John 5 provides us with insight into the relationship between the Son and the Father. It is strong on declaring Jesus to be very God Himself. Sometimes I have searched the Scripture looking for a verse where Jesus says, "I am God." In this chapter, we find something much more compelling.
Jesus claims to be God by saying that He does things in like manner to His Father (5:19), His Father shows all things to Him (v20), He has death-reversing power (21), He is judge as decreed by His Father (22), He is to receive equal honor as His Father (23), He brings conversion words (24), He speaks resurrecting words (25), He has self-existent life (26), and He is judge (27). Then there are witnesses to corroborate these claims - many witnesses - all sorts of witnesses. First, Jesus Himself (31), John the Baptist (33), Jesus's works (36), the Father (37), the Scriptures (39), and Moses (46).
One key to unlocking this chapter is the word "sent". In battle, when the commanding officer has a message to send to his troops, he sends a messenger. The one who receives the message considers it as if spoken by the commander himself. You see, the one sent speaks ever and only those things that the commander would want spoken. In God's case, Jesus ever and only speaks those things that He hears from His Father. Further He only does those things He sees the Father doing (5:19).
The beauty of this Father/Son relationship is that there is a one-to-one correspondence with what the Father says/does and what the Son says/does. The sent One is actually the present reality of the Sender's heart - of His will, plan, purpose and character. Often in this chapter we read the Father sent the Son (5:23, 24, 30, 36, 37, 38). With each reference, we are confronted with the complete identification of the Son with the Father. Truly as He says to Philip (14:9), "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."
"Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, . . ?"
