ESOCS Devotional 11 December 2023 – Life Through the Son
MEMORY VERSE: “Verily, verily. I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5: 24
TEXT: JOHN 5:19-47 (KJV)
hen 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.
21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
In today’s passage, Jesus uses the concept of his sovereignty to lead into a discussion of his identity as the Son. We will see that the Father and the Son are one, that the Father gives life through the son, and that the Father provides witnesses to attest to the Son’s authority.
First, the Father and the Son are one. Look at vs 19-23. This is a pretty dense paragraph. It starts by saying that the Son does nothing of himself, but it ends with the idea that the father has given all judgment to the Son and that all should honor the Son like the Father. The relationship between God the Father and Christ the son is a complex and mysterious relationship.
The way to know him better is to see what he says about himself. And what he says about himself here is that it’s his very makeup to be in relationship. As the Father is in relationship with the Son, he wants to be in relationship with you. In fact, verses. 24-30 shows us that life itself comes through our relationship with the Father and the Son. Here Jesus is not just talking about mere existence. He’s talking about abundant life – living with gusto, living out the purpose for which we were created. Those who believe that Jesus Christ is one with the Father are empowered to live out this abundant life not only in this present state, but for eternity.
Sometimes our understanding of the gift of eternal life gets distorted. Some see this using the analogy of a transaction. Others as a Christmas gift that the recipient now “owns” and “controls.” Our passage gives another analogy that I think clears up some of these misunderstandings. Life is in the Son himself, and not separate from him. When we put our trust in Christ, we receive his New Life and are now “in Christ,” united to him, our righteousness now being his righteousness. John sums up this concept well in his First Epistle:” And this is the record, that: God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
My prayer for you is that your focus is not merely on the Scriptures that point to Jesus, but to trust Jesus himself, that he might bestow upon you his Life that lasts forever.
- What is your relationship with the Lord? Is your life knit with Christ? Ensure you are one with Christ as He is one with the Father.
- Father, let your words find a home in my heart. Let them abide in me that I might abide in You. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
- FURTHER READING: Genesis 40:1-10; Proverbs 9:1–11; 2 Corinthians 4:1–18
ESOCS Devotional 11 December 2023
