PRELUDE
Jesus tells an ill man to pick up his mat and walk on the Sabbath. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
THE FATHER SENDS THE SON
SCRIPTURE JOHN 5:19-30
the work of the son.
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voices and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.t “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
REFLECTION
The work of the Father is the work of His Son. Jesus again acknowledges He is the Son of God, the one God sent, the long awaited Messiah. We sometimes think we have to wait a long time in anticipation, how about the Jews waiting centuries? God will not disappoint. Be patient.
Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own. If we are truly sons and daughters of God and we are, do we always do God’s will or do we go it alone? Do we follow Jesus along the Way or go our way?
Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation. That certainly is laying it on the line for us. Our choice, Life with Jesus. Death without Jesus.
SCRIPTURE JOHN 5:31-47
witnesses to jesus.
“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.
I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
MOSES TESTIFIES TO JESUS
REFLECTION
The five books of Moses are liberally sprinkled with symbolic references to Jesus. Some of the most famous are the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22), the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12), the Bread from Heaven (Exodus 16) the Smitten Rock (Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-12), the Bronze Snake (Numbers 21:4-9) But perhaps the clearest is from Deut.18:17-19, where the prophet like Moses is promised.
And the LORD said to me, what they have said is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command. Anyone who will not listen to my words which the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will hold accountable for it. Deut.18:17-19
Jesus tells the Jews, the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.
John the Baptist, a contemporary prophet with Jesus, testified to the truth, Behold the Lamb of God! Jesus one ups John the Baptist by testifying on His own behalf by doing the works of the Father and they still reject Him. You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. Do we want to have life? Cling to Jesus!