No one disputes that Jesus was a real person. He asked his disciples, "'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?'" (Mt 16:13). The antichrist denies that he is the Son of God. They answered, "'Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah'" (:14). But Peter responded, "'You are the Christ, the son of the living God'" (:16). They were going by what they had observed. He "rebuked the wind . . . and it became perfectly calm" (Mk 4:39) and they asked, "'Who then is this?'" (:41). Later Jesus cleared things up and they replied, "'now You are speaking plainly . . . and we have no need to question You; by this we believe that you came from God'" (Jn 16:29-30). God makes it plain to you. When they "saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they became very frightened and said "'Truly this was the Son of God!'" (27:54). The demonstrations had a purpose but many were skeptical. Jesus had said, "'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel'" (Mt 15:24). But they "did not recognize the time of [their] visitation" (Lk 19:44).
At the pool called Bethesda Jesus healed a sick man on the Sabbath. Therefore, "the Jews were persecuting Jesus" (Jn 5:16) "but He answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working'" (:17). Consequently those Jews were wanting "to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God" (:18). This was not just an incidental use of the phrase "My Father" but appears also in Mat 11:27;John 8:19;10:25,29,37;14:7;15:23. Jesus' purpose was to teach that "'I and the Father are one'" (Jn 8:30). He explained, "'All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him'" (Mt 11:27). The phrase "the Father" as in John 5:19,23,36;10:29,32,38;14:8,9,10;2John9 implies it is Jesus' Father. Therefore "the high priest was questioning Him and saying to Him, 'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?'".