Observations from John 5
(Part 2)
By Jonathan Mitchell
19. Jesus therefore considered and replied, and began saying to them, "It is certainly so (Amen, amen; It is so, it is so)! I am now saying to you folks [that] the Son continues unable to do anything from Himself (or: the Son, from Himself, habitually has no power to be doing anything [independently]) except He can (or: unless He should) continue seeing something the Father is in process of doing (or: if not something He may presently observe the Father making, producing, constructing, or creating), for what things That One may likely be progressively doing (making; constructing; creating; producing), these things, also, the Son is likewise habitually doing (or: is in like manner constantly making, producing, creating, constructing). [cf Heb. 4:3, 9; Isa. 11:10]
The Body is always the servant of the Head. Jesus, as the Son, displays for us our own relationship to the Father, and our dependence upon Him. He, the Son, "continues unable to do anything from Himself (or: the Son, from Himself, habitually has no power to be doing anything [independently])." This would then, certainly, apply to the sons. They cannot simply decree a thing based upon it coming from themselves, i.e., independently. The Son, and thus, the sons, are able to do only what He "can continue seeing [that] the Father is in process of doing." And so it is with God's sons. Christ's Body has only one Head (1 Cor. 11:3b).
And so we can conclude that the Son was actually SEEING - observing - what the Father was presently "making, producing, constructing, or creating" - which is to say, the new creation. "The Son is likewise habitually doing (or: is in like manner constantly making, producing, creating, constructing)" the
"things That One may likely be progressively doing (making; constructing; creating; producing)."
There was only one purpose, one goal: humanity in the image of God, and being inhabited by God (being His temple, or, home). And now, in this new creation,
"let them progressively have primacy of (or: continuously rule; repeatedly be leaders for) the fish of the lake and sea, also with regard to the flying creatures of the sky and atmosphere, and of the cattle - even of all the earth - as well as of all of the creeping creatures which move upon the ground!" (Gen. 1:26b, LXX, JM).
We observe this depicted as the Bride, the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven, from God (Rev. 21:9-27), so that
"the multitudes (nations; people groups; ethnic groups; or: non-Jews) will continue walking about (i.e., living their lives) by means of her Light (through light from her)."
This was happening in Jesus' day, and continues in our present day.
In the second half of the verse, Jesus repeats what He had said in vs. 17, adding the correlation between the doing by the Father and the doing by the Son. And this is the Pattern for us. He is our Blueprint.
20. "You see, the Father likes the Son (or: continuously has affection for and expresses friendship to the Son) and habitually points out (constantly shows; progressively exhibits) to Him (or: in Him; or: by Him) everything (or: all things) which He is constantly doing, and He will continue exhibiting in Him greater works than these (or: He will point out to Him greater acts than these), to the end that you folks may be constantly amazed (filled with astonishment and wonder).
Jesus continues teaching folks about the Father, giving more information about Their relationship and activities.
"The Father likes the Son (or: continuously has affection for and expresses friendship to the Son)."
This seems to reveal more of the Father's personality, and the practical aspects of Their friendship. The Father
"habitually points out (constantly shows; progressively exhibits) to Him (or: in Him; or: by Him) everything (or: all things) which He is constantly doing." Now observe the semantic range of the dative case of "Him" (i.e., Christ): "to Him (or: in Him; or: by Him)."
Because the Father shows everything "to Him," these things are then habitually pointed out "in Him (Christ) and by Him," so that people can see the Father's works and "may be constantly amazed (filled with astonishment and wonder)."
"And He [i.e., the Father] will continue exhibiting in Him [i.e., the Son] greater works than these (or: He will point out to Him greater acts than these)."
Christ's greatest work lay ahead of Him: the cross and all that came from that (the new creation with its new covenant/arrangement).
21. "For, just as the Father is habitually (repeatedly; constantly; presently) raising up the dead folks, and is repeatedly (continually; presently) making [them] alive, thus also, the Son is habitually (constantly; presently) making alive which ones He is presently intending (willing; purposing).
Wait a minute! What did Jesus just say? Really? Well, that's not what we've been taught! Yes, we were not taught this because of translations that do not transmit the force of the Greek present tense: habitual, repeated, constant or presently ONGOING action! Now not only is a resurrection continuously going on (the first clause), the second clause affirms this with a second witness:
"thus also, the Son is habitually (constantly; presently) making alive which ones He is presently intending (willing; purposing)."
