Sermon Tone Analysis

Who has authority in Your life?

God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

—Jim Elliot

1- The Source of His Authority (16-20)

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.

/ day of rest and worship at the end of the seven day week cycle, lasted from Friday evening until Saturday evening / to pursue or press

The religious leaders regularly quarreled with Jesus over His apparent lack of respect for the Sabbath prohibitions

, disciples picked heads of grain on sabbath

, heals a woman on the sabbath

, Jesus asks the pharisees in their home is it lawful to heal on sabbath

17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

/ to accomplish / present day

The Father’s work in maintaining and redeeming the world has continued from the creation until the present moment (ἕως ἄρτι): until now, not interrupted by the Sabbath.

Because Jesus is “lord of the Sabbath,” He is not limited by their interpretations of what was not allowed

‘God never ceases working, but as it is the property of fire to burn, of snow to chill, so of God to work’ (Holtzmann).

18 For 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.

/ desire, seeking / having the same quality value and measure

18 For 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.

/ desire, seeking / having the same quality value and measure

The Sabbath controversy was enough to cause them to hate Jesus, but the implication of His claim that God is His own Father was impossible for them to accept.

To them, God has no equals.

Jesus’ claim, in their thinking, was a monstrous blasphemy.

To be equal with God suggested, they thought, two gods and therefore polytheism.

To make oneself “equal with God” was a claim of arrogant independence.

19 Jesus 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.

/ to be able / look and understand / the same way, must be in unity

Jesus asserts His dependence on the Father and His distinct role subordinate to the Father’s will and plan.

It is impossible for Jesus to act in any way that would somehow place Him in opposition to the Father.

20 For 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.

/ loyalty / to explain / more important, larger / to marvel, be astonished

But note how Jesus made this claim: He did not boast about His abilities, but stated that they were entirely within the will of His Father.

Verse 19 describes the perfect unanimity between the will of the Father and the will of the Son; They work in perfect harmony and in absolute knowledge of each Other’s mind and will.

As the end of v. 20 shows, They even know what each Other is thinking of doing!

(Mills, M. S. (1999).

The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record ().

Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.)

Mills, M. S. (1999).

The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record ().

Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.

2- The Strength of His Authority (21-27)

21 For 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.

/ enable to stand / Zoopoieo only used 11x “make” alive / want, desire

22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, / pronounce judgment / to appoint

23 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.

/ giving proper recognition to

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

/ logos, message, sayings / Christian faith, entrusting / leave, depart

25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

/ lack of spiritual life, indifferent to God / zao, verb live

Jesus’ life-giving power can call a person out of the grave (11:43), everyone from their tombs (5:28–29), or anyone in spiritual death (v.

24) to eternal life.

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

/ zoe, fullness vitality of life

27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

/ right and privilege to rule reserved only for Him

3- The Seriousness of His Authority (28-30)

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.

17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

18 For 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.

19 Jesus 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.

20 For 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.

21 For 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.

22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 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 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

25 Very truly I tell you, a time 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 he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice / astonished / audible voice

19 Jesus 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.

20 For 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.

21 For 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.

22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 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 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

25 Very truly I tell you, a time 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 he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

/ rise and depart “good soil” used in agriculture, cultivated right / zoe / worthless soil / a legale decision in a criminal case, where the punishment is understood

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

/ listen, understand, pay attention / correct, righteous / will or purpose of God

The New International Version.

(2011).

().

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Application:

Be Honest

Give yourself permission

Surrender

At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

Amen.”

—Biblical Recorder