The Witnesses at Bethesda Part 1 - John 5:19-23

0:46But that's us. This is a special place. Clyde baptized me as a believer up there in those waters, baptized my wife there, and a number of my kids baptized up there. Clyde married Nancy and me right here. Many of you prayed for me and Nancy right after we got married, right here, and the Lord has answered those prayers. We've had a very blessed union. I was ordained as a minister of the gospel here, right here. I was preached really my first formal sermon. I again apologize for all of you who were here that day. But so, all that to say.

1:30This is a special place, and this sermon is the very last that I will preach in this context. I can't think of a better text to really speak to this occasion than the one I have before us. We're in John chapter 5. We're at the pool of Bethesda, the house of mercy. We have already looked at verses 1 through 9 at the miracle at Bethesda, where Jesus healed a virtually paralyzed man. We have also looked at the controversy at Bethesda in verses 10 through 17, and that's where Jesus was accused of being a Sabbath breaker and a blasphemer worthy of death. In fact, we can read that accusation there in verse 18. For this reason, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So the miracle at Bethesda leads to a controversy at Bethesda, which culminates in this accusation that you are worthy of death because you are not only a Sabbath-breaker, but you are claiming to be God. And so the miracle at Bethesda leads to the controversy at Bethesda, which leads to the Bethesda. To the teaching at Bethesda, which I would call the rest of the chapter being the witness discourse or the equality with God discourse. We're going to go into a section of scripture that in some ways is some of the most holy. Now, I know you don't make that differentiation when you're talking about scripture. Every time we read scripture, we tread on holy ground. But this is a very unique portion of scripture because it's here where Jesus speaks about his own relationship to God, his own relationship to the Father, and we get that inside look at the relationship between the Father and the Son. And so the rest of this chapter is really a response to their allegations.

3:59Jesus publicly defends himself by calling forth several witnesses, a series of witnesses. That's why I would call this a witness discourse. The first witness that Jesus calls to the stand is himself, and he gives his public testimony, his public statement of who he is. And then he's going to call John the Baptist, and then he's going to call the miracles or the works that he is doing to the stand, and then he's going to call the Father to the stand, and then he's going to call him. The scriptures to the stand. Now, look at how this whole section ends. Look in verse 45.

4:37Do not think that I will accuse you, speaking to the Jews who are accusing him. Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father, the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But how, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? So they're accusing Jesus of being a blasphemer, deserving of death. Jesus turns around and accuses them of not obeying Moses. Those fighting words, right? Take it right to the core. There's no, how's the weather, you know, any of that conversation. I mean, they're right at the heart of it all. And by the way, this conflict never does get resolved. What starts here at Bethesda will go all the way to the cross. And so the first witness that Jesus calls to the stand is himself. And he gives his own public statement in response to this charge that you are claiming to be equal with God. And now Jesus is going to respond.

5:52And his personal testimony really runs from 19 to verse 30. And it's easily broken down. Into three parts. Look at the words truly, truly, in verse 19 and circle them. Look at the words truly, truly in verse 24 and circle them. Look at the words truly, truly in verse 25 and circle them. There's your three parts. Now, if you have the King James, it's verily, verily. Maybe some others verily truly. But those two words really break down this portion of Jesus' own public response to the allegations that he's claiming to be God. So in the first truly truly part, that's what we'll be looking at this morning, Jesus explains the relationship between the Father and the Son. In the second part, verse 24, he's going to explain the relationship between God and humanity. That Christ is that connecting point. Christ's word is the connecting point between humanity and God. And in the third truly truly part, Jesus explains the relationship between himself and the world. He is the one who will raise every single individual. He is the one who will judge every person, including those who are accusing him that very moment. But this morning, we just want to focus on this first truly truly statement, verses 19 through 23, and where Jesus is speaking and going into detail about the relationship between the Son and the Father. The Father. Let's just read this. Let's just read this beginning in verse 19. Therefore, Jesus answered and was saying to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself unless it is something he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing. And the Father will show him greater than these, greater works than these, so that you will marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

8:36No other place in Scripture do we have such a systematic defense, such a systematic statement, such a logical, progressive statement by Jesus Himself about His equality with God. This discourse really ties all the others together. I mentioned to you before there are seven discourses, but the first one we've already looked at, the new birth discourse. We've looked at the living water discourse. Jesus is able to affect the new birth. He is able to dispense living water because of his relationship to God. What he discloses here makes all the other statements he makes possible. Whereas he's going to go on to speak about being the good shepherd and the light of the world and the resurrection and the life. All of that is contingent, dependent upon this relationship, this close union between the Father and the Son.

