their Bibles are dust-covered.
2. But it is comforting that so long as there are men weary and heavy laden, thirsting after the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, etc., so long as there are pain and sorrow in the world, where a Jairus has lost a child, etc., etc., so long will Holy Scripture retain its power and prove itself effective because it witnesses of Christ. But the Lord had to complain of the self-righteous and self-satisfied: Ye will not come to Me, etc.
IV. Does Scripture thereby lose its credit? Far from it; it is self-authenticating; it witnesses of Christthat is its authority.
1. We Protestants have no pope. We have Christ. He is the Head of the Church yesterday, to-day, and for ever. We do not rest upon tradition.
2. Do we truly receive the Scripture? There is a dead scriptural knowledge which has no real effect on mens hearts. Some read not at all. Others hear and listen occasionally, but their hearts burn not either with misgiving or thankfulness. And what shall be said of those who forbid the free circulation of Scripture?
3. It is the Holy Spirit who delineates Christ in Scripture, the same Spirit who writes His name on our hearts, makes us living epistles.
4. The Scripture concludes all under sin: There is none that doeth good; no, not one. It includes all in the invitation to reconciliation. It opens to all the way of redemption. It witnesses to Christ as Gods Son. The revelation it includes is holy, merciful, simple, deep. All in it is so divine, yet so human. Come under this authority. Take and read. Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.Abridged from Dr. R. Kgel.
Joh. 5:39. Tolle, lege.How shall the word come to us with power if it has not already done so? The first and most obvious duty, if we desire the word to come to us with power, is to
I. Search it.Knowledge of the contents of Scripture comes to us like all other knowledge. Then we must search it with open, teachable hearts, seeking the truth, and prepared to follow its guidance when revealed to us. You remember the incident in Augustines life when at Milan, tormented between his sinful life and desires and the desire to serve God, he heard in the garden the words tolle, lege. Hastening to the house, he took up the Pauline epistles, and unrolling the MS. at Romans 13, he read: Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a voice from God, and proved the turning-point in the great Church fathers career. We must, then, search for truth in it as for hidden treasure; and we must search diligently and prayerfully, not forgetting that He who is its author can best make plain to us His own word. Guizot, in the following sentences, describes this power of the word: Where has the Christian faith been best defended? There where the reading of the sacred books has been a general and assiduous part of public worshipthere where it takes place in the interior of families and in. solitary meditation. It is the Bible, the Bible itself, which combats and triumphs most efficaciously in the war between incredulity and belief.
II. But all this will be insufficient unless we use the Bible experimentally, i.e. not only to search it and learn it, but to act according to its precepts and commands. This is the highest and best proof of the Bibles power. If any man will to do His will, He shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.
III. There are many who come to the Bible, not to find what it says, but to find in it support for their own ideas. What wonder if it fail to profit them? But the chief hindrance to the receiving of the word with power is indifference to the truth which it contains, and, worse still, a positive disinclination to have its light brought to bear on the dark corners of the nature. Many do not wish to be disturbed in the enjoyment of their favourite vice or sin; and, like Felix, though they may tremble when in some way the word reaches conscience, yet they put it away from them to a more convenient season. But that is folly in the last degree, ruinous for time, fatal for eternity! Let ours be the wise course ever to search, learn, and inwardly digest that divine wisdom which makes wise unto salvation.
The sacred page
With calm attention scan! If on thy soul,
As thou dost read, a ray of purer light
Break in, oh, check it not; give it full scope!
Admitted, it will break the clouds which long
Have dimmed thy sight, and lead thee till at last
Conviction, like the suns meridian beams,
Illuminate thy mind.
Hayes.
Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries:
Happiest they of human race
To whom their God has given grace
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,
To lift the latch, to force the way;
But better had they neer been born
Who read to doubt, or read to scorn.
Walter Scott.
Joh. 5:39. Why are we to search the Scriptures?The Scriptures here spoken of are the Old Testament Scriptures; and as it is known how highly the Jews prized those writings as the oracles of God, the force of Christs appeal may be estimated. And if these sacred Scriptures really did testify of Him, these unbelieving Jews were treasuring up wrath for themselves. How earnestly then should they have searched! But they were wilfully blind, and failed therefore to lay hold on that eternal life which their Scriptures revealed (Mat. 13:15). Consider the importance of the Scriptures.
I. They are the oracles of God.
1. The oracles were the responses by supposed divinities, heathen gods, to the inquiries of their worshippers. Some divine afflatus was supposed to be communicated to the priests or priestesses who served at the heathen shrine; or the image of the god was itself by sign or speech supposed to communicate the divine message; or the message was communicated by certain natural phenomena, etc.
2. The oracles of the Jews came to them by revelations through prophetic men during many centuries. They are contained in the books we now call the Old Testament; and the nature of their contents, and the striking unity shown in the progressive unfolding of the revelation, lift them high as heaven above the ambiguous and often foolish oracles of heathendom.
3. They contain what men never could have discovered for themselves concerning the nature of God, the way of access to Him, and the hope and promise of eternal life.
II. They bear especial witness to Christ.
1. The whole ritual of sacrifice and many of the enactments of the law typified His atoning work, and thus pointed forward to Him.
2. The prophets plainly foretold HimHis person; His work and the glory of His kingdom; His sufferings and death.
3. The details they give are minute and circumstantial, e.g. the period and place of His birth; His betrayal; His meek endurance under trial and scourging; His cry on the cross as of One forsaken; His sepulture in a strangers tomb, etc., etc.
4. Moses and the prophets, indeed, testify of Him; blot Him out of their writings, and these will become confused and enigmatic.
III. They are an authoritative rule of life.
1. None of the teachers of heathen antiquity, however great intellectually and morally, could give definite and authoritative rules of life and action. What they did give was founded on partial knowledge, and was therefore often misleading. Take, e.g., even such a great philosophical work as The Republic of Plato.
2. Those who take the Bible as their rule of life are led into the ways of righteousness, which are in the end ways of pleasantness and peace. These things being so, we ought therefore to
IV. Search the Scriptures (remembering that to us is given a most glorious and clear revelation)
1. Sincerely, desiring to know the truth and conform to it. If we believe them to be Gods Word we must search, and we must obey, even when it is not agreeable to flesh and blood to do what is commanded.
2. Diligently.How much more earnestly and diligently do men attend often to other matters! The Scriptures are worthy of our most earnest attention. Dr. Johnson, when dying, said to a young friend, Read the Bible every day of your life.
3. Prayerfully.There can be no true success in any good undertaking unless we seek it in prayer. Much lies in this, for we need the Spirits aid in order that our carnal minds may understand spiritual things.
4. With a view to spread the knowledge of the word.Has it blessed our souls? Then we must and will seek to bring the same blessing to others.
Joh. 5:40-47. Hindrances to faith.The Jewish religion had become largely a racial and national question with the Jews. It was their nation, their religion, which they were concerned about; not Gods honour and glory and the advance of divine truth. They were no longer emulous of the blessing of Jehovah to the end that His saving health might be known among all nations (Psalms 67). They had fallen far below the spiritual conceptions of the prophets (Isaiah 60), and even of the law (Deu. 6:5). The glory of their nation, of themselves, was their paramount aim and end. They would receive any one who came in his own name (false Christs and prophets, Mat. 24:24) if only such would promise to carry out their aims for the national glory. This being their state of mind, it was not wonderful that there was antagonism on their part toward Jesus, and enmity in their hearts to Him. Ye will not come to Me, etc. (Joh. 5:40). The reasons given for this are
I. The want of love to God.
1. It was not the love of God the Jews sought supremely; it was their own glory, their proud supremacy as the favoured race of heaven.
2. And yet they professed to have the love of God in their hearts. At least, they bound on forehead, neck, and arm, in writing on scrolls, those precepts of the law which gave love the first place (Deu. 6:4-9; Deu. 6:13-22, etc.); and the Pharisees especially made conspicuous the frontlet case containing those scrolls (Mat. 23:5).
3. But our Lord saw that those outward declarations did not express any inward truth. Their hearts were destitute of the love they outwardly professed.
4. And as the love of God was not in them, how could they recognise it when it came to them in Christ? Those among them who truly had that love did not fail to recognise the witness of God to Christ (Nathanael, Nicodemus, etc.). But in those in whom the love of the world reigned the love of God was shut out. So is it, so must it ever be. The consequence of this want of love to God leads to the second reason
II. The mistaking the chief end of man.
1. The chief purpose of mans creation, the end of his being, is the divine glory. There can be no higher aim. All our life and all its actions should be directed to this end (1Co. 10:31).
2. But they who have no love to God in their hearts do not and cannot, so long as they remain in this state, glorify God in their lives, although God, who makes the wrath of men to praise Him, can make even those loveless lives redound to His honour.
3. How different was it with Christ! He, being in the form of God, deemed not His equality with God a thing to be grasped at, but emptied Himself, taking upon Him the form of a servant, etc. (Php. 2:6-11). And He sought not glory from men, but from His Father (Joh. 17:5, etc.). 4, No wonder, then, that the Jews did not perceive the glory of that life to which Jesus sought to win them, since their desire was for an outward, visible, personal glory, and the divine glory only as it could come to pass that way. The glory of Christ lay in what seemed the reverse of gloryin His humility (Joh. 13:3-4), in His cross (Joh. 17:4), in His self-sacrificing love, in His obedience unto death (Php. 2:8-9).
5. And in His life of obedience Christ was mens example (1Pe. 2:11-25).
III. This want of love to God and mistaking of the end of life led finally to their rejection of the elder revelation and of Him who was its fulfilment.
1. Jesus came not to judge the world, but to save it, in His life on earth. Therefore He said, Do not think that I will accuse you, etc. (Joh. 5:45). It was enough to point out that, however vehemently they claimed Moses as their guide and professed to follow him, they entirely missed or rejected the very aim and end of the Mosaic economy.
