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 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.

The Authority of the Son

¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. ²² For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ 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. ²⁴ 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.

²⁵ “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. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, 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 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

John 5:17-30

To seek the will of God or even the goodwill of another is not a natural inclination. It is far easier to do our own thing, hold on to what we think we deserve, and to try and grasp what we think is ours. Jesus was about the Father’s business – always. Seeking the good of another is a supernatural act.

They claimed Jesus broke the sabbath, therefore, he deserved to be punished. They would rather destroy a man then allow the grace of God to be expressed on the sabbath to a poor invalid. They would rather keep their tight and neatly packaged rules then to let love be lavished in an expression of God’s goodness. This is just odd to me because aren’t healings and the miraculous the hand of God and the Lord chose to them to be expressed on the Sabbath day. It’s a strange thing to find yourself if direct opposition to the God of heaven and what He choses to do and think that makes sense for you to do so.

When law and grace seem to collide how do we respond?
Do we cling tight to what we think we know or do we allow for the grace of God to be expressed without opposition?

Father, I want to do what is right but sometimes I just think I know what is right. Forgive me for my arrogance and pride. Help me to be humble, trust You, and let You work grace freely without my need to label, contain, or define it. God would you come break into my neatly stacked boxes of comprehension and show me your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

All is grace,

Starla