Like Father, Like Son

Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing.”

John 5:19-20

Jesus, who was equal with God in every way, was willing to so humble himself for our sakes that he put himself in a subservient position to the Father while he walked out his earthly ministry: “He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Every step Jesus took, every breath he breathed, every word he spoke, was in obedience to the Father. He lived on alert, watching for what the Father was doing.

Jesus may not have seen with his physical eyes everything the Father was doing, but the Father revealed those things to the eyes of Jesus’ heart. His spiritual senses could discern the Father at work.

In the incident that led up to Jesus’ statement in today’s verses, Jesus walked through a location where many blind, lame, and paralyzed people waited, seeking a cure in the waters of a pool. He went to one of the men and healed him. Everyone with him saw the hurting people. Everyone with him saw the same man he saw. But only Jesus perceived exactly what the Father was doing. He was so identified in heart with the Father that the Father showed Jesus everything he was doing.

Jesus promises the same thing to his disciples. Just as Jesus can do nothing apart from the Father, so we can do nothing apart from him (see John 15:5). Jesus promises that he will show himself to those who obey him (see14:21) and that he will teach us everything the Father makes known to him (see15:15).

Jesus, I turn my gaze from earthly circumstances to you. Let me see the things of earth through your eyes and align myself with your work around me.

Faith demonstrates to the eye of the mind the reality of those things which cannot be discerned by the eye of the body.

Matthew Henry(1662–1714), English pastor and Bible commentator