John 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus highlights his divine authority by emphasizing that, just as the Father gives life to whomever He chooses, the Son also imparts life to those He wills. This isn't about a passive ability, but an active, sovereign choice in granting life, distinguishing His power from mere human agency.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious. He uses this moment to reveal his deep connection to the Father, explaining that his actions aren't just his own but are empowered by the Father's work. He asserts that just as the Father brings life, both spiritually and physically, so too does the Son have the authority to give life to whomever he chooses.
How can Jesus claim the same power as God the Father? This verse reveals a stunning equality.
Jesus draws a direct parallel between the Father's work and His own: "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will." This isn't just about physical resurrection; it's about the very power to bring life where there was none.
A Shared Power
Jesus gives life 'to whom He will.' What does this mean for us, and how should we respond?
The phrase "whom He will" is crucial. It speaks to the Son's sovereign authority and intentionality in bestowing life. This isn't a random distribution of power, but a deliberate act flowing from His divine will, in perfect alignment with the Father's.
The Divine Will
Understand the original words
zōopoieō · Greek Verb
The theological concept of the self-existent power to bring forth or sustain existence. Biblically, God is the sole source of life, and this authority is shared by the Son, demonstrating his deity.
egeirō · Greek Verb
The miraculous restoration of physical life to the dead. Theologically, this serves as a sign of God's authority over death and points toward the ultimate eschatological resurrection.
This passage describes a powerful vision of God bringing dry bones to life, mirroring the Son's authority to give life to those spiritually dead, highlighting the theme of divine power over death.
1 Samuel 2:6This verse explicitly states that the Lord 'brings both to the grave and restores to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up,' underscoring the Father's sovereign power over life and death, which the Son shares.
Romans 8:11This passage speaks of the Holy Spirit who 'dwells in you' and 'will give life to your mortal bodies,' showing how the Godhead (Father, Son, and Spirit) is the source of life, echoing the Son's power to quicken.
John 11:25-26Jesus declares, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,' directly linking His person and work to the giving of life, both spiritually and ultimately physically, as stated in John 5:21.
Ephesians 2:1-5Paul describes believers as being 'made alive together with Christ' even when they were 'dead in trespasses and sins,' illustrating the spiritual quickening that the Son performs, as mentioned in John 5:21.
vincentJohn 5:21: "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."
Raiseth - quickenethPhysically and spiritually.The Son quickenethNot raiseth and quickeneth. The quickening, however (ζωοποιεῖ, maketh alive), includes the raising, so that the two clauses are coextensive. In popular conception the raising precedes the quickening; but, in fact, the making alive is the controlling fact of the raising. Ἑγείρει, raiseth, means primarily awaketh.
calvinJohn 5:20-24: "For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."
- For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things which he doeth; and he will show him greater works than these, that you may wonder. 21. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; so also the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son; 23. That…
Jesus highlights his divine authority by emphasizing that, just as the Father gives life to whomever He chooses, the Son also imparts life to those He wills. This isn't about a passive ability, but an active, sovereign choice in granting life, distinguishing His power from mere human agency.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious. He uses this moment to reveal his deep connection to the Father, explaining that his actions aren't just his own but are empowered by the Father's work. He asserts that just as the Father brings life, both spiritually and physically, so too does the Son have the authority to give life to whomever he chooses.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious. He uses this moment to reveal his deep connection to the Father, explaining that his actions aren't just his own but are empowered by the Father's work. He asserts that just as the Father brings life, both spiritually and physically, so too does the Son have the authority to give life to whomever he chooses.
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"For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will." — Jesus highlights his divine authority by emphasizing that, just as the Father gives life to whomever He chooses, the Son also imparts life to those He wills. This isn't about a passive ability, but…
