Jesus Has God's Authority

¹⁹But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. The Son can do nothing alone. The Son does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same things that the Father does. ²⁰The Father loves the Son, and the Father shows the Son all the things he does. [This man was healed]. But the Father will show the Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed. ²¹The Father raises dead people and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to the people he wants to. ²²Also, the Father judges no one. But the Father has given the Son power to do all the judging. ²³God did this so that all people will respect the Son the same as they respect the Father. If a person does not respect the Son, then that person does not respect the Father. The Father is the One who sent the Son. ²⁴"I tell you the truth. If a person hears what I say and believes in the One (God) who sent me, that person has life forever. That person will not be judged guilty. He has already left death and has entered into life. ²⁵I tell you the truth. An [important] time is coming. That time is already here. People that are dead [in sin] will hear the voice of the Son of God. And the people that [accept the things they] hear [from the Son] will have life [forever]. ²⁶Life comes from the Father (God) himself. So the Father has also allowed the Son (Jesus) to give life. ²⁷And the Father has given the Son the power to judge [all people]. Why? Because that Son is the Son of Man.* ²⁸Don't be surprised at this. A time is coming when all people that are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. ²⁹Then they will come out of their graves. The people that did good [in this life] will rise and have life forever. But the people that did evil will rise to be judged guilty.

Jesus Continues Talking to the Jews

³⁰"I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told. So my judgment is right. Why? Because I don't try to please myself. But I want to please the One (God) who sent me. ³¹"If I tell people about myself, then people cannot accept those things I say about myself. ³²But there is another person that tells people about me. And I know that the things he says about me are true. ³³"You have sent men to John. And he has told you about the truth. ³⁴I don't need a man to tell people about me. But I tell you these things so that you can be saved. ³⁵John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. And you were happy to enjoy his light for a while. ³⁶"But I have a proof about myself that is greater than John. The things I do are my proof. These are the things my Father gave me to do. These things show that the Father sent me. ³⁷And the Father that sent me has given proof about me himself. But you have never heard his voice. You have never seen what he looks like. ³⁸The Father's teaching does not live in you. Why? Because you don't believe in the One the Father sent. ³⁹You carefully study the Scriptures.* You think that those Scriptures give you life forever. Those same Scriptures tell about me! ⁴⁰But you refuse to come to me to have that life [you want]. ⁴¹"I don't want praise from men. ⁴²But I know you--I know that you don't have God's love in you. ⁴³I have come from my Father--I speak for him. But you don't accept me. But when another person comes speaking only for himself, you will accept him. ⁴⁴You like to have praise from each other. But you never try to get the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe? ⁴⁵Don't think that I will stand before the Father and say that you are wrong. Moses is the person that says that you are wrong. And Moses is the one that you hoped would save you. ⁴⁶If you really believed Moses, you would believe me. Why? Because Moses wrote about me. ⁴⁷But you don't believe what Moses wrote. So you cannot believe the things I say."

Son of Man A name Jesus used for himself. In Dan. 7:13-14, this is the name for the Messiah, the one God chose to save his people. Scriptures Holy Writings--the Old Testament.