June 23, 2026 • 13 mins
They tried to kill Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, but the real flashpoint was what He said next: God is His Father, and His work is the Father’s work. We open John 5:18–29 and follow Jesus into His first public debate with the rabbinical Jews, where He doesn’t soften the claim, He explains it. When Jesus says the Son does only what He sees the Father doing, we talk about what that reveals about the Trinity: unity in purpose, distinction in role, and a relationship so close the Father holds nothing back from the Son.
From there, the passage turns startlingly direct. Jesus claims authority to give life and to raise the dead, and He adds something even more weighty: the Father gives all judgment to the Son so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. We unpack why that means you can’t separate “belief in God” from what you do with Jesus, and why rejecting the Son is, by Jesus’ own words, rejecting the Father’s mission and message.
Finally, we sit with Jesus’ promise that eternal life starts now for the one who hears and believes, and we trace His timeline of an hour that “is now here” and an hour that is still coming. We connect His “Son of Man” language to Daniel 7, and we look at the two outcomes Jesus puts side by side: the resurrection of life and the resurrection of judgment. If you’ve ever wondered how the Gospel of John ties faith, assurance, resurrection, and final accountability together, this is one of the clearest places to start.
Subscribe for the next part, share this with a friend studying John, and leave a review with your biggest question from John 5.
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
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SPEAKER_00 (00:16):
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today again we are in Johnchapter 5, and we had just read
about how Jesus healed the lameman at the pool of Bethesda, and
he had done it on the Sabbath.
(00:37):
Today we pick up in verse 18,which reads This is why the Jews
were seeking all the more tokill him, because not only was
he breaking the Sabbath, but hewas even calling God his own
father, making himself equalwith God.
(00:57):
In verse 18, it really gives usan introduction for these next
two podcasts.
Jesus is about to go into hisfirst open debate with the
rabbinical Jews.
Not only had Jesus begun toimpose on the Jewish leaders
because he was becoming morepopular, and his teachings were
(01:21):
done outside of the traditionalrabbinical order and oral laws
of the day, but now Jesus isopenly defying the laws of the
Sabbath right there in Jerusalemin front of the Jewish leaders.
Furthermore, he's claiming to beequal with God the Father.
(01:42):
In the eyes of these Jewishleaders, this is blasphemy of
the highest order.
It deserved the death penalty.
And so we pick up in verse 19,where Jesus begins his first
open debate.
So Jesus said to them, Truly,truly I say to you, the Son can
(02:03):
do nothing of his own accord,but only what he sees the Father
doing.
For whatever the Father does,that the Son does likewise.
For the Father loves the Son andshows him all that he himself is
doing, and greater works thanthese he will show him, so that
you may marvel.
(02:25):
In our first two verses, versesnineteen and twenty today, Jesus
begins with a truly, trulystatement.
He says the Son can do nothingof his own accord, but only what
he sees the Father doing.
Jesus begins to describe hisrelationship with Father God.
(02:47):
And in this we learn two thingsabout the relationship of the
Holy Trinity.
While the Father and the Son areboth God, they have different
roles inside the Trinity.
First, the Son's relationship isso intimate with the Father that
he does nothing of his ownaccord.
(03:07):
He is always working with theFather perfectly.
He subjects himself to the willof the Father, and the two of
them are working togetherperfectly.
Second, the Son does whateverthe Father does, and in the same
way the Father does it.
Jesus says that he is able to dothe same things the Father does,
(03:31):
essentially mimicking theFather.
And by saying this, Jesus makeshimself equal with the Father.
Then Jesus says, For the Fatherloves the Son, and he shows him
all that he's doing.
Jesus continues to describe thisrelationship between the Father
and the Son, and how the Fatherdoesn't withhold anything from
(03:53):
the Son, but shows himeverything that he's doing.
And then Jesus says a statementhe's going to expound on in the
next few verses.
He says Greater works than thesehe will show you, so that you
may marvel.
Well, we know both that Jesushad many more miracles to come
(04:14):
while here on earth, but Jesusis also alluding to his power to
raise the dead.
So let's read verses twenty onethrough twenty three.
For as the Father raises thedead and gives them life, so
also the Son gives life to whomhe will.
For the Father judges no one,but has given all judgment to
(04:39):
the Son, that all may honor theSon, just as they honor the
Father.
Whoever does not honor the Sondoes not honor the Father who
sent him.
