Everyone's Future
Easter Sunday Sermon
Today is a day that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord from the dead!... For centuries, skeptics have tried to deny the reality of Jesus' resurrection. They desire to discredit and debunk Christianity altogether!... After all, if it could be proved that the claim to the resurrection of Jesus was actually a hoax – then people could be justified in the blatant rebellion against Christ, and all that He taught and preached!
The Apostle Paul said –
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
That's pretty simple and to the point – the point that skeptics would love to be true…
There have been countless sermons dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus. Those messages are appropriate most any Sunday, but especially on this Sunday when the world is being reminded every year – that Jesus has in fact risen from the dead – proving Who He is, and validating what He says!...
There is a truth about resurrection that I would dare say, most people never think about, and that is this… You have a resurrection in your future!... Every human being who has ever lived and died, will have a resurrection. No matter where any material may be located that ever made up a part of their body – the Lord will have no trouble reclaiming, reassembling, and transforming into an eternal body!... As easily as the calling together the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37, the Lord will have no issues, collecting, assembling, and resurrecting the bodies of everyone who has ever lived! It doesn't matter if it's a centuries old-mummified body of an Egyptian Pharaoh, or the scattered ashes of one who wanted their final remains cremated and scattered to the four winds of the earth – The Lord Who gave them life, has the final Word – and His Word is … they will rise!
Just a few moments ago, we heard the reading of our text today… These are the Words given by the very One Whose resurrection we celebrate today!... And He has much to say about this subject!
When you study a passage, often it is helpful to outline the passage, and follow the flow of the text… Sometimes this is easy to see… Then there are passages that present overlapping, and interrelated themes that don't easily divide into an easily seen outline… Our passage today does a little of both…
What always helps – is to understand the context of a passage… Jesus is simply going about the business of His Mission from on high! He is preaching a Divine Message, demonstrating Divine Power, and exercising Divine Authority!... Those who are bent on rejecting Him – go about the business of trying to defeat, discredit, and destroy Him…
It is in this context that we encounter some of the most profound things uttered by the Lord – not only for the ears of those who would listen – but the … transformation of those who would believe!
As we begin to think through what Jesus has said, let's begin with His words about –
1. Divine Assurance
Look at verse 24 again –
John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, 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.
This statement is all about salvation!... Eternal life – is not only life that is eternal, but life that is spiritual! It is better life. It is righteous life. It is relational life – right-relationship-with-God life!
How does this life come about?...
The context clearly tells us! It comes from Jesus – to those to whom He gives it!... Look at verse 21 –
John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
God the Father has all authority over life, even death does not prohibit God from bringing life back to someone if He desires!... Jesus' audience really didn't have a problem with that part of His statement… But, Jesus goes on – He says that HE has been given such authority from the Father to … give life to whom He wishes! And we see quickly that Jesus isn't merely talking about raising someone from physical death, and giving them physical life – He is talking about raising someone from spiritual death and giving them … eternal life!
Let's think carefully about the sequence! First, Jesus speaks to –
● The Means to Eternal Life
John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes…
Jesus speaks to the necessity of "hearing His words"!... The power of the gospel is found in the gospel!... There is no salvation apart from hearing and responding to the gospel!
The Apostle Paul later elaborates on this, when he wrote –
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
The Word is preached. The Holy Spirit accompanies that Word, and opens minds and hearts… Faith is born in the heart, and the … hearer … believes! THAT is the means of how eternal life comes!
And just in case one is missing it, in this same verse, Jesus speaks to –
● The Source of Eternal Life
John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me,
Eternal life / salvation comes from God!...
Listen carefully… Salvation is not merely in the words of Christ… But, saving faith is in believing that Christ was in fact sent from God the Father!
The means to eternal life is hearing and believing… The source of eternal life is in God Alone! As we will see later in this message – salvation comes from God to mankind! It is not something that extends from mankind to God!... The source is not in man, but in God!
Jesus leans into another nuance that is vital to understanding… Jesus speaks about –
● The Possession of Eternal Life
John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life…
The verb is present tense, not future!...
Eternal life is not something that begins the moment a believer dies!... Eternal life is something that begins the moment a believer … believes!
This leads us to a deeper nuance yet in Jesus' words… And that is –
● The Assurance of Eternal Life
Listen carefully to what Jesus says –
John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, 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.
Eternal life is not a hope-so salvation… It is a know-so salvation! Jesus declares what we are to know!... The believer is in possession of eternal right now! And the believer is … assured! There has been a change, an eternal change! There is no, no more judgement against the believer! They have "passed out of death into life"!
Paul later writes much about this assurance. One of my favorite passages is –
Romans 8:1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
How can we be so certain?... Because the Word of the Lord says so!... And the Holy Spirit not only affirms those truths to the believer – get this – He governs our lives according to those truths revealed in God's Word!... He works those truths out into the life of the believer, and our lives are more-and-more characterized by the character of Christ!
