John 5:16–47

¹⁶And on account of this the Jews began to persecute^* Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. ¹⁷But he answered^f them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” ¹⁸So on account of this the Jews were seeking even more to kill him, because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own Father, thus^* making himself equal with God.

The Authority of the Son

¹⁹So Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing from himself except what he sees the Father doing. For whatever that one does, these things also the Son does likewise. ²⁰For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself is doing. And greater works than these he will show him, so that you will be astonished. ²¹For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them^* alive, thus also the Son makes alive whomever he wishes. ²²For the Father does not judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, ²³in order that all people^* will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴Truly, truly I say to you that the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

²⁵“Truly, truly I say to you, that an hour is coming—and now is here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. ²⁶For just as the Father has life in himself, thus also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷And he has granted him authority to carry out judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸“Do not be astonished at this, because an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹and they will come out—those who have done good things to a resurrection of life, but those who have practiced evil things to a resurrection of judgment. ³⁰I am able to do nothing from myself. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.

Further Testimony About the Son

³¹“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. ³²There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true. ³³You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. ³⁴(And I do not receive testimony from people, but I say these things in order that you may be saved.) ³⁵That one was the lamp which was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for an hour in his light.

³⁶“But I have a testimony greater than John’s, for the works which the Father has given to me that I should complete them—the very works which I am doing—these testify about me, that the Father has sent me. ³⁷And the Father who sent me, that one has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. ³⁸And you do not have his word residing in yourselves, because the one whom that one sent, in this one you do not believe. ³⁹You search^g the scriptures because you think that you have eternal life in them, and it is these that testify about me. ⁴⁰And you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

⁴¹“I do not accept glory^h from people, ⁴²but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. If another should come in his own name, you would accept that one! ⁴⁴How are you able to believe, if you^* accept glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which is from the only God? ⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father! The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope! ⁴⁶For if you had believed Moses, you would believe me, for that one wrote about me. ⁴⁷But if you do not believe that one’s writings, how will you believe my words?”