In verses twenty one throughtwenty three, Jesus begins with
an incredibly shocking statementto everyone who heard it.
(05:01):
Jesus claims he has theauthority to raise people from
the dead, which is exclusivelyan activity and power of God.
Then Jesus says, The Fatherjudges no one but has given
judgment to the Son.
This again is a shockingstatement to everyone around
(05:22):
him.
Judgment of the living and thedead is exclusively the
authority and domain of God.
Jesus says here that the Fatherhas given him the authority to
judge.
Jesus' statement teaches us thathe now has all authority to
(05:43):
judge both the living and thedead.
Jesus will be the judge and isthe judge of every person.
And Jesus says, whoever does nothonor the Son does not honor the
Father.
Our Lord Jesus makes it veryclear that the mission of Father
(06:04):
God is through the Son of God.
The work of Father God is donethrough the Son of God.
If someone does not honor thework of the Son of God, Jesus
the Christ, they do not honorthe mission nor the message of
(06:24):
the Father.
Picking up in verse twenty four,Jesus continues.
Truly, truly I say to you,whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me haseternal life.
He does not come into judgment,but has passed from death to
life.
(06:45):
Truly, truly I say to you, anhour is coming, and is now here,
when the dead will hear thevoice of the Son of God, and
those who hear will live.
For as the Father has life inhimself, so he has granted the
Son also to have life inhimself, and he has given him
(07:08):
authority to execute judgment,because he is the Son of Man.
Do not marvel at this, for anhour is coming when all who are
in their tombs will hear hisvoice, and come out those who
have done good to theresurrection of life, and those
(07:29):
who have done evil to theresurrection of judgment.
In verse twenty four we readanother truly truly statement
from Jesus.
He says, Whoever hears my wordand believes who sent me has
eternal life.
It's very clear from what Jesussays that eternal life begins
(07:52):
the moment that a person repentsof their sin and places their
faith in the Messiah.
Eternal life is both a now andcoming event.
Eternal life begins with ourspirit being made new, but one
day will be an eternal glorifiedbody that will be raised from
(08:13):
the dead and live with God in anew heavens and a new earth.
Jesus says the hour is coming,but is now here.
Jesus is teaching that throughhis voice, that through the Son
of God, people have eternallife, both spiritually and
physically.
(08:35):
It is the message about Jesusthe Messiah that has the power
of God unto salvation.
Furthermore, Jesus is sayingthat it is he that has the power
to raise the dead.
Jesus showed this physicallywhile he was here on earth.
Jesus raised four people fromthe dead while he was here in
(08:56):
his ministry.
He raised the widow's son in thevillage of Nain.
He raised the twelve year olddaughter of Jarius.
He raised Lazarus, the brotherof Martha and Mary, and he was
raised from the dead himself.
But Jesus also says there's anhour that is coming.
(09:17):
Jesus refers to the resurrectionof the dead at the end time when
he will literally and physicallybring to life all men and women,
both believer and unbeliever.
While the hour is here now, tobe born again, to receive
eternal life through the messageabout Jesus Christ, an hour is
(09:41):
coming when Jesus will join ourborn again spirits to born new
physical bodies resurrected andglorified at his second coming.
Jesus says that the Father hasgiven him authority to execute
judgment because he's the Son ofMan.
(10:01):
As Jesus is making thisdeclaration to the rabbinical
Jews, he is declaring himself tobe the Son of Man from Daniel
chapter seven, verses thirteenand fourteen.
And Jesus says there is an hourcoming when everyone in their
grave will hear his voice, andthey will come out.
(10:25):
Jesus says those who have donegood to the resurrection of
life.
Doing good here is speaking offaith in Jesus.
We know that under the law noone is good.
There's not one, no one isrighteous.
But as Jesus so clearly pointedout to these Jewish leaders,
(10:48):
it's not through a knowledge ofour scripture and the law that
we have eternal life, but it isthrough faith in him.
Faith in the Messiah Jesus.
Jesus tells us this is theresurrection of life.
The resurrection of life is thefirst resurrection.
(11:09):
And for most believers this willhappen at the second coming of
Jesus Christ when he comes inthe clouds.
As the apostle Paul says, wewill be taken up in the
twinkling of an eye to meet him.
But those who have done evilwill be resurrected to judgment.
(11:30):
The resurrection of judgment isknown as the second
resurrection, or the great whitethrone judgment.
