The Authority of the Son

John 5:19-21

We as Christians believe in a Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, and yet do we understand the authority of the Son?  As we look into John 5:19-20 ask the Spirit of God to open your mind to see clearly the authority of the Son.  “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.  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.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”

Who is Jesus talking to, Jews who are very upset that He is claiming to be equal with God?  Now before you go postal on these Jews, place yourself in their shoes, they were looking forward to a Messiah, and they were very religious like many in the church today, and they are not that much different than many church-goers, who have their own opinion of the coming of the Lord.  Jesus did not fit their expectations!  They were looking for a mighty king, a leader of a mighty army to free them from the Romans and all others who oppressed them, and Jesus did not meet their hope, He did not fit the mental image they had formed of the Messiah.  If only they had listened to the prophets and to the psalmist they would have recognized Him as their Messiah.

God the Father has placed authority in His Son, and it is the Son that John is telling us about in John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  In that God is all knowing and in that He refers to us as sheep, it should not come as much of a surprise that like sheep we are in need of guidance and protection; that left to our own selves, we will go looking for greener pastures and be devoured by the enemy of our soul.  So the Father tells us watch my Son, because I’m going to WOW you by what my Son is going to do.  Are you in awe of the Son?

It is important to also see how the Holy Spirit addresses the authority of Jesus!  In John 16:13-15, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”  Jesus is addressing His followers as He tells us that the Holy Spirit will come to guide us into all truth, and Jesus is “Truth”!  My prayer for each of us who are followers of Jesus, is that we will marvel at our mighty Lord.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice