The Gospel of John: Come and See the Glory of God

Sunday we dive into Jesus’ teaching about his relationship to the Father. The context really sets the stage for his teaching. The Jewish leaders were alarmed that he broke their Sabbath traditions and claimed equality with God. Before we jump in, we need to ask, Why are they threatened by these claims? Couldn’t they have just shrugged him off as a crazy person? Why did they take this so personally and use this as their justification to kill him?

The answer is in their reaction. Jesus presents an internal threat to the whole system of legalistic oppression and the glory that the religious leaders received within that system. If Jesus was equal with God, then he has authority to speak about the Sabbath and challenge their applications. If Jesus is God, their power and control is directly threatened. If Jesus is God, the glory these religious leaders experienced, the praise of men, is in jeopardy. If Jesus is God, then he has authority to judge them. But there is more: if Jesus is God, then he has something better than the Mosaic covenant to offer us. Jesus can bring us into the grace of his oneness with the Father. Jesus offers us something better than the Mosaic Covenant.

These are the very things Jesus teaches about himself. Read his teaching, John 5:19-29, and prepare to hear his offer of grace.