Today, we will look at John 5.

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

So 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. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

John 5:16-23John 5:16-23
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
16 They started making a lot of trouble for Jesus because he did things like this on the Sabbath. ¹⁷ But Jesus said, “My Father has never stopped working, and that is why I keep on working.” ¹⁸ Ws . Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said that God was his Father, which made him equal with God. The Son's Authority ¹⁹ Jesus told the people: I tell you for certain that the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do. ²⁰ The Father loves the Son and has shown him everything he does. The Father will show him even greater things, and you will be amazed. ²¹ Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. ²² The Father doesn't judge anyone, but he has made his Son the judge of everyone. ²³ The Father wants all people to honor the Son as much as they honor him. When anyone refuses to honor the Son, that is the same as refusing to honor the Father who sent him.

WP-Bible plugin, NLT

Sometimes we read it without thought, but in Jesus speech and actions, they found himself to be declaring himself uniquely related to the Father. How are you like your father? This could be in physical ways, personality, the way you have seen God work in your life, etc. It’s easy to claim similarity when it is “good”. Are there ways that you are like your father that you would like to change?

If you are a parent, how are your children like you? This might be simply physical characteristics and manner of speech, but how have your children made decisions to live life following your example? How have you tried to guide them to become like you not only physically, but in how they make wise decisions?

How are we like our Father in heaven? Do you find it easier to relate with Jesus, or with the Father? Why?