2. The divine righteousness and glory are the purpose for which the law was established (Romans 2). But the Jews failed miserably in their interpretation and observance of the law (Rom. 2:23), and thus failed to grasp its purpose (Rom. 2:29).
3. Above all, they failed to see that the end of the law could be reached only through that substance which its shadowy types and its predictions foretold (Joh. 5:46). Moses wrote of Christ. The Thorah is here ascribed to Moses personally, and the reference is to that special promise (Deu. 18:18) for whose fulfilment the Jews professed to be waiting, and as a preparation for which the types and ceremonies of the law were instituted (Col. 2:17). Thus, not seeing the end or purpose of the law, how could they understand Him who came to fulfil the law? These men had reproached Jesus with breaking the law; He showed them that they did not even understand the law.
IV. Application.
1. A mere unenlightened reception of Scripture, without spiritually guided searching of it, is not sufficient (1Co. 2:14).
2. The elder Revelation agrees with the new Revelation of Christ. Novum Testamentum in Vetere latet, vetus Testamentum in Novo patet.
3. The rejection of the elder Revelation must inevitably lead to the rejection of the new.
4. The word of God in Old Testament and New will remain a sealed book to those who have no true love of God in their hearts, and who seek merely their own honour and glory. The true end of human existence is hidden from them; hence they reject that word which reveals it, and that Saviour who came to exemplify it and make it possible for men.
HOMILETIC NOTES
Joh. 5:22; Joh. 5:27; Joh. 5:29. The Son of Man as Judge.The thought of judgment is wholesome in that it warns us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We readily think of Christ as the King who cometh to Zion meek and lowly, who calls to men: Come unto Me, all ye that labour, etc. (Mat. 11:28). But we should also represent Him to ourselves as He to whom the Father hath committed the right to judge the quick and the dead. Consider:
I. Those whom He shall judge.All people who have lived shall stand before Him (Joh. 5:28-29).
2. He shall separate the good from the evil (Joh. 5:29).
II. The law according to which He shall judge.
1. It is ultimately the rule of love to Himself and His brethren by which faith shows itself sincere, and which manifests itself in a holy and loving activity (1Jn. 3:18; 1Jn. 4:7; 1Jn. 4:11, etc.).
2. Want of love is ultimately the cause of condemnation; for love to God will lead to service for Him; and also to fruitful activity in the world toward our brethren (1Jn. 4:20-21).From J. L. Sommer.
The great day of judgment.
I. It is drawing near for all mankind (Joh. 5:28).
II. It will bring the good and the evil to light (Joh. 5:29).
III. It will determine the lot of each individual (Dan. 12:13).Idem.
Joh. 5:39. The true meaning of Scripture not hidden.Search the Scriptures. Better, Ye search the Scriptures. The question whether the mood is imperative or indicative, whether we have here a commandment to examine the writings of the Old Testament canon, or a reference to their habit of doing so, is one which has been discussed through the whole history of New Testament exposition, and one on which the opinion of those best qualified to judge has been, and is, almost equally divided. Observe that all the parallel verbs in the context are in the indicative. Why should there be a sudden change of construction in this instance only? We find, then, this order of thought.
1. God has in the Old Testament witnessed of Me, but ye, with unreceptive hearts, have never heard a voice nor seen a shape of God (Joh. 5:37).
2. Ye have not His Word dwelling in you, or it would have witnessed of Me (Joh. 5:38).
3. Instead of receiving the Scriptures as a living power within you, ye search and explain the letter of them from without (Joh. 5:39).
4. Ye think they contain eternal life, and hence your reverence for them (Joh. 5:39).
5. They really are witnesses of Me, and yet you, seeking in them eternal life, are not willing to come to Me that ye may have this life. It is believed that this is the most natural interpretation. The only objection to it of weight is that the Greek word for search () is one which would not have implied blame. It means to search after, track, inquire after (cp. Joh. 7:52); but, surely, this is just the expression for the literal spirit in which the rabbis treated their scriptures. Moreover, it is not the searching which is matter for blame, but the fact of the searching and not finding, which is matter for wonder. Here, too, as elsewhere, the argument from the meaning of a Greek word must be pressed only within strict limits when we remember that it represents in translation a then current Hebrew word. The Hebrew language had a word which just at that time was frequent on every rabbis lips, and which exactly corresponds to it. As early as the Book of Chronicles we find mention of the Midrashim or Commentaries. May it not be, then, that the true meaning of these words is to be found in their bearing upon these rabbinic lives and works?Ye make your Midrashim on the Scriptures; ye explain and comment, and seek for hidden mystic meaning; ye do all this because ye think they contain eternal life; their true meaning is not hidden; they tell of life, and ye who seek it do not hear them, and will not come unto Me that ye might have life.Watkins.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Joh. 5:25. The resurrection the hope of humanity.We are told that the most savage nations live in a constant horror of death; their life is one long flight from it; it poisons their happiness; it bursts like a ghastly phantom upon their moments of peace. It is not death the agony that they shudder at, though there may be something terrible in that, but death the mystery, and next to God the most infinite of mysteries; death that slips the last cable of the soul, and sets it afloat on the shoreless sea of an eternal world; there it is that lies for them the mute, ineffable, voiceless horror before which all human courage is abashed. Can you wonder at this continuous dread? They know of no world beyond the grave, and what would life be without the trust in that? How purposeless and mean, how weary and hopeless; a journey leading nowhither; a gate opening upon nothing; a ship sent forth only that she may founder in the bare, unknown deeps. Look steadily at life, and consider what it is; how changeful, how short, how sorrowful. A light and thoughtless youth, of which the beauty and brightness pass rapidly away; and after that, chance and change and bereavement; cravings that meet with no fulfilment; the dying away of hopes, the disappointment of ambition,a disappointment, perhaps, more bitter when it is gratified than when it fails; the struggle for a livelihood, the cares of a family, the deceitfulness of friendship, the decay and weakness of health and faculties, as inevitable old age comes on: and all the while heard at every silent interval with a plainness that creeps along the nerves, as though our ears caught the pacing of some ghostly tread in the far-off corridors of some lonely haunted houseall the while the monotonous echoing of deaths mysterious footfall, beard louder and louder, as day by day he approaches nearer and yet more near. And all this for so short a time that our petty schemes are broken off perpetually like a weavers thread, and the meanest works of our hand survive us and last on for other generations, to which our very names shall be covered with darkness. And is this all? Is this, then, the period of our being? Must we end here? Did we come into the world only to make our way through the press, amid many jostlings and hard struggles, with at best only a few brief deceitful pleasures interspersed, and so go out of it again? Alas for man if this were all, and nought beyond, O earth! And then again, if there be no resurrection of the dead, how infinitely pathetic, how quite unspeakably heartrending would be the phenomena of death itself. If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain; and your faith is also vain; and we are found false witnesses of God; and ye are yet in your sins; andall this is terrible enough, but mark the pathos of the climax, a pathos too deep for tearsand then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. Perished! what a world of desolate anguish, what sighs of unutterable despair, lie hid in that strange word. Most of you are too young to have ever stood, as all the eldest of us have, by the bedside of death; but none of you are too young to feel how awful such a scene would be if we did not believe and know that Christ has risen from the dead. There on that low bed lies one we loved, for whom our whole hearts yearned, to whom our whole affections clung; he was noble and good, he was one of the very few who loved us, and he would have undergone for us any sacrifice, and he had borne bravely and meekly the buffets of the world. It was a short life, hardly checkered (good and beautiful and upright as it was), hardly checkered with any sunshine amid its shade; and now it is over; it ends here: the bright eye is dull and glazed; the gentle face is white and cold; the good brave heart has ceased to beat. He has no more a part in anything that is done under the sun. The day was when he would have sprung to meet us, his whole face brightened at our approach; and now he lies there, cold to the voice of our affection, unmoved by our hot tears, with all the light of the soul quenched within him; gone, if there be no resurrection, to a dreary land where all things are forgotten; all that was good in him, all that was great in him, perished for ever, as we and ours must perish soon. Oh, if there were no resurrection, bow could we bear it? Would not the thought crush us down for very grief into the same open grave? Many of you will have read the famous vision of him who saw a bridge of threescore and ten arches, which spanned the rolling waters of a prodigious tide, and how the Genius said to him, The bridge thou seest is Human Life; consider it attentively. And as I looked more attentively I saw several of the passengers dropping through the bridge into the great tide that flowed underneath it; and upon examination perceived that there were innumerable trap-doors concealed in the bridge, which the passengers no sooner trod upon, but they fell through them into the tide and immediately disappeared. My heart was filled with a deep melancholy to see several dropping unexpectedly in the midst of mirth and jollity, and catching at everything that stood by them to save themselves. Multitudes were very busy in the pursuit of bubbles that glittered in their eyes and danced before them; but often, when they thought themselves within reach of them, their footing failed and down they sank. Alas! said I, man was made in vain! How is he given away to misery and mortality! tortured in life and swallowed up in death!F. W. Farrar.
