Key Verse: “Jesus responded to them, “My Father is still working, and I am working also.”18 This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him: Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.” (John 5:17-18 CSB)
At the core of the Christian faith is the true identity of Jesus Christ. Who really is He? Was He simply another prophet, a great moral teacher, a miracle-worker, or the founder of another major religion? Or is He something or someone more?
The identity of Jesus was at the core of the hostility of the Jewish leaders toward Him. It was frustrating enough that He was ignoring their religious traditions and rules. But ultimately what infuriated them the most was that “he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God” (v.18). Evidently the Jewish leaders perceived Jesus as claiming to be God in the flesh. That’s a pretty serious charge. In fact, it was blasphemous to them and they wanted to kill Him for it.
But was it true? Is this truly who Jesus claimed to be? In the ensuing verses, Jesus made some staggering statements that point to His true identity. Jesus said to them, “just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants” (v.21). As the Son, Jesus claimed to be the One who gives life to whomever He chooses. This is something that only God can do.
Jesus also said this about Himself: “Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him” (v.23b). Once again, this is an indisputable statement about His deity. God had said through the prophet Isaiah, “I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8). By making the direct connection between giving glory to the Son and giving glory to the Father, Jesus is putting Himself in the place of God.
Finally, Jesus said, “The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son” (v.22). He also said, “And he has granted him the right to pass judgment because he is the Son of Man” (v.27). Only God has the right to pass judgment against us. “He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13). By claiming as the Son to be that judge, Jesus is putting Himself in the place of God.
The Apostle Paul wrote that Jesus, “existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).
This is truly amazing! Jesus is God in human form. He is fully God and fully man. He is not simply an example to follow or a prophetic voice to heed. He is God the Son who has come to give His life as a ransom for us. He laid aside His glory in heaven so that He could come to give us life through faith in Him. Because He is God, He is worthy to be worshipped. Because He is God, He holds authority over all things, including our lives.
Prayer: Jesus, I worship you as God. You are the giver of life, and the one who has the authority to judge the living and the dead. I honor you and give you glory today. Thank you for humbling yourself even to the point of death on a cross, so that I could be saved. I give you my life again today. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
