The Gospel of John #21
/By Robert Guenther
We are continuing our review of the Gospel of John chapter five and the next point that is being made is the fact that the Father and Son are equal even the one God that can be known by us.
Vs. Joh 5:26 “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;” The ability to give life is reserved in God Himself. So if the Father and Son can both have life then they are equal or the same God.
Vs. Joh 5:27 “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” This power to judge others is reserved for God Himself as we read in Joh 8:16 “And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”
Vs. Joh 5:28 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,” Only believers in Christ Jesus that are asleep in Christ will have ears to hear His voice and will be judged for their works as we read in Ac 24:15 “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
Vs. Joh 5:29 “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” We have a similar judgement in our dispensation in which the apostle Paul wrote about a judgment in II Timothy 4:6–8 concerning a crown of righteousness which can be gained or lost depending on how we regard Christ’s appearing: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Vs. Joh 5:30 “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” We should note that our Lord never sought to impose His own desires when it came to executing justice towards others but rather He always sought to do the Fathers will. What the Son heard was the Word of God and His judgments were always aligned with the Truth.
Vs. Joh 5:31 “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.” This principle of needing another to bear witness is recorded in Joh 8:18 “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.” We can say Amen, and agree that the Father and Son are equal and one God.
continued…
