Joh 5:21 | KingComments | STEP | Precisely His perfect unity with His Father, precisely His being equal with God, means that the Lord Jesus as the Son can do nothing unless He sees the Father doing something. He doesn’t do anything independent of the Father because He is completely one with the Father. He acts from the perfect unity with the Father. It is the proof of His unlimited Godhead and not of subordination, let alone incompetence. The fact that He cannot do anything without seeing the Father doing something means that there can in no way be a will separate from the will of the Father. The perfect unity in works is shown not only by the fact that the Son does what the Father does, but also by the fact that He does it in the same manner. What perfect fellowship with the Father and what personal glory of the Son radiate from these words! The Son’s action in perfect unity with the Father finds its basis in the Father’s love for the Son. Earlier John the evangelist testified of the Father’s love for the Son ( ). Now we hear the Son Himself say it. Nothing is hidden in that love, but everything is perfectly transparent. That the Son’s actions are so perfectly in accordance with the will of the Father is because the Father shows the Son everything He Himself does. If we may see a distinction between the three Divine Persons, we can say that the Father makes the plans, that the Son carries them out, and that the Son does so by the power of the Holy Spirit. Although there is nothing the Father does that the Son does not know, we see here that the Father shows the Son what He does. This is a presentation of matters that makes us understand slightly the relationships in the Godhead, although its inner being will always remain unfathomable to us creatures. This does not prevent faith from accepting these things, but is precisely a reason to worship the Father and the Son. The Father’s love for the Son will lead the Father to show the Son greater works than the healing of the lame man. The healing of the lame man is done by the Son because the Father has shown Him that. The greater work is to raise the dead and make them alive. One of those greater works we see in the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11. What the Jews will see of this will lead them to marvel, but not to faith. Only the Father can raise the dead and give them life as well as the Son, because the Son is God. He is God the Son. Please note that this does not mean that the Father through the Son, as an instrument, gives life. No, the Son Himself does that. The Son is the Giver of life and gives life according to His sovereign will, whereby His will is in full harmony with the will of the Father. That He has a sovereign will is further proof that He is God. Raising the dead and giving them life are two different aspects of the same event. To be raised is about a change in our position. We change territory. When Christ was raised from the dead, He also entered a different realm. He no longer had to deal with the domain with which He had to deal with before His death and resurrection, but with the world of the resurrection, the world of the Father. Giving life is about a change in our condition. We were dead and have received new life. The latter is especially the work the Son did for us when we came to faith in Him.

‏ John 5:21

The Works of the Father and the Son

Precisely His perfect unity with His Father, precisely His being equal with God, means that the Lord Jesus as the Son can do nothing unless He sees the Father doing something. He doesn’t do anything independent of the Father because He is completely one with the Father. He acts from the perfect unity with the Father. It is the proof of His unlimited Godhead and not of subordination, let alone incompetence.

The fact that He cannot do anything without seeing the Father doing something means that there can in no way be a will separate from the will of the Father. The perfect unity in works is shown not only by the fact that the Son does what the Father does, but also by the fact that He does it in the same manner. What perfect fellowship with the Father and what personal glory of the Son radiate from these words!

The Son’s action in perfect unity with the Father finds its basis in the Father’s love for the Son. Earlier John the evangelist testified of the Father’s love for the Son (Jn 3:35). Now we hear the Son Himself say it. Nothing is hidden in that love, but everything is perfectly transparent. That the Son’s actions are so perfectly in accordance with the will of the Father is because the Father shows the Son everything He Himself does.

If we may see a distinction between the three Divine Persons, we can say that the Father makes the plans, that the Son carries them out, and that the Son does so by the power of the Holy Spirit. Although there is nothing the Father does that the Son does not know, we see here that the Father shows the Son what He does. This is a presentation of matters that makes us understand slightly the relationships in the Godhead, although its inner being will always remain unfathomable to us creatures. This does not prevent faith from accepting these things, but is precisely a reason to worship the Father and the Son.

The Father’s love for the Son will lead the Father to show the Son greater works than the healing of the lame man. The healing of the lame man is done by the Son because the Father has shown Him that. The greater work is to raise the dead and make them alive. One of those greater works we see in the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11. What the Jews will see of this will lead them to marvel, but not to faith.

Only the Father can raise the dead and give them life as well as the Son, because the Son is God. He is God the Son. Please note that this does not mean that the Father through the Son, as an instrument, gives life. No, the Son Himself does that. The Son is the Giver of life and gives life according to His sovereign will, whereby His will is in full harmony with the will of the Father. That He has a sovereign will is further proof that He is God.

Raising the dead and giving them life are two different aspects of the same event. To be raised is about a change in our position. We change territory. When Christ was raised from the dead, He also entered a different realm. He no longer had to deal with the domain with which He had to deal with before His death and resurrection, but with the world of the resurrection, the world of the Father. Giving life is about a change in our condition. We were dead and have received new life. The latter is especially the work the Son did for us when we came to faith in Him.