The statement that Jesus “made himself equal with God” is found in John 5:18. This verse comes in the context of Jesus healing a disabled man on the Sabbath and telling him to “take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). The Jewish leaders objected to Jesus doing this work on the Sabbath and also telling the man to carry his bed, which they viewed as a violation of the Sabbath laws. In response to their objections, Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). This statement provoked the Jewish leaders to seek all the more to kill him, “because he not only had broken the Sabbath but also said that God was his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18).
There are several important things to understand from this passage:
1. Jesus claimed a unique, intimate relationship with God as Father
By referring to God as “My Father” (John 5:17), Jesus was claiming a father-son relationship with God that was unique and distinct from the way all people can relate to God as their creator and heavenly Father. Jesus meant this in an absolute, metaphysical sense, unlike the Israelites who were collectively called God’s “son” (Exodus 4:22-23). Jesus’ language strongly implied equality with God the Father. The Jews understood Jesus’ language this way and took offense at it.
2. Jesus claimed the authority to act on his own initiative, just as God does
In saying “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17), Jesus claimed the right to work and act on his own initiative on the Sabbath, just as God the Father is always working. This was seen as blasphemous by the Jewish leaders because no ordinary human being could claim the authority to work on the Sabbath, only God. By claiming this authority, Jesus was basically equating his own authority with the Father’s.
3. Jesus claimed a unique, equal status and dignity with the Father
The Jews understood Jesus’ language about God being “his own Father” (John 5:18) as a strong claim by Jesus to be equal with God the Father in status and dignity. If Jesus is God’s “own” (idios in Greek) Son, then they share the same divine nature and are equals. This is very different than saying God is the Father of all human beings in a general sense. Jesus was claiming to be God’s Son in a very unique sense.
In summary, by calling God his own Father, and by claiming the authority to work just as the Father works, Jesus was making strong claims to have equality with God in relationship, authority, status and dignity. The Jewish leaders recognized these strong claims by Jesus and it made them all the more determined to kill him for what they saw as blasphemy.
4. Jesus claimed powers that only God possesses
In addition to his claims about his relationship and status with the Father, Jesus also demonstrated divine powers that only God possesses by healing the disabled man instantly and completely (John 5:8-9). His ability to heal with just a word showed his divine authority over sickness, disease and the Sabbath. The Jews would have seen this as another way Jesus was making himself out to be equal with God by exercising divine prerogatives. Only God could heal or override the Sabbath command, in their view.
5. Jesus consciously chose to highlight his divine equality to provoke his hearers
John’s Gospel makes it clear that Jesus deliberately chose to say and do things to provoke the Jewish authorities and force the question of who he claimed to be. He healed the disabled man in a public place on the Sabbath knowing it would stir up controversy. He told the man to carry his pallet knowing this would confront the Jews. Jesus spoke in ways that clearly asserted his divine equality with the Father, knowing it would bring things to a head. He was forcing the issue of his true identity as the divine Son of God.
6. Jesus accepted worship due to God alone
On several occasions, Jesus accepted worship from people (Matthew 14:33; 28:9, 17; John 9:38). Since God commands worship to be directed to Him alone (Luke 4:8), Jesus’ acceptance of worship implies His divine equality with the Father. This is especially true in John 9 where Jesus accepts worship after revealing Himself as the Son of Man to a man born blind whom He healed.
7. Jesus claimed to have the authority to judge all people
Jesus asserted authority to judge everyone in the last day, something only God has the right to do. “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son…And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:22, 27). Jesus audaciously places absolute divine authority to judge humanity in his own hands, authority that belonged to God alone. This reveals Jesus’ self-understanding of divine equality.
8. Jesus claimed to have equal glory with the Father
In John 17:5 Jesus spoke of the glory he had with the Father “before the world existed,” indicating he shared the Father’s glory from all eternity as the divine Son. Then he looked ahead to his death, resurrection and ascension, anticipating being glorified again with the Father with “the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (v. 5). Jesus understood that he equally shared the Father’s divine glory before taking on human flesh.
