John 5:25-30

John 5:25 (KJB)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

 

Dead - Lifeless, dead, or useless

Hear - Hearing with Understanding

 

Jesus begins this verse also with “verily, Verily.” Here Jesus is stating that those who hear the voice of the Son of God will live. In this verse He is speaking of salvation because He includes the phrase “and now is.” The general resurrection did not take place in His earthly time. So Jesus is stating here that those who are the Elect of God, who are spiritually dead before they are called unto salvation, will hear the voice of the Son of God. They are qualified to hear the voice because they have been qualified unto salvation by God before the foundation of the world. They shall be raised out of spiritual deadness and raised to life eternal which begins at the moment of salvation. Eternal life does not begin at physical death because at physical death the believer just changes residences and form. Their sin cursed body is left behind and they go to Heaven in their spirit essence.

 

John 5:26 (KJB)

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

 

Here is another verse which gives the tremendous harmony of purpose of the Father and the Son. Just as God the Father has life in Him, God the Son also has life in Him, that is, He will impart to those Elect eternal life which is the same as the Father and the Son. This verse basically speaks about the office which Jesus will execute which is the dissemination of eternal life to the Elect of God. (1 John 5:11 KJV) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The same life which is in God the Father is the same one in God the Son.

 

John 5:27 (KJB)

And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

 

Execute - Accomplish or perform

 

Not only does Jesus have the same life as God the Father but here we are told that as the Son of Man, He has the authority to execute judgment, not only at the Great White Throne but up until that time He may perform judgments at His will. We can see this in the way many despotic leaders of many countries have been brought down, they were in essence, judged in a temporary sense because they will stand in the final judgment at the last day. (Acts 10:42 KJV) And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. The message of Christ being the Judge is well imbedded throughout Scripture.

 

John 5:28 (KJB)

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

 

Here Jesus changes the teaching to the last day. Now He is speaking of the general population of the world that all who are in the graves, that is, those who have physically died in the past and will die before His second coming. This means that there is going to be a general resurrection of every person in the world. Physical death is not the end as this verse shows us that there will be a day of resurrection.

 

John 5:29 (KJB)

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 

Here is what is known as the General Resurrection on the last day. Every single human being will be raised from the physical dead. Those who became saved before they died, will be reunited with their bodies and it will be a glorified spiritual body and they will enjoy the resurrection of life, which is eternal life in Heaven. Those who died unsaved will be raised to stand at the Great White Throne Judgment to answer for their sins. There is a belief out there that there is going to be a resurrection of the saved before a seven year tribulation and then on the last day, there will be the resurrection of the unsaved to judgment. However, that theory cannot stand because John 5:28 speaks of an hour, that is, a specific time of resurrection and this verse reveals who will be raised. It does not say only a portion will be raised but it states that all will be raised so the Pre-tribulation concept of divided resurrections is fallacious because it will not stand the scrutiny of Scripture. If one reads Matthew 25:31-46, which speaks about the final judgment, one will see that both groups, the saved and unsaved are there. The saved ones go into Heaven and the unsaved go into Hell. If there were separate judgments, then how can both groups be there at the same time? There is only one answer and that is a general resurrection of all people on the earth.

 

John 5:30 (KJB)

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

 

Here Jesus reiterates the fact that He does not act independently of the Father because of the closeness of them. They are one in purpose and intent. When Jesus makes a judgment, it is because the Father also concurs with that judgment. Jesus seeks to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Now this is a great teaching for the believer because we too are to seek the will of the Father so our Christian walk will be in concert with Him. The reason that so many Christians stray is because they seek their own will and not the will of the Father. How many Christians fear praying with the words “according to thy will?” They fear to do that because they think that God should answer their prayers according to the will of the one praying instead of the will of the one who is hearing. If we pray in God’s will, then we fear that things will not work out the way we want them to. In reality, if Jesus sought to do God’s will, where do we get the idea that because we are saved, that we can do our will? Our will is independent of God’s will and this is where we get into trouble. God knows exactly what we need because He has full knowledge, the reality is that we have only partial knowledge and that is darkened by sin. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends us and we need to be in His will, not what we think is good for us, but what is right in the sight of the Lord. (John 20:21 KJV) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Back