Posts by reachchurch

Read This Week: John 13

Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel wrapped around him. After washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you. – John 13:4-5; 12-15 NIV

Of the many things He was throughout his ministry, Jesus was most certainly a servant leader. He frequently demonstrated remarkable humility and meekness for His followers and us to emulate and do likewise. Jesus had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all (Phil. 2:6). Jesus was God, yet He never flaunted or leveraged that divine privilege; in fact, He went out of his way to be an example of servanthood to those from every walk of life.

One of the most famous and compelling examples of Jesus’ sacrificial love and service to others occurs in His final moments with the disciples when He washes their feet at the Last Supper. All four Gospels describe the events of this night, but only John 13 includes the powerful imagery of the foot washing. This passage tells us that Jesus gets up from the table without speaking and begins to wash the dirty feet of his disciples. A lowly, humbling act for anyone, much less the Savior who enjoyed sovereignty over all the earth. 

Christ demonstrates the coming sacrifice of His body and blood on the cross with the bread and wine and then displays the transcendent humility it would take to offer himself up. The fact that this was a final moment of fellowship with His closest followers and that He had total authority makes this even more significant. Jesus wanted this lesson of service, grace, and love to be a lasting memory and a sustaining force in their lives and ministries. He says in verse 14: 

Now that I have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you.

God wants this for us too. He desires us to be undergirded with humility and grace and postured with a servant’s heart. Following His example, we should not consider ourselves better than anyone or above any act of service that would bless another. It takes tremendous self-denial to bend down and wash another person’s feet. It is so stark in its servility that it provides a gleaming illustration of what should embody a Christ follower’s life in the world. We are foot washers, not glory seekers.

This compassion, attitude, and behavior are who we should be and how we should behave among people. We should be ready to love them in such a way that we can bend down and serve at the greatest levels of self-sacrifice. It is how they will know we follow Christ. Jesus says in verses 34-35: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

Read This Week: John 12

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” – John 12:4-8 NIV

The setting of John 12 is Bethany, where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in the last chapter. Most biblical scholars agree that the name Bethany means house of affliction or house of misery, meaning it was a place to care for the poor, sick, and contagious diseases. In other words, this environment and town experienced great suffering but had tremendous potential for miracles, restoration, and healing.

One example would be Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with perfume in the first part of the chapter. Verse 3 tells us that Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Worth a full year’s salary, this pure nard was undoubtedly the most expensive thing Mary owned. But she did not hesitate to give it up to honor Jesus. She willfully poured out something valuable in worship that expressed wholehearted love and devotion to the Lord. It was beautiful, sacrificial, and profound in its impact.

But not everyone was inspired and moved by this selfless worship of Christ. Verses 4-5 tell us that Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. Mary’s benevolence and self-sacrifice are met with Judas’s dark and sullen self-importance. He attempts to nullify her genuine goodness with legalism and inauthentic worship. His cold indifference countered her act of love. This moment sharply contrasts two people and hearts; one where love delights in giving all and the best, and another where self-centeredness and greed are eager to get all they can.

As Jesus does, He speaks the truth and highlights what is most important. He says to Judas, leave her alone, you will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. He always returns to worship, devotion, and pursuit of God being first and essential to our lives. It must come before any act of service, benevolence, generosity, or human effort. Spending time at the feet of Jesus enables and empowers us to serve the poor, be there for a friend, meet a need, and be a witness to those far from God. 

Adoration and worship of Christ are the foundation of a life of service and charity. The work is always there, and opportunities to serve others are prevalent, but we are to seek God, read His word, and worship Him above any activity we deem more significant. In opposition to Judas’ mindset and approach, this focused devotion that Mary demonstrated sets the right spiritual tone for anything else we attempt to do in God’s name. It is an important contrast for us all to see and take to heart.

Read This Week: John 11

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the dead man’s sister, “by this time, there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” – John 11:38-44 NIV

John 11 is not for the faint of heart. It has intrigue, suspense, an untimely death, suffering, friendship, the power of love, and a resurrection. In many ways, this chapter is, at the same time, the most devastating and the most glorious in all of John’s Gospel. In it, we see Jesus in his humanity and divinity like never before and realize that God cares about us, our hurts, and the small details of our lives.

