College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
John 5:24-29
POWERS INHERENT IN THAT DEITY
Text 5:24-29
24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.
25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.
26
For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself:
27
and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.
28
Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice,
29
and shall come forth; they have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
Queries
a.
Will the believer be exempt from appearing at the judgment?
b.
How many resurrections are spoken of here?
c.
What is meant by he is a son of man?
Paraphrase
I tell you truly, The one who hears and obeys my Word and trusts and obeys the Father who sent me, does even now possess eternal life. Such a one will not incur the penalty or sentence of judgment, but he has already been translated out of the state of eternal separation from God into the glorious state of eternal life with God. Again, I tell you truly, the time is coming and has already arrived when the spiritually dead shall hear and obey the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear and obey shall be made spiritually alive. For even as the Father is the eternal source of Life, so He has also given to the Son to be the eternal source of Life. The Father has given the Son authority to execute judgment because He is partaking of human nature. You should not be amazed at these claims, for the time is coming when all those who are in their graves shall hear His voice and they shall come forth; those that have done good unto the resurrection of eternal life with God, and those that have done worthlessly or uselessly unto a resurrection for sentence and condemnation.
Summary
Jesus claims power to give eternal life to any who believe. He further claims power to resurrect and judge the deadboth believer and non-believer. The believer will live eternally present with God; the unbeliever will be condemned to eternal banishment from God.
Comment
Those who will hear Jesus-' teaching and obey His Word (John 14:15) may have eternal life. Although Jesus does not use the word obey here, obedience is implied in the word akouo (hear). If one truly hears Jesus, one will obey His voice (cf. John 10:14; John 10:16; John 10:27). The one who believes in Jesus must also accept His deitythat He came forth from the eternal Father. He was sent from God in a unique manner, He was, in fact, God incarnate.
There are tremendous implications in this verse (John 5:24). The man who trusts in Jesus enough to keep His Word will not come into condemnation. In other words, the Christian is even now in a state of eternal life. He is restricted, to be sure, having to dwell in an earthly tabernacle (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; Philippians 1:21-24), but he enjoys a present salvation. The believer (from the moment of his acceptance of the gospel) passes out of the state of a living death (John 3:18) into a present condition of eternal life restricted only by flesh, time and space. But when this mortal shall have been changed, he will put on immortality and incorruption (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:42-58). The man who persists in unbelief is, even while physically alive, in a condition of separation (death) from God, and this condition, persisted in beyond physical death, becomes permanently fixed (Luke 16:26).
This verse excuses no one, not even the sanctified, from the general resurrection and appearance before the judgment seat of Christ. All of God's creatures will be there (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10; Romans 14:10; Acts 17:30-31; Revelation 20:11-15, etc.) Saved and unsaved alike will be there, but the saved will be clothed in Christ's righteousness and under no sentence of condemnation (Revelation 3:5; Revelation 3:18; Romans 8:1).
The reader of this section of Scripture must be careful, for Jesus speaks of a spiritual resurrection as well as a bodily resurrection. Many scholars take the spiritual regeneration (Titus 3:5; John 3:1-8, etc.) or the new birth to be the first resurrection, and the future resurrection of the body to be the second resurrection.
How is it possible for a man to be dead while physically alive? What is a spiritual resurrection? Notice that the prodigal son was said to have been dead when separated or alienated from his father, but alive upon his repentance and return to the father's house (Luke 15:32). The Gentiles were said to have been dead while living in an unregenerate condition (Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 5:14) but made alive in Christ. Thus, the one who has sinned (and all have sinned, Romans 3:23) has incurred the sentence of God upon sin, which is death or separation from God Who is the only source of life. The sinner is, in reality, deadalienated from God, (cf. Isaiah 59:2; Ezekiel 18:4; Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23). But, as Jesus says in John 5:24-25, the time has come that all who are spiritually dead may hear His voice, obey it and be quickened (made alive) from the dead, Notice the following comparison:
First Resurrection (Spiritual)
Time has come when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. and live and not come into condemnation.