9:48It's a profound connection. It takes us into the mystery of the tri-unity, the godness of Christ himself, and how that relates, how he can be God, and how he can be man. And he makes this connection here. He lays out his relationship with the Father. And he does so in defending his own godness. You make yourself equal to God. And now Jesus says, yes. Now, let me explain what that means. And so I do not suggest that we can take it. All in. I think such knowledge is too wonderful for us. Yet here it is. A real union between Christ and God. What is the nature of that union? What is the union between the Father and the Son? Is the Son equal to the Father or not? That's the statement. That's the question that we need to answer. Well, his accusers certainly think that Jesus is claiming equality with God, and they think they have legal grounds on that basis to kill him for blasphemy. And certainly, if Jesus is only a man and claiming to be God, yes, he is a blasphemer. But if he's telling the truth, he is not a blasphemer. And so how does Jesus respond? They're ready to kill him because of his claim to be God, equal with God. So how does he respond? Well, for starters, he certainly does not back down from his claim to be God. He doesn't backpedal at all. If ever there was a place in Scripture where Jesus didn't want to make his deity clear, this was the place to do it. No, no, guys, you got it all wrong. Let me explain. No, he drives the train harder. He puts the accelerator on.

11:59You see, the Jews. Have picked up on the fact that Jesus is making an incredible claim. And Jesus goes on to explain his equality with God in no uncertain terms. And he gives five specific ways, five specific ways that emphasize his unique union with God. Five ways. Five ways how Jesus defends his equality with God. And I want you to see these five ways that Jesus claims equality with God so that you will honor him as such, so that we will honor him as such, and so that we will not be confused or hesitant in this area. So let's just go on. Let's walk through this text. Very rich. So Jesus claims equality with God on five ways. First of all, by shared activity. By shared activity with God. Look back at verse 19, and we'll just start walking through this. Therefore. And when you come to a therefore, what do you do? You find out what it's there for. I know you've heard that many times, but it's very good to repeat it because therefore is therefore there for a reason, right? But looking back, verse 18, for this reason, the Jews were going to kill. him because he was not only breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling God his own father making himself equal with God therefore because this is the situation Jesus answered and was saying to them and this answered is kind of like Jesus gives his public defense it's a legal he carries a legal response and so he says truly truly I say to you the Son can do nothing of himself unless it is something he sees the father doing for whatever the father does these things the son also does in like manner so in defending his claim to be equal with God Jesus makes or describes the very nature of God himself so in other words for them to understand his godness they have to understand something about the very nature of God himself and notice the distinction that he makes Jesus makes a distinction between the father and the son it's plain right there notice that Jesus does not claim to be the father he claims to be the son now he is claiming to be God but does not claim to be the father he claims to be the son he makes a clear distinction between two persons the father is not the son the son is not the father Yet there is a union that is so tight that he goes on to describe that they cannot be thought of independent from one another. They are one and the same, as we shall see. So he makes a distinction between father and son. Next, I want you to notice the dependence of the son upon the father. Look back at verse 19. Truly, truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of himself.

15:30The son is having no power, no ability to do anything of himself. Now, that's a strong statement. Jesus is saying that as the son, he can do absolutely nothing of himself. The son does not and cannot and will not do anything of himself. This is the plain reading of the text. He doesn't say the son doesn't wish. The word is he cannot. He is lacking ability. He does not have the power or the will to do anything. This is the plain reading of the text, the plain testimony of Jesus.

16:15Now think about that for a minute. I can do nothing, absolutely nothing, unless it's something that the Father's doing. So, what he's saying is everything that the Son does is Activity of the Father. The union is so strong that the Son cannot act independently of the Father. You see the dependence? He's saying, I don't do anything unless it's something that the Father's doing. Strong connection, right? So this dependence reveals that there is a strong connection, right? This dependence. He is dependent. But there must also be a shared relationship or a shared activity. Look at this. His claim, there's a shared activity between the Father and the Son. His claim of equality, make sure you understand this. His claim of equality is not that of a rival God. That, okay, here's God, and now I am equal to God. So this would be kind of like him saying, I am another God that is on equal par with God. He's not saying that at all.