There seems to be a plan:
"within the Christ, all humans will keep on being made alive (or: in union with the Anointed One, everyone will one-after-another be created and produced with Life) [cf Rom. 5:18] - yet each person within the result of his or her own set position [in line] (or: effect of ordered placement; appointed class; arranged time and turn, or order of succession; = place in a harvest calendar, thus, due season of maturity): Christ a Firstfruit (a First of the harvest), next after that, those belonging to the Christ (or: the ones who have their source and origin in the Anointing; those who are [a part] of the Christ) within the midst of, and in union with, His presence" (1 Cor. 15:22b-23).
Jesus is constantly present, continuously walking among the called-out communities (Rev. 1:20-2:1).
In Jn. 11 we read of Jesus physically raising Lazarus from the dead (vss. 43-44) and back to his previous life, with his sisters. But prior to this act, in 11:25-26 Jesus made this remarkable statement to one of those sister, Martha:
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the Resurrection (or: the standing back up again; the Arising), and (or: that is to say,) the Life. The one progressively believing and habitually putting trust into Me, even if he may die-off (or: die-away), will continue Living (or: will proceed being alive)! And further, everyone, who (or: all mankind, which) in presently living and progressively trusting-and-believing into (or: regularly experiencing convinced faith into the midst of; being constantly faithful unto) Me can by no means (or: may under no circumstances) die-off (or: die-away), on into the Age [of Messiah].'"
Was Paul, in Eph. 5:14, speaking in the same way as Jesus did to Martha? Wherefore He is now (or: it keeps on) saying,
"Let the sleeper (the person continuously down and being fast asleep) be waking up, continue rousing, and then stand up (arise) from out of the midst of the dead ones, and the Christ will continue shining upon you (progressively enlightening you)!"
We understand, in Paul's letter, that he was speaking metaphorically of "the dead ones." How was Jesus speaking, in vs. 21, above? Prior to His death on the cross, and His subsequent resurrection, Jesus told Martha that He WAS the Resurrection. Now in 11:25b, above, Jesus instructs her that,
"even if he may die-off (or: die-away), will continue Living (or: will proceed being alive)!"
When speaking to the Father, Jesus gave a definition of "eonian Life," in Jn. 17:3,
"Now THIS is (or: exists being) eonian Life (living existence of and for the ages; life pertaining to the Age [of Messiah]): namely, that they may progressively come to intimately and experientially know YOU, the only (or: sole) true and real (genuine) God - and Jesus Christ, Whom You send forth as an Emissary."
Was this intimate, experiential knowledge of God, and of Jesus, the Life into which
"the Father is habitually (repeatedly; constantly; presently) raising up the dead folks" (vs. 21)?
Was this what Paul meant in Eph. 5:14, and what Jesus meant in Jn. 11:25-26? Keep in mind that we are studying John's Gospel:
"Within It (or: Him), life was continuing and progressively existing, And the life was continuing being, and began progressively existing as, the Light of the humans, and the Light is constantly shining in the dim and shadowed places, and keeps on progressively giving light within the gloomy darkness..." (Jn. 1:4-5).
Was this the shining of which Paul spoke in Eph. 5:14? The sleepers there were like Lazarus "sleeping" in Jn. 11:
10. "Yet, if anyone should habitually walk around within the Night, he constantly stumbles (strikes against [things]), because the Light is not (does not exist) within him."
11. He said these things, and after this He presently says to them, "Our friend Lazarus has been made to sleep (or: has been lulled to sleep; has been caused to sleep; or, as a middle: has fallen asleep; has found repose), but even so, I am setting out to proceed in journeying to the end that (or: so that) I can awaken him out of [his] sleep."
Yet Paul was speaking to folks that were physically alive, and Jesus spoke of one who was physically dead. Was this a metaphor with Paul, and an existential reality with Jesus? Or, are we to conclude that on a deeper (or more comprehensive) level, God is viewing both situations as being the same to Him? Regarding Lazarus, Jesus used both "made to sleep" (metaphor?) and then He said, "Lazarus died" (reality?), in Jn. 11:14.
23. "to the end that everyone (or: all humans) may and can continuously be honoring the Son (or: would habitually value, and constantly find worth in, the Son), correspondingly as they are (or: may be) continually honoring the Father. The one not habitually honoring (valuing; finding worth in) the Son is not habitually honoring (valuing; finding worth in) the Father - the One sending Him.
