Father Loves the Son

The Father loves the Son. The Jews in their rejection of Christ, did not understand that the very God they professed to love, had sent Jesus to them!

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
(John 5:17-20, King James Version)

The Father Loves the Son

In today's Bible devotional we continue with a conversation between Jesus and the Jews. Well, actually it is a treatise given by Jesus to the unbelieving Jews. The Jews were seeking to kill the Lord because He had told a man to take up his bed on the Sabbath. At Jesus' words in John 5:17, they were even more furious.

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Why was this so offensive to the Jews? The Jews understood that, by this comment, Jesus was making Himself equal with God.

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

The Jews were very astute, because that is exactly what Jesus meant. I love the next two verses from John 5.

19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Jesus was plainly saying that everything He did was what He saw the Father doing. Because of the love of His Father, His Father taught Him to do the same as He did. In other words, there is no disparity between the Father and the Son; truly, the Father loves the Son!

The Jews, living in a world created by the Lord Jesus Christ, rejected the Creator of their world. Of course, we see that today as well. How arrogant is man, to think He can dismiss God out of His very existence. Does the unbelief of man change anything? Are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit diminished because they are rejected by so many? Absolutely not!

Will the time come when those who rejected Christ, both the Jews of His day as well as everyone before or since, understand their mistake and bow down before the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh yes! We are told that, at the end of time, all men will bow down before the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as the only true and living God. It will be too late for them, however. After acknowledging Christ, they will be cast into the depths of Hell forever.

Rejection of Christ comes at a huge cost. Is there truly safety in numbers? Seeing the majority of people rejecting Christ, is that really a safety net? No! Go to Christ, acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior; acknowledge Him as the only one who can cover your sins by His blood and bring you to God.

What an amazing God we have, that He chose to send His only Son to die for the sins of a people so unworthy, but in all of this there is no question that the Father loves the Son!