19 Jesus therefore responded and said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything of himself, if he may not see the Father doing anything; for whatever things He may do, these also the Son in like manner doth; 20 for the Father doth love the Son, and doth shew to him all things that He himself doth; and greater works than these He will shew him, that ye may wonder. 21 'For, as the Father doth raise the dead, and doth make alive, so also the Son doth make alive whom he willeth; 22 for neither doth the Father judge any one, but all the judgment He hath given to the Son, 23 that all may honour the Son according as they honour the Father; he who is not honouring the Son, doth not honour the Father who sent him. 24 'Verily, verily, I say to you—He who is hearing my word, and is believing Him who sent me, hath life age-during, and to judgment he doth not come, but hath passed out of the death to the life. 25 'Verily, verily, I say to you—There cometh an hour, and it now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those having heard shall live; 26 for, as the Father hath life in himself, so He gave also to the Son to have life in himself, 27 and authority He gave him also to do judgment, because he is Son of Man. 28 'Wonder not at this, because there doth come an hour in which all those in the tombs shall hear his voice, 29 and they shall come forth; those who did the good things to a rising again of life, and those who practised the evil things to a rising again of judgment.
30 'I am not able of myself to do anything; according as I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.
31 'If I testify concerning myself, my testimony is not true; 32 another there is who is testifying concerning me, and I have known that the testimony that he doth testify concerning me is true; 33 ye have sent unto John, and he hath testified to the truth. 34 'But I do not receive testimony from man, but these things I say that ye may be saved; 35 he was the burning and shining lamp, and ye did will to be glad, for an hour, in his light. 36 'But I have the testimony greater than John's, for the works that the Father gave me, that I might finish them, the works themselves that I do, they testify concerning me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 'And the Father who sent me Himself hath testified concerning me; ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor His appearance have ye seen; 38 and His word ye have not remaining in you, because whom He sent, him ye do not believe. 39 'Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me; 40 and ye do not will to come unto me, that ye may have life; 41 glory from man I do not receive, 42 but I have known you, that the love of God ye have not in yourselves. 43 'I have come in the name of my Father, and ye do not receive me; if another may come in his own name, him ye will receive; 44 how are ye able—ye—to believe, glory from one another receiving, and the glory that 'is' from God alone ye seek not? 45 'Do not think that I will accuse you unto the Father; there is who is accusing you, Moses—in whom ye have hoped; 46 for if ye were believing Moses, ye would have been believing me, for he wrote concerning me; 47 but if his writings ye believe not, how shall ye believe my sayings?'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 5:19-47
Commentary on John 5:17-23
(Read John 5:17-23)
The Divine power of the miracle proved Jesus to be the Son of God, and he declared that he worked with, and like unto his Father, as he saw good. These ancient enemies of Christ understood him, and became more violent, charging him not only with sabbath-breaking, but blasphemy, in calling God his own Father, and making himself equal with God. But all things now, and at the final judgment, are committed to the Son, purposely that all men might honour the Son, as they honour the Father; and every one who does not thus honour the Son, whatever he may think or pretend, does not honour the Father who sent him.
Commentary on John 5:24-29
(Read John 5:24-29)
Our Lord declared his authority and character, as the Messiah. The time was come when the dead should hear his voice, as the Son of God, and live. Our Lord first refers to his raising those who were dead in sin, to newness of life, by the power of the Spirit, and then to his raising the dead in their graves. The office of Judge of all men, can only be exercised by one who has all knowledge, and almighty power. May we believe His testimony; thus our faith and hope will be in God, and we shall not come into condemnation. And may His voice reach the hearts of those dead in sin; that they may do works meet for repentance, and prepare for the solemn day.
Commentary on John 5:30-38
(Read John 5:30-38)
Our Lord returns to his declaration of the entire agreement between the Father and the Son, and declared himself the Son of God. He had higher testimony than that of John; his works bore witness to all he had said. But the Divine word had no abiding-place in their hearts, as they refused to believe in Him whom the Father had sent, according to his ancient promises. The voice of God, accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, thus made effectual to the conversion of sinners, still proclaims that this is the beloved Son, in whom the Father is well pleased. But when the hearts of men are full of pride, ambition, and the love of the world, there is no room for the word of God to abide in them.
Commentary on John 5:39-44
(Read John 5:39-44)
The Jews considered that eternal life was revealed to them in their Scriptures, and that they had it, because they had the word of God in their hands. Jesus urged them to search those Scriptures with more diligence and attention. "Ye do search the Scriptures," and ye do well to do so. They did indeed search the Scriptures, but it was with a view to their own glory. It is possible for men to be very studious in the letter of the Scriptures, yet to be strangers to its power. Or, "Search the Scriptures," and so it was spoken to them in the nature of an appeal. Ye profess to receive and believe the Scripture, let that be the judge. It is spoken to us as advising or commanding all Christians to search the Scriptures. Not only read them, and hear them, but search them; which denotes diligence in examining and studying them. We must search the Scriptures for heaven as our great end; For in them ye think ye have eternal life. We must search the Scriptures for Christ, as the new and living Way, that leads to this end. To this testimony Christ adds reproofs of their unbelief and wickedness; their neglect of him and his doctrine. Also he reproves their want of the love of God. But there is life with Jesus Christ for poor souls. Many who make a great profession of religion, yet show they want the love of God, by their neglect of Christ and contempt of his commandments. It is the love of God in us, the love that is a living, active principle in the heart, which God will accept. They slighted and undervalued Christ, because they admired and overvalued themselves. How can those believe, who make the praise and applause of men their idol! When Christ and his followers are men wondered at, how can those believe, the utmost of whose ambition is to make a fair show in the flesh!
Commentary on John 5:45-47
(Read John 5:45-47)
Many trust in some form of doctrines or some parties, who no more enter into the real meaning of those doctrines, or the views of the persons whose names they bear, than the Jews did into those of Moses. Let us search and pray over the Scriptures, as intent on finding eternal life; let us observe how Christ is the great subject of them, and daily apply to him for the life he bestows.