Introduction
John 5:11-15 is a passage on God’s Son, where the narrator describes why God sent Jesus. The threefold Godhead bears a trustworthy and faithful witness, and His written Word endures forever. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (ESV Bible, John 5.11). John 5:11-15 is God’s unshakeable and unrefutable declaration to the fallen race of humankind. The entire outlook of John was based on the great idea of the inseparability of love for God and love for humanity.
Christian Verse Interpretation
God provided a second proof of the integrity of His Word as the Cross drew nearer when His audible voice resounded from heaven. When Christ declared the time had arrived for the Son of Man to be glorified, it occurred at Bethsaida. To the questions of the scribes, Jesus answered that there are two great commandments: firstly, love the Lord your God with all your heart, for there is none more significant than this commandment (ESV Bible, Mark 12:28-31).
The people in the vicinity heard it and were perplexed. In 5:11-15, John adds a sixth instance, mentioning both the life in the Son and eternal life from God. These give the Christian much more comfort. Christians can have faith in their salvation by using John’s resources in this letter. “Eternal life” has already been referenced by John in 1 John 1:2, 2:25, and 3:15. It will be discussed in 1 John 5:13 and 20. The foundation of a believer’s transformed status is eternal life.
Throughout the Gospel of John, considerable attention is given to the concept of eternal life. John’s Gospel also references “everlasting life,” particularly when referring to Nicodemus in chapter 3 and the woman at the well in chapter 4 (ESV Bible, John 5.11). The Christian experiences a new birth; The Father is God, and the Christian must love God for all He has done for his soul.
But children are always born into a family, and a Christian is always born again into the family of God. John uses the word “Son” 22 times, emphasizing Jesus’ status as God the Father; life can only be found “in his Son,” and John will expand on this idea in the following verse (ESV Bible, John 5:11-15). Therefore, if a Christian loves God the Father who gave birth to him, he must also love other children of God.
Jewish Verse Interpretation
God gives eternal life to everyone who trusts in Christ; it is not compensation for humanity’s accomplishments or a reward for their merit. And because He is one’s life, that eternal life is found in Christ. The testimony is that God has given humans eternal life, and this life is found in His Son, as stated in the Bible. In Torah, for example, it is clear that traditional Judaism does not hold a particular doctrinal position about Jesus.
Judaism, which views the worship of a person as a form of idolatry, is centered on monotheism, a belief in the ultimate unity and singularity of God (Schochet). Therefore, it would be against Judaism to regard Jesus as a deity. This chapter tells about the period of one of the Jewish holidays. Possibly, here is a talk about the Passover of the Jews, but this is not entirely certain.
Conclusion
Summing up everything he said in the epistle, John sought to strengthen his readers’ consciousness that they are not of this world, which the devil controls, and that the devil is powerless against the new foundation given to them. Thus, I believe John’s message is primarily directed at loving Jesus as the Son of God. God loves every person as much as he loves Jesus because all people are children of God. John wanted to convey this idea to people so that, knowing they were loved, they would direct their actions in the right direction.
Works Cited
Schochet, Rabbi J. Emmanuel. “Judaism has no place for those who betray their roots.” The Canadian Jewish News. Web.
The ESV Bible. Crossway, 2001. Web.