Revelation 20:5 b - Revelation 20:6
This is the first resurrection, Blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection; over these the second death hath no power.
Second Resurrection (General, Bodily)
Time is coming when all who are in tombs will hear His voice and come outthe good unto resurrection of lifeevil unto resurrection of condemnation.
And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
John 5:26 is a continuation of the preceding thought. Just as the Father is inherently the source of all life, so also is the Son. The Son has been sent to reveal the way of life eternal. Incidentally, in so doing He demonstrated Himself also, through miracles, to be the source and regulator of all that is alive in the physical creation.
John 5:27 has been the subject of various interpretations. There is no disagreement over the fact that Jesus is spoken of as a son of man, or that Jesus has the authority to judge. But the commentators cannot agree upon the meaning behind. he is a son of man. The absence of the definite article (the) before son perplexes them. The verse does not say because he is the son of man. Below are the three main interpretations: (a) Jesus has been given the authority to judge because He is a son of manson of man being a Messianic title (cf. Daniel 7:13; Matthew 12:8; Mark 8:31; Luke 21:27; Revelation 1:13, etc.). This would be synonymous with the Son of man. (b) Jesus has been given the authority to judge because He appeared in human form, presented the gospel, and necessarily judges all who reject His message. By his appearance among men in man's form, men were caused to stumble and to think His claims absurd. Thus He judges because He is a son of man. The eternal love condemns no one because he is a sinner;. it leaves it to men to judge themselves through rejection of the Saviour who is presented to them. Expositor's Greek Testament. (c) Jesus has been given the authority to judge because He was born man and partook of man's nature, was tempted as man, yet without sin, suffered the limitations and weaknesses of flesh, and is able therefore to judge justly and mercifully. The last interpretation harmonizes more perfectly with other New Testament teachings (cf. Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 2:13-18; Hebrews 4:14-16). If our High Priest must be taken from among men, so must our Judge (cf. Hebrews 5:1-10).
Jesus speaks next (John 5:28) of the universal resurrection of saved and unsavedthe bodily resurrection where departed souls will be reunited with new bodies. He not only has power to supply spiritual life and authority to judge, but He also claims power to raise the actual dead unto new bodies fitted for eternity. The Jews were told to stop marvelling that He claimed to be able to impart spiritual life and to judge, for the day would come when He would raise their dead ancestors by the power of His voice. When that day comes, they will no longer reject His claimsthen every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father (cf. Philippians 2:10-11)but too late for some!
Then (John 5:29) will all men be given a body prepared for their eternal destination. Then will the saints be pronounced not guilty because they have appropriated to themselves the atoning blood of Jesus. Then they will be dwelling in God's eternal tabernacle (cf. Revelation 21:1-4).
It is interesting to note the word evil is the Greek word phaula which means worthless, vain, useless, and not necessarily immoral or vile. The saved are those who have, by faith, done righteous and profitable works of truth. The condemned are those who have, by unbelief, done worthless, vain and unprofitable works of darkness. How careful one must be to occupy himself with works that are profitable and glorifying unto God! Even worthless and idle words will be judged (cf. Matthew 12:36).
The Greek word krisis (judgment) can mean either the activity or process of judgment, or the condemnation and punishment that follows the process. It is evident from the light of other Scriptures that the word means punishment in both John 5:24; John 5:29, for while the saints will appear before the judgment seat of God, they will not suffer the punishment.
The Bible reveals that the judgment will be:
a.
Universal (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10, etc.).
b.
Individual (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10, etc.).
c.
According to the New Testament (John 12:48; Romans 2:2; Romans 2:16).
d.
According to man's works (Romans 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-13).
e.
As certain as the resurrection of Christ (Acts 17:31).
Quiz
1.
How does the believer enjoy a present salvation?
2.
How is it possible for a man to be dead while physically alive?
3.
What are the first and second resurrections?
4.
State briefly three interpretations of because he is a son of man.
5.
Which resurrection does Jesus refer to in John 5:28-29?
6.
What is another definition of evil as used here?
7.
Name at least 5 characteristics of the future judgment.