We’re picking up where we left off in the last post of Chapter 5.
Honoring the Father and the Son ~ Part 2
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be amazed. 21 And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to anyone He wants to. 22 The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son,
The Father does not judge anyone; rather, He has given judgment over to His Son (v. 27). Yet the Tanakh tells us that God will one day judge all humanity; and if it is the Father who entrusts judgment to the Son, then the Father does, after all, have a role in judgment as the delegator. From all this, it follows that the Son is included in what is meant by “God.” This is one of the many ways Yochanan addresses the mystery and paradox of Yeshua’s simultaneous humanity and divinity.
23 so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Whoever fails to honor the Son is not honoring the Father who sent Him. Compare Mathew 22:33–46, 1 John 2:23, which also teach against the idea that one can honor, worship, and believe in God without believing in Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of God.
Life and Judgment
24 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent me has eternal life—that is, he will not come up for judgment but has already crossed over from death to life! 25 Yes, indeed! I tell you that there is coming a time—in fact, it’s already here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will come to life.
Yeshua’s words are reminiscent of Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37).
26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has given the Son life to have in Himself. 27 Also He has given him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be surprised at this; because the time is coming when all who are in the grave will hear His voice 29 and come out – those who have done good to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I can’t do a thing on My own. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is right, because I don’t seek My own desire, but the desire of the one who sent Me.
Resurrection of life … resurrection of judgment. There are two kinds of deaths and resurrections; this is taught in the Tanakh at Daniel 12:2 and by Sha’ul at Romans 2:5–8. One is for those God considers righteous because they have done good. In light of 6:28–29 further on and Ephesians 2:8–10, this means they have trusted in Yeshua’s execution as atonement for their sin, been immersed in His death, risen to eternal life (Romans 6:3–11, 23), and been granted a share in the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:4–6). The other is for those who have done evil, who have not trusted in Yeshua; they are subject to the “second death” (Revelation 20:12–15).
After discounting His own witness (v. 31), Yeshua names five witnesses to who He is: Yochanan the Immerser (vv. 32–35), Yeshua’s works (v. 36), the Father (vv. 37–38), the Tanakh (v. 39) and Moshe (vv. 45–47).
31 “If I testify on My own behalf, My testimony is not valid. 32 But there is someone else testifying on My behalf, and I know that the testimony He is making is valid – 33 you have sent to Yochanan, and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I collect human testimony; rather, I say these things so that you might be saved. 35 He was a lamp burning and shining, and for a little while you were willing to bask in his light. 36 “But I have a testimony that is greater than Yochanan’s. For the things the Father has given Me to do, the very things I am doing now, testify on My behalf that the Father has sent Me. 37 “In addition, the Father who sent Me has Himself testified on My behalf. But you have never heard His voice or seen His shape;
The Father who sent Me has Himself testified on My behalf. Similarly, at 8:18, compare Jeremiah 29:23, “‘I am the one who knows, and I am witness,’ says Adonai.” But these Judeans cannot receive the Father’s witness because His word does not stay in them. This is due to their hard hearts that do not believe in God. A person who loves God would receive Yeshua. The main element of God’s witness is His Word, Scripture, the Tanakh. Yeshua invites those who do not have the Word staying in them to search the Scriptures, just as the Jews of Berea later did (Acts 17:11).
38 moreover, His word does not stay in you, because you don’t trust the one He sent. 39 You keep examining the Tanakh because you think that in it you have eternal life. Those very Scriptures bear witness to Me, 40 but you won’t come to Me in order to have life! 41 “I don’t collect praise from men, 42 but I do know you people – I know that you have no love for God in you! 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you don’t accept Me; if someone else comes in his own name, him you will accept. 44 How can you trust? You’re busy collecting praise from each other instead of seeking praise from God only. 45 “But don’t think that it is I who will be your accuser before the Father. Do you know who will accuse you? Moshe, the very one you have counted on! 46 For if you really believed Moshe, you would believe me; because it was about me that he wrote. 47 But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” [1]
Yeshua saves for last the argument which would be the most meaningful to His hearers: Moshe wrote of Yeshua (Luke 16:31, 24:44; Messianic Jews (Hebrews)11:26). Traditional Judaism denies this, but the early Messianic Jews often based their case for Yeshua’s Messiahship on passages of Scripture, including those written by Moshe, such as Genesis 49:10, Numbers 24:17 and Deuteronomy 18:15–18. Even within non-Messianic Judaism, all three are widely regarded as referring to the Messiah. Therefore, says Yeshua, it is not even necessary for Me to make a special accusation because Moshe has done it already: if you don’t believe Him, why would you believe Me? Compare Luke 16:31.
If you’re feeling spiritually stuck or unmotivated in your faith, use John 5:20-47 as inspiration. Consider designating a time for a personal retreat at home, whether it’s a day or a few hours dedicated to prayer, Biblical study, and meditation on Christ’s words. This focused time can rejuvenate your spirit and realign your priorities, helping you to clearly hear God’s voice in your life.
In our next post, we will continue to explore the Gospel of Yochanan.
My Heart Is For Israel 