Joh. 5:27; Joh. 5:29. The Judge it at the gateprepare to meet Him.Beloved! in this passage are not still greater things promised to the faithful? Verily, verily, etc. (Joh. 5:24). Already here below is the believer possessor of life eternal, already here below is he a victor over death, and is freed from judgment. Behold, whosoever cometh to the long-suffering Judge, repentant, and judges himself in the penitent publicans spirit (Luk. 18:13), shall not come into judgment. Now sickness, poverty, loss, isolation, misjudgment, separation, affliction, and every sorrow will tend to bring you to the goalin that you will be more than conquerors in all these things. In the Lord you have righteousness and strength. Consider your activity! That which impels you, that is yourself. And whither you are impelled there will you remain. In the direction in which the tree inclines it falls and there lies. Turned away from or turned toward Jesuswhich is your position, your inner, your eternal sentence on yourself? There is a judgment, the earth is rolling onward and mankind are pressing swiftly toward it, and the Son of man will destroy the house built on sand, and cast the guest without the wedding garment into outer darkness, and will say to the unmerciful with all their sins of omission: Inasmuch, etc. (Mat. 25:45). Two great divine works of Jesus are referred to in this passagethe work of resurrection and the work of judgment. In view of them should all men honour the Son as they honour the Father. Kiss the Son! Pay homage to Him while it is called to-day! Pray to Him in the holy adornment of a renewed mind, of a living obedience, of a thorough purification through His blood, so that He may not be angry with youwhen His anger is kindled but a little! Woe to all who oppose Him! Blessed are all they who put their trust in Him!Dr. R. Kgel.
Joh. 5:35. The burning and shining light.John the Baptist was a burning and shining light. He was burning with zeal for the honour of God, and with love for the welfare of His people; he shone with clear ray on the sins of all classes and conditions of his contemporaries, but also with mild, gentle, and comforting beams on the work and person of the coming Saviour. Israel, however, did not take Johns earnestness in earnest. Now they childishly greeted him with faultfinding and calumny, anon and also childishly with wonder and astonishment, but remained at all times debtors to that repentance which was the chief concern. They boasted and made a show of the famed preacher of righteousness, of their great countryman, yes, even of the powerful preacher of repentance. They toyed with the impressions he made; and even basked in them. For a little while they were contented to rejoice in his light, if they could only be spared the trouble of effecting in themselves a moral reformation. It is even related of a Herod that he willingly heard the imprisoned prophet, and did many things in obedience to his word (Mar. 6:20). That John was worthy of being believed, the rulers of the people themselves showed when they sent a deputation of priests and Levites to him. But if the herald were great, how much greater and more worthy of belief was the King!Dr. R. Kgel.
Joh. 5:39. We honour God by receiving His Word.The Word is the true manna; it is the bread which came down from heaven; it is the key of the kingdom of heaven; it is the savour of life unto life; it is the power of God unto salvation. In it God showeth unto us His might, His wisdom, and His glory. By it He will be known of us; by it He will be honoured by His creatures. Whatsoever truth is brought unto us contrary to the Word of God, it is not truth, but falsehood and error; whatsoever honour done unto God disagreeth from the honour required by His Word, it is not honour unto God, but blasphemy; as Christ saith, In vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines mens precepts. By Esay God saith, Who requireth this at your hands? (Isa. 1:12). And by Jeremy, I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice; and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people; and walk ye in all the ways which I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Again, What is chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord? What are your dreams to be weighed with the truth of God? Search the Scriptures; in them ye shall learn to know Me, and how ye should worship Me; in them ye shall find everlasting life. The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver tried in the furnace. There is no filth or dross remaining in them. They are the storehouse of wisdom, and of the knowledge of God; in respect whereof all the wisdom of this world is but vain and foolish.Bishop Jewell.
Joh. 5:39. Apparent difficulties do not invalidate the witness of Scripture.All those apparent discrepancies and contradictions in matters of fact, all those apparent departures from morality in matters of principle, which the unbeliever is subtle to detect and proud to parade, in the holy and blessed Scriptures, are a trial which costs the true-hearted Christian many an anxious moment of distress and perplexity, in proportion to his value for his Bible, his earnestness after truth, and his jealousy for the honour of his God and Saviour. It is no easy thing to saybut the man of Abrahams mould will say it, as one after another of these difficulties is forced upon his noticeI may not be able to explain it, I may not be able to harmonise these seeming discords, I may not be able to separate accurately the precious from the vile, in this heap of positive statements, bold affirmations, and cruel inferences, to which you point me as the latest results of modern science, of so-called discovery, in its bearing upon the records of revelation; but of this I am sure, that anything which would shake my confidence in the absolute truth of that which is indeed Gods Word must be false, however plausible; that, whatever error may be intermingled with my idea of Scripture, or with my theory of inspiration, there can be no error in the very thing itself, which God communicated in His Son Jesus Christ; and therefore I shall not lose heart nor abandon hope by reason of any novelty which may offer itself for the acceptance of this generation: that which is true in it must be consistent with the truth, and with the Word of the True One; I may not see the meeting-point or the reconciliation, but there is a mind which beholds all things as oneHis time I will wait, yea, even if it comes not to me living; for with Him is the fountain of light, and in His light, hereafter if not here, I shall myself one day see light.C. J. Vaughan, D.D.
Joh. 5:45-46. The letter killeth, the spirit giveth life.There is one who accuseth you, even Moses in whom, ye trust. If ye believe Moses ye would also believe Me, for he wrote of Me. Those who reject Moses thus also reject Christ. Take heed then, ye who tamper with the integrity of Scripture, of your critical estimates of the Old Testament! Again, whoever rejects Christ also rejects Moses. Hear this, ye who cherish the Judaistic spirit, and do not boast of your Mosaicism! Long ago should the truenot the imaginaryMoses have been to you a schoolmaster to bring you to Christ! And finally, ye wouldbe free-thinkers, despisers alike of the Old and New Covenants: Moses with threatening, uplifted tables of the law, and Christ with silent but victoriously uplifted cross, will judge you. The contemporaries of Jesus supposed that in their merely external reception and use of the Scripture they had found the pledge and spring of eternal life. They had in their hands Gods Word written on parchment rolls. They carried it also stored up in memory. They had it on their tongues in common speech, as a subject of conversation; but they had not this Word in their hearts as living and quickening. It did not try their minds and hearts; it brought no reproof to their conscience, it was to them no sure support, no comforting hope, no message from the Fathers house to assure those going homeward. Ye have never, Jesus said in accusing tones, heard the Fathers voice. He who is of the truth hears the voice of the Father in that of the Son. He who sees the Son sees the Father. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God in Christ. But when the Son of God came out of the coverings and veil of the old Covenant like a bridegroom out of his chamber, like the sun out of his tent, they passed Him by, and when He stood in their way they slew Him.Translated from Dr. R. Kgel.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
THE DEITY STATED
Text 5:19-23
19
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things so ever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner.
20
For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel.
21
For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
22
For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;
23
that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him.
Queries
a.
What are the greater works of Joh. 5:20?
b.
To whom does the Son give life?
c.
What is the significance of honoring the Son?
Paraphrase
So Jesus answered the Jews, saying, I tell you truly, The Son is not able to do anything of His Own accord, but He does only those things which He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father is doing, these things also the Son is doing in like manner. The Father loves the Son and discloses to the Son everything which He Himself is doing; and the Father will disclose greater works than these which you have just seen. He will disclose these greater works to the Son in order that you may be caused to wonder. Just as the Father raises the dead and makes them live, so also the Son gives life to whomever He wills. Furthermore, the Father judges no one; but He has given all the prerogatives of judgment unto the Son in order that all men may honor and worship the Son just as they honor and worship the Father. The man who does not honor and worship the Son does not honor and worship the Father Who sent the Son.
Summary
Jesus claims equality with the Father, and bases His claim upon His power to give life and His authority to judge.
Comment
Jesus answer to the Jews accusation that He makes Himself equal to God is Yes, absolutely yes. His answer is a tremendously daring claim that He does exactly what God does. He said much the same in Joh. 5:30; Joh. 7:28; Joh. 8:28; Joh. 14:10, and already implied it in Joh. 5:17. Unless He sees the Father doing something, He does not do it. Although He is on earth, Jesus is aware constantly of what the Father wishes to have done, and He fulfills only what is the Fathers will (cf. Mat. 11:27; Joh. 8:29). Whatever Jesus does emanates from the Father. When, therefore, the Jews attacked Him for breaking their Sabbath traditions, they were in reality declaring war on God. Notice here that the Son sees all that the Father does; in the next verse (Joh. 5:20), the Father shows the Son all that He is doing. There is absolute harmony and oneness.
Joh. 5:20 shows the active part of the Father in this relationship. The Father is not passiveHe does not merely allow Jesus to discover what He can of the Fathers will, but the Father discloses His will to the Son. Jesus then tells His enemies of the greater works the Father will show them. If the Jews are astonished at the healing of a helpless invalid, they will be caused to wonder even more at the greater works to come. What are these greater works? Some think (a) Jesus refers only to the general resurrection and judgment; (b) others, that He speaks of specific resurrections, e.g., Lazarus, the widows son, etc., plus the final resurrection of all and the judgment; (c) still others, that He refers to the raising of the spiritually dead, the raising of the bodily dead, and the judgment. The last interpretation seems to be more compatible with the entire context. It is interesting to note the promise of Jesus to the disciples (Joh. 14:12) that they shall do even greater works than Christ in His earthly ministry. Did not their tremendously fruitful labors in giving life to dead souls overshadow the Lords restoring life to mortal bodies? How can making dead souls live be greater than restoring life to mortal bodies? When Christ seeks to give life to the spiritually dead, they are able to exercise their wills and reject life. But in the final bodily resurrection, all will be fitted with bodies in which to spend eternity whether they desire them or notthe saved unto eternal bliss, the disobedient to eternal condemnation.
The emphasis of Joh. 5:21 is on ascribing to Jesus equal power with God to make alive (as the source of life). The Israelites ascribed to Jehovahs being the source of life, especially having the power to raise the dead (cf. Deu. 32:39; 1Sa. 2:6). Jesus is simply claiming again to be equal with Jehovah God. The emphasis of this verse is not on any particular resurrection of the dead, but upon the astounding claims of Jesus. Not only has Jesus the power to give life, but He also exercises the prerogative of arbitrary choice. He will give life to whomsoever He desires. In the light of the entire New Testament revelation we know that Jesus desires to give spiritual life to all who trust and obey Him. It is not the Lords will that stands in the way of any mans eternal destiny, but mans own stubborn will (cf. Joh. 5:40).
