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Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
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Jesus Dependent on the Father’s Power
Jesus rejected the charge of blasphemy. “My authority,” He said,
“is that I am the Son of God, One with Him in nature, will, and
purpose. I cooperate with God.”
“The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father
do.” The priests and rabbis were taking the Son of God to task for
doing the very work He had been sent into the world to do. They
felt self-sufficient and sensed no need of a higher wisdom. But the
Son of God was surrendered to the Father’s will and dependent on
His power. Christ made no plans for Himself. Day by day the Father
unfolded His plans. So should we depend on God, so that our lives
may be the simple working out of His will.
The words of Christ teach that we should think of ourselves as
inseparably bound to our Father in heaven. Whatever our status in
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life, we are dependent on God. He has appointed us our work and has
given us resources for that work. As long as we surrender the will to
God and trust in His strength and wisdom, He will guide us in safe
paths, to fulfill our appointed part in His plan. But those who depend
on their own wisdom and power are separating themselves from God
and fulfilling the purpose of the enemy of God and humanity.
The Sadducees believed that there would be no resurrection of
the body, but Jesus told them that one of the greatest works of His
Father is raising the dead, and that He Himself had power to do
the same work. “As the Father raises the dead and gives life to
them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” “The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of
God; and those who hear will live.” Christ declared that the power
that gives life to the dead was among them, and they were to see it
revealed. This same resurrection power gives life to the soul and
sets us “free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:2
. Through
faith we are kept from sin. Those who open their hearts to Christ
become partakers of the mighty power that will bring their bodies
out from the grave.
The humble Nazarene rose above humanity, threw off the ap-
pearance of sin and shame, and stood revealed, the Son of God, One
with the Creator of the universe. His hearers were spellbound. No
one ever spoke words like His or carried himself with such kingly