Unbelievers will be resurrectedand judged according to their
works, and all men who arejudged according to what they
have done will be found wantingand evil in the eyes of a holy
(11:54):
and good God, and they will becast into the lake of fire.
What a beautiful contrast Jesusgives between the two
resurrections right here.
Those who believe in Jesus asthe Messiah will be resurrected
to life.
There will be no judgment uponthem.
(12:16):
But those who refuse the Son,who reject the Messiah, will be
resurrected unto judgment.
I pray that today, as you listento this, your faith is in Jesus
the Christ.
Thank you for joining me forthis first half of Jesus'
Declaration to the RabbinicalJews.
(12:38):
And join me next week as Jesusconcludes this first and great
declaration to the rabbis andJewish people.
God bless you this week.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today again we are in Johnchapter 5, and we had just read
about how Jesus healed the lameman at the pool of Bethesda, and
he had done it on the Sabbath.
(00:37):
Today we pick up in verse 18,which reads This is why the Jews
were seeking all the more tokill him, because not only was
he breaking the Sabbath, but hewas even calling God his own
father, making himself equalwith God.
(00:57):
In verse 18, it really gives usan introduction for these next
two podcasts.
Jesus is about to go into hisfirst open debate with the
rabbinical Jews.
Not only had Jesus begun toimpose on the Jewish leaders
because he was becoming morepopular, and his teachings were
(01:21):
done outside of the traditionalrabbinical order and oral laws
of the day, but now Jesus isopenly defying the laws of the
Sabbath right there in Jerusalemin front of the Jewish leaders.
Furthermore, he's claiming to beequal with God the Father.
(01:42):
In the eyes of these Jewishleaders, this is blasphemy of
the highest order.
It deserved the death penalty.
And so we pick up in verse 19,where Jesus begins his first
open debate.
So Jesus said to them, Truly,truly I say to you, the Son can
(02:03):
do nothing of his own accord,but only what he sees the Father
doing.
For whatever the Father does,that the Son does likewise.
For the Father loves the Son andshows him all that he himself is
doing, and greater works thanthese he will show him, so that
you may marvel.
(02:25):
In our first two verses, versesnineteen and twenty today, Jesus
begins with a truly, trulystatement.
He says the Son can do nothingof his own accord, but only what
he sees the Father doing.
Jesus begins to describe hisrelationship with Father God.
(02:47):
And in this we learn two thingsabout the relationship of the
Holy Trinity.
While the Father and the Son areboth God, they have different
roles inside the Trinity.
First, the Son's relationship isso intimate with the Father that
he does nothing of his ownaccord.
(03:07):
He is always working with theFather perfectly.
He subjects himself to the willof the Father, and the two of
them are working togetherperfectly.
Second, the Son does whateverthe Father does, and in the same
way the Father does it.
Jesus says that he is able to dothe same things the Father does,
(03:31):
essentially mimicking theFather.
And by saying this, Jesus makeshimself equal with the Father.
Then Jesus says, For the Fatherloves the Son, and he shows him
all that he's doing.
Jesus continues to describe thisrelationship between the Father
and the Son, and how the Fatherdoesn't withhold anything from
(03:53):
the Son, but shows himeverything that he's doing.
And then Jesus says a statementhe's going to expound on in the
next few verses.
He says Greater works than thesehe will show you, so that you
may marvel.
Well, we know both that Jesushad many more miracles to come
(04:14):
while here on earth, but Jesusis also alluding to his power to
raise the dead.
So let's read verses twenty onethrough twenty three.
For as the Father raises thedead and gives them life, so
also the Son gives life to whomhe will.
For the Father judges no one,but has given all judgment to
(04:39):
the Son, that all may honor theSon, just as they honor the
Father.
Whoever does not honor the Sondoes not honor the Father who
sent him.
In verses twenty one throughtwenty three, Jesus begins with
an incredibly shocking statementto everyone who heard it.
(05:01):
Jesus claims he has theauthority to raise people from
the dead, which is exclusivelyan activity and power of God.
Then Jesus says, The Fatherjudges no one but has given
judgment to the Son.
This again is a shockingstatement to everyone around
(05:22):
him.
Judgment of the living and thedead is exclusively the
authority and domain of God.
Jesus says here that the Fatherhas given him the authority to
judge.
Jesus' statement teaches us thathe now has all authority to
(05:43):
judge both the living and thedead.
Jesus will be the judge and isthe judge of every person.
And Jesus says, whoever does nothonor the Son does not honor the
Father.