The Father has also relegated to the Son all the prerogatives of judgment (cf. Joh. 3:17; Mat. 25:31-46). If the Son has authority to establish the church, to legislate its terms of entrance and its sustaining ordinances, He necessarily judges all who refuse His church. All who are not receiving life through His kingdom are necessarily condemned by their refusal (cf. Joh. 3:18).
Joh. 5:23 seems to be the climax to this particular context. First, there is the statement that the Father and Son are equal in Person; second, the claim substantiated by equality of works; now, the resultequality of honor, To honor is to do homage to, to reverence, to worship. Jesus is God! This was pointedly directed toward the unbelieving Jews, but every professing Christian ought to etch these words upon his heart! Any person professing to follow the One True God must also reckon with this very plain demand. This must be the test of every religious profession and practice, whether by individuals or organizations. Any that do not honor Jesus Christ as Lord are dishonoring God, and are condemned by this verse. Those who do not worship Jesus Christ do not worship God at all. Jesus Christ is ALL or nothing! He cannot be followed as a mere human teacher, nor esteemed even as a prophet commissioned by God . . . He must be exalted and worshipped as Creator, Redeemer and Judge.
Quiz
1.
How does Jesus claim deity here?
2.
Give three interpretations of greater works (Joh. 5:20).
3.
How is making dead souls live greater than restoring life to physical bodies?
4.
Name two prerogatives which the Father has given to the Son.
5.
Does any person honor God if he does not worship Jesus?
6.
Can a Christian conscientiously belong to any organization which refuses to honor Jesus Christ as Lord?
7.
Explain your answers to questions 5 and 6.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(19) The Son can do nothing of himself.The key to this and the following verses is in the relation of Father and Son, from which they start. The Jews saw in this equality with God blasphemy, and sought to kill Him. Men have since seen and now see in it inferiority, and a proof that Christ did not claim for Himself the glory which the Apostle claims for Him in the prologue (Joh. 1:1-18), and which the Church has ever in reverent adoration placed as a crown upon His brow. The words Son, Father, are the answer to both. Did they accuse Him of blasphemy? He is a Son. The very essence of blasphemy was independence of, and rivalry with, God. He claimed no such position, but was as a Son subject to His Fathers will, was as a Son morally unable to do anything of Himself, and did whatever He saw the Father do. Yea, more. He thought not His equality with God a thing to be seized, but emptied Himself and became, as they then saw Him, in the form of a servant, and in the likeness of men. (Comp. Notes on Php. 2:6 et seq.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. The Son See note on Luk 1:25.
Nothing of himself Nothing from himself; that is, separately and independently of the unsearchable, unknowable Father.
Seeth the Father Not with a bodily eye, but by the inmost view of consciousness.
Doeth the Son likewise The doings of the Son are the doings of the unknowable Father. And the doings of that Son through his humanity are the doings of the eternal Son, and are the true expression of the eternal Father. The Father, as the original unknowable subsistence, is recognized in the God manifest, the Son; and all he is and does is in and by and through him. So that this Sabbath work of mine is endowed with all the divinity and authority of God the Father Almighty.
And so these Jews were right in holding him responsible for “making himself equal with God.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Jesus answered and said to them, “In very truth I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does the Son does in the same way. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does, and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel”.’
Jesus now expands His statement concerning the paralleling of His working with that of God (Joh 5:17). He Himself now uses the unique term ‘the Son’ (the one and only, compare Joh 3:16-17; Joh 3:35-36). ‘I tell you truly, the Son can do nothing of His own accord.’ He is now making His claims totally clear. Furthermore He points out that His relationship with the Father is such that all that He does is done as a result of Him seeing what the Father is doing. The intimacy of the thought is outstanding. He sees what the Father is doing. He is fully aware of all that God does. And He not only does whatever He sees the Father doing, but He Himself does nothing else. Whatever He does He does in the same way as the Father. Indeed His relationship with the Father is such that His Father loves Him as ‘the Son’ and shows Him all that He is doing. No one had ever made such claims. They had to be either true or blasphemous. He is indicating that He and the Father work in such unison that it was impossible for Him to act without it being in line with the Father’s will and actions. The two worked as One. And as the Father is ‘the (unique and only) Father’, so He is ‘The (unique and only) Son’.
If only they will keep their eyes open they will in the future see greater things than they have seen up to this point so that they may marvel. He will perform many signs. (But because they would not be spectacular signs of the kind that men liked they would fail to acknowledge them). And above all He will take personal responsibility both for the judgment of the world and the future resurrection of the dead (Joh 5:21-22; Joh 5:25-29).
‘Except what he sees the Father do.’ His actions are always as a result of seeing the Father’s will and activity. There is here a claim to be able to fully enter into the mind of God.
‘For whatever He does, the Son does the same, for the Father loves the Son and shows him all that He Himself is doing’. There is such a relationship of love between Father and Son that what each does is fully known to the other and He always does what His Father does, and because of His love for Him His Father always shows Him what He is doing.
So He and the Father are declared to be working in tandem. Whatever Jesus does is what the Father has shown Him to do, and indeed is doing along with Him. Thus the healing of the lame man is the work of the Father and of the Son, and the consequence is that He thus has the right to do what He did on the Sabbath.
We should remember here that the Jews saw a son as being almost the embodiment and extension of his father. There was a oneness between them that was not true of their relationship with any other. The good son reproduced the life and behaviour of his father. Jesus makes clear that He does not work independently of the Father in anything. He does what the Father does, and wills what the Father wills. He is a true Son.
A careful analysis of these claims demonstrates that they are little short of a complete claim to be on the divine side of reality. None other could make such claims. So He is making the Scribes and Pharisees ask themselves how otherwise they could explain the healing, for it was nothing short of proving what He was saying.
‘And He will show him greater works than these so that you may be filled with amazement’. Let them take further note that what they will see in the future will exceed anything they have seen up to now. God has yet greater things to do through Him than the healing of a disabled man and exertion of authority over the Sabbath, as He will now declare.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jesus Confirms Their View Of His Equality With God And Points To The Resurrection ( Joh 5:19-29 ).
Jesus now expands on His claim to be co-equal with the Father. He does not want them to be in any doubt, but does it in semi-veiled terms comparable with His use of parables. He leaves them to think through the implications. It may be of help if we first summarise what Jesus is about to say, for it will help to bring home just how great a claim He was making. Notice how close the relationship is between Father and Son, and how Jesus links Himself with the Father in the greatest issues of life:
The Son is doing what His Father does (Joh 5:19).
He is the Son Who is loved by the Father so that the Father shows Him all that He the Father does (Joh 5:20).
He is the Son Who like the Father can make alive whoever He wills (Joh 5:21).
He is the Son to Whom the Father has committed all judgment (Joh 5:22).
He is the Son Who is deserving of equal honour with the Father (Joh 5:23).
He is the Son Who like the Father has life in Himself, so that as the Son of God He will summon the dead to life at the last day (Joh 5:25-26).
He is the Son to Whom the Father has given the authority to exercise judgment because He is the Son of Man (Joh 5:27).
A glance over Jesus’ claims here helps to explain the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees. They were being put on the spot, for they either had to recognise the stupendous nature of His claims and respond to Him, or dismiss them out of hand. They reveal Him as a figure of gigantic proportions. It will be apparent that the third, fifth and sixth statements are inconceivable unless Jesus really is equal with the Father, while the remainder also bring out His uniqueness in the scheme of things, the seventh being Messianic. We will now consider them in more detail.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jesus’ Testimony to the Jews: the Four-Fold Witness of His Deity The story of the healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda brings a challenge from the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem as to Jesus’ authority to work miracles on the Sabbath. Therefore, in Joh 5:19-47 Jesus Christ replies to this challenge from the Jewish leaders by testifying of the four-fold witness to His deity that gives Him the authority over the Sabbath, and allows Him to call God His Father. Within this four-fold testimony Jesus declares that the Jewish leaders had rejected John the Baptist’ testimony of Christ, that they had rejected the witness of His miracles, that they had rejected the voice of the Father from heaven at His baptism, and that they had rejected the testimony of the Scriptures concerning the Messiah. Jesus places the most emphasis on the testimony of Scriptures, since this is the area that the Jews spent the most time searching. Therefore, with each witness, He condemns the Jews; thus, vindicating Himself, and condemning the Jews.
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. Jesus Testifies of Himself Joh 5:19-31
2. Testimony of John the Baptist Joh 5:32-35
3. Testimony of His Works Joh 5:36
4. Testimony of the Father Joh 5:37-38
5. Testimony of the Scriptures Joh 5:39-47
Joh 5:19-31 Jesus Testifies of Himself Joh 5:19-31 give us Jesus’ defense of His authority to heal on the Sabbath based on His Sonship with the Father. Since the Jews were rejecting His own testimony, Jesus gives them four additional testimonies to support His claim to divinity in the passage that follows (Joh 5:32-47).
The Father Has Given Jesus the Authority to Judge All Things Within the passage of the testimony of the Jesus to the Jews, He uses the word “judgment” five times [the verb (G2919) once, and the noun (G2920) four times] as the means by which mankind will understand His Sonship with God the Father. All judgment has been given unto Jesus Christ by His Heavenly Father. Within the context of this passage, the word “judgment” refers to all forms by which Jesus will judge mankind, but especially the event of the Great White Throne Judgment, which is clearly referred to in Joh 5:29.
Joh 5:19 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.
Joh 5:19
Joh 5:20 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.
Joh 5:20
Joh 6:14, “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.”
