THE SON GIVES ETERNAL LIFE
John 5:16-30
Key Verse: 5:24
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
Last Sunday we heard Jesus’ voice of hope, “Do you want to get well?” and received Jesus’ healing mercy of our chronic paralysis of fatalism and helplessness. Today Jesus teaches us the importance of having eternal life. People think that eternal life is not a topic for young people but it is the topic of old man of sentimental nostalgia as death drum beat draws near for them. Young people think that they will live forever. But that’s a wrong concept. Death is a universal topic to all men both young and old. It may come quicker than we think. When our life ends in this world, the most important question is where we will spend eternity whether in heaven or hell. Today Jesus reveals that he is a life-giver and a judge. He shows us who he really is. Jesus declares that the Son gives eternal life to all who believes his word of promise. Believing or not believing is not a light matter but a matter of grave consequence-eternal life or eternal condemnation. May God bless us to hear his word and believe in him so that we may have eternal life. I pray that God may bless us to experience Jesus’ life-giving power through this passage.
PART I. JESUS GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO MEN (16-23)
First, the Jews’ persecutions (16). Look at verse 16. “So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.” It was time for the Jews to praise God for Jesus’ healing ministry. But they immediately persecuted Jesus because Jesus healed the invalid man who had been sick for 38 years. They should have congratulated Jesus for this great work of God. But they did not celebrate this great work of God. They were blinded by their own unbelief and evil thoughts. The Jews are the descendants of Abraham, and they are the chosen people. Therefore, they must do what God wants them to do. But they lost their mission as the chosen people. When they lost their mission, they became useless in the sight of God. For example, in light of the Jewish Sabbath law, the Jews thought that carrying more than one ounce of something in one’s pocket like a cell phone would count as working on the Sabbath. In this way, they accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath law by healing a 38-year paralytic on the Sabbath. The Jews persecuted Jesus because they did not know the true concept of the Sabbath. In contemporary terms, we observe the Sabbath at Sunday worship service. Why do people say “Sunday worship service” instead of saying “Sunday worship”? It is because we serve God through worship. It is because we must worship God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength as a matter of first importance (Dt 6:5). Personal Bible study is for the sake of one’s spiritual welfare. Personal Bible study enriches our relationship with God. Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” So it is for one’s own benefit. But worshiping God on the Sabbath is to praise him and thank him and remember all his goodness until we can say, “God is good” (Ps 106:1). Therefore, worshiping God is for the glory of God. When we will come to our Sunday worship service with a worshipful heart, God will renew our spiritual life. Or we can come out of habit, too. Can we dose off or bow heads constantly while we worship God? No. We must worship God with our sincere hearts.
We can see another life-giving work of God in Jesus’ ministry. One Sabbath Jesus healed a crippled woman who was bent over for 18 years (Lk 13:10-13). To a woman, a marriage dream is the best dream she can dream. She can think about it every 30 seconds. Therefore, all women, including cripples, live in a marriage dream. She, too, must have had a marriage dream. But because her back was bent over, she was very fatalistic about her marriage. Jesus participated in her sorrowful marriage problem and healed her back on the Sabbath day. Then the Jews depreciated Jesus’ healing work on the Sabbath day and persecuted him. Jesus answered in Luke 13:15-16: “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” In this, Jesus taught them the true meaning of the Sabbath. But the Jews did not open their hearts towards Jesus’ appeal. They were more concerned about the law than about saving one woman’s life. These Jews came to Jesus and persecuted him on the pretext of his working on the Sabbath by healing a woman whose back was bent over for 18 years. Would you criticize your doctor if he heals you on the Sabbath? No, we would not criticize the doctor. We would thank him for healing our sickness. Receiving much persecution, Jesus gave the crippled woman a new life. Jesus did not violate the Sabbath. He was doing the work of God. Jesus is the giver of new life.
