On Father and Son unity.

(John 5:17-47).

Jesus responded to the Jews’ designs to kill Him for violating the Sabbath, with: “My Father fas been working until now, and I have been working.” These words embody Christ’s witness of Himself, as the consubstantial Son of God. All further words in the Lord’s reply to the Jews, only develop this basic thought. This made them more intent on killing Him, because He called Himself the Son of God: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” As the Son of God, it is natural for Him to follow the commandments handed down to Adam and his offspring — but only by example of God the Father. And while God the Father rested on the seventh day, it was from works of creation and not works of caring. Having correctly interpreted the Lord’s words that He is teaching about His parity with God the Father, the Jews started to redouble their accusation that He was deserving of the death penalty, for violating the Sabbath and blasphemy. In chapters 19-20, teachings on the unity of action in Father and Son unfold, applicable to the ordinary assumptions of the son, obeying the father, and the father loving his son and teaching him of his works. The words “The Son can do nothing of Himself” does nothing for the cause of Arius, but simply — as Saint Golden-tongue says — that the Son doesn’t do anything that is offensive to the Father, nothing that is alien to Him, nothing incompatible, contrary to His will. “And He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel,” ie. like the Father, the Son can not only heal the infirm, but also raise the dead (15:21).

Initially, the dialogue is on spiritual resurrection, about awakening the spiritually dead to the truth, holy life in God, thereupon about the general resurrection — both of these resurrections being in a tight inner association between themselves. A person’s acceptance of a true life, a spiritual life, is the beginning of his triumph over death. Just as a spiritual ailment can serve as the cause of death, so can a true spiritual life lead to life eternal by conquering death, which is unavoidable.

The Lord joins the spiritual resurrection with His other great work — judgment. In the first place, the understanding here is the moral judgment in the present life, which will lead to the unavoidable totality of the general Final Judgment. Jesus appeared as Life and Light in a spiritually dead world, steeped in spiritual darkness. Those who believed in Him, were resurrected to a new life and themselves became light; those who rejected Him, remained in spiritual death, spiritual darkness. That’s why the Son of God’s judgment over humanity continues throughout its life, which will conclude in the finality of the universal Final Judgment. In this way, the fate of people is continually found in the complete authority of the Son of God, and that’s why it is necessary to regard Him the same way, as the Father, inasmuch as “He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father Who sent Him.” Verses 24-29, contain further depictions of the Son of God’s life-giving activities. Obeying the Saviour’s words and faith as to why He was sent, are the two conditions for accepting true life, in which lies a pledge of a physical blessed immortality. The words “shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” means that they will not be subject to judgment. “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” — again, as a result of Christ’s sermon, the dialogue here is on spiritual revival, as the Son is the source of life, granted to Him by His Father (5:26). The Son also has the right to judge — that’s why He became human, being the Son of God by nature (5:27). This authority, as a Judge, will eventually be completed with the general resurrection and just retribution (5:28-29). This will be a just judgment, inasmuch as it will be the result of full agreement of the will of the Judge with that of the Heavenly Father (5:30).

In verses 31-39, Jesus gives witness of Himself with total absoluteness as to His Divine worthiness. With this, He refers to the witness of John the Baptist - whom the people highly respected — as well as that He bears more testimony than John: this testimony is from His God the Father, testimony of signs and miracles that His Son performs at the behest of His Father, inasmuch as they are included in the plan for saving people — which was given to Him by His Father for fulfilment. God the Father gave witness about His Son at the moment of baptism, though He gave greater witness about Him as the Messiah, through the Prophets in the Old Testament. But the Jews do not heed this Scripture, because the Word of God had not taken root in their hearts, and therefore is absent from there: they do not hear God’s voice in His writings, and do not see His face in the self-revelations contained therein. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” Further on, Jesus rebukes the Jews for their disbelief, telling them that He does not need glorification from them, inasmuch as He doesn’t seek glory from people. But He does grieve for them, because in not believing in Him as God’s Messenger, they reveal a lack of love toward God the Father that had sent Him. As they don’t love God, they do not accept Christ that had come with His commandments — but when another comes, a false messiah with his self-styled teachings, they will accept him even without any signs.

Since the days of Christ, the Jews have had over 60 such false messiahs, and the last one will be anti-christ, whom they will accept as their expectant messiah. The reason for their disbelief lies in that they seek human glory, and it is not he that accuses them that is welcome (even though he had the right to do so), but he who extols them, even without any right. In conclusion of His address, the Lord destroys their last basis upon which they built their hopes. He tells them that their accuser at God’s judgment will be none other than Moses, in whom they trust — and he will accuse them of disbelief in Christ, because he wrote about Him. The supposition here is that it is a direct reference to the prophecies and promises in the books of Moses (Genesis 3:15, 12:3, 49:10; Deuter. 18:15), as with all the law, which was but a shadow of the coming blessings in Christ’s Kingdom (Heb. 10:1) and tutor (leader of children) in Christ (Gal. 3:24).