As we examine Mark’s Gospel, which emphasizes the proclamation of the Gospel with signs following, we find many verses where the people marveled or feared after witnessing the miracles of Jesus Christ (Mar 1:22; Mar 1:27; Mar 2:12; Mar 4:41; Mar 5:15; Mar 5:20; Mar 5:42; Mar 6:2; Mar 6:6; Mar 6:51; Mar 7:37).
Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:21
Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23 Joh 5:24 Joh 5:24
Rom 2:1-3, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”
Scripture Reference – Note a similar verse:
1Jn 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
Joh 5:24 Comments – Paul described this same experience of passing from death unto life as described in Joh 5:24 by saying, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” (Col 1:13)
Joh 5:25 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.
Joh 5:25
Scripture References – Note similar verses:
Joh 5:28, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,”
Eze 37:5, “Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:”
Joh 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27 Joh 5:27
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 Joh 5:29
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Joh 5:31 Joh 5:31
Joh 8:14, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”
Joh 5:32-35 The Testimony of John the Baptist Joh 5:31-35 gives us Jesus’ defense of His authority to heal on the Sabbath based on the testimony of John the Baptist.
Joh 5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
Joh 5:33 Joh 5:34 Joh 5:34
Gal 1:1, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”
Joh 5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
Joh 5:36
Joh 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Joh 5:36
Joh 5:37-38 The Testimony of the Father In Joh 5:37-38 Jesus gives the Jews a third witness as to His deity, that of God the Father.
Joh 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Joh 5:37
Mat 3:17, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Father also spoke from heaven on the Mount of Transfiguration:
Mat 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
The Jews did not acknowledge this voice, nor did they see God when He spoke, as Jesus says in Joh 5:37
Joh 5:38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Joh 5:39-47
Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Joh 5:39
Luk 24:25-27, “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Peter makes a similar statement of the testimony of the Old Testament Scriptures in Act 3:24 when preaching in the Temple.
Act 3:24, “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.”
Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Joh 5:39-40
The nation of Israel had been given the special covenant with God and had been given the divine oracles of God in order to serve Him as a testimony to other nations who had forsaken God. Instead, Israel had missed its purpose and gone the ways of a fallen race.
Illustration – One morning, December 30, 2000, the Lord quickened Joh 5:39-40 to me as I awoke. I had been doing a lot of Bible studies over the past week, and very little prayer. The Lord showed me that the phrase “Search the Scriptures,” refers to Bible Study and the phrase “come to Me,” refers to prayer. The Lord was showing me that I must spend time in prayer as well as Bible study, so that I would not develop that patterns that the Pharisees developed.
Joh 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
Joh 5:42 Joh 5:43 Joh 5:43
Illustration – When a wife comes of the bank to sign a cheque, she signs it in the name of her husband, because that name has been given to her to use his authority any time she needs it.
Scripture Reference – Note also:
1Co 11:3, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
Joh 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Joh 5:44
Joh 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
Joh 5:46 Joh 5:46
Luk 24:27, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Joh 1:45, “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Act 26:22, “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:”
Gen 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Gen 12:1-3, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Gen 18:18, “Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?”
Gen 22:18, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
Gen 28:14, “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
Gen 49:10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
Num 21:8-9, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
Num 24:17, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”
Deu 18:15, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;”
Deu 18:18-19, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”
Deu 21:23, “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
Gal 3:13-14, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Rom 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Joh 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Joh 5:47
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Joh 5:19. Then answered Jesus, Jesus did not deny the conclusion in Joh 5:18 but shewed that, in all things, he acted agreeably to the will of God the Father, and that he was equal in power to God, doing whatever he saw the Father do; an honour which flowed to him from the immense and eternal love of the Father,and which was a clear and convincing proof of the Father’s love towards him. The Son can do nothing of himself, means “nothing in opposition to the economy of the Father
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 5:19 ff. Jesus does not deny what the Jews attributed to Him as the capital offence of blasphemous presumption, namely, that He made Himself equal with God; but He puts the whole matter in its true light, and this from a consideration of His whole present and future work, onward to Joh 5:30 ; whereupon, onwards to Joh 5:47 , He gives vent to an earnest denunciation of the unbelief of the Jews in the divine witness to Himself.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Joh 5:19 . ] denies the possibility, on account of an inner necessity, involved in the relationship of the Son to the Father, by virtue of which it would be impossible for Him to act with an individual self-assertion independent of the Father, which He could then only do if He were not the Son . Comp. Bengel, in loc ., and Fritzsche, nova opusc . p. 297 f. In ,, as the subject of the reflexive is the Son in His relation to the Father , there does not lie any opposition between the human and divine wills (Beyschlag), nor an indistinct and onesided reference to the human element in Christ (de Wette); but it is the whole subject, the God-man , the incarnate Logos , in whom the Aseietas agendi , the self-determination of action independently of the Father, cannot find place; because otherwise He must either be divine only, and therefore without the subordination involved in the economy of redemption (which is the case also with the , Joh 16:13 ), or else simply human; therefore there is no contradiction between what is here said and the prologue (Reuss; comp. on the other side, Godet).
, . . .] refers simply to , and not also to . See on Mat 12:4 ; Gal 2:16 .
. . ] a familiar description, borrowed from the attention which children give to the conduct of their father of the inner and immediate intuition which the Son perpetually has of the Father’s work, in the perfect consciousness of fellowship of life with Him. This relation, which is not only religious and moral, but founded on a transcendental basis, is the necessary and immediate standard of the Son’s working. See on Joh 5:20 .
, . . .] Proof of the negative assertion by means of the positive relationship subsisting.
] equally, proportionately , qualifying , indicating again the reciprocity or sameness of action already expressed by , and thus more strongly confirming the perfect equality of the relationship. It is, logically speaking, the pariter (Mar 4:16 ; Joh 21:13 ; 1Pe 3:1 ) of the category mentioned .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
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.
Ver. 19. The Son can do nothing, &c. ] He denies not himself to be the Son though they quarrelled him: but sweetly sets forth the doctrine of his Deity, which they so much stomached and stumbled at.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
19. ] The discourse is a wonderful setting forth of the Person and Office of the Son of God in His Ministrations as the Word of the Father. It still has reference to the charge of working on the Sabbath, and the context takes in our Lord’s answer both to this, Joh 5:17 , and to the Jews’ accusation, Joh 5:18 . In this verse, He states that He cannot work any but the works of God: cannot , by his very relationship to the Father, by the very nature and necessity of the case; the being an impossible supposition, and purposely set here to express one: the Son cannot work of Himself, because He is the Son: His very Person presupposes the Father’s will and counsel as His will and counsel, and His perfect knowledge of that will and counsel. And this, because every creature may abuse its freedom, and will contrary to God: but THE SON, standing in essential unity with God, cannot, even when become Man, commit sin, break the Sabbath; for His whole Being and Working is in and of God.
] This clause converts the former proposition, and asserts its truth when thus converted. ‘ For it is the very nature of the Son to do whatever the Father doeth.’ Also, to do these works after the same plan and proceeding, so that there can be no discord, but unity.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 5:19 . The fundamental proposition is . “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” This is not, as sometimes has been supposed, a general statement true of all sons, but is spoken directly of Jesus. is moral not physical ability though here the one implies the other; but cf. Joh 5:26 . So perfect is the Son’s sympathy with the Father that He can only do what He sees the Father doing. He does nothing at His own instance. That is to say, in healing the impotent man He felt sure He was doing what the Father wished done and gave Him power to do. , as Holtzmann observes, the force of the repetition lies in , pariter , “in like manner”.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh 5:19-23
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. 20For 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. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22For 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.
Joh 5:19; Joh 5:24-25 “Truly, truly” This literally is “Amen, amen.” The term “amen” is a transliteration from Hebrew. It originally meant trustworthiness. It came to be used to affirm a truth. Jesus is the only one known to use this word at the beginning of a statement. He used it to preface significant statements. John is the only one to record the doubling of this initial term. See SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN at Joh 1:51.
Joh 5:19 “the Son” There is a theologically significant repetition of the term “Son” in the next few verses. It is used eight times in this brief context. It shows Jesus’ unique understanding of His relationship with the Father and reflects the titles “Son of Man” and “Son of God.”
“the Son can do nothing of Himself” As is often true, the NT presents Jesus in paradoxical expressions. In some texts
1. He is one with the Father (cf. Joh 1:1; Joh 5:18; Joh 10:30; Joh 10:34-38; Joh 14:9-10; Joh 20:28)
2. He is separate from the Father (cf. Joh 1:2; Joh 1:14; Joh 1:18; Joh 5:19-23; Joh 8:28; Joh 10:25; Joh 10:29; Joh 14:10-13; Joh 14:16; Joh 17:1-2)
3. He is even subservient to Him (cf. Joh 5:20; Joh 5:30; Joh 8:28; Joh 12:49; Joh 14:28; Joh 15:10; Joh 15:19-24; Joh 17:8)
This is probably to show that Jesus is fully divine, but a separate, distinct personal and eternal manifestation of deity.
In the commentary edited by John Raymond E. Brown, The Jerome Biblical Commentary, a good point is made:
“The implication of subordination here should not be removed by undertaking Jesus’ words to refer only to his human nature. . .It would also miss a fine point of Johannine Christology. Rather, Jesus is insisting on an absolute harmony of activity between Father and Son, which, of course, radically demands an identity of nature; the same process is used in Joh 16:12 ff. to relate the Holy Spirit to the Son. But throughout this Gospel we never find the Trinity treated as a thesis of abstract theology; it is always approached from the standpoint of its relevance to soteriology” (p. 434).
“unless it is something He sees the Father doing” Mankind has never seen the Father (cf. Joh 5:37; Joh 1:18), but the Son is claiming intimate, personal, present knowledge of Him (cf. Joh 1:1-3).
