Commands of the King - Part 9

Command: Honor the Son 

Key Passage: John 5:22-23

Characters:

The Father 

The Son  

John 

John 5:22–23: "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 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. 24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of My Father who sent Me."

In this passage, we read that ALL judgment has been given to the Son by the Father, so that ALL should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. 

Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

This is important because some people within various religious establishments believe that they can honor God without honoring Jesus. 

The people who believe those things are incorrect. In order to honor God, the Bible teaches that Jesus must be honored. It is not possible to honor God without also honoring Jesus. 

Similarly in 1 John 2:23, John stated that "whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either, and whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also".

Later on in chapter 5, John said that whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born as a child of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot, also loves Him who is begotten of Him (1 John 5:1).

"Him who begot" is the Father, and "Him who is begotten of Him" is the Son.

And then in 1 John 5:12, he said, "whoever has the Son has life, and whoever does not have the Son does not have life."

What these passages show us is that we must honor the Son just as we honor the Father, and if we do not honor the Son, then we do not honor the Father. 

Furthermore, if we deny the Son, then we do not have God either because we deny Him also. 

We must acknowledge the Son in order to have the Father, and to be born again as a child of God. Only those who are born of Him are part of His family. 

If we love the Father, then we also love the Son.

On the flip side, if we do not love the Son, then we do not love the Father. 

And finally, only those who have the Son have life. If you deny or reject the Son, then you do not have life and you do not have the Father either. 

Honor 

Now let's look at what it mean to honor someone.

If we honor someone, then we show them respect. If we respect someone, then we enjoy spending time with them, and we usually listen to them when they speak.

If we respect our teacher, then we usually do what they say.

In the case of the Father and the Son, honor could also mean to exalt and worship them, because of who they are.

It is not permissible for us to exalt or worship people, but it is permissible to exalt and honor them. 

In our key passage, it says that "all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father"

The Son is to be given equal honor as the Father. If He is not given equal honor, then as we have already discussed, we will not have Father, or be given life within God's family as His children. 

To obey the King's command, we will honor Him by obeying Him, exalting Him, worshipping Him, and spending time with Him.

Discussion question:

What are some other ways that we can honor Him?

M - make new friends for new children who follow Him.

R - be faithful to Him to make the family bigger; we receive love from Him so we should share same love with others. 

S - loving Him more than ourself 

N - Go and do