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] 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.
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. Don’t waste time asking God to keep you from doing things—don’t do them! |
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS…Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Archives
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GEORGE and GILL STEWART |