9. Jesus claimed absolute unity with the Father
Jesus prayed to the Father that believers “may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us” (John 17:21). He described complete unity, interpenetration and equality between Father and Son (“in me” and “I in you”), and declared believers can enjoy unity “just as” the Father and Son share divine unity. This implies equality between Father and Son.
10. The Jews wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy
In John 5:18, the Jews correctly understood that Jesus was “making himself equal with God.” In John 10:33, they accused Jesus of blasphemy “because you, being a man, make yourself God.” According to Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16). The Jews’ outrage shows they discerned Jesus’ claims to be God’s unique Son and equal with the Father.
In summary, in multiple ways Jesus consciously made bold claims to be equal with God the Father in relationship, authority, divine glory, and the right to be worshipped and honored as God. The Jews who heard Jesus understood that He was clearly claiming equality with the Father in the strongest possible terms. This was a radical, unprecedented claim that provoked murderous rage against Jesus by the religious authorities for blasphemy. Jesus knew the implications of His words but made His claims anyway because He understood His true divine identity and wanted to force the issue with His critics.
11. Other New Testament writers confirm Jesus’ divine equality
The other New Testament authors confirm and expound on Jesus’ own claims to be equal with God:
- Philippians 2:6 says that although Jesus was “in the form of God,” he took “the form of a servant.” This affirms that Jesus existed in the very nature and form of God prior to becoming human.
- Colossians 2:9 states that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” All God’s attributes dwell in Christ.
- In Hebrews 1:3, the Son is described as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” As such, the Son shares the essence of the Father’s divine nature.
- John 1:1 declares “the Word was God.” And John 1:18 calls Jesus “the only God” who is at the Father’s side. The Word made flesh (1:14) is fully God.
- Romans 9:5 calls Christ “God over all.” And in Titus 2:13 Jesus is “our great God and Savior.” Such divine titles can only mean full deity.
- 1 John 5:20 says we are in the true God, Jesus Christ. His Sonship and “true God” nature are held in immediate conjunction.
- Thomas calls the risen Jesus “my Lord and my God” in John 20:28. Jesus accepts this strong confession of His deity.
So the New Testament leaves no doubt that when Jesus claimed to be equal with God, this meant He possessed full and equal deity with the Father. The divine Father and the divine Son, along with the Spirit, make up the triune God revealed in Scripture.
12. Objections and responses
Objection: Jesus never directly says “I am God” in those exact words in Scripture.
Response: While this exact statement is not found, in multiple ways reviewed above Jesus still made profound claims to possess full divine nature and equality with the Father, and His Jewish critics clearly understood His claims as blasphemous assertions of deity.
Objection: Jesus lived as a dependent, submissive human during his time on earth. This seems inconsistent with claiming to be God.
Response: Scripture teaches that Jesus took on true humanity at the Incarnation (John 1:14) and voluntarily lived within the limitations of being human, dependent on the Spirit, for the sake of accomplishing redemption for us. His full deity dwelled within His humanity, even though it was largely veiled until His resurrection and ascension.
Objection: Doesn’t Jesus call the Father “the only true God” (John 17:3), disproving His own equality with God?
Response: In saying this, Jesus was likely accentuating the Father’s distinct role in His relationship to the Son, but without nullifying His own fully divine nature that He shares equally with the Father. This verse must be weighed against the many other clear statements by Jesus about His divine claims.
Objection: How can Jesus be equal with God if He was created or had a beginning point in time?
Response: Scripture teaches that the Son of God was eternally pre-existent with the Father and has no beginning point in time (John 1:1-3; 17:5). The Son’s divine nature is uncreated, with no initiation point.
In conclusion, the weight of Scripture makes it clear that when Jesus claimed equality with God, this meant full divine equality in the strongest sense, as His Jewish critics understood it. All of Christ’s claims about His relationship and status with the Father imply shared divine attributes and nature between Father and Son. This teaching was radical and unprecedented, provoking intense anger against Jesus. But He made the claims anyway because of who He truly is – the eternal Son of the eternal Father, fully God in every respect.