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The DEEP

Two Jesuses

for two audiences.

John 5:16–23

For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

This is all unfolding according to plan. Jesus is always on the path to the cross. He works many great wonders, which reveal that He’s the Son of God. Yet, at the same time, He’s setting things up so that He gets crucified for the blasphemy of claiming to be the Son of God.

Jesus threading the needle in this intricate plan is the principle story line of the gospels.


So, what’s the point? Why do it this way?

Obviously, it’s to implement the plan of salvation—to have Jesus pay the price for our sin.

But that’s not all. That doesn’t explain all the details we’re seeing here. The plan also includes providing the evidence that it’s true. This part of the plan will unfold over a much longer time—through much of the first century. For now, Jesus is revealing His true nature to just a few folks.

But notice that He’s talking about being the Son of God to a completely different group of people. They didn’t see the healing at the pool of Bethesda. They saw the result, which should have given them pause, but that didn’t penetrate their closed minds. The actual miracle, which would have shocked their minds open, they didn’t see.

Conversely, the man Jesus healed only knows His name.

Jesus is keeping His deity a secret. He’s making sure that most people don’t figure out who He really is until later. By being two different Jesuses for two different groups of people, He hides the complete truth.

This sets up the resurrection to be the ultimate plot twist. Jesus’s death on the cross seemed to disprove all His claims. His believers’ faith was crushed.

Then He showed up alive, and they remembered Him predicting all this. Then all the dots connected.

The proof of his deity joined His claim to deity. That’s how His followers turned the world upside down.


These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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