What does John 5:20 mean?

Jesus has begun His defense of claiming to be equal with God (John 5:19). He specifically claimed to be equal to God in works. Local religious leaders are angry at Jesus for violating their traditions (John 5:16). Jesus, however, has shown that because He only does what the Father tells Him to do, His actions are not sin. They may contradict the custom of the Pharisees, but not the will of God.

In the context of Jesus' claim about His works (John 5:19) and God's works being identical, this subtly implies that Jesus loves the same way as God the Father. The relationship between Jesus the Son and God the Father is perfect harmony. The problem facing the Pharisees and Sadducees was spiritual blindness (Matthew 23:17). This blindness created a wall of separation between them and God; their actions did not reflect the actual will of the Father. Jesus, on the other hand, is in a state of perfect love and communion with God. As a result, His actions are identical to the will of God. This means His love is, as well.

Even more, Jesus says, the Father has even greater deeds in store. The purpose of these is to prove that Jesus is exactly who He claims to be: the Son of God (John 20:30–31). Importantly, Jesus will foreshadow both the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11) and His own conquest over death.

Jesus has claimed equality with God in works (John 5:19), and now love. In upcoming verses, He will claim to be equal to God in both judgment (John 5:22) and honor (John 5:23).