Honoring the Son as the Father

John 5:1-23

A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."

11 He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"

12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Honor the Father and the Son

16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "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. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Jesus healed on the Jewish Sabbath which required those following the Law to not do any work on the seventh day of the week (Exodus 20:10, ) as the way to remember how God rested on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2-3) when He had finished all His work.  The man the Lord healed from paralysis was thirty-eight years old, an old man to be respected in those days.  He could not get to the healing waters when an angel was sent to heal those who entered and he told Jesus these things.  Jesus asked him if he wanted to be made well and the man of course answered yes but explained how he could not make it to the water before another got there first every time.  What was the answer?  Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”  He commanded the man to step out in faith because God willed it (Matthew 26:39, John 14:14, 15:7, 16:23, 1 John 5:14-15) and not because he claimed it in the name of Jesus apart from knowing what God’s will is as many errantly do today.  The man heard God’s clear command of His will to be well and rose up to walk home as a whole man in God’s will.  The religious were incensed at the man for breaking the Sabbath rule and demanded to know who told him it was alright to do work on that day, not knowing Jesus as the rest from their works as we later discover in Heb 4:4-5, 9-10 as the true intent of the commandment.  We also are to rest in Christ’s work to make our bodies and souls well for eternity and cease working to please God to be saved or keep our place in heaven once admitted by sovereign and unbreakable grace.  Even so, the warning of accountability should ring in our ears as the words of Jesus here, “You have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Yes, since we have been made well in body and soul, we are to live accordingly in holiness (1 Peter 1:16, 2 Peter 3:11) and righteous willing obedience (Matthew 12:36, John 14:23-24, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 John 2:1-2, 1 Corinthians 3:14-15, 16-17), knowing our eternal standing in our salvation never is lessened, only our rewards which honor or dishonor our Lord whom we follow and serve.  

Jesus was persecuted for healing a man on His Sabbath but He wisely told all who were listening that God’s work was being done by the Son just as by the Father in heaven.  The Jews were even more enraged and were out to murder Jesus for making Himself equal with God (John 10:30, 33, Philippians 2:6), which He was.  Jesus the Son of God worked on every day in the authority of His Father and in the same way.  It is no wonder that He could heal on the Sabbath to save the lives He created (Colossians 1:15-16) that we might enter into the rest from our works on that day to rest in Him who always is working.  He raises the dead to life as proven by His resurrection and so also gives life to those He calls and has chosen.  He is our judge and our righteousness, and only God can forgive our sin (Mark 2:7, 10), so Jesus is God as much as His Father to be able to forgive sin and heal us within from now to eternity.  Since Jesus is our judge we must so honor the Son as we honor our Father and His in Heaven.  Do we then linger at the pool for our deliverance from sin’s penalty or do we hear and trust Jesus the Son of God with the authority and power to give us eternal life with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2) as promised according to His illuminating Word (John 1:4, 12-13)?