2/7/14- Jesus is Worthy John 5:16-23

16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.17In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”18For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19Jesus gave them this answer: “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. 20For 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. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that 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. (John 5:16-23)

Thoughts: Jesus did not shrink from persecution.  Many would have been silenced by the criticism of the religious leaders.  Jesus showed great courage in the face of religious legalistic rigidness.  The people were being religious without love for people.  The people were being religious without love for God.  God was impersonated in Jesus and their response was to persecute God with their rules.  They were more concerned about their protection from the wrath of God that punished them for breaking the Sabbath (Ezk. 20), worshiping other idols (Jer. 44:3), and not listening to Gods Word (2 Chr. 36:16) than really loving God and neighbor.  The religion had become about doing the exteriors but not having the interior heart right.  Jesus was certainly not against the Sabbath or worshiping other gods, or forsaking the scriptures.  But the faith was out of balance, and the people were preferring to allow hurt on the Sabbath to healing someone.  They would rather persecute the good Jesus than listen to someone who might change their ways for the better.
    Jesus made tremendous claims.  First, that He was only imitating God the Father.  Second, that God was in essence (not just in relationship) His Father.  Third, the Father has entrust judgment and honor to Him- a huge claim for anyone to make.  The Jews rightly understood this as a claim to divinity and they tried to kill Him.  Jesus did not back down from His claims.  Rather they became more clear and more frequent.  Jesus not only claimed to be One with the Father, and to be the judge of the world, He also claimed that if we do not honor Him, we do not honor the Father.
    Jesus is worthy of honor not only because of His teaching of love- but because He showed us how to love.  He is worthy of honor not only because of His imitating the Father, but because of His Oneness with the Father.  He is worthy of worship not only because He showed His power in miracles and resurrection, but because He is the source of all energy and power as Creator.   

Prayer: Lord, help me to honor you for your are worthy of honor.  You are worthy and may my life reflect your grace.  

Jesus teaching in the Temple- Tissot