Breaking the Word

"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?" (Jn 5:31-47)

To the unbelieving crowd Jesus is presenting witnesses. Earlier there was another witness to Jesus: John the Baptist. People considered John the Baptist as prophet and they listened to him gladly and he also bore witness to Jesus. But the crowd has not accepted his witness otherwise they would have followed him.

Now Jesus is offering other witnesses. They are his own preaching and his doings (miracles). All these works were given commissioned by God. Works were the proofs that Jesus himself was sent by God. God had borne witness to Jesus. Jews say that they search the scriptures to find eternal life and even the scriptures bear witness to Jesus. Witnesses are from the deeds of Jesus, from god himself, and Scriptures.

The Jews believed in Moses. They believed that the words of Jesus would be fulfilled and they will receive eternal life through the words of Jesus. But Moses himself spoke about Jesus and the works of Jesus and the salvation through Jesus. Witnesses were in abundance but the heart of the people  were not ready and willing.

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. Jesus answered and 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 voice  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.  "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. (Jn 5: 17-30)

In a society or in a family the son trying to be like (imitate) the father would be a normal and a welcomed thing. That is what the father would want his son to be. “Like the father like the son”. Even in a Jewish society this would be wanted. But the problem with the passage is the Jesus has likened himself to God. There was no one on the earth like God.

Jews believed that God would raise the dead. Resurrection would be based on justice of God. Good persons would be raised to life and the bad would be raised to condemnation. But Jesus was proclaiming that with his coming this work of God has already started. Jesus’ life and ministry has begun the work of resurrection. This statement of Jesus would reach its peak with the resurrection of Lazarus and finally his own resurrection.

The passage is only an answer to the questions that were raised in the minds of the listeners of Jesus’ preaching. Not only his preaching but also they witnessed his doings. They saw Jesus as doing the works of God. He is truly the Word made flesh. He is God in human form. In fact he is God-Man : two natures in one person.