“for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” In the actions and teachings of Jesus humans clearly see the invisible God (cf. Col 1:15 Heb 1:3).
Joh 5:20 “the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing” These are both Present active indicatives which speak of an ongoing action. This is the Greek term for love, phile. One would have expected agape as in Joh 3:35. These two words for love had a wide semantic overlap in Koine Greek (see D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, 2nd ed., pp. 32-33 and F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions, p. 73).
“greater works” In context this refers to raising the dead (Joh 5:21; Joh 5:25-26) and executing judgment (Joh 5:22; Joh 5:27).
“that you will marvel” This purpose clause clearly shows that the purpose of the miracles is that Jews (plural you) believe in the unique Son (cf. Joh 5:23; Act 13:41 [Hab 1:5]).
Joh 5:21 “the Father raises the dead. . .even so, the Son” In the Old Testament YHWH is the only one who can give life (cf. Deu 32:39). The fact that Jesus can raise the dead is equivalent to a statement of equality with YHWH (cf. Joh 5:26).
Jesus gives eternal life now (cf. 2Co 5:17; Col 1:13) which is linked to a physical manifestation of life in the new age in Joh 5:26 (cf. 1Th 4:13-18). It seems that John’s extended encounter with Jesus is on an individual basis, while there still remains a future collective event (both judgment and salvation).
“so the Son gives life to whom He wishes” To whom does the Son choose to give life? In context this is not a proof-text for Calvinism, but an assertion that belief in Jesus brings life (cf. Joh 1:12; Joh 3:16). The tension comes from Joh 6:44; Joh 6:65. Does the Spirit choose “all” or “some”? I think it is obvious that fallen humans do not initiate in the spiritual realm, but I am biblically committed to the fact that they must respond (and continue to respond) to the Spirit’s wooing by repentance, faith, obedience, and perseverance! The real mystery is why some who hear the gospel say “No”! I call it the “mystery of unbelief.” In reality it is both “the Unpardonable Sin” of the Gospels and “the Sin Unto Death” of 1 John. See Special Topic at 1Jn 5:16.
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE UNPARDONABLE SIN
Joh 5:22 The strong double negative and the perfect tense verb emphasize the fact that judgment has been committed to the Son (cf. Joh 5:27; Joh 9:39. Act 10:42; Act 17:31; 2Ti 4:1; 1Pe 4:5). The apparent paradox between this verse and Joh 13:17 is explained by the fact that Jesus, during these “last days,” judges no one, but humans judge themselves by their reaction to Jesus Christ. Jesus’ eschatological judgment (of unbelievers) is based on their reception or rejection of Him.
The giving of eternal life vs. judgment was the theme of Joh 3:17-21; Joh 3:36. God’s love in Christ, when rejected, becomes God’s wrath! There are only two options! There is only one way to receive eternal life-faith in Christ (cf. Joh 10:1-18; Joh 14:6; 1Jn 5:9-12)!
Joh 5:23 “so that all may honor the Son” The inclusive term “all” may refer to an eschatological judgment scene (cf. Php 2:9-11).
“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” This statement is very similar to 1Jn 5:12. No one can know God who does not know His Son, and conversely, no one can honor or praise the Father who does not honor and praise the Son!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Then = Therefore.
Verily, verily. The fifth occurance. See note on Joh 1:51.
do. His works were like His words. See note on Joh 7:16.
nothing. Greek. ou ouden. A double negative.
of = from. Greek. apo. App-104.
but = if not. Greek. ean me.
seeth. Greek. blepo. App-133.
the Father. See note on Joh 1:14.
do = doing.
these also. Read “also “after “Son”.
likewise = in like manner.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
19.] The discourse is a wonderful setting forth of the Person and Office of the Son of God in His Ministrations as the Word of the Father. It still has reference to the charge of working on the Sabbath, and the context takes in our Lords answer both to this, Joh 5:17, and to the Jews accusation, Joh 5:18. In this verse, He states that He cannot work any but the works of God: cannot, by his very relationship to the Father, by the very nature and necessity of the case;-the being an impossible supposition, and purposely set here to express one:-the Son cannot work of Himself, because He is the Son: His very Person presupposes the Fathers will and counsel as His will and counsel,-and His perfect knowledge of that will and counsel. And this, because every creature may abuse its freedom, and will contrary to God: but THE SON, standing in essential unity with God, cannot, even when become Man, commit sin,-break the Sabbath; for His whole Being and Working is in and of God.
] This clause converts the former proposition, and asserts its truth when thus converted. For it is the very nature of the Son to do whatever the Father doeth. Also, to do these works -after the same plan and proceeding, so that there can be no discord, but unity.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 5:19. , , , verily, verily, I say unto you) This affirmation is thrice used in this discourse, Joh 5:24-25.- , nothing of Himself) This is matter of glory, not an imperfection. It cannot happen, that the Son should do anything of Himself, or that He should judge, will, testify, or teach anything separately from the Father, Joh 5:30, etc.; ch. Joh 6:38, For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me; Joh 7:16-17; Joh 7:28, My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.-I am not come of Myself, but lie that sent Me is true; Joh 12:49, I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak; Joh 14:10, I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself; but the Father, that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works: or that He should be believed in, and seen separately from the Father; ch. Joh 12:44, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. These declarations proceeded from His intimate sense of unity, by nature and by love, with the Father. The Lord defended the work, which He had done on the Sabbath, by the example of His Father, from which He does not depart. So concerning the Holy Spirit, ch. Joh 16:13, The Spirit of truth-shall not speak of Himself: but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: where also an antithesis follows, most closely resembling this passage. But the devil speaketh of his own, ch. Joh 8:44 : and it is a characteristic of a false teacher to come in his own name, and to speak or act on the promptings of his own heart: ch. Joh 5:43, I am come in My Fathers name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive; Num 16:28, [Moses to Korah, Dathan, etc.] The Lord hath sent me to do all these works: for I have not done them of my own mind; Num 24:13, [Balaam] If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak.-) these things all, and these alone: [which are not at all liable to be slandered.-V. g.]-) likewise, forthwith.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 5:19
Joh 5:19
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner.-Jesus disavowed any authority or power to do anything save as the Father leads and enables him to do. He doubtless referred to his healing the impotent man. He could have done this only by the power of God. His effort was to show that God worked with and through him. [In answering them Jesus retracts nothing, but reasserts his Sonship by asserting that the power of the Son comes from the Father.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the Father Working through the Son
Joh 5:19-29
The relationship of our Lord to the Father was such that He felt Himself competent to fulfill all the functions of the Divine Being. Is it Gods prerogative to raise the dead? It is also Jesus Christs. The Son quickeneth whom He will, Joh 5:21. Is it the divine right to be the judge of man? It is also the Redeemers right. See Joh 5:22. Is it the peculiar attitude of God to be the fountain of life, so that life, inherent, underived, and perennial, is ever arising in His nature, sustaining here an angel and there a humming-bird? This is also an attribute of our blessed Lord. So hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself, Joh 5:26. The entire sum of the attributes of Deity are resident in the nature of the Son of man. But though all divine attributes were his, and might have been called into operation, He forebore to use them, that He might learn the life of dependence and faith, the life which was to become ours towards Himself. He did nothing apart from the Father, Joh 5:19, etc. No vine ever clung more closely to its trellis, and no child to its mother, than He to the Father. See Gal 2:20; Heb 12:2.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
and: Joh 5:21, Joh 5:25, Joh 5:26, with, Eph 1:18, Eph 1:19, Eph 2:5
and: Joh 5:28, Joh 5:29, Joh 11:25, Joh 11:26, with, Rom 8:11, 2Co 4:14, Phi 3:21, 1Th 4:14, Psa 27:14, Psa 138:3, Isa 45:24, with, 2Co 12:9, 2Co 12:10, Eph 3:16, Phi 4:13, Col 1:11, Exo 4:11, Pro 2:6, with, Luk 21:15, Jer 17:10, with, Rev 2:23
Verily: Joh 5:24, Joh 5:25, Joh 3:3
The Son: Joh 5:30, Joh 8:28, Joh 9:4, Joh 12:49, Joh 14:10, Joh 14:20
for: Joh 14:16-23, Gen 1:1, Gen 1:26, Isa 44:24, Col 1:16, Compare, Joh 5:22, with, Psa 50:6, 2Co 5:10, Joh 2:19, Joh 10:18, with, Act 2:24, Rom 6:4, 1Co 15:12, 1Pe 3:18
Reciprocal: Mat 5:18 – verily Mar 14:18 – Verily Joh 1:51 – Verily Joh 8:38 – speak Joh 10:32 – Many Joh 14:13 – will Joh 14:24 – and Joh 15:5 – can Joh 17:25 – but Gal 1:1 – and Eph 3:9 – created 1Jo 2:1 – Father
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
SUBMISSION AND SERVICE
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verliy, 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.
Joh 5:19
This text forms a characteristic saying in the passage in which our Saviour justifies His action in healing the impotent man on a Sabbath Day. He had said to the Jews, My Father worketh hitherto and I work. But upon this 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. Then Jesus replied to 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. As an answer to their objection, the force of this statement is that His claim of equality with God was not a proud claim to act independently, or to disregard any ordinance of God, such as the Sabbath Day. On the contrary, by virtue of the very fact that God was His Father, He could not but act in strict accordance with His Fathers will, as He insists further onI can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father Which hath sent Me. The Jews thought He was claiming a position superior to the will of God as declared in their law. He reiterated, on the contrary, that He had no other object but to do that will, and that He not only did nothing else, but could do nothing else. In all that He did He was but interpreting the will of God as declared in their ancient Scriptures, and in the light of the complete understanding of that will which was bestowed upon Him as the Son of the Father.
