Jesus is the Giver of Life!

We began John 5 two Sundays ago, and our focus has been the Lord Jesus.  In John 5:1-15, we saw the Jesus was Lord and Master over time.  He physically healed a man who had been crippled for 38 years.  He also can save a person regardless of how long he or she has been lost, and He can reconcile individuals regardless of how long they have been divided.  Jesus is Lord and Master over time.

 

Last week, we saw that Jesus was united with God.  In other words, Jesus declared that He was God, and that reality has consequences.  They share the same work and knowledge and power and authority and honor.  Consequently, the Jews wanted Jesus dead.

 

Today, our text tells us that Jesus is the giver of life.  He is the giver of spiritual life, and that life is everlasting and exclusive to faith in Christ and evidenced by good works. 

 

Before we look at our text in John 5, I need to remind you why this spiritual life that Jesus gives is important and necessary.  It is because apart from spiritual life with Christ, we are dead.

 

All humans start out spiritually dead.  See Psalm 51:5.

 

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

 

All humans start out completely spiritually dead.  See Ephesians 2:1-3.

 

2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

 

All humans start out completely spiritually dead, and therefore are separated from God.  See Romans 3:23.

 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

 

Therefore, we are in need of spiritual life.

 

 

24. The spiritual life that Jesus gives is everlasting, 5:24.

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

 

Verse 24 begins with “most assuredly.”  Literally, Jesus said, “Amen, amen!”  We might say, “Listen up!” 

 

Jesus said that he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 

 

Who sent Jesus?  It was God the Father, and the life God the Father and God the Son give is everlasting life, and if you believe, you miss judgment or death and pass into life.

 

It is interesting to know that this word “everlasting” is used often in John’s gospel in talking about the spiritual life that Jesus gives.  You can find it in John 3:16, 3:36, 4:14, 5:24, 6:27, 6:40, 6:47, and 12:50.

 

Additionally, it is found in Acts 13:46, Romans 6:22, Galatians 6:8, and 1 Timothy 1:16.  What will this eternal life be like?  See Revelation 21:4.

 

4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

 

However, just like there is such a thing as everlasting life, there is also everlasting death.  See Matthew 18:8, 25:41, 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, and Jude 1:6.

 

Furthermore, Jesus speaks vividly of this everlasting death in Luke 16:22-31.

 

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.  22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’  27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

 

 

27. The spiritual life that Jesus gives is exclusive to Him, 5:25-27.

25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, 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 to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

 

Notice in today’s text that Jesus the speaks of hearing His word in verse 24 and then again in verse 25.  Those that hear the voice of the Son of God will live.  In verse 26, the Father has granted the Son to have life in Himself.  Verse 28 speaks again of those that hear the Son’s voice, and the Son has been given authority to judge.

 

This word for judge means to divide or sift or separate, and Jesus’ judgement is right.  Why?  It is right because it comes from the Father. 

 

Some in our world today want to make us believe that spiritual life can come through morality or genealogy or generosity or ingenuity.  However, the Bible is clear.  See John 3:16, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, and Romans 5:1.

 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

• The spiritual life that Jesus gives is evidenced by good works, 5:28-30.

28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

 

In verse 28, Jesus begins looking to the future for a judgment to come, and that judgment will involve resurrections so now we are not only talking about spiritual life but also physical life.

 

When we think about the future resurrections, I believe the Bible is clear.  Without getting too complicated this morning and off in a rabbit hole, I believe that all Believers will be resurrected before Jesus’ 1000-year earthly reign, and the I believe that all non-Believers will be resurrected after Jesus’ 1000-year earthly reign.

 

Am I being very general this morning?  Yes, I am because the point of what Jesus is saying in verse 29 is that there will be two resurrections.  They will be distinguished by the lives of those resurrected. 

 

Those who have the spiritual life that Jesus gives to those that believe will live lives of good works, and they will part of the resurrection of life.  However, this resurrection is not because of their works but because of their faith in Christ.

 

On the other hand, those who have not believed in Jesus will have led lives doing evil, and they will experience the resurrection of condemnation. 

 

As to this idea of our works evidencing our faith, Jesus spoke about such in John 15.

 

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

 

Invitation

I want to close this morning with an invitation for this spiritual life that is everlasting and exclusive with Jesus and evidenced by good works.  Look at 5:25.

 

25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

 

The time is now for you to hear the Son of God and live.  Don’t put it off until later.  This text is full of the present tense, and don’t think that Jesus’ invitation can’t reach you.  See Romans 8:1.

 

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.