Do you really know whom you say you know? Confusing question, I'm sure. As an example, I knew someone who claimed to be on a first-name basis with a famous actress. I was skeptical, but this individual claimed to have the actresses' cell phone number on his phone. The claim would have quickly been verified by simply placing a call in my presence.

This example is nothing compared to the claim that Jesus made: "For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God." (John 5:18). Jesus' outrageous Sabbath healings alone were enough to incite the ire of the Jewish religious leaders of the day, but claiming Creator God as His literal Father was absolutely over the top. To borrow from my earlier example, if Jesus had God's phone number on His phone, then place the call and prove it! And that's exactly what He did repeatedly: provided proof of this unique relationship.

In spite of nearly two millennia of controversy and confusion, the relationship between Jesus and His Father is clearly described. Consider these statements:

"the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing ; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19)

"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes." (John 5:21)

"the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish -the very works that I do -testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me." (John 5:36)

Never once do we see Jesus even remotely suggesting that He IS the Father, but that He is uniquely His Son - perfectly imitating and representing to us Him "who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see." (1 Timothy 6:16).

This uniquely intimate Father and Son relationship is on Jesus' heart and mind during the final hours before His arrest and suffering. He prays that all His followers "may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:21). How tragically ironic that His followers have been deeply divided for two thousand years over the relationship between Jesus and His followers! If truth in this matter could prevail, the world might truly "believe that You sent Me."

The pattern for our lifestyle is that we perfectly reflect and obey the Father as Jesus did and does. May our lives be so characterized this day.

Steve

© 2010, Steve Taylor