Our Lord Jesus makes it veryclear that the mission of Father
(06:04):
God is through the Son of God.
The work of Father God is donethrough the Son of God.
If someone does not honor thework of the Son of God, Jesus
the Christ, they do not honorthe mission nor the message of
(06:24):
the Father.
Picking up in verse twenty four,Jesus continues.
Truly, truly I say to you,whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me haseternal life.
He does not come into judgment,but has passed from death to
life.
(06:45):
Truly, truly I say to you, anhour is coming, and is now here,
when the dead will hear thevoice of the Son of God, and
those who hear will live.
For as the Father has life inhimself, so he has granted the
Son also to have life inhimself, and he has given him
(07:08):
authority to execute judgment,because he is the Son of Man.
Do not marvel at this, for anhour is coming when all who are
in their tombs will hear hisvoice, and come out those who
have done good to theresurrection of life, and those
(07:29):
who have done evil to theresurrection of judgment.
In verse twenty four we readanother truly truly statement
from Jesus.
He says, Whoever hears my wordand believes who sent me has
eternal life.
It's very clear from what Jesussays that eternal life begins
(07:52):
the moment that a person repentsof their sin and places their
faith in the Messiah.
Eternal life is both a now andcoming event.
Eternal life begins with ourspirit being made new, but one
day will be an eternal glorifiedbody that will be raised from
(08:13):
the dead and live with God in anew heavens and a new earth.
Jesus says the hour is coming,but is now here.
Jesus is teaching that throughhis voice, that through the Son
of God, people have eternallife, both spiritually and
physically.
(08:35):
It is the message about Jesusthe Messiah that has the power
of God unto salvation.
Furthermore, Jesus is sayingthat it is he that has the power
to raise the dead.
Jesus showed this physicallywhile he was here on earth.
Jesus raised four people fromthe dead while he was here in
(08:56):
his ministry.
He raised the widow's son in thevillage of Nain.
He raised the twelve year olddaughter of Jarius.
He raised Lazarus, the brotherof Martha and Mary, and he was
raised from the dead himself.
But Jesus also says there's anhour that is coming.
(09:17):
Jesus refers to the resurrectionof the dead at the end time when
he will literally and physicallybring to life all men and women,
both believer and unbeliever.
While the hour is here now, tobe born again, to receive
eternal life through the messageabout Jesus Christ, an hour is
(09:41):
coming when Jesus will join ourborn again spirits to born new
physical bodies resurrected andglorified at his second coming.
Jesus says that the Father hasgiven him authority to execute
judgment because he's the Son ofMan.
(10:01):
As Jesus is making thisdeclaration to the rabbinical
Jews, he is declaring himself tobe the Son of Man from Daniel
chapter seven, verses thirteenand fourteen.
And Jesus says there is an hourcoming when everyone in their
grave will hear his voice, andthey will come out.
(10:25):
Jesus says those who have donegood to the resurrection of
life.
Doing good here is speaking offaith in Jesus.
We know that under the law noone is good.
There's not one, no one isrighteous.
But as Jesus so clearly pointedout to these Jewish leaders,
(10:48):
it's not through a knowledge ofour scripture and the law that
we have eternal life, but it isthrough faith in him.
Faith in the Messiah Jesus.
Jesus tells us this is theresurrection of life.
The resurrection of life is thefirst resurrection.
(11:09):
And for most believers this willhappen at the second coming of
Jesus Christ when he comes inthe clouds.
As the apostle Paul says, wewill be taken up in the
twinkling of an eye to meet him.
But those who have done evilwill be resurrected to judgment.
(11:30):
The resurrection of judgment isknown as the second
resurrection, or the great whitethrone judgment.
Unbelievers will be resurrectedand judged according to their
works, and all men who arejudged according to what they
have done will be found wantingand evil in the eyes of a holy
(11:54):
and good God, and they will becast into the lake of fire.
What a beautiful contrast Jesusgives between the two
resurrections right here.
Those who believe in Jesus asthe Messiah will be resurrected
to life.
There will be no judgment uponthem.
(12:16):
But those who refuse the Son,who reject the Messiah, will be
resurrected unto judgment.
I pray that today, as you listento this, your faith is in Jesus
the Christ.
Thank you for joining me forthis first half of Jesus'
Declaration to the RabbinicalJews.
(12:38):
And join me next week as Jesusconcludes this first and great
declaration to the rabbis andJewish people.
God bless you this week.
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