Jesus Is God

Jesus speaks directly to the leaders and declares to them that He is God. He gives that testimony of His equality with God to begin this long section, and then He calls on witnesses to the truth of that witness from sources like John the Baptist, witness from His miracles, witness from God the Father, and witness from the Scripture.

The question of Who is Jesus Christ is the most important question each of us must answer.

That miracle Jesus purposely did on the Sabbath declared that He was Lord over creation. John, chapter 1, demonstrated that He was Lord over disease and demons in His miracles, and that He was Lord over the Temple, which He had attacked and assaulted in righteous anger. Now, Jesus declares that He is Lord of the Sabbath and that He has no interest in the Jewish traditions that have encumbered the Sabbath with bondage.

There was never any question in the minds of Jewish people that He said He was God. They got it. That’s what they said was His ultimate blasphemy.

Jesus is equal with God in works/actions.

John 5:17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

In verse 19, He stuns them again by saying, “Not only am I one with the Father in essence and nature, but I do exactly what the Father does. I do what the Father shows Me, I do what the Father wills for Me to do, and I cannot do anything other than that.” You are  indicting Me for what God desires and what God is doing. How far from God you are.

Jesus is equal with God in nature, or essence.

John 5:18 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.

Does God keep the Law?

Does He rest on the Sabbath?

Then how does the world keep going?

If God is not doing anything, every time Saturday comes around, the whole universe collapses. And I Myself am working. I work at the same level God does. God does not regard the Sabbath solely for legalistic purposes, and neither do I.

Jesus is equal with God in power and in sovereignty.

John 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, thus also the Son makes alive whomever He wishes.

When He later raises the dead, they still didn’t believe it. Jesus Christ has equal resurrection power with God. God not only raises the physically dead, He raises the spiritually dead.

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets 2 has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds. 3 He is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power. When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jesus is equal with God in judgment.

John 5:22 For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son.

It is hard for us to understand that God is The Judge and yet Christ does the judging, because we cannot begin to fully understand the internal workings of the Trinity. Jesus is claiming to be the Supreme Judge of all beings. John 3:18

The phrase in verse 18, has been judged already means that people are not “waiting” for judgment in the future. This is the illusion of religion, that you live your life and you do good, and you do good, and you do more good, and if the good outweighs the bad, God will accept you. Religion says, ‘God is keeping a record, and at the end He’ll make a judgment.’ No! God’s Word says we are judged already, based solely upon whether or not we trust Jesus.

We arrived in this world rejecting the Son and it continues to be the same verdict, until we believe. If we never believe, that verdict is set. The final judgment is just the execution.

Jesus is equal in honor with God.

John 5:23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.

Jesus claims equality of person, works, power, sovereignty, judgment and honor with God. This is a shocking, startling, blasphemous claim by an unrivaled madman, or else it is true. Just like the Jews, we must decide.

John 5:24 He that hears My Word and believes in Him that sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

That’s the gift for those who believe! They shall not come into judgment, but are passed from death unto life.