Second, Jesus does what God assigned him to do (17-18). Jesus taught them God’s truth. Look at verse 17. “Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’” God is the Creator of the universe. He upholds the universe in his hands. If God stops working on the Sabbath, what will happen? Our 6 A.M. Sunday prayer meeting will be a waste of time because God does not work on the Sabbath. If God is off on Sundays, who will hear our prayers? Maybe the sun may come out of the orbit and collide with the moon if God stops working. It will be chaotic. Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work.” In this verse Jesus explains that he himself is participating in the work of God. As we know well, God’s work is a labor of love and life-giving work. His work is that no one perishes but has eternal life. As soon as they heard the meaning of God’s work, they were furiously angry and all the more they wanted to kill Jesus. In addition, they wanted to kill Jesus because he told them that God is “my Father” in verse 17. Jesus declared that God was his father. How wonderful it is that we can have a right relationship with God! How wonderful it is to call God “Our Father!” “Abba, Father” is the foundation of Christianity, but the Jews thought that it was blasphemy (Ro 8:15). This is the reason Jesus taught them in the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Mt 6:9). We all are familiar with the phrase, “Like father, like son.” In most cases, the son does what his father wants him to do. Jesus does what his Father God wants him to do. That’s the reason why he said in the Garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:36, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus died on the cross because it was the will of his Father. As we know, father and son relationship is very intimate. Frank Graham is the son of Billy Graham. In the past he did not want to follow his father’s footsteps and became a prodigal son refusing to do what his father does. But he was changed by the grace of God and now he is doing what his father is doing in the Billy Graham ministry. True son does what his father does. M. James Park wants his three sons to become powerful messengers when they will grow up. Sons imitate their fathers because they show them all they do. Be careful with what you do in front of your son. Playboy son comes from playboy father. Couch potato son comes from couch potato father. Missionary son comes from missionary father. David Park Jr. wants to be a doctor missionary like his father. Humanly speaking, I want my sons to have an easy life. But I am happy when they do God’s work.
Third, Jesus gives man life (19-23). Jesus assured the Jews that he does what God assigned him to do. And whatever God does, he also does. It is because the Father sent him to this world to do the work of God (19-21). Look at verse 21. “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.” In verse 21 Jesus tells them that he gives men life. It is true that Jesus gives men life. There are two kinds of life, physical life and eternal life. In the time of technology, most people are living in material abundance. People enjoy bits and pieces of comfort and convenience and can make money according to their ability. So they should be happy. Strangely, instead of being happy there are many fatalistic people. Young people must be full of vision and dreams in their hearts. They must read many books staying up many nights, in order to know wide and deep humanity and the true meaning of man’s existence. Above all, they must struggle to know God in heaven who is the creator of the universe. But the advancement of technology only brought wide-spread web porn sites and cyber crimes and a global terror like nuclear bomb. As a result, men became corrupt like the times of Noah. Sin prevailed the world in Noah’s time. Sin brought corruption and violence and flood judgment. In the end men became only flesh, losing their spirit—which is everything to man (Jn 6:63). Men were cut off from the life of God due to their sins. Without spiritual life given by Jesus men are like walking dead. Though we have physical life, we don’t have spiritual life without Jesus who is the author of life. But Jesus gives men life. He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead by saying, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41) Then the girl stoop up immediately. Jesus raised up dead Lazarus from the tomb. Jesus is the giver of life.
Let’s read verses 22 and 23. “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” Jesus not only gives life to men, but also he judges those who do not honor Jesus as the Son of God and those who do not honor the Father who sent him. God sent Jesus to save the world. We must honor Jesus as the Son of God. Honoring Jesus is the same as honoring God. The Jews saw with their eyes that Jesus was doing the work of God but they did not honor him as the Son of God. In this way, they invited judgment upon themselves. When men love the darkness and hate God, they invite eternal condemnation upon themselves (Jn 3:19,20). As the Bible says, “Jesus is the Judge.” Jesus is the standard of man’s life. Men’s destiny is determined by how they see Jesus. Romans 9:33 says, “As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Jesus is a rock of salvation to those who believe in him but a stumbling stone to those who reject him. If they see him as the Son of God, they have eternal life; if they reject him, they invite eternal condemnation upon themselves. When Jesus came into this world for the first time, he came as a humble helpless baby in a manger. But when he comes again, he will come as the judge of the living and the dead. What kind of judge Jesus will be? Look at verse 27. “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” Jesus is the Son of God and at the same time he is the Son of Man. Jesus knows us because he was with men. He is not like a high nosed judge. As we know, human judges make a lot of mistakes. They are partial and favor certain people. Georgetown team lost a basketball game because the judge did not see six players in the court in the final second of the game. But Jesus is fair to all. Verse 30b says, “For I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” We can trust Jesus as a fair Judge.
PART II. THE WAY OF SALVATION (24-30)
First, those who hear the word of God (24-27). Look at verse 24. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” This verse teaches us that without hearing the word of God, no one can believe. Romans 10:14 says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Here we recognize the urgent need of missionary work. Someone must be sent out so that people who never heard the word of God may hear the word of God. God sent M. Abraham Lee so that many Chinese students may hear the word of God in the remote corners of China. We hear the urgent calling of missionary work from Latin America, “Hey, American missionaries! Come over and help us to hear the word of God.” How can we ignore their urgent calling? M. Paul Oh wanted to return to Korea but God changed his assignment to Chile so that he can preach the gospel to many Chilean students in Santiago. In the past, many saints wanted to know God. But they did not hear the word of God. So all of them died after saying that God is a kind of Supreme Being.
