If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not;
At the Feast of Dedication, in the temple, Jesus called Himself the Son of God, and His hearers picked up stones to kill Him. Instead of arguing back, He hands them a test they can carry out themselves — and He is willing to lose the case if the evidence fails.
Jesus gives His opponents permission to disbelieve Him. He sets one condition, and He rests His whole claim on it.
This was the closing point of faith. His dealings with the people ended here, on ample and conclusive evidence. The evidence of the Son is in the Father's works: "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham." Our Lord submits Himself to the same evidence: "If I am not doing the works of my Father," whether in power or love, "good works," "then do not believe me. But if I do"; how could I be anything but the Son? If I do them, the evidence is complete.
Jesus does not say "my works" but the works of His Father. That points back to how He lived on earth: He never acted on His own.
He was not here to act as God, independently, for He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing." He had come to act only in complete dependence on the Father. Yet no one but He who was equal with the Father could have said, "For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." He was acting from His conscious place in the Father's love and in perfect communion with Him. So all His works were the Father's works, the expression of the Father's nature and will, flowing from this divine communion. His works revealed the Father.
His hearers had watched Him work, and the kind of work He did was itself the proof.
To His persecutors He said, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me." They could not deny those works of mercy, grace, love and power, done by the Righteous, Just, Holy and True. They showed the Father's Name. They made clear what the Father is to those who had eyes to see, and to our faith today as well. As we have said, He came in His Father's Name.
This verse is the negative half of a pair. The next verse completes it: if they will not believe His words, the works still stand as witness.
The works of His Father done by Him confirmed all this in the fullest way. In the power they displayed, they implied the Father abiding in Him, and He abiding in the Father in close communion. So there was enough witness to the truth of His claims. If they did not believe His words, they might at least believe His works.
This lower step did not lower who He is. And proof on its own never creates faith.
There was no denying the irresistible force of this appeal. The character of the works bore witness not only to Divine power, but to that power in the fullness of love. Whatever they thought of Him, the works were unmistakable, so that they might learn and come to know the unity of the Father and the Son. He was not weakening the dignity of His Person, or the truth of His words. He was pleading with them, and dealing with their consciences, by those works — works that attested the grace of God as much as the power. But self-will holds out against all proofs.
Anyone could watch these works and weigh them. That is what makes refusing Him so serious.
The miracles of our Lord appeal to man's senses. They produce both wonder and amazement, and so become a public witness to the greatness of the Worker. If the works of God in creation leave man without excuse, what of these mighty and mysterious workings of His power? … God is clearly seen in creation, and He has not left Himself without witness in the sphere of providence. So the voice of Immanuel brought the blessed God near to men: silencing the storm, removing disease, commanding demons and raising the dead — works which also appealed to reason.
- Tested. Jesus offers His enemies a fair test and accepts the risk: if the works of His Father are missing, do not believe Him.
- Sourced. They are the Father's works because the Son acted in complete dependence and communion, so everything He did revealed the Father.
- Merciful. The evidence He points to is mercy, grace, love and power — a witness to the Father's heart, not only to raw might.
- Lowered. When they refused His words, He offered a lower step: believe the works, and let them lead you back to the truth about His Person.
- Inexcusable. He met His own test in full, so unbelief shows self-will, not lack of proof.
but if I do, even if ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know [and believe] that the Father is in me and I in him.
In Jerusalem the Jews had picked up stones to kill Jesus for blasphemy. He does not soften His claim. Instead He points them to what they had watched Him do. The works themselves say who He is. They show a unity between the Father and the Son that belongs to no one else.
Jesus offers His hearers a test and then puts Himself under it. He lets what He does settle the question of who He is.
Our Lord accepts the same test: "If I am not doing the works of My Father" — whether in power or in love, "good works" — "then do not believe Me. But if I do"; how could I be anything else? If I do, the evidence is complete: "even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know." The works prove it beyond question. They show one thought, one purpose, one design, one glory. Everything about their character showed that the Father dwelt in Him, and He in the Father.
The works were not bare displays of strength. Their character carried the argument, and it pressed on the conscience.
There was no denying the irresistible force of this appeal. The character of the works bore testimony not only to divine power, but to power in the fullness of love. Whatever they thought of Him, the works were unmistakable. By them they might learn and come to know the unity of the Father and the Son. He was not weakening the dignity of His Person or the truth of His words. He was pleading with them and dealing with their consciences by works. Those works attested the grace of God no less than His power. But self-will holds out against all proofs.
Jesus makes two statements here, not one. Each half points to something different.
The works implied that the Father was abiding in Him, seen in the power He displayed. They also implied that He was abiding in the Father, seen in His close communion. So there was enough witness to the truth of His claims. If they would not believe His words, they might at least believe His works.
The second half carries the greater weight. It is a claim to Sonship, not merely to God dwelling in a man.
He claimed the glory of Sonship in His works. They were the evidence of what He was from the Father. They showed to faith that the Father was in Him. And the Father did not simply dwell in Him as a Man: He was in the Father too. Both are alike true — "the Father in Me, and I in Him." This is a blessed sentence.
Telling unbelievers to start with the works is itself an act of kindness. Yet the miracles were never meant to stand alone as the ground of faith.
Man does not like to come to the light, because his deeds are evil. So God in grace gives evidences, miracles if you like, when the revelation of the truth is there... And this is great grace... Where faith was founded only on miracles, the Lord did not own it; there was nothing moral in it. But He did give miracles to help men believe the holy truth of love.
They objected to His words and left His deeds alone — as if the two came from different sources.
They said it was not for the works, but for the words! Surely the origin of the one bore witness to the origin of the other! They were too blind to see this... the Lord showed that their sin was inexcusable, for in these things they had seen and hated both the Son and the Father... Yet despite that hatred, the Son did the works of the Father. They displayed the Father's mercy, kindness, grace, compassion, tenderness and love, as well as His power. Faith could appreciate this and rejoice in it.
- Works as test. Christ names the test He is willing to be judged by: no works of the Father, no reason to believe Him.
- Works as witness. Their character testifies as much as their power — grace and love, not only might.
- Works as doorway. If His Person is too much to accept at first, He offers a lower step: start with what you saw Him do.
- Works as grace. Evidence is a mercy, not a debt God owes; but faith resting on miracles alone was never the faith He owned.
- Works as verdict. The goal is to know that the Father is in Him and He in the Father. Where people refuse that, self-will is the reason, not lack of proof.