One God Report 52) Making himself Equal with God, commentary on John 5:17-18
In this episode (Part 1 of a 2 part episode) we examine and comment on John 5, where Jesus healed a lame man at the Pools of Bethesda in Jerusalem.
We focus on John 5:17-18: "And this was why the Judeans were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." 18 This was why the Judeans were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."
We show that the phrase "equal with God" is best understood in the biblical, Hebraic concept of "agency", an equality between the one sent and his sender. "The one sent is equal to his sender".
The equality of the Messiah Jesus to God is as God's sent agent, not an equality of divine essence or nature.
The Christology of the Gospel of John is not "incarnation" (God taking on flesh, or becoming human) but "agency", God being represented and granting His authority to His appointed human Messiah Jesus.
The equality of the Messiah Jesus to God is as God's sent agent, not an equality of divine essence or nature.
For full written text of this episode and episode 2, see here:
https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2021/09/john-518-but-he-was-also-calling-god.html
Other resources related to new creation in the Gospel of John mentioned in this podcast:
· John 1:1, Jesus is the Beginning of God’s New Creation
· The Gospel of John, the Historical Context of the New Creation and New Testament Context