John 5:17ff: IV

In verses 18, 24 and 25 Jesus says, “Amen, amen”, or “Verily, verily”, or as the NIV so weakly puts it, “I tell you the truth”. The following are Leon Morris’s comments on the expression in his treatment of John 1:51:

            …Amen…is the transliteration of an Aramaic or Hebrew word, the participle of the verb that means “to confirm”; it was used to indicate one’s assent. For example, it was (and still is) the response of the congregation to a prayer voiced by the one who leads the worship; it was the way the people made it their own (1Cor. 14:16). Very occasionally it was the conclusion to one’s own prayer…But this use is rare [in ancient times]. Characteristically the word is one’s assent to word uttered by somebody else. In the Gospels it is used only by Jesus, and always as a prefix to significant statements. Presumably this is to mark them out as solemn and true and important. The use of Amen to introduce one’s own words appears to be Jesus’ own, no real Jewish parallel being adduced…Jesus identifies himself with the words and also with the God to whom he appeals. In the Synoptic Gospels the word always occurs singly, whereas in John it is invariably doubled.

Morris’s footnotes are instructive:

            Schlier holds that in amen used in this way “we have the whole of Christology in nuce [in a nutshell]. The one who accepts His word as true and certain is also the one who acknowledges and affirms it in his own life and thus causes it, as fulfilled by him, to become a demand to others.” … G.E. Ladd says, “Jesus used the expression as the equivalent of an oath, paralleling the Old Testament expression, ‘As I live, saith the Lord.’ Jesus’ usage is without analogy because in his person and word the Kingdom of God manifested its presence and authority.” E. Kasemann comments, “it signifies an extreme and immediate certainty…”

I share the above as a prelude to considering the teachings introduced by Amen, amen. We’ve previously touched on the Son can do nothing of His own accord, (verse 19); echoed in verse 30, I can do nothing on my own. What must the significance of this be that it was introduced in verse 19 with the words, Amen, amen?

Is this fellowship with the Father something that only Jesus experiences? Or, is this something we are all called to when we come to the Father through Him? If the Son lives this way, does He not call His brothers and sisters to join Him in such relationship with Our Father? If the Head of the Body lives this way, should not the Body live this way?

If the Firstborn among many brethren does nothing of His own accord, are those He has redeemed meant to live life independently of the Father, venturing out on their own with their agendas firmly established? If action independent from God brought sin and death into the world, do we seriously believe that action independent from God can ever bring any good thing, or life-giving thing, into the life of anyone – regardless of how noble or useful or common sensical it may appear?

Our weaknesses are seldom our enemies; the same cannot be said of our strengths.

Whatever our sphere of life, whatever our stage of life; our kind Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus want to teach us to drink from their water of Life, to abide in the Vine; in the certain knowledge that outside of Christ we can bear no fruit and that in Christ we will bear fruit in due season and that our leaf shall not wither, but that whatever we do will prosper. As the Son lives by the Father; we are to live by the Son. (Galatians 2:20).