Insights from John 5:19-20
John 5:19-20 NIV
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these so that you will be amazed.
Let’s explore the seven key principles outlined in these verses
- Dependence: The Son can do nothing by Himself.
- Revelation: The Father shows the Son all He does.
- Spiritual Sight: The Son can only do what He sees the Father doing.
- Imitation: The Son imitates the Father’s actions.
- Unity: The Father and Son are united in their actions.
- Greater Works: The Father will show the Son even greater works.
- Divine Partnership: The Father and Son work together in perfect harmony.
Here’s a breakdown of the connection between the principles:
Because the Son depends on the Father, the Father reveals His plans to the Son. The Son sees, receives, and understands what is shown to him. He does exactly what the Father shows, imitating the Father. This brings alignment between the Son’s actions and the Father’s actions. This pleases the Father and as a result, the Father shows the Son even greater works and in turn, the Son does even greater works that amaze those who see them.
This connection highlights the beautiful cycle of dependence, revelation, understanding, imitation, unity, and partnership between the Father and the Son, serving as a model for our own relationship with God.
While Jesus’ experiences are unique in many ways, these specific aspects are not limited to Him alone. We, as believers, can experience similar things and perform even greater works that bring glory to God.
Galatians 3:26-27 says
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
As believers:
- Dependence: We are all called to depend on God (John 15:5, Philippians 4:13).
- Revelation: We can receive revelation from God through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, Ephesians 1:17-18).
- Spiritual Sight: We can develop spiritual sight through prayer, study of Scripture, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance (Ephesians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14-16).
- Imitation: We are called to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1-2) and follow Jesus’ example (1 Peter 2:21).
- Unity: We are called to emulate the unity of action demonstrated between the Father and the Son (Eph 4:3-6).
- Greater Works: We are called to do greater works than Jesus (John 14:12, Eph 3:20-21).
- Divine Partnership: We can partner with God in His works (2 Corinthians 6:1, Philippians 2:12-13).
How do these seven key principles apply to our lives as believers?
- We depend on God (Dependence)
- God reveals His plans to us (Revelation)
- We develop spiritual sight to understand His plans (Spiritual Sight)
- We imitate God and follow Jesus’ example (Imitation)
- We emulate the unity of the Father and Son (Unity)
- We do greater works than Jesus (Greater Works)
- We partner with God in His works (Divine Partnership)
In summary :
- God desires to show us His plans and works, just like He showed the Son.
- As we cultivate a close relationship with God, we can develop spiritual sight to see what He is doing and imitate His works.
- When we see what God is doing, we can respond in faith and obedience, leading to even greater works that bring glory to God.
May this reflection inspire you to walk closely with the Father, imitating His ways, and partnering with Him to bring about His kingdom on earth
