Jesus: Stone of Stumbling

"Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel." - John 5:19-20

The Gospel of John is great for separating those who follow Jesus as a moral guide from those who worship Him as God. I've been realizing this more and more as I comb through the words written by the apostle. As he writes he very purposefully shows that Jesus is God and claimed to be so himself. At first glance these verses may seem contradictory to that purpose, especially with Jesus saying he "can do nothing of his own accord." What kind of God can do nothing of his own accord? But instead of revealing an impotent savior, these verses give a peak into a uniquely trinitarian God. The Son submits and is perfectly obedient to the will of the Father. In fact, rather than claiming that Jesus is putting a limit on his power, I'd say he rather exalts himself here by claiming perfect obedience. He very blatantly says that he only does what the Father does and that the Father shows him everything that he is doing. What place does impotence have in the life of a being who can perfectly obey and mimick everything that a completely holy God is doing? Answer: It has no place at all. Jesus is laying claim here to his own deity!
And perhaps the most audacious-sounding part of these two verses is the very last half-sentence: "So that you may marvel." Not only does Jesus claim to be God, but he says that the Father will show the Son greater works SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of people marvelling at him! What great moral teacher says things like this? I can almost hear the Pharisees' blood boiling over as they hear this. The very Stone they stumbled over is now saying to them, "I was placed in your path so that you may marvel." With what anger the Pharisees must have wanted to say, "Marvel at you? You're a mere carpenter! Leave my sight!" But those who have built their lives upon this stumbling block now become cornerstone, desire not to have him leave their sight, but desire to marvel at him; taking in all of his woundrous aspects and describing him instead as most beautiful.