17:30That's not how he is claiming equality with God. It's not a rival God. His claim to be equal to God is based on this shared activity with God. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, unless it is something that he is seeing the Father currently doing. For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. So think about that. He's saying, I see what the Father is doing. I understand what the Father is doing. Now, who can do that except for God alone, right? Who can take in the mind? Who sees God? Who dwells in unapproachable light? Who can see him?

18:19Jesus claims he sees, as the Son of God, he sees him, what the Father is doing. And he does the very same thing. Who would claim that you can do the very same thing in like manner? No, mere man does not have such abilities. Now, keep in mind, we're trying to understand God, and we are limited. Okay? Nancy came into my study this past week as I was studying. She's like, what are you doing? I was kind of looking around. I'm trying to get my mind around the tri-unity of God.

18:53And at some point, our minds can't quite get there. And yet, that is what we see here. We see here. You know, a good test of a false religion is how they explain who God is. False religion will make God out to be just like man. In some ways, I mean, it may be a superman or in some way, but you'll look at the gods, look at the gods of every other God out there, and you'll see a distinct human quality about them. They may be supermen, super gods.

19:32But they're very much like man. They act like man. They think like man. They fight like man. It's just, and they act like fallen men, right? Psalm 50, 23, God rebukes and says, You thought I was just like you, and I will reprove you. No, a right understanding of God makes the right connection between the activity of the Father and the Son. The activity of the Father is seen in the activity of the Son. When the Son said or did something, the Father said or did something. That's what Jesus is saying. He can do nothing otherwise.

20:17So when the Son acts, the Father acts. When the Father acted, the Son acted. What Jesus did, God the Son and God the Father did. The unity is that tight. So what Jesus is basically saying to his accusers is that every act of mine is an act of God. And so he says, Therefore, I am equal with God because our activity is the same. And it's not just same of purpose. It's same because we are one and the same of essence. It's not just that we are on the same page, it's that we are of the same being.

21:03And by the way, I find this text so freeing, so freeing. I do not have to make great things happen. Have you ever felt like you have to perform or you really have to make things, you have to do something spiritually significant in this world? You ever had those thoughts? Well, listen, even the Son, the Son, Christ Himself, was not in the lead making things happen. He could only do, He could only participate in what the Father was doing.

21:36Isn't that freeing? You and I aren't going to be any different, right? So, whatever God does is great, no matter how small it appears on the human scale. All we can do is what God is doing. So, He is equal with God. He is claiming equality with God on the basis of shared activity with God. Second, Jesus claims equality with God by shared knowledge, by shared knowledge with God. He knows the things that only God knows. Look back at verse 20. And I want to make a verse 20, just that first phrase: for the Father loves the Son. I want you to see the kind of love. I want you to understand the kind of love that the Father has for the Son. For the Father is. Is loving the Son. He doesn't use the word agape here. He uses the word philos, or based on the word philos. And the idea of agape is a love that we connect to a love of the will.

22:46Whereas, just in a simple way, the word philos is a love that's based more on the emotions, an affection for. So you could think of it this way, in a very simplistic way. When Nancy and I got married, we pledged agape love to one another. That is, a devoted love. I love you, I'm committed to you, and that is the way we're going to live, right? Now, she doesn't always have this affectionate love for me because I can be a real pain sometimes. And in those moments, she's not experiencing this emotional appeal just to be around me, right? In fact, sometimes she might feel the opposite.

23:32But that's what it's saying here. But there are times when she likes to be around me, right? There's times that she has affection for me because there's this emotional tie, right? And that's what God the Father is saying. This is the only time he says this about the Son in these terms. He's saying, Jesus is saying the Father has a strong emotional attraction. He is, he has affection for, he likes, he likes. Loves the Son. He always has affection for the Son. He is always well pleased with the Son. He is always delighting in the Son. He always loves what the Son does. He always takes great pleasure in what the Son says, in what He is doing, in what He is working, and what He is accomplishing.

