John 5:19-29 (ESV)

¹⁹ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. ²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. ²² The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. ²⁵ “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

The Jews were angry because Jesus told the man he healed to pick up his mat and go. According to their rules, it was wrong to move possessions on the Sabbath, so they accused Jesus of advocating the breaking of the law. Jesus said some remarkable things in response to their accusations. He declared that neither the Father nor the Son have stopped working. If God were to cease from activity, the universe would implode. Jesus stated that just as God works, so does he. Jesus does exactly what God wants him to do. In fact, the unique relationship between Jesus and the Father made it impossible for Jesus to do anything contrary to the will of the Father. Whatever the Father does, the Son does. The Father gives life, and so does the Son. The Son gives both physical life and, more importantly, eternal life. The Son will judge the earth and all its inhabitants. If the Son is the one who will judge all, then there is no way for that person to be right with God but not right with the Son. Jesus is God, and whatever he does is a perfect reflection of the Father’s will.

In verse 23, Jesus said, “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” Many have pointed out the truth to which C. S. Lewis drew attention: Jesus was either lying, or he was a lunatic, or he truly was who he claimed to be, the Lord of all heaven and earth. The statement “Whoever does not honor me does not honor the Father” leaves no room for exceptions. The only way to the Father is by trusting in Jesus. We can easily overlook the fact that not only Jesus believed this to be true, but so did John, the author! So John too was either lying, mad, or telling the truth. John was an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus. The claims made here are so radical that no middle ground can exist. If you are not an honest follower of Jesus today, let this be your turning point. If you are a follower of Jesus, be encouraged! Your Savior has covered all your sin and shame on the cross. Keep clinging to that truth. Soon, our confidence in Christ will be vindicated.