September 05, 2026
September 05, 2026
Guest Speaker – Teppei
“the Father and the Son are equal”John 5:19-29
This is my testimony.
My relationship with my sister, whom I invited to the gathering last year on November 3rd, has been restored.
Even in today’s gathering, I am confident that God is working in each and every one of you, and that He is improving the problems you are facing today.
This year for New Years, I went home to Nagoya to visit my family. While I was there, I not only saw my sister, but I saw my father as well.
I had a complicated feelings toward my father. At one time, I thought I would never see my father again, but when I went home, I saw him for the first time in 15 years.
After New Years, God gave me an urge to go see my father again. God prompted me many times.
God spoke to me saying, “Tell him about Jesus.”
I kept putting off seeing my father but I finally went to go and visit him at the beginning of March this year. When I went for the visit, I was able to share Jesus with him.
When I returned back to Osaka, I wrote a letter to my father with a summary of the Gospel. Then I sent it to him with a Bible that has an easy to understand commentary for Japanese people. However, the letter and the Bible never reached my father.
10 days after visiting my father, he was found passed out on the floor from a brain hemorrhage. Right now, he is almost entirely unconscious and he could take a sudden change for the worse at anytime.
The docter has given him 1-2 more years left to live.
Even so, I still prayed to God and worshiped Him at the hospital.
I used to keep a distance from my father, but God drew us closer to each other before he was hospitalised.
It was God-lead.
Through more earnhest learning and speaking about the Bible has brought an opportunity to speak about Jesus to my father.
It has brought a chance.
What I would like to talk about today is the fact that the true essence of the parent-child relationship on earth lies in heaven.
When our relationship with God the Father is restored, when we recognise God the Father created us, then we are given true peace.
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Now, when we look at our relationship with God the Father, and when we reflect upon our relationship with our parents, we are lead to one solution.
And that solution is: for those who have peace with God, we can love one another just as God loves us.
That’s because there is life within the love of God.
God’s mercy will dwell in us and will lead us to do good things.
God the Father is the one who created the heavens and the earth and supports them.
He is the one who exsits from eternity to eternity and is the ultimate cause of every being. This is the point I want to get across today: God almighty loves us.
Context of today’s passage
- A man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years was healed. John 5:1-9 2. The enmity of the Pharisees. John 5:10-18
- The Father and the Son are equal. John 5:19-29
Our point for today is that God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ are equal. How we are saved is through believing in Jesus.
Believing Jesus also means believing in God the Father.
the substance of parent and child relationship is not on the earth.
Within the relationship with God the Father, we see how a parent and child’s relationship is supposed to be. I will talk about that today. - A man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years was healed. John 5:1-9
the man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years took up his bed, and walked on a Sabbath. 2. The enmity of the Pharisees John 5:10-18
And then the Pharisees showed hostility toward Jesus because He “broke” the Sabbath.
Then Jesus answered. :17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
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Jesus says He is equal with God.
In Jewish culture, “My Father” means that I and the Father are the same. Therefore the pharisees started to show hostility against Jesus.
:18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
The Jews tried to kill Jesus. Jesus answers to those Jews.
:19 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; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
When forces opposed to God are at work, God responds by doing something even greater.
What is Jesus’s answer?
- Jesus and the Father are equal. They are One.
- Jesus is the judge of humanity. We will understand this more clearly as we move forward with the explanation.
- There is a witness who assures Jesus’s claim.
These 3 points will be today’s message outline.
Most assuredly, I say to you
This is a set phrase when teaching an extreamly solemn idea.
It means listen carefully.
Jesus reveals His innerself here.
Jesus begins to teach as He uses Jewish family life as an example.
In Jewish households, children learn a profession by imitating their father.
Carpenters start to learn carpentry from about the age of 12.
The father shows an example and the child imitates and does the same thing.
This is how Jewish households were.
In the relationship with Jesus’s father on the earth, He also learned carpentry.
This is also how Jesus learned carpentry through His relationship with His earthly father.
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An important fact here is that Jesus’s relationship with His Heavenly Father is the model relationship that earthly child-parent relationships are based on.
So, our true father, is our Father in Heaven.
God the Father loves His son, Jesus.
The Father shows all things that He does to the Son.
:20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Why the Father shows everything to His Son is because He loves the Son. The defining feature of the Father and the Son’s relationship is love. They are tied by love.
By showing everything to the Son, the Son is able to do the same as the Father. That is because the Son is also God.
The Son is not aiming to be God separate from the Father.
The Son is always God who is obedient to the Father.
That doesn’t mean that Jesus is a slave. He is the Son of the Father.
And we Christians are the same.
We are made children of God. Not slaves. At the same time, we are choosing to walk as servants joyfully and willingly. In that, there are astonishing words; He will show Him greater works than these
These words have been said toward the Pharisees. Thus, the Pharisses are angry.