24:22He is drawn to that. That's the statement being made here. And such love, by the way, always expresses itself. And it does. The Father's love for the Son expresses itself. Look back at verse 20. And look at this expression of the Father's love for the Son. For the Father loves the Son and shows, is showing him all things that he himself is doing. Okay, so you get this picture. What he is doing, he is showing him. You see, such love doesn't keep secrets. The Father's love for the Son is expressed by shared information.

25:07Remember old Delilah back in the day with Samson says, Samson, you don't love me at all, right? Because if you love me, you'd tell me the secret of your strength, right? You're keeping information back from me. You know, of course, he walks right into it, right? But the point is, the kind of love that we're talking about here shares information. The Father doesn't keep anything from the Son. The Father is currently showing the Son all things that he himself is currently doing. And all things. All things. Keep in mind, these are words that only God can take in.

25:46Could you understand all things if God were to show them to you? No, our minds couldn't take it in, right? Just to be able to even comprehend what the Father is doing and the infinite and infinitesimal detail speaks of His divinity. Who has the capacity for such? Well, certainly not a finite created being such as man. And Jesus is saying he has the capacity to not only see the Father, but also to take in what the Father does. And look back. So he shows them all things that he's doing, and the Father will show him future tense greater works than these. Greater works than these. So Jesus is telling his persecutors that the Father is also going to show in the future the Son greater works than what they had already seen and heard about. Greater in intensity, greater in power, greater in measure, greater in rank, greater in dignity.

26:54In other words, if we're in Texas, you know, you ain't seen nothing yet, right? You ain't seen nothing. Ain't seen nothing yet. And sure enough. And look back at that last clause. So that you will marvel, so that you will be amazed at the Son. The Father loves the Son, and you're going to see far greater works than what you've seen or heard about. Because the Father loves the Son, and he's showing him what he's doing, and he's going to show him more so that you will marvel at the Son.

27:28You see who God is showcasing in the universe? It's this one from Nazareth. And there's two specific works that he's going to go on to showcase: the ability to give life and the ability to judge the world. And those are the two greater works that are going to follow in this discourse. We'll just keep going. So Jesus claims equality with God by shared activity with God and by shared knowledge with God. Third, Jesus claims equality with God by shared life-giving power. Jesus shares in the same life-giving power as the Father. Look back at this, verse 21. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he wishes.

28:30Jesus is claiming clearly that he is an equal source of life just as the Father. Now, a fundamental function of God, you pick up your Bible and you start reading to it, you pick up Scripture and you just start walking through it, and you find very quickly that a fundamental function of God is the ability to give life. Scripture is very clear on this. In fact, Scripture is so clear on this that it makes it clear that the life-giving God is the only God there is.

29:06Genesis 2:7 says this: Then the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. It was God who did this. Listen to what Deuteronomy 32, 39 says: See now that I am He, and there is no God besides me. It is I who put to death, and it is I who give life. No one else gives life. It is I. Now, think about what Jesus is saying. The Son is just as much a source of life as the Father.

29:55And I can assure you that the life that the Father is giving is not different than the life of the Son. They share in the very same life-giving power as the other. And only God gives life. Therefore, the Son is equal to the Father in his godness. He is essentially the same. Or we would say he is in essence the same. Look, and look back again. Look at this last phrase here. To whom he wishes. Now, that little phrase speaks about the absolute freedom that the Son has to give life. Look at that. It's there in the text. To whom he wishes. There is no one placing a condition upon the Son, not even the Father.

30:55And yet there is unity to whomever he wishes. Yet there is unity with the Father because the Son will not and cannot do anything on his own. You see how the Son has absolute authority to give life to whom he wishes, yet the Son has already said, I'm not going to do anything apart from my Father. I cannot, will not. Do you see this unity? It's like, okay, we see what you're saying here, but the implications are you're one with God, yet distinct in person within the God.

31:31Godness. So, this is one conclusion. Jesus is God. And yet, Jesus is not the Father. So, we're not teaching dual theism here. Jesus is not saying there are two gods, one God, of one mind, one heart. Shouldn't surprise us that God can be on his throne in heaven and that he can take the form of man and speak to us. He's omnipresent, he's God. It should not be hard for us to explain or understand. See, it's the difference between true religion and false religion: false religion will come up with God that kind of fits our paradigm, our human paradigm. There'll be a certain amount of humanness about it. But when you're trying to understand God, you've got to understand him in terms that he gives, and it is going to stretch us because we're finite beings. But it should not be difficult for us to understand that God can be sitting in his throne in heaven and ruling and judging and reigning, and yet he can walk among us and understand humanity from the inside out.

