Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the Gospel according to John chapter 5. John chapter
5. This morning I'd like to deal
with verses 17 to 20. Now, Lord willing, next Sunday
we'll continue in these scriptures. I want to deal with this subject,
the Lord Jesus is God. And these verses that I would
like to deal with this morning are such that I felt as though
that instead of trying to take the whole discourse that he gave
to some Jews, I would rather just look at it in two different
messages for the sake of time. Let's look at verses 17 to 20. The scripture says, But Jesus
answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore
the Jews sought the more to kill him. because he not only had
broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father,
making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing
of himself, but what he saith the Father doeth. For what things
soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father
loveth the Son. and showeth him all things that
himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these,
that ye may marvel." Let's pray together. Our Father, we ask this morning,
would you bless the Word, Lord, to the comfort and salvation
of your people. Lord, may you be honored. But
these things we ask in the name of our precious Savior. Amen. The very heart and message of
these scriptures, those that I just read and Lord willing
the continuance of them next time, cannot fully be considered
or perceived because of the frailty of our flesh. Just stopping right now and realizing a sinner is standing before you. He's won by the grace of God
and saved by God's grace. Nonetheless, though in the frailty
of my flesh, I know for a certainty that I'm talking to that are
going to stand before God, all of us. We're going to meet God. And this is the most sovereign,
this is the most important. There is nothing in this world
that's more important than what's going on right now. I don't care
what this government is doing. I don't care if a government
has appeared to be just so unstable that they've got to downgrade.
Let me tell you something. We're going to meet God, and
this is serious. This is no joke. Men and women
are going to leave this world. and they're going to leave this
world in one of two states. They're either going to leave
this world represented by and found in the Lord Jesus Christ,
or they're going to leave this world in themselves. And standing
before God Almighty without Christ as their intercessor, as their
mediator, They will absolutely, based upon God's Word, hear this. Depart from me, you workers of
iniquity. I never knew you. I pray to God's
pleas to bless His Word today. This is serious. I want to be honest. I want to
be truthful. I want to be honoring to our
Lord. I do not want anybody to leave here. confused or misled
concerning how God Almighty saves a sinner. This message of the Gospel is always concerning the glorious
honor of Almighty God in His Son, to absolutely put away the guilt
of sin by being made sin himself. This is what we are by nature,
sin. Transgressors of the law, that's
what sin is. Sin is transgression of the law. And every man, every woman born
in Adam, absolutely. Indeed, yes. But in thought,
in intent, and listen to this, not only what we have done, but
what we should have done. What we should have done to him
that knoweth to do right and doeth not is sin. People might say, well, I've
never killed anybody. Well, you've never loved the
Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul either. I'm
telling you, obedience before God Almighty is something that
we as being born in Adam cannot pursue. Today we're going to
consider for just a few minutes the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ
being God. That's what offended men. And
I'll tell you, that's what offends them today, too. When I say that
He is God, I'm talking about He's sovereign. I'm talking about
He has the right. I'm talking about what He does
is right. Heard someone say, they said,
God Almighty does not as men perceive. do what is right. What He does is right. He is
right. So we perceive right about what
He does. If He does that, that's right.
He chose a people before the foundation of the world that
they should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Chose
them in Christ, that's right. He gave all to the Lord Jesus
Christ, and Christ came into this world and was made sin for
all that the Father had given Him, and died only for His elect. And only the elect are going
to be saved. That's right. Now, you know how
I know it's right? God's Word says it. And every
opinion that men have is not going to hold any water. It's
not going to make any more difference that men save a man from the
moon. That doesn't seem fair. God Almighty
is right. He's just. What do you think
we'll do? Well, the scripture says, kiss
the sun. I've never heard preaching like
this before. Thank God Almighty that you're
here this morning. I can remember a time when I
would say the same thing. I have never heard anything like
that. Search the scriptures. This is
so important. How important your eternal soul
is at stake. The Lord Jesus Christ had healed
an impotent man by the pool of Bethesda. Some Jews, when they saw the
man carrying his bed, told him, said, it's not lawful for you
to carry your bed. He broke in the Sabbath. He told
them, he said, well, there was one that told me to do this.