The reason why is because Jesus healed on a Sabbath.
“Greater works than these” meaning healing a man who had had been paralyzed for thirty- eight years and told him to get up and carry his bed. This healing was a proof of Jesus’s authority on a small scale.
To that, the pharisses are hostile to Jesus. In other words, they have a dispute over something of such a level. What are they going to do then? Jesus says “God will show Him greater works than these”
Here, what Jesus is trying to say to the Pharisees is, “Do not marvel over a man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years being healed and then you saw him walk away carrying his bed. I will do greater works than this, you will be even more amazed.”
Well then,
What is greater works than these??
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Raising the dead -verse 21. Judging people -verse 22
Ressurection of the dead and judgemnet of humanity, the purpose of these is that the people will be amazed because of Jesus.
:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
Again, this is an explanation of the relationship between the Father and the Son. The Father will raise the dead and give them life.
The Son also gives life to whom He will.
Jews had believed that only God could raise the dead back to life.
Ezekiel 37:13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
This is God’s declaration.
Jews belived that only God could raise the dead as this declaration states.
And now Jesus declares that He has the authority to raise people from the dead.
Therefore, Jesus declares Himself as God.
:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
The Son will judge humanity.
The Father has given all judgment to the Son.
This was new information for the pharasees and the Jews who were there listening to Jesus speak.
Because they believed that the Father was the judge of all humanity but they did not understand that the Son is the one who takes that action.
What kind of judgement does the Son take?
Evaluation of each person’s actions
The final declaration of judgement
Next we see the reason why the authority is given to the Son.
:23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
This is very important.
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all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
If you believed in Jesus, you should believe in God the Father also.
Also, whoever believes in Jesus cannot not believe in God the Father.
Take a note here that the Father does not share His glory with other gods.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
Like it says here, however, the Father rejoices in the Son having the same glory as He does. What does this mean?
This shows that the Son is God.
The Father and the Son are One. The Father and the Son are equal.
Furthermore, Jesus says that whoever honors the Father will honor the Son.
Conversely, he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
In other words, people who do not accept Jesus as Messiah do not accept the Father as God. Here is the very important point for today.
Key points for today:
Believing in Jesus is believeing in God the Father
Not believing in Jesus is not believing in God the Father
We believed in Jesus and have been reconciled to God the Father. If you do not believe in Jesus, believe in Him today. Believing in Jesus means believing in God the Father.
:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Don’t just swiftly read this. Savor the truth of these Words.
Most assuredly, an extreamly solemn idea will be taught.
Jesus only speaks of what He has heard from the Father.
Therefore, believing in Jesus is believing in the Father who has sent Him. What does being saved mean?
It means that we have passed from death into life.
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Those who are saved have everlasting life,
Those who are saved shall not come into judgment.
When you hear ressurection, we instantly think about the ressurection of our bodies but its not merely that. Before the ressurection, let’s think about the death.
When Adam took the fruit from tree of knowledge, God told him “You will die”. At that moment death came in two stages. The first was the spiritual death which is the separartion in the relationship with God. It means that they could not interact with God.
Second was the death of the flesh.
And now, just as death came in in 2 stages, the ressurection will also come in 2 stages.
There will be the ressurection of the soul which was dead. The broken relationship with God will be restored. And then comes the resserection of the flesh.
Spiritual ressurection is made possible by believing in Jesus. By believing in Jesus, you will be given eternal life and you will not have to face judgement.
You will pass from death into life.
In other words, our spiritual state in Jesus means we are already saved. So, what this tells us is….
“Believing in Jesus” means to anticipate the future and live in the present.
・We will live in a state where we will never face judgment.
・Our hope is that this physical body will be transformed into a glorious body.
In this passage, Jesus is extending an invitation to the Pharisees.
At the same time, these are also words of invitation to those who do not yet believe in Jesus.
These are words of invitation from Jesus: “Believe in Me and be saved.”
Those who believe in Jesus and have been saved should rejoice that they have been spiritually resurrected.
If you do not yet believe in Jesus, let us recognize that God is inviting you right now to experience the resurrection of your soul.
Once we understand this, let us respond to God’s invitation.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
The sign that your soul has been born again and made new is that your love for your brothers and sisters is growing.
Before I believed in Jesus, I only thought about myself.
But now, I find myself caring about the spiritual blessings of God’s family. I care about the church.
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I spend my days praying for others and interceding for them.
I find myself wanting to pray for this person, and that person too. One prayer request after another comes to mind.
It is because we love our brothers and sisters.
Why? Because we have passed from death to life.
This is the sign that we have been spiritually resurrected.
:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
“Truly, truly,” Jesus gives us a solemn teaching.
Those who hear the voice of the Son of God and believe will live.
There is a twofold fulfillment and blessing that takes place in our souls and bodies.
・The dead (sinners) are born again by believing the word of the Son of God. They are made new.
