THE KING’S BUSINESS
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than man-made traditions, He was gov erned by His Father’s example, and He kept the Sabbath the way the Father kept it, by works o f redemptive love. His answer, though sufficient, only increased their rage. They saw at once that His answer involved a claim o f equality with God. This He had a perfect right to claim, for He was equal with God in His attri butes and perfection o f character (Phil. 2 :6 ; John 1:1-3; 5:23), though subordinate to the Father. The hatred o f the Jews toward Jesus for the disregard o f their tra ditions in performing a good deed to the impotent man on the Sabbath, and because o f His claim o f equality with God the Father, went so far that they sought to kill Him, and indeed if He were not equal with the Father as He claimed to be He was a blasphemer, and according to their own law, a God-given law, He should have been killed (Lev. 24:16). Wednesday, May io . John 5 : 19 - 23 . While Jesus proclaimed with great clear ness His equality with the Father, with equal plainness and clearness He claimed His subordination to the Father, saying, “ The Son can do nothing o f Himself” (cf. John 14:28). Jesus is indeed the “ Son o f God,” but He is the Son o f God, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. The Son is the object o f the Father’s eternal love; and the Father “ showeth Him all things that Himself doeth.” Furthermore, the Father hath given His own divine power to the Son so that the Son as well as the Father “ quickeneth (i. e., maketh alive) whom He will.” What a stupendous claim, if Jesus-is not divine a shocking claim, a blasphemous claim, but He is divine and does have power to make alive whom He will. The Lord Jesus here says in effect, I have only to speak the word and whosoever I will shall rise from the dead. Is it true then, as so many tell us in these days, that He is only the Son of God in the sense that all regenerate men are sons o f God? Certainly not, and the day is coming when the most stubborn denier
o f His deify shall see that when He speaks the word millions o f the dead arise.- But let us be wise, and not wait until that day, but cry even now, “ Thou art the Son o f God.” He quickens whom He will. But whom does He will to quicken? Even in the life that now is He wills to quicken all who hear His voice (vs. 24, 25; cf. Eph. 2:1, 5, 8; John 6:40). Not only does He perform the one divine work, that o f quickening or making alive, to Him is com mitted another divine office also, that o f judgment. The purpose for which Hod has committed this office to Him is “in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.” Stupendous words these. It is the fullest sort o f claim on the part o f our Lord Jesus o f equal adoration and worship with the Father (cf. Heb. 1:6). - _ Thursday, May 11 . John 5 : 24 , 25 . Verse .24 contains a remarkably plain statement o f the way o f salvation and the wonderful results o f salvation. In order to get eternal life all one has to do is to hear the words o f Jesus Christ and believe God. The hearing must, o f course, be real hearing, i. e., heeding—the kind o f hearing that leads to obedience (cf. Mark 8:18; John 8:47). The believing must be real believing, i. e., the kind o f believing that leads one to act upon the testimony believed. The especial testimony o f God that one is to believe in order to get eter nal life the context plainly shows is God’s testimony concerning His Son Jesus-Christ (cf. 1 John 5:9-12). God’s testimony con cerning Jesus Christ is that He sent Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is His Son. To believe that testimony, to really believe it, “brings eternal life (John 20:31). Not to believe this testimony o f God concerning His Son is to make God a liar (1 John 5 :10), and to die in one’s sins and be lost forever (John 8:24,21). Many say, “It makes no difference what one believes, it is what our character is that is important.” According to Jesus what one really believes makes all the difference between eternal
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