John 5 - If Everyone Rises from the Dead, What Happens Next?
John 5 - NIV
Verses for the Day - John 5:24-30
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Commentary
In verse 16, Jesus starts teaching about the authority that He and the Father share. This was the beginning of the end for Jesus, as essentially He was saying He has an equal amount of authority as God does. Jesus can do what the Father is doing. He is all powerful. The Son gives life to whom He pleases. The Father is at work even on the Sabbath and so is the Son. Jesus also has the power to judge, because He is the Son of Man, another title showing He sees himself as equal with God.
Jesus describes a future time when he will come back and those who are dead will rise from their graves at his voice. Then, he says something interesting, which is a little confusing. He says, "Those who do good will rise to live, and those who do evil will rise to be condemned."
Wait a minute, isn't this works righteousness??? Have any of us only done what is good and nothing that is evil? Is there someone who has only done evil and never done good? It seems very black and white and lacking in grace. And where is "faith" in all of this?
In verse 24, Jesus does say, "Whoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me will have eternal life." That seems a little bit more in keeping with the rest of scripture. New Testament commentator Leon Morris says this,
“This does not mean that salvation is on the basis of good works, for this very Gospel makes it plain over and over again that men enter eternal life when they believe on Jesus Christ. But the lives they live form the test of the faith they profess.” (Morris)
This is why it is so important not to take one verse and read it out of context. If you didn't start with verse 24, you might be tempted to conclude John is preaching works righteousness.
I think a logical way to interpret these verses would be to say that those who have done good are those who have believed in Jesus. It is a good thing to believe in Jesus, and it is the right thing to do. Conversely those who have done evil have rejected Jesus, as their Savior. They face the consequences of a Christless eternity because of their very bad decision. It is indeed an evil thing to do to reject Jesus.
Others say the good and evil works are evidence of whether they are believers or not. This is consistent with the idea that Jesus puts forth in Matthew 7, "A good tree can only bear good fruit and bad tree can only bear bad fruit. By their fruits you will recognize them."
Application
1. If someone didn't know you are a Christian, would they see it by the fruit you are producing in your life?
2. Do your good works flow from being rooted in Jesus and His Word? Are you spending time abiding in Him?
Let's close with these words from John 15:4-5
"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Prayer
Jesus, we thank you that you have given us the gift of faith. You have called and appointed us to bear fruit, fruit that will last. Continue your pruning work in us so that we can produce even more fruit showing us to be your disciples. Amen."
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