32:43Do you see the beauty of that? We have a God who knows us. Those gods who do not walk and did not become man, they can't understand humanity. They can have no relationship with humanity because they don't truly understand him. Humanity, but God. God does. Because he sent his Son. And he knows humanity from the inside out by experience. Well, let's keep going. Jesus explains his equality with God by his shared activity with God, by his shared knowledge, God, by his shared life-giving power. And now I want you to see this next one.

33:32Jesus claims equality with God by his exclusive role as judge. Jesus and his exclusive role as judge. Look at verse 22. For not even the Father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son. And that having given, he has permanently handed over all judgment to the Son. See, another fundamental function of God is judgment. Scripture makes it clear that God is the judge of all. Matt read the passage this morning, Psalm 50, verse 1 through 6. At the end of verse 6, you hear these words, and the heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. God is the judge. That is his role. Psalm 75, 6, for not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert. Comes exaltation, but God is the judge. He puts down one and exalts the other. And nowhere do we read that God has delegated the judgment of humanity to an inferior being. In fact, he could never do so. Because the ability to judge rightly implies that you have to have exhaustive knowledge. You have to know all the facts of the universe. You have to know all the motives of the universe in order to be able to have the information to be able to judge rightly. It takes omniscience to be just, to be the judge of all things.

35:15And only God knows all the facts and motives of the universe. It's a striking statement that Jesus makes here. Look at what he says. The Father isn't going to judge, isn't judging anyone. All humanity is and will be judged by the Son. All of it. Wow. So if such be the case, then the Son is God in the same way that the Father is God. There is a distinction, yet there is unity that goes beyond just a unity of purpose. But it's a unity of essence, a unity of substance. There's a shared nature.

36:00So the Father loves the Son. The Son gives life. Verse 21, the Father has given all judgment to the Son. And why does he do that? Look back at verse 23. So that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. So Jesus claims equality with God by shared activity, by shared knowledge, by shared life-giving power, by his exclusive role as judge, and by shared glory. By shared glory. Look at that. So that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.

36:41He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. That's pretty exclusive. That's how this love that the Father has for the Son has expressed itself, given him all judgment, so that all will honor the Son as they do the Father. And again, you go through Scripture and spend any time in it, and you start realizing that God is God and He does not give His glory to another. Isaiah 42, 8, I am the Lord. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another. Isaiah 48, 11, for my sake I will act. My glory I will not give to another.

37:28So the goal of the Father. Father, is that the Son be honored? That is, treated with equal weight, treated with equal dignity, treated with equal glory as the Son. You see, the Father and the Son share the same glory from humanity. Now, that's equality. It would not be right for the Father to give the Son equal glory if he did not deserve it. It would be unjust. But the Father sees the Son as worthy and of equal, deserving of honor and glory.

38:21Same idea, glory and honor. That shouldn't be too hard for us to understand. You know, you think about the Olympics, right? You think about the Olympics, and you see it every time they're on, someone wins a gold medal, and they spend as much time looking at the parents' response, don't they? You see that, right? See the parents off in and out. Here's the moment their son won the race, and here's the mother over there. Yeah, that's my son, that's my son, you know, right? You see that? They give as much.

39:01Because there is a shared glory. And when the Olympian is on the pedestal receiving his medal or her medal, the camera, you'll see the parent, right? Mother or the father sitting there. Look at it. There's a shared honor there, isn't there, right? There's a shared honor. It shouldn't be hard for us to understand as God sees his Son glorified and honored, he himself is glorified and honored. I mean, I see it. If you want to, just with my own children, if you want to treat me well, treat my children well. It's one and the same.

39:39If you harm my children, you harm me. It's the very same idea. And this is the greatest expression of love. God is sharing His glory, and it's not condescending, it's deserving. The Father gives equal honor to the Son because the Son is deserving of equal honor. That's the picture going on here. This is also the greatest expression of exclusion, isn't it? No human will know or enjoy the Father unless it is granted to him by the Son. None of us will know, no one will know the Father unless it is granted by the Son. He is the gateway, He is the message. Meeting place between God and man.

