Feb 14, 2021
Scripture Reading: John 5:25-29
In a majestic passage, Jesus is defending His deity and His equality with God the Father. He does this by referring to His activity ("Whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise" – Jn 5:19) … and to His relationship with God the Father ("The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing" – Jn 5:20).
Then Jesus makes staggering and specific statements about His nature and activity … "the Son gives life to whom he will" (Jn 5:21) … "the Father . . . has given all judgment to the Son (Jn 5:22) … "the Father . . . has granted the Son to have life in himself" (Jn 5:26). Such is the authority of the Son that there is coming a day when "all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out" (Jn 5:28).
By the power of His word, the Son is both the Giver of all life and the Judge of all life. This remarkable passage reveals to us that all people, both the righteous and the wicked, will be resurrected. The righteous will be raised to eternal life and the wicked will be raised to eternal death.
For Christians, death is not as bad as it seems. Death simply ushers them into the presence of Jesus (2 Cor 5:8) and they will be granted a deathless body in the great resurrection (1 Cor 15:52,53). But for unbelievers, death is infinitely worse than it seems. Death ushers them before the judgment bench of the Son and they must endure the horrible, unending experience of hell forever, having been given an indestructible body.
Let us rejoice with trembling at the voice of the Son … remembering that His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him and He gives them eternal life (Jn 10:27,28).