John 3:35

‘The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.'

Jesus receives the Spirit without measure because He is ‘the Son' and ‘the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands'. This is the first mention of Jesus as ‘the Son' in this Gospel, but the first of many such mentions. It is a frequent title in John's Gospel. The title stresses His total uniqueness. He is not one of many but the only One, with a unique relationship to ‘the Father' above that of the angels. Indeed it is a ‘family' relationship. He is of the same essence. Compare Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; Mark 13:32. This is why all things without exception are given into His hand.

‘Has given all things into his hand.' There is no restriction to what has been committed to Jesus. He has been set over all things and has power to do whatever He will. He is sovereign over all.

But why was Jesus called ‘the Son'? Did this indicate subordination to the Father? The answer is that it was only for the period during which He carried out His work of salvation that He was subordinate to the Father. In eternity there was no ‘father-son' relationship (they are earthly terms based on earthly experience). Each member of the Godhead was co-equal and co-eternal. The application to Jesus of the term ‘Son' is based on using as a picture the earthly relationship of father and son. Its stress is on the fact that both share the same nature, and that the latter performs the will of the former. Thus as the One Who has the same nature as the Father, and has been sent by the Father, Jesus is ‘the Son'.