The acts and words of our Lord on this occasion offer, in fact, a conspicuous revelation, first of the eternal order in the Divine nature itself, and then in the constitution of heaven and earth, and more particularly of human society, which depend upon that nature.
I. It reveals within the Godhead a Father and a Son, and exhibits to us the method of the Divine dispensation as consisting in the execution by the Son of the will of the Father.
II. But these considerations reveal one principle in particular upon which our Lord appears to lay the greatest stress.That principle is that the highest and most perfect life which is possible for any one, with the sole exception of the Father of all, is a life of subordination and obedience. If the law of our Lords own life be that the Son can do nothing of Himself but that which He seeth the Father do; if He can say of Himself, I can of Mine own self do nothing: I seek not My own will, but the will of My Father Which hath sent Me, what other ideal of life can we presume to follow but that of simple submission and service?
III. Such is the spirit in which, if we would claim the best privileges of our Christian faith, we should ever seek to live; this is the only spirit in which we can succeed in avoiding the sin of pride. We live at the present day amidst influences which tend grievously to obscure this truth; the air is full of loud voices claiming freedom in political, social, and even family life, and it is claimed as the greatest privilege of reason to be free; while, at the same time, there are strong influences at work to shake our assurance that we possess the revelation of the Divine will, to which we are called upon to yield allegiance. We have need to be reminded that the highest glory of reason is not to be free, but, in the words of the great founder of modern philosophy, to be a servant, to be the minister and interpreter of Nature; and that the highest liberty of man consists in willing service to his true Lord and Master, to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and through Him to the Father of all.
Dean Wace.
Illustration
Though the Christian is thus free from all works, yet he ought to empty himself of this liberty, take on him the form of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in fashion as a man, serve, help, and in every way act towards his neighbour as he sees God, through Christ, has acted and is acting, towards him. All this he should do freely, and with regard to nothing but the good pleasure of God, and he should reason thus: Lo, my God, without merit on my part, of His pure and free mercy, has given to me, an unworthy, condemned, and contemptible creature, all the riches of justification and salvation in Christ, so that I no longer am in want of anything, except of faith to believe that this is so. For such a Father, then, who has overwhelmed me with these inestimable riches of His, how can I do otherwise than freely, cheerfully, and with my whole heart, and from voluntary zeal, do all that I know will be pleasing to Him, and acceptable in His sight? I will therefore give myself, as a sort of Christ, to my neighbour, as Christ has given Himself to me, and will do nothing in this life but what I see will be needful, advantageous, or wholesome to my neighbour, since by faith I abound in all things in Christ.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
9
This verse expresses a situation that is generally true in principle. A dutiful son will logically imitate the actions of his father. Since God does not hesitate to bestow works of mercy on the unfortunate, even on the sabbath day, so the Son may properly do the same without being condemned as a breaker of the holy day.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
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.
[The Son can do nothing of himself.] That is, “The Messiah can do nothing of himself.” For he is a servant, and sent by his Father; so that he must work, not of his own will and pleasure, but his Father’s, Isa 42:1; “Behold my servant”: Targum, Behold my servant the Messiah. So Kimchi in loc. and St. Paul, Phi 2:7.
The Jew himself, however he may endeavour to elude the sense of that phrase ‘the Son of God,’ yet cannot deny the truth of this maxim, ‘That the Messiah can do nothing, but according to the will and prescription of his Father that sent him.’ Which he also will expound, not of the weakness and impotency, but the perfection and obedience, of the Son that he so doeth.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
The Apologists Bible Commentary
John 5
19Jesus therefore 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.”
CommentaryJesus, knowing the hearts of his accusers and therefore precisely what they were accusing him of, answers them with two remarkable statements. First, he declares that He can do nothing “of himself” (that is, on his own initiative, independent of the Father), but only what He sees His Father doing. Second, He says that whatever the Father does, He also does. If the translation “in like manner” is correct (see Grammatical Analysis, below), the second statement becomes even more remarkable – for He not only does whatever the Father does, He does these things exactly as the Father does them. In accusing Jesus of “making Himself equal with God,” the Jews were bringing into focus the essential nature of Christ and His relationship with His Father. We may ask how Jesus could have answered, had His true Nature been represented by a particular Christological view: 1. If He is equal with the Father in every way, including His Person, he can assert this equality (modalism ); 2. If He is not equal with the Father in any way, he can deny his equality (WT christology; arianism ; unitarianism, etc.); 3. If He is essentially equal with the Father, but also distinct from and in submission to the Father, He can affirm each of these truths (trinitarianism ). Jesus speaks of “seeing the Father,” which does not suggest that Father and Son are equal in the sense of being the same Person. We may thus reject answer #1. While some may argue that Christ being unable to act “of Himself” suggests that he cannot be equal with God, this is not the case (see Response under Jehovah’s Witnesses, below), though it does suggest a submission to the Father’s authority. Further, saying that the Son does whatever the Father does suggests a functional, if not essential, equality between Father and Son. Thus, we must not only reject answer #2, but must consider answer #3 the most likely, particularly considering that Jesus has also just equated Himself with the Father in terms of “working” on the Sabbath in the previous verse. Furthermore there should be no misunderstanding with regard to the thrust of the statement “the Son can do nothing of his own accord but only…” These words have often been understood as an expression of Jesus’ modesty and sense of subordination to the Father by means of which he is said to have defended Himself against the accusation of “the Jews” that he made Himself equal with God. Jesus does not reject equality with God, however, but the idea that he made himself equal to God. “Of his own accord” means apart from the Father, on his own authority. Over against this vss. 19 and 20 place all the emphasis on Jesus’ fellowship and unity with the Father (Ridderbos , pp. 192-193). The Greek text of verses 19-23 is structured around four gar (‘for’ or ‘because’) statements. The first introduces the last clause of v. 19. The thought runs like this: It is impossible for the Son to take independent, self-determined action that would set him over against the Father as another God, for all the Son does is both coincident with and co-extensive with all that the Father does. ‘Perfect Sonship involves perfect identity of will and action with the Father’ (Westcott, The Gospel According to John, 1. p. 189). It follows that separate, self-determined action would be a denial of his sonship. But if this last clause of v. 19 takes the impossibility of the Son operating independently and grounds it in the perfection of Jesus’ sonship, it also constitutes another oblique claim to deity; for the only one who could conceivably do whatever the Father does must be as great as the Father, as divine as the Father (Carson , p. 251).
Grammatical Analysis`a gar an ekeinoV poih tauta kai`o`uioV `omoiwV poiei hA GAR AN EKEINOS POI TAUTA KAI hO hUIOS hOMOIS POIEI For whatever things this One does, The Son likewise does. AN ?Whatever he does…Jn 5:19 (BAGD ). There is no dispute that Christ says that He does whatever the Father does. hOMOIS ?Likewise, equally, in the same way (Thayer ). ?In like manner” (Vine ). but contra: ?Sometimes the idea of similarity fades into the background to such a degree that hOMOIS means also…this the Son also does J 5:19 (BAGD ). ?hOMOIS does not mean ‘in the same manner’ (imitation) but ‘also,’ ‘likewise,’ ‘in agreement with’ (Ridderbos , p. 193, n. 23). ?Jn 5:19…hOMOIS should not be translated ‘in like manner’ (RV) but ‘likewise’ (AV). (Moulton and Milligan ). While the translation “in like manner” would provide an even greater claim to equality with God, it must be noted that even if the more recent lexical evidence is accepted, Jesus is still saying the does whatever the Father does, though perhaps not specifying how.
Other Views ConsideredJehovah’s Witnesses Objection: The Watchtower has written: “But who said Jesus was making himself equal with God? Not Jesus. He defended himself against this false charge in the very next verse (19): ‘To this accusation Jesus replied…the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing’ – JB. By this, Jesus showed the Jews that he was not equal with God and therefore could not act on his own initiative. Can we imagine someone equal to Almighty God saying that he could ‘do nothing by himself?’ (SYBT , p. 24). Response: The WT says that because He’s not equal with God, he “could not act on his own initiative.” But this makes no sense. Can those who are not equal with God act on their own initiative? I certainly can, and I suspect you can, too. All men have free will. All men can act on their own initiative. It’s called “sin” when we do things by our own will that are not in accord with God’s will. We can choose to follow His will or not. But Jesus says not simply that he chooses not to do things outside the will of the Father, but that He can’t. Think through the implications of that statement for a minute. If Jesus truly cannot act on His own initiative, and He is a creature, then He is no more than a slave to God’s will. Does the WT teach that all those that are “not equal with God” cannot act on their own initiative? Or just the Son? Jesus’ words throughout this passage do not hint that He is a slave, but that He and the Father share a perfect love for one another. In a real sense, if Jesus is a creature that cannot act on his own initiative, Jesus has no free will. Yet, Jesus says later in this passage that he “gives life to whom He wills” (v. 21), certainly implying He has free will to act on His own initiative. Now, can a person who is “equal” with God act on his own initiative? He can, but only so long as his will perfectly matches that of God. If he ever acted apart from God’s will, he would – by definition – no longer be “equal with God.” But Jesus says that he cannot act apart from God’s will. Thus, when He says that he “can do nothing of himself, but only what he sees his Father doing,” He proclaims that His will, though free, is never apart from God’s will, and thus asserts a fundamental – and eternal – equality with God. The WT is right in one sense – the Jews were indeed mistaken, but not in the way the WT teaches. They thought Jesus was setting Himself up in rivalry to the Father – as a second God. But Jesus answers that far from being in competition with the Father, the Son is perfectly in harmony with the Father, and the two act together to redeem and judge fallen mankind – hardly the thing to say if you’re trying to deny equality with God! Finally, since the Watchtower’s New World Translation renders hOMOIS in this verse “in like manner,” we must ask how it is that Jesus is denying equality with God when He states that not only does He do whatever the Father does, but He does these things exactly as the Father does them?