・In the future, the dead (those who have died physically) will be resurrected with glorious bodies.
This is the twofold fulfillment and blessing that God brings about in both our souls and our bodies.
So then, what is the reason the Son is able to raise the dead?
It is because, just as the Father has life in Himself, the Son also has life within Himself.
Because life dwells within Jesus, He is able to raise the dead. The Father has made it so.
This does not mean that it became that way at some point in time.
Jesus has had life in Himself from eternity past.
This shows that the Son is God.
What we can understand from this is that the life within us is something that has been given to us. On the other hand, the life that is in the Son is life that He has possessed from the beginning.
Therefore, the life that is in us and the life that is in the Son are different.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
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“Was” means it existed since the beginning. Then when was the beginning? It means it existed since eternity past.
:27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
The reason why the Father gave the Son authority is shown. That is because the Son is the Son of Man.
Son of Man is the title given to the Messiah
The Messiah is the savior.
This title emphasizes the Messiah’s humanness. Because Jesus has perfect humanity, He is able to judge. At the same time, Jesus is able to care for people.
Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Jesus is able to care for people and judge people because He has perfect humanity. He went through all the sufferings we experience. Willingly, He Himself has suffered.
:28-29 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Jesus tells not to be amazed.
The hour is coming in which all who are dead will hear the Son’s voice. In result of that, there will be 2 different ressurections.
Those who have done good means people who believed Jesus. It does not mean doing good deeds. Believing in Jesus is doing good.
John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Believing in Jesus is the work of God,
So those who have done good means those who have beieved in Jesus. Those who believed Jesus have received eternal life.
Furthermore, when the body dies we will be transformed into our glorified bodies. This blessing of God is something to look forward to for those who believe in Jesus.
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On the otherhand, those who have done evil means people who did not believe Jesus. The ressurection of the body of unbelievers is for receiving eternal judgement.
The unbelievers have a ressurection as well.
But it is a horrifing ressurection. And that’s not all,
The unbelievers are already judged because they do not believe. What this means is that they are living this life on earth while being dead spiritually.
It means that they are living toward destruction. Those who do not believe Jesus cannot love each other as saved ones in Christ.
In other words, the judgement meant for the future is happening for them now. Christians have believed in Jesus and they have been born again spiritually. They wish to love each other.
There is a big difference between living a life on earth believing in Jesus and living a life not believing in Him. One person may say they want to live the way they want on the earth and then 1 minute before they die they will say “I believe Jesus.” Because that is the most attractive option. “I can do all I want freely and still get to go to heaven.”
That is absolutely wrong.
Believing Jesus is not idealistic, futuristic, or heaven or hell… Before those things, I want all of you to know that the moment we believe, we have pleasures.
There is a most wonderful joy that is experienced on this earth. We can experience the joy of heaven. That is to love Jesus and to love our brothers and sisters. That is eternal joy that will never be corrupted.
This is not a joy ‘someday’ ‘somewhere’.
It is a joy that can be fulfilled now.
We can be ressurected right now spiritually.
The joy we recieve through believing in Jesus is always available, “right now.” Not that someone will be saved, sometime someday.
Salvation is not something somewhere far away.
It is not something you cannot touch.
You can receive the salvation right now if you believe. It is a real life that believers can experience.
The idea that “I cannot believe anything in the Bible because I cannot understand this or that” is impossible. Has there been anyone who understood the Bible 100% to believe? As we
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learn more and more of the Bible, we understand how we know nothing. The Bible consistantly teaches us to put our trust in God.
It is not “I believe because I understood.”
Nor, “I don’t believe because I don’t understand.”
But it’s that “I will start to understand because I have believed.”
We start to understand because we trusted God.
Because we put our trust in the Holy Spirit, He helps our understanding.
It is not that we believe because we saw.
We see the glory of God because we believed.
It is not unrealistic.
It is surreal
God is the creator. We are His creation.
The biggest sin is to think that we are the ones who can rightly judge. To Thomas who doubted the ressurection Jesus said.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
“Do not doubt, but believe.”
When the criminal who was also hung on the cross with Jesus believed in Him, Jesus said to him
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” He did not say “someday” “somewhere”.
Those who believe Jesus Christ as their savior will today, this moment, receive salvation, be forgiven of their sin and be given everlasting life.
This salvation will never be taken away.
Jesus died for my sin, He was buried in the grave, He ressurected on the 3rd day and He still lives today. Believe in these things and put your trust in Jesus, then
Communion: At the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread for his disciples to eat and passed around a cup of wine for them to drink, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19-20).
The bread symbolizes Jesus’ body broken on the cross, and the juice symbolizes his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. This act is not just a ritual, but a time to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, to be grateful, to reaffirm our love, and to renew our commitment to live for Jesus. It is an invitation for all believers in Jesus to participate and experience the love and grace He gives.