May 7

Jesus’ Equality with God: A Sola Scriptura Perspective

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. ~ John 5:17-18

From a Sola Scriptura perspective, the Bible alone establishes the truth of Jesus’ equality with God, as vividly demonstrated in John 5:17-23. In John 5:17-18, Jesus declares, “My Father is working until now, and I am working,” prompting the Jews to seek His death, not only for breaking the Sabbath but for “calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” This passage reveals that Jesus’ claim to work continuously, as God does, asserts His divine nature. The Jews understood this as a direct claim to deity, equating Himself with God in person. Scripture further unfolds this equality through Jesus’ own words, outlining five distinct claims to His divine status.

First, Jesus is equal with God in His person. John 5:17-18 explicitly states that by calling God His Father and aligning His work with the Father’s, Jesus claims a unique relationship that makes Him equal with God. This is no mere human assertion but a divine truth affirmed by the reaction of His opponents, who recognized the weight of His words. Second, Jesus is equal with God in His works. In John 5:19-20, He states, “What things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise,” indicating that His works are identical in nature and authority to the Father’s, a prerogative exclusive to deity. Third, Jesus claims equality in power and sovereignty. John 5:21 asserts, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will,” showing that Jesus possesses the divine authority to give life, a power belonging solely to God.

Fourth, Jesus is equal with God in judgment. John 5:22 declares, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son,” revealing that Jesus holds the divine role of judge over all, a function Scripture reserves for God alone (Psalm 50:6). Finally, Jesus is equal with God in honor. In John 5:23, He states, “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” This demand for equal honor underscores His deity, as only God is worthy of such worship (Exodus 20:3). These claims, rooted solely in Scripture, affirm that Jesus is not merely a servant or prophet but God Himself, equal in person, works, power, judgment, and honor with the Father.

Read / Listen
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21
John 5:1-23
Psalm 105:37-45
Proverbs 14:28-29

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
~ Proverbs 14:29

New Testament

John 5:1-23

Summary

The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath
Jesus Is Equal with God
The Authority of the Son

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. ~ John 5:18

Jesus’ remarks that He was God were instantly understood by the Jews according to this verse.

Overview: John 1-12 Click Here to Watch Video

The Damning Power of False Religion

John 5:1–16

The Most Startling Claim Ever Made, Part 1

John 5:17–20

All of this section comes from the very mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ. And He is speaking to the Jewish leaders of Israel who are designated by John as the Jews. They want Him dead. They consider Him a blasphemer of the worst kind. They are convinced that He is a threat to their religion, their self-styled secure religious position and power. They see Him as scorning the conventional wisdom as dishonoring God, as threatening the sanctity of their religious system. He has already attacked the Temple with such passion that He evacuated the Temple all by Himself at the very height of a Passover celebration. That’s how He launched His ministry.

They have heard Him repeatedly attack the hypocrisy of their false religion. They have watched Him show nothing but disdain for their non-biblical traditions and additions by which they have attempted to embellish the Scripture. He is their arch enemy by their own choice.

As we come to verses 17 to 47, Jesus speaks directly to them, directly to the leaders. And the purpose of the entire section is to declare to them that He is in fact God, that He is the Messiah and more, He is God. He gives that testimony of His equality with God to begin this long section and then He calls on witnesses to the truth of that witness from John the Baptist, witness from His miracles, witness from God the Father, witness from the Scripture. And so here is His own testimony to His own identity.

And let me just say that you all understand this but be sure. The heart and soul of the Christian faith, the heart and soul of the gospel is a right view of Jesus Christ. There are some who see Jesus as a man only, a good man, a noble man, maybe an elevated man, maybe a highly spiritual sensitive man. That’s not an option. Needlessly, pseudo-scholars and skeptics have argued the identity of Jesus throughout history. The attack on His deity, the fact that He is God, fully God, started with the Jewish leaders here in His own country of Israel during His ministry. They attacked Him for His claim to be deity. They saw it as outright blasphemy.