John 5:1

The present chapter contains the first of those wonderful discourses of our Lord recorded by John, in which he sets forth his divine nature and office in his twofold relation to God and man. For the clearer understanding of his words, the reader should notice the following things: First, God is his Father and he is the Son of God in such a high and incommunicable sense, that he is equal with the Father in nature, verse John 5:18; enjoys his perfect love and knows all his counsels, verse John 5:20; performs all the works that his Father performs, verse John 5:19-21; has life in himself as the Father has it, and gives it to whom he will, verses John 5:21; John 5:26; claims equal honor with the Father, verse John 5:23; raises the dead and judges them, verses John 5:21-22; John 5:24-29. Secondly, as the Son of God on earth, he always acts in subordination to the will of the Father. He has not come of himself, but the Father has sent him, verse John 5:23, etc.; the Father has appointed to him the works that he shall do, verses John 5:20; John 5:22; John 5:26, etc.; he can do nothing of himself, but must always act in accordance with the Father's will, verses John 5:19; John 5:30; the Father who sent him bears witness to him by the works that he has given him to do, verse John 5:36; and by the scriptures of the Old Testament, verses John 5:39; John 5:45-47. Thirdly, it is as the Son of man-the Word made flesh-that he not only redeems, but judges men, verse John 5:27. Equality with the Father in nature, subordination to the Father in office, union with human nature in the work of redeeming and judging men, and in all these perfect union with the Father in counsel and will: these are the great doctrines that run through the present and similar following discourses.