GOD IS ABLE - 7. Doing nothing

~ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do.... I can of Myself do nothing. ...I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." -John 5:19, 30

This is almost like a reverse "God is able" passage.  Here Jesus is speaking of Himself by saying, "As God's Son, I am only able to do what I see My Father do.  I am not able to do anything on My own, because I do not carry out My will but His." The one who is able to do all sorts of miracles seems to be limiting His power, and that seems rather peculiar.

A good thing to remember about the Scriptures is that whenever a passage sounds unusual, it probably has a lot to tell us.  That's certainly the case here.  These verses are from a conversation Jesus had with religious leaders. They were irate because once again He had healed someone on the Sabbath day (verses 1-15). To them it was all about keeping the law that God gave to Israel through Moses, which prohibited all common work on the Sabbath. While that was indeed the law, the Lord had repeatedly explained that showing mercy is never an act of disobedience.

But here, Jesus spoke of God as His Father and of Himself as the Son. His listeners recognized that this statement was a claim to be equal with God Himself. It sounded blasphemous to them; but rather than backing away from that meaning, He deepened it. Here are two things to learn:

     - The Bible teaching of the Trinity (the tri-unity of the one God of the Bible) is supported here, at least as it concerns the Son and the Father being equal. The Jewish leaders understood that equality as the implication of His words.

     - While on earth, Jesus accepted the humble role of dependence on God as His Father. This is true even though He also possesses great authority (for example, verses 25-27).

It's beautiful to think that, as we learn about the person of Jesus Christ, we are learning all we need to know about God's character. He never took a step that wasn't in perfect agreement with His Father's will. That kind of humility and dependence is a good example for us, too.