22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:22-23 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
A fourth instance of Christ’s godhead, and proof of his equality with the Father, is, That it is his work to judge the world: The Father, says Christ, judges no man: that is, no man without me, but all men by me, to this intent, That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father: that is, honour him with the same faith, love, fear, and worship, that is due and payable to God the Father.
Hence learn, 1. That Christ, as God, hath the absolute power of life and death, of absolution and condemnation, which he executes in conjunction with his Father.
2. That having this power of judging the world with the Father, doth shew that the same glory is due to him, which is due unto the Father. All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.
3. That such as pretend to honour Christ, but deny him to be God, equal with the Father, withdraw the highest honour from him: and such as withdraw the honour from the Son, deny it to the Father, who will not be honoured but in and through honouring of the Son. This text speaks dread and terror to the Socinians, who pretend to honour Christ, but not with the same honour with which they pretend to honour the Father: in God’s account they honour him not at all: For he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father. True, they pray to Christ, and give him divine worship, though they believe him to be but a creature; but what is this but idolatry, to worship that which by nature is not God, and to do that to a creature which God requires to be given to himself, having said, My glory will I not give unto another? Isa 48:11
Divine honour can be only due to a divine person; that is, to him that is God blessed for evermore.