John 5 - Part 1: God our Father

For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:18

They wanted to kill Jesus because he called God is father ... and that this was somehow claiming an equality with God... I admit I don't understand this, never have. Is it something cultural?

If Jesus' statements were so amazing to them, then they could not possibly have seen God as their father. And yet we so easily pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven..."

What I do know is that Jesus redefined our relationship with God; we can now cry "Abba, Father!" (Rom 8:15) Amazing! "...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself..."