This summer, we're walking through the life story of Jesus in the Gospel of John. While the other three New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) overlap each other in many of their accounts and sayings of Jesus, John presents a lot of material unique to his gospel. Watch for Jesus' seven "I am" statements and other important speeches about the identity of who exactly Jesus is.

Read John 5:16-23

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him."

Reflect

Some religious leaders persecuted Jesus and tried to find reasons to have him killed because he said he was the Son of God. Jesus didn't let his adversaries sway him from what the Father had sent him to do.

Respond

Have you experienced persecution because of your work in the Lord? Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world today suffer persecution because they confess Jesus as the Son of God. Pray that God would strengthen and comfort those who are oppressed and would give them a renewed sense of zeal for God's glory and honor.