Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 5:19

"Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner." — John 5:19 (ASV)

The Son is dependent on the Father; he does not act apart from the Father’s will and purpose. Throughout this gospel Jesus continually asserts that his work was to do the will of the Father (4:34; 5:30; 8:28; 12:50; 15:10). John presents Jesus as the Son, not as the slave, of God, yet as the perfect agent of the divine purpose and the complete revelation of the divine nature.