Revealing the Father
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And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can 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 and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 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. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an 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 as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
and PRAY…
and PRAY…
Revealing the Father
Revealing the Father
Most of you know that one of my hobbies is remodeling my home. At this point, the only rooms we have not really done work in are the 3 bedrooms upstairs and the pantry downstairs. Every other room in our house has had some kind of major project done to it, from new paint scheme to new flooring to an almost complete kitchen overhaul. This is the 3rd house we have owned over the course of our marriage. And, believe it or not, it is the one that needed the least amount of work.
In redoing houses, I have learned many lessons. But one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to take my time on the parts of the project that will never be seen. Let me explain. We just put down a new floor in our dining/living room. But before we put down the new floor, we had to tear out the old, fix whatever problems we found under the old, and put down a new underlayment. None of that work will be seen until the floor is torn out again. But if I didn’t spend the time to do those things properly, I would just have more trouble as I laid the new floor. And even more trouble after years of walking on it. I could do the finish work perfectly, but if the underpinnings are wrong, it will still look bad. You see, the finish work will reveal what is underneath.
In the passage I read a few moments ago, we see that Jesus says that everything He does is directly related to His Father. In other words, Jesus’ work reveals His Father. Just like finish work in home remodeling reveals the quality of the preparation, Jesus reveals His Father. And we are going to see 3 works of Jesus, that when completed, reveal His Father.
I am returning to this series in the Gospel of John after a month-long break. I preached a message of comfort after Paulanne went home, then Steve Melvin preached for the Care & Share In-gathering, then my dad, Arne, preached while I took a vacation for a couple of weeks. So, it has been a full month since I last preached from the Gospel of John. The whole book is written to show us Jesus. Specifically,
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
So, every passage, every verse, should tell us more about Jesus so that we can believe in Him and by believing, we can have life. When I last preached from this book, we looked at the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda that happened on the Sabbath, and saw the beginnings of the opposition to Jesus. I re-read verses 16-18 to help us recall that opposition. Now, in verses 19-30 we will see 3 works of Jesus, that when completed, reveal His Father.
Revealing the Father
Revealing the Father
So, every passage, every verse, should tell us more about Jesus so that we can believe in Him and by believing, we can have life. When I last preached from this book, we looked at the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda that happened on the Sabbath, and saw the beginnings of the opposition to Jesus. I re-read verses 16-18 to help us recall that opposition. Now, in verses 19-30 we will see 3 works of Jesus, that when completed, reveal His Father.
The first work of Jesus that reveals the Father is joining.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can 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 and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
1. Join the Father
1. Join the Father
1. Join the Father
1. Join the Father
1.1. Jesus says that everything He does is because He sees the Father doing it. Then Jesus says that the Father makes sure the Son knows what to do because of love. But the works that have been seen up to this point in Jesus life are not the greatest works. They are still to come. Yet, the whole reason Jesus is doing any works at all is because the Father loves Him and has shown Him what to do.
1.2. Now, we will not know the Father the way Jesus does, however, I believe the Father works with, in, and through us in a similar way. He loves us, and He shows us what He is doing. In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby wrote that we should look to see where God is working and join Him in that work. The point is simply this. The Father loves us and wants us to join Him in His work. We must open our eyes and look for where He is working so that we can join Him. Similarly, if we don’t see the Father at work in a situation, we need to ask if this is something the Father wants us to do at this time. The context of this passage flows from the healing of the 1 man at the pool of Bethesda. There were many more people at that pool who wanted to be healed, yet Jesus only healed the 1. Based on what we see here in verses 19-20, the Father was already at work on that 1 man. Jesus joined Him in that work and the man was healed. Do you see? There was absolutely nothing wrong with healing every person at that pool, but Jesus could only heal the 1 the Father had showed Him. There are many ministries we can be involved in. And most of them are probably good. But if the Father is not there first, we are expending tremendous effort for what? In this passage, in context, we see that we need to be like Jesus. We must know that the Father loves us and will show us where He is already working so we can join Him there. The first work of Jesus is joining our loving Father. The 2nd work of Jesus that reveals the Father is granting life from judgement.
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 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. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
2. LIFE from judgement
. LIFE from judgement
2. LIFE from judgement
2. LIFE from judgement
2. LIFE from judgement
2.1. Just like the Father raises the dead. Notice that there is never a question of whether or not the Father does raise the dead. It is simply acknowledged as fact that God raises the dead. And just like that Jesus gives life to whom He will. You see, the Father has given Jesus the job of judging. And the criteria for the judging is whether or not they honor the Son.
2.2. But right in the middle of this section, at the end of verse 23, Jesus trashes many of the arguments of our time. He says, Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. How many times have you tried to talk to people about your faith and they say something like,
a) I have an agreement with the big guy upstairs. OR
b) I believe in God, just not all the other stuff. OR
c) I believe in God, but I don’t believe in religion.
2.3. Here’s the thing that Jesus says. You simply cannot truly believe in the God of the Bible if you reject His only Son, Jesus. If you will not honor Jesus, you cannot honor the Father. To those who say they believe in God and thing that is enough, I remind you of what James wrote.
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Jas 2:192.4. Then, Jesus says that anyone who hears His word and believes Him who sent Jesus has eternal life. They are spared from judgement and have passed from death to life. Every time I read verse 24 I am reminded of what Paul wrote
2.4. Then, Jesus says that anyone who hears His word and believes Him who sent Jesus has eternal life. They are spared from judgement and have passed from death to life. Every time I read verse 24 I am reminded of what Paul wrote
2.4. Then, Jesus says that anyone who hears His word and believes Him who sent Jesus has eternal life. They are spared from judgement and have passed from death to life. Every time I read verse 24 I am reminded of what Paul wrote
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
2.5. Rather than receiving the just punishment for our sin, we can have life. But remember, the judgement has already happened.