40:34But it is the greatest expression of exclusion, right? The Father loves the Son, the Father has given all judgment to the Son, so that all would honor him by honoring the Son to the same degree that they honor the Father. And Jesus is saying here, and get this: all religions of the world that do not honor him do not honor the Father. Now, that's very exclusive. No Jesus, no Father, no true God. And remember, what is honoring? Honor means respecting Him, listening to Him, not adding to His words, not making Him out to be something that He isn't. Oh, He's a good prophet, or He's a good teacher, or He was X, Y, Z. No, He is God.

41:28You're not honoring Him by calling Him a liar or by selling Him short or not paying attention to what He's saying. That's not honoring Him. If you do not have the Son, you do not have the Father. If you've never put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone, you do not know the Father. You're lost. And the exhortation of Scripture is: come to the Son. You know His name. His name is Jesus. Come to Him. Put your faith in Him. Him. Repent of your sins and believe in him. He is the meeting place between you and God. And there is no other.

42:10Yeah, this has implications for religions around the world, all ways of life. It's important to understand that tri-unity is not tritheism. And as Christians, we need to be careful that we don't live as if there are tri-theists because we're not one God, Father, Son, Spirit. We live as a tri-theist when we start pitting them against each other. Start saying, well, the God of the Old Testament, the Father, is different from the God, the Son, who is full of grace, the Father, the God of the Old Testament, a harsh or unforgiving, law-giving, and the Spirit of God. Well, he's totally working in different. No, that is tritheism. That's not tri-unity.

43:05But Jesus claims equality with God by shared activity with God, by shared knowledge, by shared life-giving power, by his exclusive role as judge, and by shared glory. Listen, we do not need to concern ourselves with exalting Jesus too highly. By truly exalting the Son, we truly exalt the Father. So, how do we show love for the Father? By honoring the Son. The expressions of unity, let me just read to you a section of this, the implications of this in John chapter 17 as Jesus is praying. Listen to what's close to his heart as he's laying his heart before the Father. He says this in verse 20: I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those who believe in me through their word. That is us, who will believe in him through the apostles' word. That's us. And this is what he's praying: that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one.

44:24The unity of God is going to be the unity of man. And he is desiring that we, though we are many, though we are many different persons, we are one in essence, and he wants us to grow in oneness. And even now, as the church, that is the exhortation, right? See a picture of this. You know, we're in a transition, and I'm glad we're just starting this text because we'll move to the new location at verse 24. So you can write that in your margin, right? But we are. In a transition. And after 70 years at this location, we're leaving. It's been a lot of good times. There's been a lot of hard times, a lot of humbling, a lot of learning how to live in community.

45:16Right? Any of you who's been here for any while, you know how God uses the church to put us together, to put us into community, that we would live together and function together in a way that honors Him and proclaim the message that He has given. And now we're moving, and I'm excited for the next phase. God has done His work here with this body, and He's moving us to another place. But I can assure you that the exhortation is the same. What is my final exhortation from this pulpit?

45:58Love the Father, honor the Son. Let us be growing in honoring the Father by honoring His Son. And no matter what lies ahead, love the Father by honoring the Son. I think that's the most appropriate way to conclude my pulpit ministry here at Emmanuel downtown. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for this wonderful, wonderful insight. Into your relationship, Father, Son, one God, true God, persons together in relationship and unity. That also says something about how we've been made, how we can bear your image. You are one who knows how to have relationship. And Father, to bear your image, we learn how to be in relationship with one another. Father, I know that we, and I personally have not always been faithful to the very exhortation of loving you and honoring your Son.

47:13Father, I know we as a church have at many times not lived up to that exhortation. And so I ask for your forgiveness. However, I also, Father, do believe that you have raised up in this room a body of individuals who really do love you, who really do honor you, and who are really growing in oneness with you and oneness with each other. And Father, for this, I give you the credit. And I pray that as we leave this place, you will equip us by your Spirit to grow in our love for the Father and tribute to the Son and in unity. With each other, no matter what lies ahead, to the praise of your great name. In Jesus' name, amen.