John 5:25-29 - Life From Father and Son

John 5:25-29

25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. 

Message: Life from Father and Son

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus in the previous lesson I did and verses I read spoke of why He does what He does and that is He is doing what the Father is doing. I studied Jesus and the Father and how He (Jesus) and the Father are one and carry out the same purpose. But also the statement that to believe in Jesus is to have salvation, to be in the kingdom of God and to have eternal life. 

As I continue to study, these passages are in red letter in my Bible and yet they often seem instead like the words of John or his commentary on Jesus. And yet verse 19 records Jesus speaking and Jesus does consistently refer to himself as the Son or the Son of God. But it has always baffled me how Jesus speaks when he speaks of himself. But perhaps he does this when he is referring to himself as deity rather than as merely a man. We know he was sent to earth to live like a man and yet he continued to have the characteristics of God. 

Jesus states in verse 25 that people that have died previously, when they hear the voice of the Son of God (Jesus) they will shall live. Jesus pronounces his authority and that His voice causes people to live. I think also of John 10:27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." I love that verse because it really speaks of the fact of Jesus and His people and the special bond between the two. 

This is significant as I also consider texts from the old testament that speak of the Lord being the author of life.  In Genesis 2:7 the Lord says he made Adam a living creature ("Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."). Psalm 90:2 says that God is from everlasting to everlasting ("Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."). Often, I am asked questions about the trinity, and so when I read that Jesus raises the dead to life and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him, and there is an understanding that he is creator as well in the beginning (John 1:3), then as creator, and the one who gives life, I can conclude that Jesus and the Father are of the same substance. In other words, God. And yet, I realize there are many that study the Bible and don't come to this same conclusion. 

It is noteworthy in this passage of a transfer or giving of life from the Father to the Son. As such there is a difference or distinctiveness between the two or the idea that while God they (Father, Son, Spirit) are distinct and separate. Verse 26 records that the Father has life in himself and gave the Son to have life in Himself. So the Father and Son both are keepers of life - creation and resurrection. Augustine wrote, "The Father has life in himself, which none gave him, while the Son has life in himself which the Father gave him." 

Jesus has authority to judge. The Father gave him this authority. These passages seem to speak of those who have died, are in the tomb (28) and upon hearing the name of Jesus, they shall live. 

In all these verses the granting of life or the calling forth of life is as a gift. There is not any mention of it being earned or in exchange for works of righteousness. 

Verse 29 is a little perplexing at first ready for it almost gives the idea that those who upon hearing Jesus (and here in verse 28 and 29 it gives notice that all will hear him, though saved or not) but that those who hear his voice and have done good deeds will result in resurrection of life while those who did evil deeds will result in resurrection of judgment. 

Charles Ellicott, a Church of England 19th theologian wrote about this and i thought it was interesting:

Those who, working out the truth, come to the light now, that their deeds may be manifested, because they are wrought in God, shall in the final testing, when the secrets of every heart shall be revealed, rise unto the resurrection of life, to dwell in eternal light. Those who, practicing evil, choose the darkness now, shall in that final testing, when whatsoever has been spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light, rise unto the resurrection of condemnation (Acts 24:15), bound in chains of darkness, and be cast into outer darkness. 

I like how this is described. People will come to the light. I think of John 3:20-21, "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” The person in the Light has deeds that are wrought (made) in God. Ellicott infers an initial test and final test.  Initially, a person comes to the light and then have deeds that follow (Eph. 2:10) and those deeds occur because they are made in God. With God in us, deeds will follow. And yet there is final testing in which the secrets of every person revealed. 

This reminds me of Romans 2:5-8: 

5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Once again, these verses speak of this final test or judgment when all of our deeds will be judged. Those who did good because the Light was in them and therefore the good they do is from Him, then those will have a result of the resurrection. Each person will be rendered according to their deeds. Eternal life or Wrath, indignation, judgment. 

Whatever one thinks of hell, what we know for sure is that there is a wrath or judgement that is coming for all. 

Summary: The Father has life in himself while the Son has life in himself which the Father gave him. This eternal life given to those in the light results in deeds of righteousness and one day all of our deeds will be judged ultimately resulting in eternal life or judgement. 

Promise: John Calvin writes, "The faith which justifies us is accompanied by an earnest desire to live well and righteously." As such works show who we are in Christ and whether we are authentic. 

Prayer: O Lord, my Lord, How Majestic is your name in all of the earth. You are eternal God and have granted me life through the gift of Jesus and granting him life. I have this eternal life because of my belief in You Jesus and that my deeds follow - to show Love and truth and compassion and forgiveness to others. Thank you for Your Word and the richness of it and the time it take me to understand and study it. Stamp it on me Lord, helping me to defend my faith and encourage others. Thank you for granting me eternal life, the assurance now, but also the reality which will come at your judgment. Gather more into your flock. Thank you for gathering those in my family, but gather more, like Derek and my Dad, as well as each person that crosses my path. Selfishly I desire all to come to know you. I do not want to be away from any for eternity. I praise You and glorify Your name always. 

 

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