And they said, who was he? He said, I don't know. He left. The Lord Jesus Christ later found
him in the temple, revealed himself to him, and he said, you've been
made whole. He said, no more, lest the worst
thing come upon you. We dealt with that last time.
Therefore, verse 16, we finished, did the Jews persecute Jesus
and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the
Sabbath day. Verse 17 begins this morning
with a response from the Lord Jesus Christ concerning a question
that obviously He had been asked. Because here's how the Scripture
starts off. But Jesus answered them. Well,
obviously they'd asked Him something. He answered them and said, my
father worketh hitherto until now. Hitherto means until now,
until the very time you're looking right now and would forever. But until the very time that
you're looking, my father has been working and he said I work. Probably they asked him, who
gave you the right to do what you've done? And according to
their estimation, that is disregard the Sabbath. Who gave you the
right to disobey God? That's what they asked him. You
know that we've already considered this for sake of time. The Lord
Jesus Christ never disobeyed his Father. He never
disregarded the Sabbath. He disregarded their traditions. the traditions of men, but he
never. He said, I do only always those
things that please the Father. So the answer that our Lord gave
these Jews was proof. And that's what I'm going to
look at. I'm going to look at three verses that consider, or
three points, let me say it like that, concerning his deity. He answered them. The question
had to have been either, why did you do this? Who gave you
the authority? Who told you that you could heal? Isn't that amazing? Here was
a man a bit sick. Yeah, 38 years. And he stands up and he's walking
around and he said, there was one that told me to do this.
And that wasn't the issue with them. The issue was their tradition. Their issue was their tradition.
That's why they hated him. He went against their tradition.
You think men get mad when you step on their traditions? My father worked at Hitherto
and I work. Here's the first thing. This
is what he told them in verse 17. I'm equal with the Father. I am equal with the Father in
the government of this world. Now you stop and think about
what he just told you. Who gave you the right? Who gave
you the right to do what you have done? Necessity demanded
that he did what he did. Look at John 9.4. John 9.4. The Lord said, I must
work the works of him that sent me while of this day. The night
cometh when no man can work. There is coming a time, he said,
when no man, no man, In this world, we'll be able to do anything. There's only been one man that's
ever been able to please God. I must work the works of God. When He leaves, when He's ascended
into heaven, time comes when no man's going to be able to
do anything. Without Him, we can do nothing. Who gave you
the right? My father worked it hitherto.
My father has worked until this time. All of this creation, everything
you see, all of the providence that you see, all of the movement,
the governments raised up, the governments put down, everything
that has been done hitherto, my father worked it and I work
also. God Almighty, that's who he is. That impotent man that he had
healed, God sent that illness. God sent that illness. Someone says, well, wait a minute,
only the devil. Only the devil. My friend, the
devil might be the means that God's been pleased to use. He did with Job. But you remember
who gave Satan the authority. You remember who told Satan,
this is what you can do and you can do no more. Please, please
don't flatter Satan with being one that can thwart God's will,
God's purpose. He is God's devil. The scripture
says that he works all things after the counsel of his own
will. Who gave you the right to heal
this man on Sabbath day? I gave him that illness. And
I kept him from being able to be picked up and put in the water
for all these years, I kept him there. I made him to sit 38 years,
impotent. I kept him there for 38 years,
so that for this moment right here, I might cross paths with
that impotent man, and that I might be honored in the healing of
this object of my mercy. Who gave you the right? I'm God. As my Father works, I work. Every work in creation, in providence,
in salvation is ordered and established by God Almighty. that has seen everything that
is unseen, everything that you can perceive, everything you
can perceive. He's God. I'm telling you, this
little impotent nobody that false religion stands up and tries
to proclaim, is trying to do this, it just, it's nauseating. Nauseating. What a little God
this world has. He can't do anything. He's got
to have a maggot to help Him. What a little God. And this man, having been healed,
and the Lord set forth, as my Father worketh hitherto. I work. I work also. I work too. Verse
18 says, Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because
he had not only broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his
Father, making himself equal with God. I want you to turn over to Philippians.
