John 5:17-18

DISCOURSE: 1625
CHRIST’S EQUALITY WITH THE FATHER

John 5:17. Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

THE whole Christian world is much indebted to the zeal of the blind, and bigoted, and persecuting Jews in our Lord’s day; since they elicited many important truths which might not otherwise have been brought to light. For instance, when they accused our blessed Lord of violating the Sabbath-day, they led him to mention with approbation David’s eating of the shew-bread in a case of extreme necessity (an act which we could not otherwise have ventured to justify); and to expound as a general vindication of such conduct, that declaration of the prophet, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice [Note: Matthew 12:2.].” Here a similar accusation leads him to vindicate his own conduct on still higher principles; namely, his own equality with God the Father, and his right to dispense with laws instituted only for the benefit of man. True, this brought upon him still severer censure from his opponents, who judged him worthy of death for so arrogant and impious a claim. But they should have seen, from the miracle which he wrought, that he was fully authorized to do what he had done, and that he was no other person than he professed himself to be.

To open this subject to you, I will shew,

I. How far the Jews were right in their interpretation of our Lord’s words—

The expression which our Lord had used was, doubtless, exceeding strong [Note: Compare Matthew 12:8. with the text.]—

[He called God his Father, evidently in a more emphatic and appropriate sense than any mere man could presume to do. The Jews at large regarded “God as their Father [Note: John 8:41.]:” but no one had ever dared to arrogate to himself so near and peculiar a relation to God as our Lord did on this occasion. The very argument he used shewed in what sense he intended his words to be taken: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” My Father continues all his works of providence on the Sabbath-days, as well as on any other day: and I, by reason of my relation to him, possess the same right, and am free therefore from all imputation of blame in exercising it. This, I say, is the force of our Saviour’s words; and if they be not so understood, they afford no vindication of himself whatever: and]

The Jews were right in their interpretation of them—
[They marked the emphatic manner in which Jesus had claimed that high and peculiar relation to the Father [Note: Ἵδιον Πατέρα, his own, in the most appropriate sense.]: they marked also the force of the argument founded on that relation: and they justly said, that he did arrogate to himself equality with God.

But they were wrong, exceeding wrong, in so hastily judging him a blasphemer. They, if they could not believe his words, had a vast abundance of works from which to judge, and which bore ample testimony to the truth of his assertions [Note: John 10:37.]. In their hasty judgment, then, they were wrong; but in their interpretation of his words they were right: for our blessed Lord, instead of correcting their views as erroneous, confirmed them all as just and true. He proceeded to declare, that neither his Father nor himself acted apart from the other: that, on the contrary, there was a perfect unity of mind, and will, and purpose, and operation between them; nothing being done by the Father, but it was done by the Son likewise; that all men might honour the Son even as they honoured the Father; and that, in fact, they who did not thus honour the Son did not truly honour the Father who had sent him [Note: ver. 19–23.]

From hence we may see,

II.

What construction we must put upon them—

If the Jews were right in their construction of our Lord’s assertion, then we must regard his words,

1. As an avowal of his own proper divinity—

[When, on another occasion, our Lord had said, “I and my Father are one, the Jews took up stones to stone him;” and when our Lord said, “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of them do ye stone me? they answered, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God [Note: John 10:30.].” And truly, if he was not God, they were correct in their judgment. For what should we say if Moses or St. Paul had used such language, and founded on their relation to the Deity a right, a personal right, to supersede the laws which God himself had instituted? should we not have accounted them guilty of blasphemy? Then so was Christ, if he was no more than man. But, in fact, he spoke only what all the prophets had long since declared concerning him. “He, though a child born, and a son given, was the Mighty God [Note: Isaiah 9:6.];” “Jehovah’s fellow [Note: Zechariah 13:7.],” “Jehovah our Righteousness [Note: Jeremiah 23:6.].” And to the same effect all his holy Apostles also testify respecting him. Did the Father create, and does he also uphold, the world? This is true of the Son likewise; as St. Paul expressly asserts: “For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist [Note: Colossians 1:16.].” Again it is said, that “God hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things; by whom also he hath made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, upholdeth all things by the word of his power [Note: Hebrews 1:1; Hebrews 1:3.].” What a confirmation is here of those words of our Lord, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work!” What a confirmation, too, of the construction put upon them by the Jews, “that he made himself equal with God [Note: ver. 19. ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ, He doth the same things in the same manner.]!” Yes, truly, “being in the form of God, even in his incarnate state he thought it not robbery to be equal with God [Note: Philippians 2:6.]:” and the very words which were used by him on this occasion must be considered as an open avowal, on his part, that he was “God manifest in the flesh [Note: 1 Timothy 3:16.],” even “God over all, blessed for evermore [Note: Romans 9:5.].”]

2. As a warrant to us to rely upon him for all that we stand in need of—

“In him,” as we have said, “dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily [Note: Colossians 2:9.].” “In him, too, as Mediator, there is all fulness treasured up [Note: Colossians 1:19.],” that “out of his fulness all his people should receive [Note: John 1:16.].” He is constituted “Head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all [Note: Ephesians 1:22.].” Let us only see what he did, when on earth, to the bodies of men: that he now doeth to their souls — — — Yes, pardon, and peace, and holiness, and glory, would he at this instant confer on us, if we would but seek them at his hands [Note: See Mark 2:5.Revelation 21:17; Luke 23:42.]. Was he incessant in his labours, rendering even the Sabbath-day subservient to his great work? So will he now impart to our souls continually, and to the full extent of our necessities: and not only will he not intermit his labours on the Sabbath-day, but he will rather pursue them with redoubled energy on that holy day, sanctifying, rather than profaning, it by that blessed employment. In all this he will shew himself equal with the Father. He has said “Ye believe in God; believe also in me [Note: John 14:1.].” And “every soul that believeth in him shall most assuredly be justified from all things [Note: Acts 13:39.],” and “be saved by him with an everlasting salvation [Note: Isaiah 45:17.].”]

From hence then learn,
1.

To dismiss prejudice from your minds—

[The Jews were blinded by prejudice, and therefore could see nothing in the miracles of our Lord to justify their affiance in him. Had they been candid, and open to conviction, what blessings might they not have enjoyed! But they turned his every word and work into an occasion of offence, and augmented their own eternal condemnation by the very means used for their salvation. And thus it is that prejudice works at this day. Multitudes are so offended at something which they account wrong, that they have neither eyes nor ears for those things which are of the greatest possible importance to their souls. A departure from some outward observance, which they venerate, shall swallow up all the best qualities that the holiest of men can possess, all the best actions that he can perform, and all the best instructions he can give. Only think, my beloved brethren, what the Jews lost on this occasion; and how different their condition now is, in the eternal world, from what it might have been if they had obeyed the counsels of our Lord; and you will see, that the advice I now give you is worthy of your deepest attention — — —]

2. To exercise a simple faith in Christ—

[In the days of his flesh, he inquired of persons who solicited his help, whether they believed him able to confer on them the desired boon: and so he now says to every one amongst you, “According to your faith be it unto you.” O what would he not do for us, if only we would call upon him? Verily, if every one of us could flock around him, importuning mercy for our souls, “virtue at this very instant should go forth from him, to heal us all.” Think you, brethren, that he is less able or less willing now to hear us, than he was in the days of his flesh? No, indeed: even “a touch of the hem of his garment” should be sufficient for the effecting all that our necessities require.]