John 5 Verses 1-9

John 5 Verses 19-23

John 5:19 “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

In answer to the anger and murderous hatred of those Jews we read: “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” The evidence that he is verily God and the eternal Son of God Jesus declared that he does what he seeth the Father do and whatsoever the Father does Jesus does likewise. He is relating to them that the evidence He is who he says is based on the works he did. The Father does many great works, likewise, the Son of God does many great works. We normally assume judgment belongs to the Father: Jesus affirmed that the Father judgeth no man, but hath commited all judgment unto the Son. Also, as the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, so also the Son quickens whom he will. Thus, as Jesus affirmed that the Father would have “all men honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.”

John 5 Verses 24-29

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 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. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 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.”

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Here we have the case of an individual who hears and believes on Jesus. By this statement we know that that individual has everlasting life. Moreover we know that he will not come into condemnation. Further, we know that he is already passed from death unto life. The conclusion we draw from this is that the individual is able to hear and believe because he has everlasting life and has passed from death unto life. In other words, he is already born of the Spirit of God. He is bearing the evidence of that everlasting life he possesses when he hears and believes on Jesus. His hearing and believing did not cause him to get everlasting life, but rather, his hearing and believing on Jesus is evidence that he already has everlasting life.

“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.” The phrase “the hour is coming and now is” indicates something that is currently happening and will continue to happen in the future. Thus, we conclude that this is not speaking of the resurrection of the bodies in the last day, but of another giving of life to those that are dead. Paul wrote in Eph. 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:” The being dead in trespasses and sins is speaking of those who are spiritual dead: that death being the absence of spiritual life. From this we gather that the ones who Jesus is speaking about are those who are dead in trespasses and sins. The Lord affirmed that those who were previously dead in trespasses and sins hear the voice of the Son of God that they receive spiritual life.

Some have said that the preacher preaching the gospel is the “voice” of the Son of God on earth that gives spiritual life. However, in v. 28 and 29 the Lord said that all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and come forth. Now if the voice in v. 25 was the preacher’s voice then of necessity the same voice in v. 28 would be the preacher’s voice. That, of course, is patently impossible. The voice in both instances is the literal voice of the Son of God and not some representative of the Son of God. It is not some man’s voice that brings spiritual life. God is sovereign in giving spiritual life.

The voice of the Son of God is the voice that gives life. Throughout the scriptures we see a demonstration of the voice of the Son of God. In Genesis chapter 1 we read where God spoke the universe into existence and nearly everything in it by simply speaking with His voice. Psalms 29 is about the voice of God and its power.

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;” The Lord continues answering the Jews who were furious with him because he made himself equal with God. Jesus is declaring that he and the Father are one in having eternal life and that life being self-existent. The child of God’s eternal life is given unto him by the voice of the Son of God. It is not self-existent as God’s eternal life is.

“And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” Judgment is executed on behalf of the elect family of God by Jesus as the Son of man. Jesus is both the Son of God and the Son of man. As the Son of man, Jesus is the representative of the elective family of God and suffered the execution of God’s judgment for them on the cross.

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.” The same powerful voice that gives eternal life to those of the elect family of God who were before dead in trespasses and sins will also raise the dead bodies of the entire human race, both elect and non-elect. This will take place in the general resurrection in the last day, when Christ comes again. However, there are different outcomes to the elect and the non-elect: “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.” Matt. 25, verses 31-46, sheds a lot of light on this statement. The only ones that can do good and that do good are the elect which are called sheep on the Lord’s right hand. Those on the left hand, the non-elect, do no good through their lifetime. Some may say that the elect also do evil and that is true, however, their evil deeds have been atoned for and are not counted against them in the courtroom of God.