Philippians chapter 2. I want to read something that
was just such a blessing for me. He told me, he said, my father
worked here too, I worked. Philippians chapter 2. Listen
to these verses. As I read these verses, I'm going
to make a couple of comments, and I pray that Almighty God
bless them to our hearts. Verse 6, Philippians 2.6, who
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a serpent, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. I have read that scripture,
heard it, and there's been, I'll be honest
with you, there's been some thoughts that I've had and some questions,
and sometimes just fearful to ask, I didn't want to appear
stupid, and I pray that I don't now. But the Lord Jesus Christ, when
they came, when he came and healed that man, And they asked him,
obviously asked him, who gave you the right? He said, it's
my father's workers. They got mad because he said
not only that God was his father, but he made himself equal with
God. In this scripture, through being
in the form of God, obviously before his incarnation, was invested with the honor and
the glory that is appropriate only to God himself. And I cannot
speak on that subject. I don't even know what to say.
The scripture says, who be in the form of God. God himself. The indescribable
form of God. Who be in the form of God. it
not robbery to be equal with God. Let me say this, the next
verse or two explains something that we just read. The scripture
says in verse 7, he made himself of no reputation and took upon in the likeness of men, and being
found in passion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross." Those two verses
explain something. And verse 6, that for myself,
and I want to share it with you, that was a real help to me. Who
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God? Have you ever wondered about
what exactly was being said out there? As the servant, the obedient
servant of Jehovah, obviously he came into this world and did
not only retain the form of God, that he had with the Father before
the foundation of the world. He came into this world and took
upon himself the form of a servant. He was made, the scripture sets
forth, in the likeness of men. Why? Why? When we read verse 6, there's
something that's lost. the way we read it in our understanding
of exactly what was being said. So being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery. Thought it right, this is what
he's saying. He thought it according to that
eternal covenant of grace. Thought it to be right according
to his Eternal purpose. He thought it right to veil that
glory. Being in the form of God. He
thought it right to veil that glory. You know on the Mount
of Transfiguration, you remember when it just, God, Scripture
says His face did shine as clothing. It was just brighter than the
noonday sun. Peter, James, and John just in
a glimpse saw it. God was pleased to just, for
a moment, just to show, just a glimpse of the glory. But He thought it right to veil
that glory and not rob the universe. of God's purpose and pleasure
of the glory of redemption. He thought it right according
to God's eternal purpose. He thought it, or did not consider
it to be so that he would rob the universe. The robbing there
is not concerning the equality with God. E-God. That's not equality. That's not the robbery. He would
not rob this universe of God's purpose and will and grace and
mercy to redeem a people. He would not retain that form is spoken of in verse 6, who
being in the form of God, did not consider to rob this world
of God's purpose, and retain only that form. There is what he considered.