First, we see the intimacy and friendships that Jesus enjoyed and modeled for us. The Bible tells us that he had a close relationship with three siblings, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, and he loved them. Verse 5 says Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. However, almost immediately into the passage, we get troubling news. Jesus received word that Lazarus had become ill, and his sickness was dire. The sisters sent word to Jesus, Lord, the one you love is sick. What Jesus does next is both intriguing and transcendent.

Upon receiving the news of Lazarus’ situation and health, Jesus does not break down, and he doesn’t go running to his town to save the day. His reaction is peculiar but also missional. He calmly looks at his disciples and says, this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it. Nothing, including the terminal sickness of a friend he loved, would distract or stop Jesus from accomplishing the divine mission that He was on, which is done in God’s timing and for an eternal purpose. 

We should not view Jesus’ response to the bad news as unfeeling or cold but as an opportunity for the Lord to show off His mighty power and bring glory to Himself. According to His will, this miraculous timing is the same thing He does for us through our complex and challenging circumstances.

After some time, Jesus decides to go and tend to his friends and address the situation of Lazarus. Right before they leave, he says to his disciples, Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe. But let us go to him. That seems odd, but the disciples and everyone involved would soon understand and see what he meant. They would know as we have and do in our lives that God rescues, restores, heals, and revives things for our good and His glory. He sets things right so that our faith is affirmed and we are assured of His love and goodness. And in doing this for us, others believe in His glory and power. 

In the fantastic climax of this chapter, Jesus arrives at the place where Lazarus is buried and has an amazing exchange with Martha in verses 21-27 about God’s timing, His identity, and His capacity to do things in the world that no one else is capable of:

Lord, Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha answered I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she replied, I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God.

Martha is just like us; she wanted her immediate need met when God had a different, more glorious plan for her, the entire family, and all those who witnessed and heard what was about to happen. She had a limited vision of who God is, as we often do in our own lives. We want Jesus to show up at our timing and heal the sick when He has the authority, power, and supremacy to show up at His timing and raise the dead. He is capable of exponentially more than we ask or think.

Finally, John tells us that Jesus cried over his friend, gathered himself, and told Lazarus to walk out of the tomb. It is an unbelievable scene and a display of what God can do in our brokenness and lives. It also shows how his miracles draw an unbelieving world into faith. Verse 45 says many Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. God doesn’t just make things better in our world; He makes dead things live again. There is no one like our God.

Read This Week: John 10

I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the Shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. – John 10:11-15 NIV

From the Psalmist to the beautiful prose of John, one of the most powerful and endearing metaphors and depictions of God is that of the Good Shepherd. This symbolism of a shepherd leading, caring for, protecting, and guiding his sheep is as compelling as it is fitting for the relationship we enjoy with Father God through Christ. As Jesus communicates in this chapter, the imagery of the Shepherd’s relationship to His sheep is central and teaches us wonderful truths about His heart, His plan, and His love for us.

First, Jesus presents Himself as the Shepherd and gatekeeper. He keeps watch over the lives of the sheep and tends to their coming and going. He ensures they find suitable pastures that give them sustenance and vitality, and He guides their way into eternal life. Verses 7 and 9 say I am the gate for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved. This provision is what the Lord has done and does for us. He watches over us in our daily activities and, by His Holy Spirit, leads us on our mission and to the things and people that bring joy, peace, and good energy. Ultimately, Jesus is our way to eternal salvation and the glorious reality of Heaven.

Then, we see the Shepherd as a protector. He would give his life for the very sheep that He watches over. He is willing to fight the most significant threats and beat back the most daunting adversaries. He defends the sheep from harm and keeps them safe from anything that will come against their well-being. Jesus says in verses 11-12 that the good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the Shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. The Lord is not our hired hand. He doesn’t run away when things get difficult or challenging in our lives. Christ doesn’t shy away from the enemy or the things of this world that seek to harm us. He purchased and owned us by laying his life down on the cross. He is our protector.

