Honour The Father And The Son

13/3/2021

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.
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.
- 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.
- For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
- For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honour the Son just as they honour the Father.
He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him.
[John 5:18-23 NKJV]

Oystercatchers are ‘servant’ birds. Their name in Scots Gaelic is ‘an gille Bridghe’ — the servant of Saint Bride (Bridget) and are held as symbols of wisdom and protection. The motto of the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan is, BI GLIC - BI GLIC, which is the cry of the Oystercatcher which translates from Gaelic as 'Be Wise, Be Circumspect’. The college crest has two oystercatchers as supporters.

As the gospel story progresses, we can identify the growing tension caused by the lack of any understanding Jesus’ accusers had or were willing to have about the Word that He spoke. Why? They knew God only as an idea that gave them religion, whereas Jesus had a relationship with Father God.

Jesus explains the three things that Father God and The Son of God are, that proclaims both as worthy of honour.

Love (verse 20)
Life (verse 21)
Judgement (verse 22)

The Son, as inheritor of The Father’s Divine wisdom and power, is the embodiment of The Holy Spirit, for God is Spirit. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
[Genesis 1:2 NKJV]

We — followers of Jesus Christ — are called to be ‘sons of God’ — For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. [Galatians 3:26 NKJV] — and so we must be ‘in Christ’ and Him alone to have the same relationship with Father God that Jesus had while on Earth.

Jesus’ point was that He and The Father were inseparable (one and the same) and that He was the only route to everlasting life ... and that He had to die and endure separation from Father God through the Cross of Calvary, to remove sin, so that everlasting life for us was sealed in Him.

Fortunately, Jesus put that more simply than I have done here. As mortals, we lack understanding of the immortal dormant within us. We need to lift our hearts Heavenwards to find the eternal reward. For that we need to honour The Father and The Son.