He considered it not to rob his people. of redemption, in maintaining
the form that is his by right. And we now see in verse 7, but
made himself of no reputation. He would not rob you of redemption. Maintaining that form only the
form of God, that glory, he must be made in the likeness of sinful
man. He must obey God's law as a man. He must come into this world. And to stay where he was, we
would have no hope. he thought are considered not
robbery. To be or to remain equal in that
form with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon
him the form of a servant. and made in the likeness of men,
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." He wouldn't
rob you, Carl. He wouldn't rob you. Stayed where
he was in the form of God. I can't speak on that. I don't
know. I can't comment on that. He thought
or considered not to rob his people. He's the only hope they've
got. He considered not to let them
perish, but he humbled himself. Who gave you the right to be
here? He said, as my father worked,
I work too. My father chose me to this service. And he would not let his people
perish. He would not stay. He is the
obedient servant. These things are way too high
for us. But just that little glimpse
of what we just saw right there, just in a moment, we might get
a glimpse of what the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of
the Spirit of God, had to say. His deity, his deity was never
relinquished, never. But he as the obedient servant,
not to perish, not robbing them,
the scripture says. He thought it not robbery to
be equal in that form that he always had with the Father. He did not consider the robbery. Oh, thanks be to God for him
who humbled himself and made himself of no reputation, I can't
even begin to enter into that. God Almighty, the form of God, thought it not
or never considered the robbery to stay in that state. no reputation. Who gave you the
right to do what you do? He said, I'm God. Here's the second thing, to know
the Father's will, behold the Son. This is what he's setting
forth, his glory, his honor. Back to John, let me get back
there. John 5, verse 19, Then answered Jesus and said unto
them, Verily, verily, I say unto the Son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the Father do. For what things soever he
doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." Here's what he says,
if you want to know what God's will is, whatever I do, whatever
I do, that's the Father's will. If any would wonder or desire
in the redemption and salvation of God's elect. If you would
ever wonder, what is the Father's will for the salvation of His
people? What is His will? What did Christ
do? What did He do? He walked this
earth in absolute obedience as the Son of Man. Absolute obedience
to His Father. What's the Father's will? There
must be obedience. There must be absolute obedience. Please, please, I pray by God's
grace in regenerating mercy, that God deliver us from the
thought that because we've made some little fickle, insignificant
attitude of walking down an aisle or getting in a pool of water
or joining a church or something. Let me ask you something. Have
you absolutely, without one deviation, have you ever obey God? No. The answer is no. No. The son can do nothing of himself
but what he sees the Father, what he sees the Father do. Whatsoever
things he doeth, whatever he does, that's what I do. That's
what he says. Whatsoever he said the Father
do. Whatsoever the Son saw in that
eternal covenant and counsel of grace, He was there. I was
there. I was there. Everything was settled
before the foundation of the world. Christ was slain in the
purpose counsel of Almighty God. The Father saw Him slain. The
Father chose, the Father gave, the Son agreed, the Son redeemed. All the whatsoever He said the
Father do, God is eternal. I am that I am. Christ never
saw His Father do anything in the future. He saw Him do it
right now. whatsoever he beheld, whatsoever
he perceived as the Father's pleasure, the Son obeyed him. Every detail, every thought,
every counsel, everything. I was sitting somewhere the other
day, and I noticed a little old fly lying on the window. And I just looked at that little
fly. And I thought to myself, God put that fly in there. God
put that fly in there. Why? Because it pleased Him.
Somebody say, you mean to tell me that you think something is
insignificant? Yes, I do. He works all things. Why? I don't know. But it pleased
Him to do so. Whatever the sum, I do all things. always those things. And here
is the third and last thing. Christ is equal with the Father
in knowledge. Verse 20. For the Father loveth
the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth. And he will show him greater
works than these, that ye may marvel. The right and the authority
to do what the Lord Jesus Christ did to that impotent man. Every other object of God's mercy
is shown to be totally bound up in the Father's love for the
Son. If Almighty God has mercy on
this sinner, do you know why he's going to have mercy on this
sinner? Because he loves the Son. What is the difference between
one son of Adam and another son of Adam? We're all dug out of
the same well. There's none that doeth good,
no not one. The infinite love that the Father
has for the only begotten Son can never, especially this Saturday
break, be understood by fallen creatures. I know that. But I
will tell you this. I know that based on the authority,
and see here's where we settle every issue. Somebody said, well
how do you know that that's so? Christ said it. I don't have to prove anything.
God said it, for the Father loveth the Son, showing Him all things
that He Himself doeth. He will show Him greater works
than these, that you may marvel. And Lord willing, we'll look
at those greater things next time. But I will tell you this,
I know that what God Almighty reveals, what God Almighty conceals
from me, He's shown the Son. And the Son Himself, by the Father. He knows all things. He's given the Spirit without
measure. I know in part, you know in part,
we prophesy in part, that the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth.
Number one, He is God Himself. He's equal with God Almighty,
being God, in the government of this universe, in the moving
of all things. He is the obedient servant, he
does only that which is pleasing to his Father, being the Father's
Son. He knows all things, omniscient
God Almighty. Oh, may we bow to who is the
Lord of glory, for his blessed name's sake, and our good name. Amen.