The first part of John 5:24 says that those who hear the word of God and believe have eternal life. The way of salvation is very simple. Throughout history, all men were looking for God Almighty. But because they did not hear the word of God, they lived sorrowfully and died of sorrow. In light of history, hearing the word of God is very important. But fallen men are engrossed with their sinful desires. They hear the word of God so many times, some for more than 30 years. But they never accept the word of God. If we are going to be saved, we must hear the word of God. The verb “hear” is the same as “accept.” Next we must believe it. Then God gives us eternal life at the present. Eternal life is not a theological future event but it begins when we hear the word of God and believe. People do not consider eternal life seriously because it does not give any immediate cash values. But it is priceless. Let’s think about verse 24 from a grammatical point of view. How many tenses Jesus used in this verse? Jesus used three tenses here-present, future, and present participle.
Firstly, those who have eternal life can have the life of God in them at the present. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies.” There is no death in Jesus. Jesus regarded death as a sleep. So eternal life begins at the moment we believe Jesus as our personal Savior. Jesus said to a criminal executed next to him in Luke 23:43, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus did not say, “Tomorrow you will be in paradise”, but “today you will be in paradise.” Eternal life does not come after death; those who believe have eternal life now, and they have no fear of death. Secondly, when we hear the word of God and believe, we will not be condemned in the future: We are free from experiencing the judgment of God in our daily life (2Cor 5:10). Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Whether we like it or not, we have appointment with God. At that time we will not be condemned. Why? We have Jesus in our side. Jesus justified us when we believed in him. We are no longer guilty because Jesus died for our sins. We are free from God’s condemnation. We can meet God confidently. Thirdly, those who hear the word of God and believe have crossed over from death to life already as a past event. Israel was happy when they crossed the Red Sea. Many are busy doing something to make themselves forget about the fear of death. But they are slaves of death because they are in the bondage of sin and death, and because they are under the torment of the power of death. Those who hear his word and believe have no fear of death, because they crossed over from death to life by hearing and believing his word. Once S. Steve thought that it was funny when his Bible teacher said, “You are dead in your sins.” Well, I am alive and sometimes I smile and I can enjoy my successful life.” But later he realized that he had fear of death deep inside his heart. He knew that he was dying slowly due to his guilty of sin. It was like watching a slow motion movie. Ephesians 2:1 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Ephesians 2:5 says, “Made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” When Steve accepted Jesus, God made him alive with Christ. He was freed from the power of death. Finally he has crossed over from death to life. There is no middle ground, alive or dead. Therefore, to have eternal life is so important in our life in the world, because eternal life supplies God’s life to us daily.
Second, do not be amazed at this (28-29). Those who are bound by attachment to the world will be amazed to hear about eternal life, and especially, eternal condemnation. But the most important thing is hearing and believing in the Son’s voice. The second part of verses 28 and verse 29 says, “...when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” This is a metaphysical expression about the power of God’s word. It doesn’t necessarily mean that those who are in their graves will come out by hearing his voice. When a man dies, his eternal being goes to heaven and his physical body goes back to the dust of the ground. Bodily resurrection was expressed to explain that after the resurrection, men will have the likeness of Jesus (1Cor 15:49). We will be like Jesus. We will no longer suffer due to our sinful desire. It was also to emphasize the certainty of the resurrection. God is Spirit, and after death we will be God’s children as immortal spiritual beings. The early Christians who waited for the Second Coming of Jesus thought that he would come today or tomorrow. But the Second Coming of Jesus did not happen as they had expected. To God a thousand year is like a day. But according to the Bible Jesus will come again to rule the world with peace and love.
Third, man’s glorious purpose (29-30). Look at verse 29. “...and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” In this verse, the meaning of human existence is explicitly explained. God searches our life motive and rewards us accordingly to exercise his justice. The meaning of human life is to live for the glory of God (1Cor 10:31). Those who have done good will rise to live forever, but those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. This verse explains not only the meaning of human existence, but also the sovereignty of God. This idea is well explained in Romans 2:7,8. It says, “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” The Sovereign God will reward those who have done good with eternal life and the kingdom of God, but those who have done evil will be condemned forever. We just do many evil things without any thought of God. It is sheer ignorance. We must live with the reverence of God, remembering his words.
In this part, we learned that Jesus is the Son of God and the giver of life and the judge of all. It is important to hear his word and believe him as our Savior sent by God so that we may not be condemned but have eternal life. Let’s live for the glory of God as Jesus did. May God bless you to overcome yourself and hear God’s word and believe, and enjoy eternal life at the present. Let’s read the key verse 24.