The Perfect Father-Son Relationship

by Mitchell Tan
May 27, 2017

THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE LORD JESUS IN RELATING TO GOD

The Lord Jesus had cultivated a depth of relationship with His heavenly Father while He was on this earth. On one occasion, when He healed a paralytic on the Sabbath (John 5:1-16), the Jews sought to kill Him. They accused Him of claiming to be equal with God (John 5:18). The Lord Jesus never said this. He explained to them why He did what He did. It was because of His close Father and Son relationship with God. He is the perfect example of relating to God as our Father. What are some aspects of this depth of relationship with God?

1. THE SON WAS NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING OF HIMSELF

“Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself”
John 5:19

When He was on this earth, He was totally reliant on the Lord God. The Lord as Son was conscious of God as His Father and sought to depend on Him for all things. He knew His place as Son. He depended on the Lord for His grace and strength. The Lord Jesus was not able to do anything of Himself, and neither did He want to do so. This was what we observe in the life and ministry of Jesus. He did not seek to do anything that was of Himself. This was the Lord’s example. He did not do things independently. He can’t and He won’t. This was His natural response to His Father as Son.

2. THE SON IMITATED THE FATHER CONCERNING WHAT HE DOES

“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
John 5:17

“But what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”
John 5:19

Because the Son loved the Father, He sought to imitate what He did. The Lord Jesus testified to the Jews of how His Father had been working continuously from the beginning of time until then and continued to do so. He had been working also on the Sabbath day. As such, the Lord Jesus also sought to work as His Father did. He understood His Father’s will and sought to do likewise. Such is the love that the Lord Jesus had for His Father while He was on this earth. He imitated His Father’s example and followed fully His will.

3. THE LORD GOD LOVED THE SON BY SHOWING HIM ALL THINGS

“For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these”
John 5:20

John wrote of how the Lord God as Father loved His Son Jesus in return. Because the Son chose to rely on Him for everything and sought to follow the Father, He responded by loving Him in a special way. The word “Love” in Greek (John 5:20) is the word “phileo”. It is a warm, living and tender love expressed by God. When the Lord Jesus loved the Lord God and followed His will, He would in return love Him even more and show Him all things, even greater things that will come in the future. Young people, let’s also seek to love the Lord by depending on Him and imitating Him. The Lord would love us in return and manifest Himself to us.

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