What comes to mind is Mat. 25:40,
"the King will proceed saying to them, 'I am truly now saying to (or: It is true, I now tell) you folks, Upon such an amount (or: = To the extent) that you did (or: do) and perform(ed) [it] to (or: for) one of these belonging to the least of My brothers (the folks from the same womb as Me; used collectively: = the members of My family; or: = those of My group or brotherhood), you did and perform [it] to and for Me!'"
Just as Jesus (as the King, in the parable) shows Himself as being in solidarity and union with people, so here in Jn. 5, it seems, He is showing Himself in solidarity and union with the Father. This appears to be parallel to 1 Tim. 2:5,
"God [is] One, and One [is the] Mediator of God and humans (= mankind), a Man (a Human), Christ Jesus (or: for [there is] one God, and one medium between God and humans, [the] human, Anointed Jesus [= Messiah Jesus])."
We see Christ "separating, making a decision about, sifting and evaluating" in Mat. 25:32-33,
"He will continue marking off boundaries and separating them from one another, just as the shepherd is habitually separating [as in separate pens or groups] the sheep away from the kids. And so He will continue making the sheep, on the one hand, to stand at [places to] His right, yet on the other hand, the kids (immature goats) at [places to His] left."
So, we see Christ making decisions in regard to His herds' behaviors. And as we see, in the parable, there is a distinction between sheep (a figure of His disciples) and the immature folks (young goats; kids) who did not automatically operate from a heart of love. In the NT, all judging is in reference to behavior (works; acts; deeds; compliance/uncompliance) - not about "beliefs."
The reason for the Son making all the decisions (rather than the Father doing this) is
"to the end that everyone (or: all humans) may and can continuously be honoring the Son (or: would habitually value, and constantly find worth in, the Son), correspondingly as they are (or: may be) continually honoring the Father."
In regard to receiving honor from humans, the Father places the Son on the same level as Himself. This is like what Jesus does, for us. But what is the significance of the Son being honored "correspondingly as" the Father? Would it not be because the Father sent the Son as His representative (Jn. 3:17)? And furthermore, because
"for He Whom God sends forth with a mission God is habitually (or: continuously) giving the Spirit without measure" (Jn. 3:34),
and because
"the Son is habitually (constantly; presently) making alive which ones He is presently intending' (vs. 21b, above).
Having God's Spirit with no limitations and having the power to give Life certainly makes Him worthy of honor that corresponds to God's honor. Often considered equivalent to honor is the idea of being given a name. Paul instructs us that
"God also lifts Him up above and by grace gives to Him the Name - the one over and above every name!" (Phil. 2:9).
There are a number of important points that Jesus makes in this verse:
a) people could at that time "presently continue holding (is progressively possessing; continuously have) eonian Life"
b) they could possess this by, "habitually listening to, repeatedly hearing and normally paying attention to [His] Word (Logos)," and...
c) by "continuously trusting by (or: progressively believing in; habitually being loyal to; faithing-it with) the One (i.e., the Father) sending [the Son]."
This Life that has the quality of the Age of the Messiah (Christ) is the Life of which He spoke in vs. 21b, above; it is the Life into which the Father raises folks from out of the midst of dead ones (vs. 21a, above).
Honoring the Son means paying attention to the Blueprint and laid out concept (i.e., the Logos), which He is. Notice in c), above, that "the One (the Father)" is in the dative case. First on offer is the instrumental dative, so that a person can be "continuously trusting by the One." The Father also enables us to "believe in" Him, "be loyal to" Him, and be "faithing-it with" Him.
A person living in this way (by the power of the Spirit) "is not repeatedly coming into a separating or a deciding (an evaluating; a judging)." But rather, he or she:
"has proceeded (has changed his place of residence; has changed his walk; has stepped over to another place) forth from out of the midst of 'the Death,' into 'the Life,' and now exists in the midst of 'the Life.'"
To step forth from out of the midst of "the Death," and "into 'the Life,'" is to experience Resurrection. You see, "the Death" is what Paul spoke of in Rom. 5:12,
"in this way The Death thus also passed through in all directions (or: came through the midst causing division and duality; went throughout) into all mankind (or: into the midst of humanity; or: to all people), upon which [situation, condition, and with the result that] all people sin."
Observe that it is because of the Death that people sin (so then, they are still physically alive, although "dead in trespasses and sins" - Eph. 2:1).