The Shepherd is a caregiver. John 10 makes it clear that one of the most endearing attributes of the Shepherd is that He knows His sheep. He is intimately aware of their needs and how to meet them. He is so in tune with His sheep that they also know Him and His heart. The sheep trust Him and follow Him because they know He cares. Verse 14 reminds us that Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. It is a beautiful truth to know that God is our caregiver and still sees and remembers us in His majesty, sovereignty, and supremacy. He knows our name and cares for our hearts and souls like no one else. We know His voice and are familiar with His loving arms.

Finally, we understand the Shepherd as a Father. Jesus parallels His own life and eternal relationship with Father God with that of His relationship with His sheep. The intimacy and connection He shares with God are translated through His grace, mercy, and love to those who will call on His name. The Shepherd, through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, knows us and makes us His own. We are not only His sheep being led to and from His plentiful pastures, but we are His children being nurtured, changed, and prepared for His glorious inheritance. Christ said, Just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, I lay down my life for the sheep. We are so thankful and blessed that He did. He is truly The Good Shepherd.

Read This Week: John 9

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment, I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
– John 9:35-41 NIV

We have seen Jesus heal a blind man in the Gospels before, so when he cures the man who was blind from birth in John 9, we do not necessarily observe anything new. But with a closer look at what happens after the Lord touches this man, we see more profound and greater truths not only about physical blindness but spiritual blindness. The dialogue between Jesus and the disciples in verses 1-5 about sin and suffering sets the tone and indicates that this miracle will be more about understanding what God does in hearts than in eyes.

When Jesus does heal the blind man, the Pharisees get up in arms as they always do because the Lord dared to heal someone on the Sabbath. They grill the blind man about his eyes and the nature of the healing. They argue about whether or not Christ is from God or a false teacher. They interrogate the man’s parents and terrify them of being kicked out of the synagogue. Then they turn back to the once-blind man, cross-examine him again, and mock him with skepticism and religious arrogance. Finally, the man insists that Jesus is a prophet and that he is from God because no one could do that if he wasn’t. This declaration was the final straw for the Pharisees, who threw him out of the temple.

Imagine this for one second. A man who was born blind has just found healing by the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Instead of celebrating it, rejoicing in the miracle, and worshipping the Lord, the religious leaders become angry and skeptical and express vitriol and condemnation toward the now-healed blind man and his family. It is hard to believe on its face, but it’s not hard to believe when we consider how blind we can be while professing to be the only ones that can see. Piety, spiritual pride, and religious hubris can block our ability to know the truth. It is the very essence of what Paul meant in Romans 1:22 when he said professing themselves to be wise; they become fools. In this instance, the Pharisees are so sure they are right that they can’t see just how wrong they are. It is as plain as day in front of them, but they are seeing blind.

The man who was born blind didn’t have a problem admitting that he could not see. But the sickeningly proud Pharisees thought they were the only ones with spiritual sight. They were the ones that could not see. Jesus says to them in verse 41, If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. In other words, if they had admitted their blindness, they could have been healed and forgiven of their sin. But since they insisted they could see, they remained in darkness. 

Seeing blind is one of the main reasons we fail to discern the truth and grow in our lives. When we refuse to admit that we need God’s help to see things for what they are, that prevents us from gaining spiritual insight. When we think we know more than the word of God, we are seeing blind. When we refuse to take counsel based on God’s principles, we are seeing blind. When we make significant decisions in our lives without taking the proper steps to seek the Holy Spirit, we are seeing blind. When we claim to know more than God about what is best for others, we are seeing blind. We can see, but we don’t have sight.

The Lord desires us to be humble and submissive to His will and word. He wants us to admit we are spiritually blind without Him and the guidance of His Holy Spirit. This admission is a good thing because, like the blind man in John 9, it allows us to give up control and trust and believe in Jesus. That is the key to our success, admitting our inability to see without God and allowing Him to show us the way. 

The Message puts the words of Christ in verse 39 so plainly when he said, I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind. The light of God’s word empowers us who were spiritually blind to have amazing sight and vision, but it also reveals those who are seeing blind. May we be the ones who can truly see.

Read This Week: John 8

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” – John 8:6-11 NIV

For years, an old proverb has circulated in Eastern Europe: “those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” This profound saying is not about glass and stones but about hypocrisy and the duplicitous holding of others to a standard that we don’t adhere to ourselves. In other words, those guilty of and susceptible to criticism on specific issues should not criticize or point fingers at others about the same problems. This proverb is good, but the words of Jesus in John 8 to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees came beforehand and are more powerful. 

