What does it mean that the Son can do nothing by Himself (John 5:19)?

The first thing is that He could do nothing of (or rather from) Himself — that is, in the lowly place which He voluntarily assumed. His whole mission being to accomplish the will of Another, He could not, while engaged in it, originate a single action. His will was perfect as He Himself was perfect, and yet He never allowed His will to govern Him in what He did. His meat was to do the Father's will, and on this very account He could do nothing of Himself.

It is more than time we returned to the positive teaching of the passage. "The Son can do nothing from Himself" is the real statement with which v. 19 begins, with the usual formula of great emphasis. The Son is declaring in these verses that it is not the part of the Son to originate the works of God. It is for the Father to originate. If we take in v. 20, then the part of the Father to originate action is described by two verbs which I do not find easy to explain by the use of other words. In the 'doing' of God, the Father 'shows' and the Son 'sees'. Between what the Father originates and shows on the one hand, and what the Son sees and does on the other, there is not the smallest discrepancy, for "what things soever the Father does, these also does the Son likewise." It is evident that we are not to understand a duplication of works, that is that the divine actions are performed twice, but rather that for every act of God, the Father and the Son are working in perfect harmony, the Father originating as the Source and the Son carrying out the work.

He was not here, then, to act as God, independently, for He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing from himself, but what he seeth the Father do." He had come only to act in absolute dependence upon the Father; yet none but he who was equal with the Father could have said, "What things soever he doeth these also doeth the Son likewise." But it was as acting from His conscious place in the Father's love and in perfect communion with Him, "for the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth." All His works were thus the Father's works, the expression of the Father's nature and will as flowing from this divine communion. In His works the Father was revealed. Hence His solemn words in John 10:37-38, "If I do not the works of my Father believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."

The explanation is, however, very simple. The Lord Jesus was the sent One of the Father, "sanctified [i.e. set apart] and sent into the world" (John 10:36), and as such He became the Servant of the Father's glory and of man's blessing — the true Hebrew servant of Exodus 21:2-6. The incarnate Son, therefore, became subject to the Father, moving and acting in reference to Him instead of acting on His own initiative. Hence, to quote again from John's Gospel, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do" (John 5:19). All these and similar scriptures refer to the position which the Son took up in relation to the Father when He assumed manhood.

In the light of this chapter we believe we may speak of quickening as the most deep-seated and fundamental aspect of God's work in us. Such is its importance that the Father and the Son act together as to it in a special way. A wrong use is sometimes made of our Lord's statements in verses 19 and 30; "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do;" and " I can of Mine own Self do nothing." These words do not mean that He disclaimed all power, just as a mere prophet might have done. They expressed in the first place the fact that in becoming Man the Son had taken the place of dependent service, acting wholly by the Spirit in subjection to the Father. This thought seems specially prominent in verse 30. But in the second place they also emphasized the fact that His essential place in the unity of the Godhead was such that it was impossible that He should act apart from the Father. This thought seems more prominent in verse 19.

From this inner and more hidden aspect of things it was as though He said, "I am so essentially one with the Father that it is in the nature of things impossible that I should act apart from Him." It was really the strongest possible affirmation of His essential Deity. The Father and the Son must ever act together as the end of verse 19 says. Thus did the Lord accept the charge of "making Himself equal with God," and not only accept it but amplify the thought of it. So both the Father and the Son act together in life-giving power.

Although all things were put into His hand by the Father, the Son would not act independently of Him. Such was the nature of the relationship between the Father and the Son that Jesus said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19). It is absolutely impossible for the Son to act independently of the Father, because of their unity in the fulness of the Godhead, and because of their eternal bond of affection.

If the Father's love for the Son had been expressed in giving all things into His hand, it was also expressed in showing "Him all things that Himself doeth." All the mighty works of power wrought by the Son were received from His Father, even as He said, "For the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me" (John 5:20, 36).

Then the Lord adds, "and I work". This brings into display the glory of His Person. Very rightly the Jews interpret this word of the Lord as meaning He was "equal with God". It was the assertion of His deity, and thus the revelation of the glory of His Person. It shows the equality of the Son with the Father, inasmuch as all that the Father does the Son does likewise. Moreover the Son does not work independently of the Father. All is done in perfect agreement as moved by the same thought and affection, for "the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that himself does".

Nevertheless, having become Man, the Lord is careful to maintain all that is right and perfect in this condition. Thus, while asserting His glory as equal with the Father, He can say, "The Son can do nothing of Himself". Though equal with the Father, He receives all from the Father. Equality of divine Persons does not mean independence between divine Persons, as if there were two Gods. Two supreme and omnipotent beings would be an impossibility. Thus the Lord can say, "What things soever He (the Father) does, these also does the Son likewise".

The context (John 5:17-21) of the Lord's utterance, "The Father loves the Son," contains most weighty testimony to the personal glory of the Son. The Lord does not deny, but confesses the charge of the Jews that He "said that God was His own Father," for "the Son can do nothing of Himself save whatever He sees the Father doing: for whatever things He does, these things also the Son does in like manner." The Son does the same things as the Father and in the same manner. There was, therefore, absolute equality without independence.

"He had deigned to take the place of man, without forfeiting for a moment His divine nature and rights; and as such He disclaims the least shade of self-exaltation, or independence of His Father" (W.K.). There was perfect communion with the Father, for He does nothing apart from the Father, but does what He sees the Father is doing. Moreover, in exercising the divine function of giving life, the Son, equally with the Father, "quickens whom He will," acting in His own right.

Now these Godhead claims of union and communion with the Father (ver. 19) and also of quickening whom He will (ver. 21) are associated with the claim that the Father dearly loves (philei) the Son, and shows Him all things which He Himself does (ver. 20). How fully this threefold claim explains the co-operation of the Father and the Son: "My Father works hitherto, and I work" (ver. 17). As love is the essence of the Divine Being, so love is the mainspring or motive of conjoint divine working by the Father and the Son.

The context (John 5:17-21) of the Lord's utterance, “The Father loveth the Son," contains most weighty testimony to the personal glory of the Son. The Lord does not deny, but confesses the charge of the Jews that He "said that God was His own Father," for "the Son can do nothing of Himself save whatever He sees the Father doing: for whatever things He does, these things also the Son does in like manner." The Son does the same things as the Father and in the same manner. There was, therefore, absolute equality without independence.

“He had deigned to take the place of man, without forfeiting for a moment His divine nature and rights; and as such He disclaims the least shade of self-exaltation, or independence of His Father”(W.K.). There was perfect communion with the Father, for He does nothing apart from the Father, but does what He sees the Father is doing. Moreover, in exercising the divine function of giving life, the Son, equally with the Father, "quickens whom He will," acting in His own right, yet always in perfect consonance with the Father's will.

Now these Godhead claims of union and communion with the Father (John 5:19) and also of quickening whom He will (John 5:21) are associated with the claim that the Father dearly loves (philei) the Son, and shows Him all things which He Himself does (John 5:20). How fully this threefold claim explains the co-operation of the Father and the Son: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17). As love is the essence of the Divine Being, so love is the mainspring or motive of conjoint divine working by the Father and the Son.

The Lord brings before us this same truth with regard to Himself, in chapter 5 of this Gospel. "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what things soever He does, these also does the Son likewise." The Son is standing here, in this world, speaking to men of what He sees, and is in contact with, in another world. The Father shows Him, and He sees. It is not that the Son does works of a like nature to the Father, but He does the identical same works. In that way He is doing the works of the Father, even as He is speaking the Father's words, as we get in John 5:24: "He that hears My word and believes Him that has sent Me" (New Translation).