Jn 7:16 Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.

 

Jesus' primary role was to glorify his heavenly Father by doing His will. Out of that primary role came individual acts and, ultimately, that incredible act of sacrifice on the Cross. But as much as Jesus called disciples to follow him, it was so that they could enter into a relationship with his Father. In the Trinity, although all are God, there does appear this order of authority: Father, then Son and Spirit. Everything is done at the behest of the Father.

 

Thus when taught, we find an interesting response from the religious Jews: “The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" (Jn 7:15). Then it was that Jesus turned round and spoke today's verse. Previously Jesus had said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” (Jn 5:19,20). There he had pointed out that he was only doing what he was doing because the Father was initiating these things. Indeed just before that he had said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (Jn 5:17) Do you see that? There he points out that all the good that was coming was the activity of God the Father expressing His love for people, and He was doing it all the time. He was constantly pointing people towards his Father, because he was only joining in what the Father was already doing.