Sermon: Fathers (John 5:19-20a)

FATHERS' DAY:
A Father's Responsibilities (John 5:19-20a)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

It is interesting the kinds of things that make an impression on children. Last Sunday afternoon, several of us heard about the bear that Nathaniel saw, complete with sound effects. In fact, most of us heard about it several times. Nathaniel did not actually hear the bear roar, but his siblings told him the sound a bear makes, and that impressed him and became part of his recounting the event. What makes an impression may not always be accurate, but it can make a story more vivid.

Three young boys are bragging about their respective fathers. The first boy says, "My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a poem, and gets $50 for it." The second boy says, "That's nothing. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a song, and gets $100 for it." The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon...and it takes four people to collect all the money!"

What a child tells, including what he tells about his father, may not always be accurate, but it will reflect what impresses him. When Jesus tells about his heavenly father, it is also what impresses him, but it is entirely accurate.

In John 5, Jesus is engaged in some controversial activity, at least, controversial for some. He is healing on the Sabbath, and that is causing quite a stir among certain religious authorities.¹ Their negative reaction prompts a comment from him about God. It is a description of our heavenly father that earthly fathers can and should emulate. When these Jewish leaders ask Jesus to explain his actions, why he heals on the Sabbath...

John 5:19 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. 20a For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does."

When Jesus says, "the son can do nothing by himself,"² he means he is not entirely free to do as he pleases. There are boundaries he is not able to cross. We tend to picture Jesus as having the same capabilities as God the Father, which is probably true now but was not true when Jesus was on earth. To come here, Jesus gave up many of the advantages of deity.³ As Paul writes...

Phil 2:6 [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be [retained], 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient....

As a result, there were things Jesus could not do. He could not look into the future and predict the time of his return. When the disciples asked him about that event, he replied...

Mark 13:32 No one knows about that day or hour, not even...the Son...only the Father.

Why God would withhold such information from His son is a mystery to us, but it demonstrates what is appropriate for parents in general and for fathers in particular...

I. A father limits his son (John 5:19a).

• He places restrictions on his son, restraining what his son can do.

When I was fairly young, I remember being in the car and asking my father how he made it go backwards. He would not tell me and changed the subject to something else. Perhaps he was concerned that I might apply that information when he was not present. Whatever his reason, by not telling me, he effectively restrained what I could do, which was probably wise.

You fathers place restrictions on your children's behavior. Whether you are concerned for their safety or simply want to stress the importance of obedience, whether it is confining them to their room or removing certain privileges, it is the prerogative and responsibility of parents in general, and of fathers in particular, to limit what their children can do.

Having said that, parents in general, and fathers in particular, must not make the limitations they impose too harsh. As Paul warns on more than one occasion...

Eph 6:4a Fathers, do not exasperate your children....
Col 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Whatever you impose should have their welfare at heart. Like God the Father, an earthly father places restrictions on his children, restraining what they can do. Fathers, you must provide boundaries for your children, or they will become unruly;⁴ but those boundaries should be clear, consistent, and considerate.

Jesus goes on to say that "he can do only what he sees his Father doing."⁵ God the Father sets the agenda for what His son will do, and Jesus makes clear on several occasions that he is following his father's example. Later in the chapter, Jesus says...⁶

John 5:30b I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Jesus does not have his own plan for what he wants to accomplish. He is, rather, committed to advancing his father's plan. That is what Jesus does, and events proceed smoothly throughout his ministry. In fact, Jesus makes repeated reference to his fulfilling God's will (see n. 6). It is not until the end that a conflict arises between what the Father wants and what His son wants. Then Jesus hesitates...but only for a moment.

Matt 26:39b My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.

While the crucifixion was difficult for Jesus, it was also difficult for the Father. Jesus gave up his life; God gave up His son.⁷ As John writes earlier in the book...

John 3:16a ...God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son....

It was, perhaps, recognizing the Father's sacrifice that enabled Jesus—willingly to make his sacrifice. This is an extreme case, but it demonstrates what is appropriate for parents in general and for fathers in particular...

II. A father leads his son (John 5:19b).

• He sets an example for his son, modeling what his son may do.