The Lord just sat down to teach the people who had gathered around him, and this band of religious hypocrites brought a woman into the circle in verses 4-5 and said, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say? The Scriptures say this display and question had nothing to do with spiritual discipline or righting a wrong involving a sinful act. The exhibition was to trap Jesus into saying something that would violate the law so they could build their case to stop him and his ministry.

Not only was this group hypocritically embarrassing this woman caught in adultery and seeking to stone her, but they didn’t even care about her or the outcome. They were using her to manipulate and entrap Jesus. This is how unaware, blind, and damaging self-righteousness and deception can be. It causes people to lose themselves and willingly exploit the shortcomings, sin, and brokenness of another for personal gain. It shields the eyes from seeing the truth about oneself while only spotting the failures of another. It drives people to throw stones while ironically living in glass houses.

But of course, Jesus knows this about the human condition and the Pharisees and religious leaders. He says to them in the heat of the moment, Let any one of you without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. The Lord discerned their hearts and knew their motives. He also knew that many of them were guilty of the same thing the woman was. One may have been guilty of it with her. So he confronts their ugly scheme and blatant hypocrisy by challenging them to cast the first stone if they are without sin while knowing none of them are. He shows them the truth about themselves and effectively clears the room.

Verse 9 says, At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. It was just Jesus, and the woman left behind because they were the only ones standing in truth. The woman’s sin was in the light, and Jesus embodied the truth in every way. The hypocrites and finger pointers had scattered in light of the truth.

Jesus was the only One with the right to condemn the woman. He was sinless and the only One with the eternal, righteous qualifications to stone her. But he did not. He said, Neither do I condemn you. That’s the real beauty of grace and forgiveness and the opposite of hypocrisy. It does not exploit sin; it rectifies it. Christ forgave her sin. He didn’t dismiss it as though it had no account, but it is clear that the basis on which our Lord said these words is that He had found a way to forgive this woman her sin and set her free. He said, Go now and leave your life of sin. The hypocrites went away in shame; the woman went away in freedom. 

When we deny our tendencies toward hypocrisy and correctly hold people accountable for their sins and restore them by the grace of God, they are liberated. Our prayer should be that the Holy Spirit shows us the truth about ourselves and those around us. That we are conscious of our sins while recognizing them in others and do not condone wrong behavior in our lives as much as we do in our neighbors. And when sin gets called out in another, may we respond with grace and forgiveness instead of sightless and self-gratifying condemnation. May we not throw stones while living in glass houses.

Read This Week: John 7

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. – John 7:16-18 NIV

Jesus was the ultimate purveyor of truth. His eternal accuracy and unquestioned rightness underwrote His ministry, teaching, miracles, and works. His entire life and essence embodied the truth from above. His truth is more powerful and authentic than anything produced on earth. Jesus could do nothing but speak the truth. No one but Christ has ever been able to say that their presence represented the purest integrity and truth. 

In John 7, Jesus returned to Jerusalem. He is squarely in the crosshairs of the religious leaders who hated Him because of His teachings, His following, His influence, and ultimately His healing on the Sabbath. Verse 1 goes so far as to say the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. They wanted to trap Him in a contradiction or catch Him in a lie or a violation of Jewish law. They did not realize that Jesus wouldn’t and couldn’t do these things because he was cunning or crafty but because He was doing the will of God. He was, in His deity and humanity, a person of truth.

In answer to how He speaks with such authority, intelligence, and power without a formal education, Jesus says in verses 16-17:

My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

Jesus is saying that His ability to communicate and teach these deep things comes from God Himself. He makes it clear that The perfect will of God directs his words and actions, and anyone who does God’s will can recognize and perceive His truth. God’s will is truth, and it leads people to the truth. Jesus says those who speak out of vain motives and for personal gain are not trustworthy. They do it simply for notoriety and their esteem. But those who seek the glory of God sent him are people of truth; there is nothing false about them.