2.5. Rather than receiving the just punishment for our sin, we can have life. But remember, the judgement has already happened.
2.5. Rather than receiving the just punishment for our sin, we can have life. But remember, the judgement has already happened.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
2.6. Because of sin, we stand condemned already! But by believing in Jesus, not just that He was a man, not just that He was a great teacher, or a prophet. No, you must believe in Jesus the way the Bible speaks about Jesus. By believing in that Jesus, you are rescued from that condemnation, from that judgment and given life. This is what the mercy of God is all about. We don’t get what we deserve. Instead, we have passed from death to life. The 1st work of Jesus that reveals the Father is joining the Father’s work, the 2nd is giving life instead of judgement. And the 3rd is giving life instead of death.
2.6. Because of sin, we stand condemned already! But by believing in Jesus, not just that He was a man, not just that He was a great teacher, or a prophet. No, you must believe in Jesus the way the Bible speaks about Jesus. By believing in that Jesus, you are rescued from that condemnation, from that judgment and given life. This is what the mercy of God is all about. We don’t get what we deserve. Instead, we have passed from death to life. The 1st work of Jesus that reveals the Father is joining the Father’s work, the 2nd is giving life instead of judgement. And the 3rd is giving life instead of death.
2. LIFE from Judgement
2. LIFE from Judgement
2.6. Because of sin, we stand condemned already! But by believing in Jesus, not just that He was a man, not just that He was a great teacher, or a prophet. No, you must believe in Jesus the way the Bible speaks about Jesus. By believing in that Jesus, you are rescued from that condemnation, from that judgment and given life. This is what the mercy of God is all about. We don’t get what we deserve. Instead, we have passed from death to life. The 1st work of Jesus that reveals the Father is joining the Father’s work, the 2nd is giving life instead of judgement. And the 3rd is giving life instead of death.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an 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 as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
3. LIFE instead of death
3. LIFE instead of death
3. LIFE instead of death
3. LIFE instead of death
3.1. This flows very naturally from what Jesus said in verses 21-24 except now Jesus puts a current time on it. Verses 21-24 imply that it will happen someday. Verses 25-29 say it is already happening right now. The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. Jesus is saving those who are dead. Who are those who are dead? Those who are still stubbornly clinging to their sin! The Father has given the Son the power of life. The Father has given the Son the authority to judge. Those who listen to the Son will live, those who won’t, won’t.
3.2. Then Jesus gives us a glimpse into the future in verses 28-29. The day when the tombs will be open and all will stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Some will receive the resurrection of life. Some will receive the resurrection of judgement. But this is no arbitrary assignment. This is not some cosmic coin-toss to see which resurrection you will be part of. Jesus says those who have done good will receive life and those who have done evil will receive judgement. But just a few verses before we see that it is those who hear and believe in Jesus will pass from death to life. Here’s the thing,
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Our hearts are sick. Sick unto death. The only good in us is Christ! This is the whole point! How does this reveal the Father? There is none righteous, but Christ has imputed His righteousness to us! We are saved and given the resurrection of life because of Christ. Jesus saves. And by saving, He reveals His Father who longs that all should be saved. The 1st work of Jesus that reveals the Father is joining the Father’s work, the 2nd is giving life instead of judgement. And the 3rd is giving life instead of death.
3. LIFE instead of Death
Our hearts are sick. Sick unto death. The only good in us is Christ! This is the whole point! How does this reveal the Father? There is none righteous, but Christ has imputed His righteousness to us! We are saved and given the resurrection of life because of Christ. Jesus saves. And by saving, He reveals His Father who longs that all should be saved. The 1st work of Jesus that reveals the Father is joining the Father’s work, the 2nd is giving life instead of judgement. And the 3rd is giving life instead of death.
Revealing the Father
Revealing the Father
As I wrap up, remember, everything Jesus did and said ultimately pointed back to the Father. You see, Jesus came to earth to ensure His Father’s glory was revealed. The Father’s glory is revealed as Jesus joins in the work. The Father’s glory is revealed when Jesus gives life over judgement. And the Father’s glory is revealed when Jesus gives life over death. These are 3 ways Jesus revealed His Father to the world around Him. The question for us today is simply this, how are we revealing the Father to the world around us? We need to be looking for where the Father is already working and join Him in that work. We also need to let people know that our faith is not a bunch of rules that we must follow. We have been saved by Jesus when He gave us life instead of judgement, life instead of death. Do you see what I am saying? Jesus had given us an indescribable, incomparable gift! He has given us life when we deserve so much worse.
- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Once you have been saved, you can start looking for where the Father is at work. If He has saved you, He loves you and will show you where He is working. In fact, if He is drawing you towards Himself this morning, you already know a place where God is working. Won’t you let go of your own right to yourself and give your life to Jesus? He gave His life for you. Let today be the first day of eternal life instead of eternal judgement. Follow Jesus today and begin to be part of revealing the Father to a world that desperately needs His love.
Christian, often we allow our work to outshine God’s glory instead of working to reveal God’s glory. We need to start looking for where God is working so we can join Him. We must learn to live in an attitude of gratitude because we have been saved from judgement and death to eternal life. So many things of this earth will seem less important when we truly embrace the eternal nature of what Jesus has done for us. Will you commit today to living in the light of God’s marvelous grace provided?
Let’s PRAY…