John 5 21

John 5:21 kjv

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

John 5:21 nkjv

For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

John 5:21 niv

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

John 5:21 esv

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

John 5:21 nlt

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants.

John 5 verses

John 5 21 Meaning

John 5:21 reveals a profound truth about Jesus Christ's divine nature and authority. It declares that just as God the Father possesses the sovereign power to raise the dead and impart life, so too does the Son, Jesus, exercise this exact same life-giving power according to His own divine will. This statement unequivocally equates the Son's authority with the Father's, encompassing both physical resurrection from the grave and spiritual regeneration from sin and spiritual death.

John 5 21 Context

This verse is part of Jesus' profound discourse following His healing of a paralyzed man on the Sabbath at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9). This Sabbath healing led to persecution by the Jewish authorities (John 5:16), who sought to kill Jesus because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also claimed God as His own Father, making Himself equal with God (John 5:18). John 5:21 is a central assertion within Jesus' defense of His actions and His divine identity. He explains that His actions, including Sabbath work and life-giving, are perfectly aligned with the Father's continuous activity (John 5:17), demonstrating His unique relationship and shared authority with the Father, which Jewish leaders considered blasphemous because they believed only YHWH had such prerogatives.

John 5 21 Word analysis

• For just as (γὰρ ὥσπερ - gar hōsper): "For" introduces a reason or explanation. "Just as" signifies a direct and precise correspondence or exact parallel. It highlights that the Son's action is identical in kind and power to the Father's, not merely similar.
• the Father (ὁ Πατήρ - ho Patēr): Refers to God the Father, the ultimate source of all life in biblical theology, establishing the divine standard and power.
• raises (ἐγείρει - egeirei): An active verb meaning "raises up," "wakes up," or "rouses." It denotes a powerful, causative action, particularly used in scripture for both literal physical resurrection from death and spiritual awakening from spiritual death.
• the dead (τοὺς νεκρούς - tous nekrous): This refers comprehensively to those who are physically deceased and, significantly, to those who are spiritually dead, devoid of a relationship with God due to sin.
• and gives them life (καὶ ζῳοποιεῖ - kai zōopoiei): From zoopoieō, meaning "to make alive," "to quicken," "to vitalize," or "to impart life." This denotes an active impartation of life where it did not exist, or restoration of life to what was dead. It's a creative, life-generating act.
• so also (οὕτως καὶ - houtōs kai): Reinforces the exact correspondence, directly linking the Son's action to the Father's with equal authority and method.
• the Son (ὁ Υἱός - ho Huios): Jesus Christ, who refers to Himself by this title throughout John's Gospel to assert His unique, intimate, and divine relationship and equality with the Father, distinguishing Him from merely a human prophet or teacher.
• gives life (ζῳοποιεῖ - zōopoiei): Repetition of the same potent verb from the Father's action, emphatically underscoring the Son's shared, inherent, and equal divine power to impart life.
• to whom (οὓς - hous): "Those whom." This plural pronoun indicates a specific, chosen recipient, not an indiscriminate bestowal.
• he will (θέλει - thelei): From thelō, meaning "to will," "to wish," "to desire," "to choose," or "to purpose." This word emphasizes the Son's divine prerogative, sovereignty, and autonomous decision-making power in granting life, paralleling the Father's own sovereign will.

Words-group analysis:

• "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life": This entire phrase forms a complete analogy of co-equality. It presents an undeniable theological parallelism, arguing for the Son's divine nature and shared function with the Father in the supreme act of life-giving, directly challenging any notion of the Son being subordinate in power or essence.
• "raises the dead and gives them life": This dual expression encompasses the full scope of God's life-giving power: the ability to conquer physical death through resurrection and the ability to awaken spiritually dead souls to new life in faith and regeneration. This suggests that the power exercised by the Father and the Son extends to both temporal and eternal dimensions.
• "to whom he will": This sovereign clause establishes that the impartation of life by the Son is not a universal or compulsory act, but a deliberate choice. It demonstrates divine sovereignty, indicating that this life is bestowed according to the Son's free, purposeful, and uncoerced will, an attribute exclusively belonging to God.

John 5 21 Bonus section

• Polemics Against Contemporary Beliefs: Jesus' declaration here directly challenged the core Jewish monotheistic understanding of God as the sole Giver of life and resurrection. For Him to claim the identical, independent, and sovereign power was seen as a profound blasphemy, equating Himself with YHWH. This specific claim further incensed the Jewish leaders, reinforcing their determination to kill Him for "making Himself equal with God" (Jn 5:18).
• New Creation Implications: The power to "give life" is analogous to God's original act of creation, particularly breathing life into Adam (Gen 2:7), and prefigures the new spiritual creation accomplished through Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Jesus is initiating a new spiritual order, bringing humanity back into life-giving communion with God.
• Link to Judgment: This verse, which emphasizes the Son's life-giving authority, is immediately followed by Jesus' statement that the Father "has given all judgment to the Son" (Jn 5:22). This demonstrates an inherent connection: the authority to grant life is intrinsically tied to the authority to judge, as both are ultimate divine prerogatives. Those who receive life from Him will pass from judgment into life.

John 5 21 Commentary

John 5:21 is a pivotal verse, laying foundational claims about Jesus' deity and unique authority. It directly asserts that the Son possesses the same divine prerogative as the Father in conquering death and imparting life. This "life" is two-fold: it refers to the eschatological physical resurrection of the body, which Christ will accomplish on the last day, and the present spiritual quickening or regeneration of the soul from its state of sin and death. By claiming this power "to whom he will," Jesus underscores His divine sovereignty and demonstrates that His will aligns perfectly with the Father's, confirming His co-equality and unity with God. This verse reveals Jesus not just as a messenger or prophet, but as the active Giver and Source of life, capable of transforming both physical and spiritual death into vibrant existence. It is a profound declaration that cements His identity as Lord over life and death.