Or, Jesus Working Like His Father
John 5:19-20 (Please read the whole chapter)
19. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
This is quite an astounding statement that Jesus says here. We see all of the different miracles that He has done, and yet he says that he only does what “He sees the Father doing”. I must ask then, how does He see the Father working?
It is evident from the next two scriptures from Philippians and Hebrews, that Jesus became a man just like we are, with one exception, He was sinless. Philippians says that Jesus emptied Himself of the attributes of being God and became a man just like us. And Hebrew says that He had to become just like us made with flesh and blood. He lived a perfect and sinless life. So he could redeem us by becoming a Perfect High Priest.
Philippians 2: (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)
5. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6. who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7. but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Hebrews 2:14-17 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)
14. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Since Jesus was a man just like us, with flesh and blood, will ask this question again, How does He see the Father working? Jesus is the Word made flesh, according to John chapter 1. The Word spoken about here, is all of scripture, both old and new Testaments.(Even though the New Testament had not yet been written.) Jesus is a Jew and was raised in the Jewish culture to learn what the old Testament said. Therefore, he was very familiar with everything that was written in the Old Testament. And I believe, the way Jesus saw His Father working was by seeing Him do the miracles in the Old Testament.
Here are some examples. When Jesus fed the multitude two different times He knew what second Kings 4 said. Elisha told his servant to feed the hundred men and God multiplied the 20 loaves of barley (and fresh ears of grain) to make sure they all had enough. Jesus saw that and He did the same thing because to Jesus God’s word is present and He saw the Father working in this miracle.
2 Kings 4:42-44 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)
42. A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43. But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 44. So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.
Jesus raising the dead is another example.
John 11:24-26;38-44 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)
24. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
38. Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41. Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Where did Jesus see the father raising the dead in the Old Testament? 2 kings 13 gives us that answer.
2 Kings 13:20-21 ESV (Please read the whole chapter)
20. So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21. And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
And again, Jesus does what He sees His Father doing, raising the dead.
Another example, “lepers in the land”. The law of Moses in Leviticus 13 told people what they needed to do if they suspected leprosy. In Luke 17 lepers came to Jesus and ask to be healed. Jesus tells them, go and show yourselves to the priest according to the law of Moses, even before they were healed. Only one came back to give Jesus the glory.
Luke17: ESV (Please read the whole chapter)
11. On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13. and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14. When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16. and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18. Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19. And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
And again, Jesus sees his father working through the miracle of Elisha healing Naaman, a Syrian. So Jesus sees His Father working here and He does the same and heals the 10 lepers.
2 kings 5:10-14 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)
10. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11, But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14. So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
For those of you that would say, what about the healings thats not in the Old Testament, and I would say to you as John said even the whole world could not contain the books if everything Jesus had done had been written down.
John 21:25 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)
22. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
And John 14:12 (KJV) (Please read the whole chapter)
12. verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Here is an example of the disciples believing that they could do what Jesus did.
Acts 9:38-41 ESV (Please read the whole chapter)
38. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” 39. So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
To Jesus, the entire Bible is the present tense. It is not a past tense for Him. He views all of it as today, because God is working today and that is true. Jesus saw it in His day and we see it in our day.
Jesus gave His authority to his disciples in Luke chapter 10:17-20.
Luke 10:17-20 (ESV) (Please read the whole chapter)
17. The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18. And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
In Mark 16 Jesus said, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and these signs will follow them that believe in my name… that never ended, Jesus still wants us to do His works like He did His father’s works. The world needs the Gospel today just like every generation has needed it.
Mark 16:15-20 (ESV)
15. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18. they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19. So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. (I am aware of the different endings in the manuscripts of Mark, but without these verses, Mark has no ending, so, I believe they belong there. Nothing is contained in these verses that you can not find somewhere else in the New Testament.)
So as we read in the book of acts the disciples were actually doing what Jesus did. Throughout history, we see numerous examples of the followers of Jesus doing the works of Jesus because they saw that the Bible is today.
To answer the question of, “how does Jesus see the Father working”? I believe He found all His influence in the Old Testament and He did what He saw His father doing.
MARANATHA