2. Controversy with the Jews (5:16-30)
As far as the Jews were concerned, Jesus was a Sabbath breaker (v.16). His justification of his deeds on the basis of the activity of God (v.17) served only to anger them further (v.18). They rightly saw that he referred to God as his Father and that he was making himself equal with God, and they thought this blasphemous because they conceived of him as a mere human. But Jesus was not a mere man, he was the incarnation of the divine Word (cf. 1:1-2, 14). In the profoundly Christological discourse that follows, Jesus reaffirmed his special relationship to God.
To begin with, Jesus (as Son) was entirely dependent on the Father for everything he did (v.19) and had (vv.22, 26, 27). But at the same time, the Father was showing the Son all his deeds and would show him even greater things than the healing of the paralytic (v.20). Indeed, the Son shared the divine prerogatives of giving life to the dead and passing judgment (vv.21-22). All this was because the Father purposed that everyone should honor the Son just as they honored the Father (v.23).
The themes of life (cf. 1:4; 3:16; 20:31) and judgment (cf. 3:17-18; 16:11) are more fully worked out in 5:24-29. Jesus was speaking primarily of ultimate judgment (vv.27, 30), but the life he gives is both spiritual life here and now (v.24) and resurrection life for the blessed dead at some future time (vv.28-29). The key to life is hearing Jesus' words and believing the Father (vv.24-25). The key to right judgment by Jesus is his desire to please the Father (v.30).
