October 31 | John 5:19-29
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Very truly I tell you
By Terry Gustafson
“You can’t handle the truth!”
I often think of this iconic line from the movie A Few Good Men, particularly during an election season. Truth seems like an expendable quantity in our current culture. As Christians, we should pursue, protect, and proclaim Truth in all its manifestations. And nowhere is this more evident to me than when I read Christ’s words in our passage, “Very truly I tell you” (NIV). (You may have been taught “Verily, verily” from the KJV or “Truly, truly” from the ESV.) In his gospel, John uses that phrase twenty-five times and three of those occurrences are in this passage. Jesus is calling us to pay particularly close attention to what He is about to say when He uses that phrase.
The context of this passage is that Jesus has just healed an invalid at the pool near the Sheep Gate (5:1-10). The man learns that it is Jesus who healed him and tells the Jews who it was (5:15). The Jews are incensed at Jesus for two things: healing on the Sabbath and making Himself equal with God (5:18). So what are the three, true things that Jesus is emphasizing in these verses as He responds to the Jews?
The Son is dependent on the Father (v. 19-23). What Jesus is explaining to them is that his dependence upon God is perfect dependence. He shares the rights and he shares the power of God Himself. The Father loves and empowers the Son for the glory and honor of the Father. Jesus is giving us a brief glimpse into the profound mystery that is the Trinity. The Athanasian Creed says: “We worship one God in Trinity.” In other words, there is one divine being, and within this one divine being there are three centers of self-consciousness. While I can profess my belief in this Truth, I am convinced I will not fully understand this mystery this side of heaven. But my lack of understanding does not make it any less true.
The Son controls our destiny (v. 24). Jesus is claiming that the eternal destiny of every living person is tied to his Word, his authority, and his invitation. It’s an invitation to listen to his voice. It’s an invitation to believe. It’s an invitation to trust Him. God has placed in the hands of his Son the determination of our eternal destiny. The ultimate divide is not rich, poor, White, Black, fat, thin, dumb, or smart. The division is solely one: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). In other words, we are the walking dead. And God loves us so much that He sent Jesus so that we wouldn’t die in our deadness but that we would know the light of life. That invitation comes from Jesus Himself.
The Son has the authority to execute judgment (v. 22, 25-29). We know that Jesus didn’t come to condemn but to bring salvation (John 3:17). However, the Father has entrusted the responsibility of judgment to his Son. It’s important that we realize that God is not indifferent to sin, to rebellion; that God is not indifferent to the issues of right and wrong. One day, evil will be disposed of, decisively, authoritatively, and unequivocally. What John is telling us is that this responsibility is given to Jesus “because he is the Son of Man.”
Jesus wanted His people to know that He and the Father are one, that our times are in His hands, and evil will be conquered. “Very truly I tell you.”
PRAYER
Repeat the following breath prayer throughout the day:
(Inhale) Son of God, righteous Judge
(Exhale) May I hear Your voice and honor Your name
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TERRY GUSTAFSON
My wife, Mary, and I have been attending UALC since 2012. We have two grown daughters and one grandchild. I am a retired professor of chemistry at Ohio State, where I served many years as the faculty advisor to the IVCF graduate student chapter and as a member of the Faculty Christian Fellowship.
Comments