Fuente: The Apologists Bible Commentary
Joh 5:19. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them. We have already found Jesus replying to those who did not receive His utterance of a truth by a repeated and more emphatic declaration of the very truth which they rejected (see Joh 3:5). So it is here. He had been accused of blasphemy in calling God His own Father and making Himself equal with God. He solemnly reiterates His claim, and expresses with greater force the unity of His working with the working of God His Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can of himself do nothing save what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these things the Son also in like manner doeth. The connection of this verse with the preceding is of itself sufficient to preclude the interpretation which some have given,that it has reference to the perfect obedience of the Son of man rather than to the essential oneness of the Son of God with the Father. The last words of the verse express the general positive truth that all the Fathers works are done by the Son, and done by Him in like manner, while the mystery contained in them is not greater than that which is inherent in every statement relating to the Trinity. Anticipating for a moment what will meet us in later parts of the discourse, and remembering that human words can only be approximations to the truth, we may say that it is the Sons part to make the Fathers works take the shape of actual realities among men. The Fathers working and the Sons working are thus not two different workings, and they are not a working of the same thing twice. They are related to each other as the ideal to the phenomenal, as the thought to the word. The Father does not work actually; He works always through the Son. The Son does not work ideally; He works always from the Father. But God is always working; therefore the Son is always working; and the works of the Father are the works of the Son,distinct, yet one and the same. From this positive truth follows the denial which comes earlier in the verse. The Jews had denounced Jesus as a blasphemer, had thought that He was placing Himself in awful opposition to God. This is impossible, for the Son can do nothing of Himself; severance from the Father in action is impossible, how much more contrariety of action! The Son can do nothing of Himself,can indeed do nothing save what He seeth the Father doing. (The remarks on save made above, see chap. Joh 3:13, are exactly applicable here. See also chap. Joh 15:4, which closely resembles this verse in mode of expression.) The subordination of the Son, which subsists together with perfect unity, is expressed in the former half of the verse by the seeing, in the latter by the order of the clauses. The whole verse is a translation of the truth expressed in the Prologue (Joh 5:1; Joh 5:18).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR.
XXVIII.
Vv. 19-29.
1. The reference in Joh 5:19 ff., to the union between the Son and the Father is to the complete union in working, which is founded upon love, and upon the immediate seeing of what the Father does which is connected with this love, and to that subordination in love, with respect to His earthly work, which necessarily appertains to Him as fulfilling the commission of the Father. No subordination beyond this is necessarily indicated by the words.
2. The answer which Jesus makes to the Jews is, therefore, not a denial of His equality with God, but an affirmation that, in His work alluded to, what He claims for Himself is only in harmony with God’s plan and is in the union and subordination of love to Him.
3. The thought is especially turned to the great work of the Son in reference to man. There seems to be no ground for doubting that the word , as used at the end of Joh 5:21, refers to spiritual life, and that it is this subject which is spoken of in Joh 5:24-27. The thought is thus connected with that in Joh 3:17 f., though the development of it is not the same, but is determined by the circumstances of the case. The words and now is of Joh 5:25, and the addition of the words in the tombs, come forth, and resurrection of life, etc., in Joh 5:28-29, which are not found in the earlier verses, can hardly be explained except as we hold that there is a turn of thought towards the future judgment at Joh 5:28, which has not been referred to until that point.
4. The use of the word judgment in this passage Joh 5:24-27, as also Joh 5:28-29, is kindred to that in Joh 3:17 ff. The same reasons, substantially, may be urged for giving the sense of condemnatory judgment to the word, as were presented in the note on the former passage. The manifest reference to the final judgment in Joh 5:28-29, taken in connection with the general representation of the judgment in the New Testament, makes this distinction between favorable and unfavorable judgment altogether probable here.
5. The judgment alluded to in the earlier verses is, as it were, anticipatory of that mentioned in the later ones. This use of the word belongs in connection with the general idea presented in this Gospel, and brought out in this passage, that the eternal life begins in the soul when the man believes, and is not only a future possession to be hoped for, but a present one already realized. The judgment, in this sense, is a thing already accomplished, both on the favorable and unfavorable side. When the spiritually dead hear the voice of the Son of God, they pass out of death into life; when the physically dead hear His voice, they also pass into life,but the latter passing into life is only the consummation of what is designated by the former. The decision is really made in the act of believing. The life moves forward from the moment of that act, and the last step in the process is only like all the othersa step in a progressive development. The same is true, on the other side, of the one who does not believe.
6. The words , being without the article, are best taken as indicative of quality, rather than as equivalent to the same words with the article. At the same time, they do not exclude the Messianic idea. To the Son is given the authority to execute judgment because, as the Son of man, He is a son of man. This relationship which He has in nature to those who are to be judged is the ground on which, in the great plan of salvation, He is made the judge, and the question of life and death is made dependent on belief in Him. The qualitative character of the expression ., including at the same time a certain reference to the title-character which belongs to the words when the article is addedthis is, not improbably, the combined idea which is to be found in the two other cases in the New Testament, which are similar to this; comp. Rev 1:13; Rev 14:14. But in those passages, the influence of the words in Dan 7:13 may be more direct and manifest, and accordingly the explanation given here is less strongly indicated.
7. Weiss holds, with respect to the last words of Joh 5:29, that the resurrection of those who have done evil is only for the purpose of the condemnatory judgment, and that thus, both here and elsewhere in the New Testament, no resurrection of the evil-doers, in the proper sense of the term, is spoken ofthat the term as applied to them is to be understood only, as it were, . The doctrine of the resurrection of the unbelieving and evil portion of mankind is set forth, indeed, only in a few passages in the New Testament, and in these only in a general way. It seems, however, to be stated distinctly in Act 24:15, apparently also in this place, and possibly in 1Co 15:22. Passages such as Php 3:11, Luk 20:35 may be explained without involving an opposite doctrine. That the resurrection should be mainly referred to as connected with the righteous, is not strange, for it was for them the consummation of the blessedness of that life to which the New Testament writers would turn the thoughts and hopes of men.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Joh 5:19-30. The Sons Dependence on the Father. Judgment and Lifegiving.To the charge of blasphemy He answers that a son can only do what he has learned to do by watching his father, who out of love shows him how to work. So the Father will show Messiah, the Son, even greater things, so that men will experience the wonder which leads to faith. The greater work is the quickening of the spiritually dead. This will be done not arbitrarily but according to Gods will. So the judgment which the Father commits to Messiah will be wrought out. The acceptance or rejection of this spiritual quickening is its test. And its object (Joh 5:23) is that men should pay due honour to the Son. In Joh 5:24 Jesus introduces, as usually when Verily, verily occurs, a further thought. Acceptance of His message and faith in His sender gives men true life, which the author always designates as eternal, i.e. spiritual. Of such there is no judgment. They have chosen the better part. And the gift will soon be given. The hour will soon strike when the spiritually dead shall hear the Sons voice, and if they hearken shall have life. For the Father, the source of all life, has given the Son the power to quicken life. And with that corresponds the power of judgment, given to Him as Messiah, who being man knows what is in man. Joh 5:28 f. is perhaps best explained as the authors comment, to set aside the view that what has been said overthrows the idea of the future Messianic judgment of quick and dead. The dead shall rise for judgment according to their works. Joh 5:30 takes up the thought of Joh 5:22. Jesus judgment, as His works, is dependent on the Father. And it is just, carrying out the Fathers will.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Verse 19
Can do nothing of himself; that is, nothing counter to the will of the Father, as is shown to be the meaning by the next clause.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing {d} of himself, but what he {e} seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son {f} likewise.
(d) Not only without his Father’s authority, but also without his mighty working and power.
(e) This must be understood of the person of Christ, which consists of two natures, and not simply of his Godhead: so then he says that his Father moves and governs him in all things, but yet nonetheless, when he says he works with his Father, he confirms his Godhead.
(f) In like sort, jointly and together. Not because the Father does some things, and then the Son works after him and does the same, but because the might and power of the Father and the Son work equally and jointly together.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
3. The Son’s equality with the Father 5:19-29
The preceding controversy resulted in Jesus clarifying His relationship to His Father further. Jesus proceeded to reply to His enemies’ charge that He was not equal with God the Father. This is the most thoroughgoing statement of Jesus’ unity with the Father, divine commission, authority, and proof of Messiahship in the Gospels. Jesus moved from clarifying His relationship to the Father to explaining His function as the judge of humanity to citing the witnesses that established His claims. [Note: See Stephen S. Kim, "The Christological and Eschatological Significance of Jesus’ Miracle in John 5," Bibliotheca Sacra 165:660 (October-December 2008):413-24.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Jesus introduced his reply with another solemn affirmation. He began by assuring the Jewish leaders that He was not claiming independence from the Father. He was definitely subordinate to Him, and He followed the Father’s lead (cf. Joh 4:34; Joh 5:30; Joh 8:28; Joh 12:50; Joh 15:10; Luk 5:17). Jesus described His relationship to the Father as similar to that of a son growing up in a household who learns a trade from his father while remaining submissive to him. The Son of God receives authority from the Father, obeys Him, and executes His will. Jesus would have to be God to do this perfectly. It was also impossible for the Son to act independently or to set Himself against the Father as against another God.
"Equality of nature, identity of objective, and subordination of will are interrelated in Christ. John presents him as the Son, not as the slave, of God, yet as the perfect agent of the divine purpose and the complete revelation of the divine nature." [Note: Tenney, "John," p. 64.]
"Some have mistakenly said that Jesus was here disclaiming equality with the Father. On the contrary, the whole context argues the opposite (Joh 5:18, . . . Joh 5:23; Joh 5:26). Our Lord is simply saying that He and the Father work together (cp. Joh 5:17)." [Note: The New Scofield . . ., p. 1130.]