Jesus’ teaching is an excellent principle and truth for us in this day of confusion, division, and polarization. We live in such an age of shadowy nuance and misinformation. It is hard to know daily what or who can be trusted in our lives, workplaces, and relationships. Honesty and certainty can be elusive, while truthfulness and accuracy are willfully denied by so many.

But God’s word is truth, and when we follow His word and do His will, we can be people of truth. Those around us can trust us, those we lead, serve, know, and live with. With God’s help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, there can be nothing false about us. We can be truth bearers and integral witnesses for the Lord as we do daily life. Others can feel secure and at peace around us because they know our lives embody truth.

Read This Week: John 6

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” – John 6:26-29 NIV

It has been said that followers of Jesus frequently get fixated on God’s provision instead of His presence. We can get caught up in what He can do for us instead of what He is to us. We sometimes desire Him to move miraculously in one instance instead of experiencing a consistent movement of His Spirit daily. We are more susceptible to seeking His hand and what is in it than seeking His face and glory. We often want the things God can give us more than the gift and pleasure of knowing Him.

This tendency to miss Jesus because we are focused on asking Him for things we want and need is not just a modern struggle for contemporary Christians. It plagued the disciples and those who followed Christ when He was walking on the earth in the first century. John 6 contains such an example, and several passages reveal the motives of those following the Savior and His ministry at that time.

Jesus had just fed the five thousand and walked on water, two awe-inspiring, miraculous signs showcasing His deity, power, and majesty. These two things are enough to get the attention and galvanize the faith of anyone. But the Lord tells us that the disciples were not following Him because they saw the signs and came close to His presence but because they had eaten the food he provided and had their fill. He says in verse 26:

Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

In other words, Jesus admonishes them for failing to see the significance of the miracle and His person because they are satisfied by getting what they need at the moment. A Bible commentator once remarked that instead of seeing the miracle in the bread, they saw only the bread in the miracle. Their hearts were looking for a materialistic provider instead of a miracle-working Messiah. They wanted a bread that sustained physical life when they had the bread of life right in front of them that guaranteed eternal salvation.  

Jesus wanted them and wants us to crave food for the soul more than a temporary fix for our hunger. He told the disciples, Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. God doesn’t want us to pursue things that don’t matter while missing the one thing that matters for all time. He wants us to pursue food that only He can provide. The spiritual food that endures all things in this life and remains for eternity.

An intimate relationship with God embodies all we will ever need. His word, the food for the soul, is all the sustenance necessary for our spiritual walks, relationships, service, and work. May we not miss the One behind the miracles and provisions, and may we never value food more than food for the soul. And may we always see the blessing of God’s provision in our lives and worship Him for it.

Read This Week: John 5

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so, the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. – John 5:19-21 NIV

Like father, like son is an idiom that likens a son to his father and shows similarities in their mannerisms, interests, and behavior. John chapter 1 established Jesus’ solidarity and oneness with Father God and His place as the second person in the Trinity. His identity is the long-awaited Son of God to whom all prophecy and Old Testament ceremonies pointed. But here in John 5, we see perhaps the ultimate like father, like son example and the most important passage concerning the deity of Christ. Verse 19 says:

Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

Having provided proof of equality with God by healing the paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda and then explaining the nature of His work on earth as one with the Father, Jesus claims to be equal with God and informs us that he does only what he sees his Father doing. Jesus’ authority is derived from and subordinate to the Father. His actions are the Father’s. Like Father, Like Son.

Over the next couple of verses (19-23), Jesus explains several tenets of His relationship with the Father:

• The Son is dependent on the Father’s revelation to Him
• The Son allows Himself to do only what His Father reveals
• The Son chooses in obedience to do precisely what He sees the Father doing
• The relationship of submission leads to the Father’s love for the Son
• The Father’s love for the Son leads to showing Him all He does
• The Son’s perfect dependence on the Father guarantees His equality with Him

As a result of this relationship, Jesus, the Son, gives spiritual life as a carrying out of the Father’s perfect work. Jesus said that God the Father would show them greater works through Him so they would be amazed. And these greater works were the giving of life through the Son’s death, burial, and resurrection. It was the Father’s divine work of eternal salvation through the Son that we and all those who believe benefit for all time. We are thankful and amazed for the Father and Son.