How To Understand John 5:19

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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. Did you read the above verse? People often quote it to support their notion that Yahshua the Messiah was just a prophet and not God. One thing they fail to do is check what he's responding to which helps to clarify what he said in the above verse. In verse 17 of that chapter, he was working on a Sabbath, and so he was approached by the Jews who were looking for the slightest excuse to nail him. The Sabbath is a day during which no work is to be done by any ISRAELite, but God is the only One who can work on that day cos he has to keep the universe going. For Jesus to be working on that day, they found it offensive. John 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. When Yahshua noticed their mood towards him, he made it clear to them why he has the right to work on a Sabbath day unlike other men. John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. This statement of his clearly made him equal with God even as understood by the Jews cos it made them angry and sought the more to kill him. They knew anyone who accords himself the right to work on a Sabbath is making himself equal with God. John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. You see, at this point, it gets interesting cos Yahshua made some statements that his persecutors of today have read wrong meanings into instead of allowing his words to read meanings to them. Pls, read the verse below. John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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. Whenever Christians say Christ is God, some people of some other religious belief usually think we are calling him a separate deity. They come against it by quoting the part where he says "of himself he can do nothing", so he's just a prophet relying on God. What Yahshua the Messiah meant by making that statement is that if he was a separate deity on his own, he won't be able to do anything. But since he's part of God Almighty, he's able to do those things he does. If you read that verse 19 carefully, you will see that he affirms that strongly when he said he does what He sees God doing. This means that if God has the ability to sustain the universe, he also has that ability. But if he wasn't part of God but a separate deity, he won't be able to do those things himself. If you read the succeeding verses, you will see how much of part of God Yahshua is when he speaks of how God loves him and shows him everything. John 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. He also spoke of how God gave him the same ability to raise the dead. John 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. He continued by stating how God put every judgment in his hands. John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: He went further to speak on how God gives him the right to be honoured the same way God himself is honoured. John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Yahshua the Messiah says you have to honour him the same way you honour God. This is made possible by the fact stated above that he has the same attributes as God. Do you remember the words "The Son can do nothing of himself"? If he was a separate deity, he won't be able to do all this and would have a separate attribute. But since he's part of God with the same attribute, he can exercise the same power.