Confused about who Christ was?

Christ was not. Reading in John 5.17, this morning. It is the beginning of one of the most remarkable passages of the New Testament in which Christ clearly sets forth his sonship with God the Father. He understood it that way. The Jews understood it that way (John 5.18).

If you take a step back and ponder the meaning of the whole passage (John 5.17-47), it is absolutely breathtaking. What kind of person comes to the Jewish leaders and the most religious of Jewish society and says, "I am of one essence with God the Father!"? It was either on par with the utmost blasphemy, or it was true, or possibly as C. S. Lewis points out, Christ was crazy. We have only those three choices.

Imagine someone showing up in our day and culture and doing some impressive miracles and saying, "I am of the same essence as the God who created the universe." It would certainly cause us to catch our breath and say, "can it possibly be true? Who is this guy?" This is the claim that Christ was making.

John Calvin points out that possibilities and pitfalls in Christ's claim: So great is our depravity that we choose rather to perish of our own accord than to surrender ourselves to obey the Son of God, that we may be saved by his grace.

As for me, I will take Christ at his word and fall at his feet (gladly!) and call him Lord and God.