Teachers can have a similar influence on their students. Because much of teaching involves repetition, I will often repeat certain phrases that embody a principle I consider particularly important. For example, I was visiting a karate school and running the students through a certain drill. I noticed a common tendency for many to short-change their kicks and punches, sacrificing effectiveness in the interest of speed. In other words, their movements were fast but sloppy. As they repeated the drill, I told them more than once to "give each technique its full value." Sometime later, when I visited the school again, one of the instructors I had trained was teaching the class and was using that same phrase, telling the students, "Give each technique its full value." It was a bit disconcerting to hear my words from another's mouth, and it was a reminder that I must set a good example.

You fathers can probably point to ways your children imitate you. If someone who knows you were to watch them, he would notice mannerisms or speech patterns that are similar to yours. Such telltale characteristics are minor, though, in comparison with other traits they may copy. Jesus said,

John 10:37b I do what my Father does.

That is also true of children. They do what they see their parents doing.⁸
What do your children see you doing? What do they hear you saying? ...Rest assured, they will copy what they see and hear. You can tell them...

• "Don't smoke or don't drink;
• "Don't use filthy language or don't make obscene gestures;
• "Don't be critical of others or don't gossip about people."

You can tell them what not to do, but if you do such things, they will assume it is permissible for them, if not now then later, if not at home with you then away from home with their friends. Like God the Father, an earthly father sets an example for his children, modeling what they may do. Fathers, the most effective way to guide your children is by example, by your behaving as you want them to behave.

Jesus also says, "the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does." As with children, Jesus' development was gradual. He entered the world as an infant and underwent a normal maturing process. Luke records that...⁹

Luke 2:52 ...Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

As with other children, Jesus did not know at a young age everything he would learn when he was older. That knowledge he accumulated gradually, By the time he was an adult, though, God had made known to him much more, including his fatal mission, which Jesus then explained to the disciples.¹⁰

Matt 20:28 [= Mark 10:45] ...the Son of Man [came] to give his life as a ransom for many.

Parents are not generally able to tell their child what the future holds, but they can usually see the potential a child has, the nascent ability that, if nurtured, can grow into something productive. That potential is what parents, including fathers, should identify and encourage, as God did with Jesus, because...

III. A father loves his son (John 5:20a).

•  He reveals everything to his son, anticipating what his son will do.

Parents do not tell a child everything all at once. They expose him to new information gradually, as he needs it and as he is able to absorb it. Miles and Paul occasionally accompany their father on a contracting job. As they watch Tim work, they learn about carpentry or roofing or masonry. If either of the boys decides to pursue that trade and continues to work with Tim, he will eventually reveal all he knows. It does not always work that way. Gabe is pursuing a career in biochemistry, a subject about which his father, the judge, knows very little and cannot teach him. Nevertheless, there are other things, important things Gabe will need in life that his father has revealed to him.

There comes a point in a child's life when parents must let him go to make his own way.¹¹ Until then, they should do what they can to prepare him for what he will encounter. They can teach him about the importance of...

• Making wise choices,
• Taking responsibility for one's actions,
• Being honest and kind,
• Standing up for what is right even when no one else does,
• Having a close relationship with God.

Such lessons come not from a lecture but from a life well-lived.

I learned that church was important not because my father told me it was, but because he went to church, and he did not drop me off, he brought me with him. He stayed until church was over, and so did I. My father did not teach me how to be a piano tuner or a driving instructor as he was, and he probably had no idea that I would enter the ministry, but he did reveal to me the kind of commitment I would need to serve God.

Will any of the children in this congregation go into the same occupation as their father did? Perhaps, but probably very few will. These days, children rarely pursue the same career as their fathers. But like God the Father, earthly fathers can still anticipate what their children will need, no matter what career they choose, and reveal that to them. Fathers, if you love your children, make what is most important for the future of your children the priority in your life now, because that is a lesson your children will learn from you, a lesson they will carry with them.¹²

In these two verses from John's gospel, Jesus describes three of A Father's Responsibilities, specifically, what Jesus' heavenly Father has done to aid in his development. These observations translate into principles for earthly fathers, ways you can imitate God in raising your children.¹³ There are also similarities to the way God deals with us, His children. Father's Day is an opportunity to express appreciation to your earthly fathers but also to your heavenly Father, who has made you part of His eternal family.¹⁴

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.