Joel M Bradshaw

16And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.–John 5

Israel in Jesus’ day might have understood if Jesus had said OUR Father, just based upon existing Scripture (with emphasis added).

They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. (Jeremiah 31:9)

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another? (Malachi 2:10)

But instead Jesus made it personal. From the Jewish standpoint, the firstborn son one day would be considered of status with the father, take over the family business, etc. That is why the birthright was so important and came with a double portion. That son would be expected to provide.

Based upon their reaction, I don’t read them thinking that Jesus was claiming to be a physical son. Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were known to sire children and Yahweh of Israel is different. When Jesus said MY Father, they understood it spiritually and positionally. Jesus was claiming to be God. The same way each of those rabbi’s first sons was functionally was functionally equal to them. Jesus’ business was God’s business.

The tension is that if Jesus was lying, then he was a blasphemer and worthy of death. If Jesus was telling the truth, then he is God and worthy of worship. To reject the Son of God is to reject the Father. Each of those men with sons intrinsically understood that reality, and that’s why Jesus claim landed deeply within them.–JMB