Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Friday,
We’re in the deep freeze of winter now, in many parts of the northern hemisphere of our world. Do you find yourself amazed when you consider the complexity with which God designed and created our planet earth and how it is tilted on an axis and rotates while it orbits the sun, all of which results in our planet having seasons? I am fascinated by the ‘fingerprints’ of God which I see all around us. Yes, Psalm 19:1 is true “The heavens declare the glory of God…” just look UP and be amazed, day or night! Do you agree…God’s work is amazing?!
Yesterday we began looking at a fascinating thing Jesus said when He claimed, “My Father is always at work, and I too am working…” (John 5:17) We looked at several amazing things God is doing which certainly are WORK and our very existence depends on God doing that work to perfection all the time!
Today let’s continue looking closely at what Jesus was saying because these are some of the words which ultimately moved people to call for His death! John alone records these statements Jesus made, we presume in Jerusalem, where He had healed a crippled man. (John 5:1-13) Listen closely to Jesus’s words: “For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does… For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.“ (John 5:20,21)
It was important Jesus repeatedly declared the love God the Father has for Jesus, especially the closer we get to that Passover/Easter weekend when Jesus was sacrificed by His Father for the sins of humanity! (Is. 53:10)
Jesus was speaking to Jews that day and they cherished the wonderful stories of their Old Testament history, especially stories like the prophet Elijah praying over the dead son of the widow of Zarephath and God raising that boy to life. (1 Kings 17:17-24) Or the prophet Elisha praying over the dead son of the Shunamite woman and God raising that boy to life. (2 Kings 4:32-37) Already Jesus had raised two people from the dead in the early months of His ministry, remember? The widow’s son in Nain (Luke 7:11-16) and Jairus’ daughter in Capernaum. (Luke 8:49-55) The work of God in reversing death has always been the ultimate, amazing miracle work of God!
But here Jesus was talking about something much more significant. Jesus was declaring that the Father’s work of raising a few dead people back to life was exponentially expanded to Jesus being able to offer ETERNAL life with God through Jesus’ atonement death on the cross, as His death is applied by God to the sin condemnation of every person in our world in every generation! All those God and Jesus raised from the dead in both Old & New Testaments eventually died normal human deaths again. But the eternal life Jesus offers is immortality!
Jesus went on to say: “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son…” (John 5:22) Oh my this is monumental for Jesus is here declaring that the future day of ultimate judgement, when every person who has ever lived will stand in judgment before God, will be a judgment with JESUS as the Judge, not God the Father!! Revelation 20:11-15 is a very clear picture of that future event called ‘the judgment of the Great White Throne’, at which time EVERY human being will stand before King & Judge Jesus receiving that which they are due for what they have done in their lifetime!!
We should imagine that those who were listening to Jesus that day were stunned speechless! And so, Jesus continued: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My words and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24) Jesus was making it very clear that sin forgiveness and eternal life with God is found ONLY by full faith in Jesus. Faith that Jesus IS who He claimed to be, God the Son incarnate. And faith in the atonement sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross being sufficient for God to forgive all repentant sinners. And faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as God defeated death and raised Jesus back to His supreme reign in heaven, from which Jesus saves all those who trust in Him! (Heb. 7:24,25)
The next statement Jesus made really confirms those spiritual, lifesaving truths: “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!” (John 5:25) Yes, from the days of Adam, all humanity has been waiting for God to come and defeat sin and death, delivering the human race from our condemnation. Jesus is here declaring that HE is that God sent deliverer! The dead Jesus speaks of here are all of us! We are as good as dead in our sin, because we are destined to die in our sinful rebellion and spend eternity separated from God, unless God rescues us!
But if we will respond to the voice of the Son of God, the truth Jesus speaks and trust Jesus, we will LIVE!! Oh my, what great news for any and all who will believe Jesus is God the Son and His words are God’s truth! Have you made your decision about Jesus my friends? Your life, both now and for eternity, depends on your decision about Jesus, that’s why we are taking time to dig deeply into His life-giving words!
Again, very helpful “lessons learned” notes are at the link below and I hope you’ll take some time to reflect on them. A wonderful new Praise song, from joyful Christ followers in the Philippines, awaits us next and tomorrow let’s continue our journey with Jesus.
Today’s Scripture: John 5:20-25.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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