Before we move on, we need to grasp that this situation was happening then and there, and we see (due to the perfect tense of the verb: action completed in the past with the result continuing on into the present) that this person, "now exists in the midst of 'the Life.'" Such a person "has changed his place of residence; has changed her walk; has stepped over to another place... and now exists centered in the [Christ] Life." This is the being born back up again to a higher place, of which Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, in Jn. 3:7. This is "eonian Life: age-lasting and eon-enduring life; life having its source in the Age [of the Messiah]."
25. "Count on it (Amen, amen), I am presently continuing to say to you folks that an hour is progressively (or: presently in process of) coming, and even NOW exists (or: = is now here), when the dead folks WILL be repeatedly hearing the voice of God's Son (or: the Voice from, and which is, the Son of God; or: the voice of the Son, Who is God), and the ones hearing WILL proceed to be living!
Jesus used almost the same phrase when instructing the Samaritan woman, in Jn. 4:23,
"an hour is progressively coming - and NOW exists (or: is; is being)."
The hour, the Day, and the Age, all came in the Christ! The time was present when Jesus spoke these words. And what was He saying that was existing at that time? The Resurrection (Jn. 11:25) from the Death into the Life:
"the dead folks WILL be repeatedly hearing the voice of God's Son, and the ones hearing WILL proceed to be living!"
Paul discusses this Resurrection, in 1 Cor. 15, as the germination and sprouting (or, the birth) of a seed.
The voice speaks the Logos, and in It (Him) was, and continued being, Life (Jn. 1:4).
26. "You see, just as the Father continuously holds (or: constantly has) Life within Himself, thus also, He gives in the Son (or: to the Son) to be continuously holding (or: constantly having; progressively possessing) Life within Himself,
The Father was the Original Source of Life, which was in the midst of Himself. He gave birth to the Son, and so the Son now has Life within Himself. Now both the Father and the Son are Sources of Life. And thus we have what is described in the next verse:
27. "And He gives in Him (or: to Him; for Him) authority (or: the right; the privilege; or: out of [His] essence and Being) to be habitually separating and deciding (to be constantly sifting and evaluating; to continuously be judging [issues]), because He is a son humanity (= because He is human - a member of the human race [= Adam's Son]; or: = because He exists being [the] eschatological Messiah).
We saw this word
"authority (or: the right; the privilege; or: out of [His] essence and Being)"
in Jn. 1:12, where John spoke of the "right out of Being" to become children of God, and then vs. 13 spoke specifically of being
"born... from out of the midst of God!"
But now, the Son has authority (He comes with the Father's authority, as His Representative)
"to be habitually separating and deciding (to be constantly sifting and evaluating; to continuously be judging [issues])."
And why was the Son given all of this, as described in vss. 26-27?
"Because He is a son humanity."
In Ezekiel, we find this phrase applied to Ezekiel, and the term "son of humanity" meant "a human being; a member of the human race." It could also signify being "Adam's son." But in Second Temple Judaism, primarily from Dan. 7, it had come to mean the "eschatological Messiah" - the One who would establish God's Kingdom. Each of these applications fits vs. 27, above - each one saying something different, as a symbolic term. The Logos became flesh (Jn. 1:14) in order to evaluate "flesh people."
Heb. 2:17 informs us on this last phrase:
This was the reason for the Incarnation (Jn. 1:14).
28. "Don't you folks be constantly amazed at this, because an hour is progressively (or: presently; or: repeatedly) coming within which all the people within the memorial tombs (or: graves) - will be continuously or repeatedly hearing His voice (or: the Voice from, and the Sound which is, Him).
29. "and they will proceed journeying out: the ones doing virtue (producing, making or constructing good) into a resurrection which is Life (or: of, from, and with the quality of, Life); the ones practicing careless (base, worthless, cheap, slight, paltry, inefficient, thoughtless, common or mean) things into a resurrection of separating and evaluation for a deciding (or: a resurrection which is a judging).
Verses 28 and 29 build upon vss. 26 and 27. In vs. 26 He said that the Father,
"gives in the Son (or: to the Son) to be continuously holding (having; possessing) Life within Himself."
What the Son does with this Life is to call forth folks from out of their memorial tombs, when they hear His Voice (vss. 28-29a). In Jn. 11:43, Jesus literally did this, when He called to Lazarus to come from out of his memorial tomb. There, Lazarus was physically resurrected. Now is Jesus speaking of the same thing in vss. 28-29? Perhaps, on a literal level. Time will tell. But recall our discussion on vss. 21-24, above, where we looked at a metaphorical reading of that passage. To aid our perception, here, let us consider the words "memorial tombs (or: graves)" where Jesus applied these terms to "people."
