John 5:17-30
The Voice
Jesus (to His attackers): 17 My Father is at work. So I, too, am working.
This issue keeps arising from the Jewish leaders. They do not appreciate the good things Jesus does on the Sabbath. Most Jews cower at the rebuke from these men, but Jesus does not. He is very clear about this. He cares for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized more than He cares for how some people may interpret and apply God’s law. It is easy to follow a set of rules; it is much harder to care for the things of the heart. He also makes it clear that those who follow His path are put on earth to serve. His followers’ service comes out of love for Him. All who follow Him are to love and to serve, especially on the Sabbath.
18 He was justifying the importance of His work on the Sabbath, claiming God as His Father in ways that suggested He was equal to God. These pious religious leaders sought an opportunity to kill Jesus, and these words fueled their hatred.
Jesus: 19 The truth is that the Son does nothing on His own; all these actions are led by the Father. The Son watches the Father closely and then mimics the work of the Father. 20 The Father loves the Son, so He does not hide His actions. Instead, He shows Him everything, and the things not yet revealed by the Father will dumbfound you. 21 The Father can give life to those who are dead; in the same way, the Son can give the gift of life to those He chooses.
22 The Father does not exert His power to judge anyone. Instead, He has given the authority as Judge to the Son. 23 So all of creation will honor and worship the Son as they do the Father. If you do not honor the Son, then you dishonor the Father who sent Him.
24 I tell you the truth: eternal life belongs to those who hear My voice and believe in the One who sent Me. These people have no reason to fear judgment because they have already left death and entered life.
25 I tell you the truth: a new day is imminent—in fact, it has arrived—when the voice of the Son of God will penetrate death’s domain, and everyone who hears will live. 26-27 You see, the Father radiates with life; and He also animates the Son of God with the same life-giving beauty and power to exercise judgment over all of creation. Indeed, the Son of God is also the Son of Man. 28 If this sounds amazing to you, what is even more amazing is that when the time comes, those buried long ago will hear His voice through all the rocks, sod, and soil 29 and step out of decay into resurrection. When this hour arrives, those who did good will be resurrected to life, and those who did evil will be resurrected to judgment.
30 I have not ever acted, and will not in the future act, on My own. I listen to the directions of the One who sent Me and act on these divine instructions. For this reason, My judgment is always fair and never self-serving. I’m committed to pursuing God’s agenda and not My own.
John 5:17-30
English Standard Version
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Jesus Is Equal with God
18 This was why the Jews (A)were seeking all the more to kill him, (B)because not only was he (C)breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God (D)his own Father, (E)making himself equal with God.
The Authority of the Son
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (F)the Son (G)can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[a] does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For (H)the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And (I)greater works than these will he show him, so that (J)you may marvel. 21 For as the Father (K)raises the dead and (L)gives them life, so (M)also the Son gives life (N)to whom he will. 22 (O)For the Father judges no one, but (P)has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they (Q)honor the Father. (R)Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, (S)whoever hears my word and (T)believes him who sent me has eternal life. He (U)does not come into judgment, but (V)has passed from death to life.
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, (W)an hour is coming, and is now here, when (X)the dead will hear (Y)the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear (Z)will live. 26 (AA)For as the Father has life in himself, (AB)so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he (AC)has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for (AD)an hour is coming when (AE)all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, (AF)those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Witnesses to Jesus
30 (AG)“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and (AH)my judgment is just, because (AI)I seek not my own will (AJ)but the will of him who sent me.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 5:19 Greek he
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
