Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

The Father and the Son

^<16>Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him. ^<17>But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”

^<18>Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

^<19>So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does. ^<20>The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these. ^<21>For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

^<22>Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, ^<23>so that 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.

^<24>Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.

^<25>Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ^<26>For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. ^<27>And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

^<28>Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice ^<29>and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.¹

^<30>I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

The authority of the Son

^<16>So because Jesus did such acts on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders started to persecute him. ^<17>However, Jesus told them, ‘My Father has always been at work until now and I also am at work all the time.’

^<18>This was the reason that the Jewish leaders were even more determined to kill him. He broke their rules about what could or could not be done on the Sabbath. He also even called God his own Father, asserting that he himself was equal with God.

^<19>Jesus responded to them, ‘I am telling you the truth, the Son does nothing on his own, independently of the Father. He can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does in the same way. ^<20>The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show the Son far greater works than these—than the miracle of healing just performed—so that you will never cease to be amazed. ^<21>For just as the Father has authority to raise the dead and give them new life, in the same way the Son has the right to give life to those he wants to. ^<22>Furthermore, the Father himself judges no one. He has entrusted all judgment—the power to give life, the right to rule and the authority to condemn evildoers—to the Son, ^<23>so that everyone may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Those who refuse to honour the Son do not honour the Father, who sent him.

^<24>‘I am telling you the truth, everyone who responds to my message and trusts in the One who sent me already has eternal life and will not face condemnation. Believe me, even now they have passed from death to life. They are saved from condemnation and are secure in me for ever. ^<25>I am telling you the truth, a time is coming—and indeed has already come—when those who are spiritually dead will respond in faith to the voice of the Son of God. Those who respond in faith will live. ^<26>For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has appointed the Son to have life in himself. ^<27>The Father has entrusted the Son with the authority to judge all humanity because he is the Son of Man.

^<28>‘Don’t be surprised at this, because a time is coming when everyone who has died will hear the voice of the Son of Man ^<29>and come out of their graves. Those who have done good will rise and enjoy eternal life, but those who have done evil will rise and face eternal condemnation. ^<30>On my own I can do nothing; I judge only on the basis of what I hear. My judgment is completely righteous, because I do not seek to please myself but instead I seek to please the One who sent me.

Study Guide

The resistance of the Jewish leaders against Jesus increased after Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15). They shifted from interrogation to persecution. Then Jesus escalated the situation even more by making it clear that He and God, whom He referred to as His Father, were working together (John 5:18). That must have blown their mind.

Jesus then described seven ways He and God the Father were working together.

► Read each verse listed below and ponder the way Jesus described how He and God the Father work together in the way listed:

• John 5:19 Working
• John 5:20 Knowing
• John 5:21, 28-29 Resurrecting
• John 5:22, 27 Judging
• John 5:23 Honor
• John 5:24-25 Regenerating
• John 5:26 Self-existence

► Have you seen Jesus work in your life in any of these ways? Describe how.

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