In Lu. 11:44, He said,
"Tragic will be your fate, you scholars (theologians; scribes) and Pharisees - the overly judging and critical folks because you exist being as the unseen (or: = are unmarked) memorial tombs (= graves having the characteristics of Hades), and so the people (or: the humans) habitually walking around on top [of them] have not seen and so do not know (= without realizing) [it]!"
He said,
"You exist being as the unseen memorial tombs..."
Was this like saying that they were "dead, in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1)? Let us look at Mat. 23:27,
"Tragic will be the fate of you Law scholars and Pharisees - you who recite a front of your own opinions and answers (or: overly-critical folks; [see 6:2, above])! [It will be] because you continue closely resembling whitewashed (i.e., smeared or plastered with lime) tombs (sepulchers; grave sites), which indeed, from outside, continue being made to appear in the prime of beauty, for a time - yet inside they contain a full load of bones of dead folks, as well as every uncleanness."
Now keeping in mind the metaphorical application of the idea of resurrection discussed a few verses earlier, and in light of His application of "memorial tombs" to "people," as just quoted, might the "memorial tombs" of vs. 28 be a reference to "people," as well?
We noted the judging and deciding by the King in the parable of the sheep and the kids. In vs. 29a we see a pronouncement (a judgment) similar to Mat. 25:34, 46,
"'Come here, you folks having received words of ease and well-being from My Father! At once come into possession of the inheritance of, and enjoy the allotment of, [the place of, or realm of] the reign (or: kingdom; influence and activity of sovereignty).... into eonian Life."
Then, in vs. 29b, we are told about another category of folks:
"the ones practicing careless (base, worthless, cheap, slight, paltry, inefficient, thoughtless, common or mean) things."
These may be compared to the thoughtless and worthless folks described in Mat. 25:42, 43, 46,
"I was hungry and you folks did not give to Me [something] to eat; I was thirsty and you folks did not give [something for] Me to drink. I was existing being a foreigner (or: a stranger), and you people did not gather Me together [with you]; [I was/am] naked, and you did not clothe Me; [I was/am] sick, weak and in prison, and you folks did not carefully look upon (or: = visit and look out for or take oversight of) Me.... these folks will continue going off into an eonian pruning."
This second group (the kids, of Mat. 25) can be compared to those journeying out
"into a resurrection of separating and evaluation for a deciding (or: a resurrection which is a judging)." But let us not forget "the ones doing virtue" (vs. 29),
as parallel to the sheep (Mat. 25:35-36, 40).
Now the parable of Mat. 25 (sheep and kids) can refer to the judgment that came upon the Judean religious authorities in AD 70 (remember, He said: "an hour is progressively (or: presently; or: repeatedly) coming"), but also it can be a pattern of the Shepherd continuously pruning His Vine (Jn. 15), or (mixing the metaphors) His immature folks (the kids). Recall that the resurrected Christ had John write to the called-out community in Ephesus,
"I am continuously (repeatedly; habitually) coming to you [as a group], and I will proceed removing (or: moving) your lampstand out of its place, if ever you [as a group] may not change your way of thinking (your mind-set, paradigm and state of consciousness)" (Rev. 2:5b).
And to the called-out community in Pergamos,
"I am repeatedly (habitually) coming swiftly in you (to you; for you) [again: you, singular], and I will proceed waging war (doing battle) with them within the broadsword of My mouth" (Rev. 2:16).
Then to Thyatira,
"I am presently casting her into a bed.... And I will proceed killing her children within death, and all the called-out assemblies shall know that I am the One continuously searching the kidneys and hearts, and I will continue giving to each one of you down from (in accord to; in the sphere of; to the level of) your [plural] actions (deeds; works)" (Rev. 2:22a, 23).
Cf Rev. 3:3b, 11, 16 on other warnings of "separating and evaluation for a deciding," as more examples of what we read here, in vs. 29. The Son is with us now: He does not wait until we die to correct our behavior; He does not wait until some phantasy "end of the world" to judge people. When He does make decisions about folks, it is because He has called them from out of their state of metaphorical or "spiritual" death, and as in Mat. 25:45, He will explain to them the areas of their immaturity and need for further child-training. This is an ongoing process, throughout the ages, as people are born, grow and eventually mature.
To be continued...
Jonathan
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