I like A.W. Pink's statement here –
Arthur W. Pink – "It is only in proportion as the Christian manifests the fruit of a genuine conversion that he is entitled to regard himself and be regarded by others as one of the called and elect of God. It is just in proportion as we add to our faith the other Christian graces that we have solid ground on which to rest in the assurance we belong to the family of Christ. It is not those who are governed by self-will, but 'as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God' (Rom. 8:14).
We will return to this concept later in the text, but what comes next in our text, are Jesus' words about the –
2. Divine Authority
John 5:25-27
25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an 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 just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
Now immediately, we see how the theme about salvation in verse 24 continues… Jesus is tying His authority to the salvation He has just declared!
Jesus has the Divine authority –
● To Give Life
John 5:25
Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Jesus declares that "the dead" … here, are "the spiritually dead" – to whom He gives the ability to … hear – and those who then hear… are given life!
How do we know that Jesus is talking about "spiritual life"?... Look at the middle, to the statement; "now is"... The hour is coming, and now is!... Jesus is not talking about what is yet in the future – He is talking about what is in the present, and future! And that is – the giving of spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead!
Paul reminds believers that … spiritual deadness, is in our past! –
Ephesians 2:1
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
He goes on to explain that when we were in that state of deadness – our lives were characterized by the sin that bound us… But God, in His great mercy … brought life to us, opened our ears, so we could hear … Him!
Again –
John 5:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, 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.
We have life – because HE gave life! Life, eternal life is in Him! It is HIS to give – you won't receive it from any other place – any other person!...
At one point Jesus asked His disciples if they were going to leave Him after He proclaimed some … heavy truth that many could not accept, and … walked away… Listen to Peter's answer –
John 6:68
Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
Peter, and the disciples already knew, what Jesus would later repeat as a word of encouragement to them… It was the night before Jesus was to go to the cross, and He was preparing His disciples for what was about to happen… Jesus told them –
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Eternal life comes exclusively from Jesus!
So, we see that Jesus has the authority to give life… Next, we see that He has authority –
● To Claim Sovereignty
John 5:26
For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
Listen… None of us has life inherent in ourselves… We did not … cause ourselves to live! Ours is a life that is acquired from our parents. And we have a life that is sustained by the environment around us…
Jesus says that His life was derived from no one! It is "inherent and uncreated"!...
Theologians call this aseity. It is the idea of absolute self-existence, independence, and self-sufficiency… God is the "uncreated Creator"! He is not dependent on anything else for existence!... He is the uncaused cause, existing eternally without beginning or end – and Jesus declares this truth of Himself!
Alexander Maclaren – "What a paradox it is to say that it is 'given' to Him to have 'life in Himself'! And when was that gift given? In the depths of eternity."
As Jesus explained His nature and deity to the religious leaders in this chapter, it is evident that He did not claim identity with the Father as One Person… They are NOT the Same Person!... Rather, Jesus asserts equality to God the Father and His relationship with the Father.
Jesus and the Father are not the same, but they are equal (John 1:1)...
These words of Jesus contradict two later errors about the nature of the deity of God the Son:
- One is sometimes called the "Jesus Only" doctrine, confusing the Father and the Son (anciently known as Sabellianism (also Modalism – one person functioning in three different modes…) This view is held today by groups like Oneness Pentecostals…
- The other is the error that Jesus is not God – this was anciently known as Arianism, and held today by groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses…
Let's continue in our text, and see how Jesus has authority –
● To Give Judgement
John 5:27
and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
God the Father… relinquished to the Son, the authority to "execute judgement"!
J.C. Ryle – "'All things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do' (Heb. 4:13). Nothing can be concealed from Christ. What do we think of, in private, when no man sees us? What do we think of, in church, when we seem so grave and serious? What are we thinking of at this moment, while these words pass under our eyes? Jesus knows. Jesus sees. Jesus records. Jesus will one day call us to give account. It is written that 'God will judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ' (Rom. 2:16)."
This dovetails into what Jesus says next, which are Jesus' words about –
3. Divine Justice
This is … courtroom language…
Jesus gives an eschatological statement here… He's talking about the final resurrection that will take place! The resurrection of the just – those whom He has redeemed – and the resurrection of the unjust – those who have "died in their sin"... This section begins with –
● A Final Summons
John 5:28-29a
28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth…
Jesus is speaking about something that is "coming" – note, there is NO "and now is" statement… This is future!
And what Jesus says is … vital to understand!... What we need to understand is that EVERYONE has an eternal future! Jesus is going to resurrect everyone who has ever lived!
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory – "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."
Just as Jesus called Lazarus –
John 11:43-44
43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
… to "come forth", and he had no choice but to … come! — So there is a time in the future when Jesus will say to ALL who have died; "Come forth!"
That is the "summons"!... What we see next is –
● A Final Verdict
We are first, talking about the verdict declared over those whom He has redeemed!... It is important for us to understand that this is not a declaration of "not guilty", but a declaration of "no-longer guilty"!...
Think about Jesus' words –
John 5:29b
… those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,
Keep in mind that this is "descriptive" language – not "prescriptive"!... This is "describing" what a redeemed life looks like! It is NOT "prescribing" how to gain a redeemed life!
The Apostle Paul elaborates, and clears up any confusion many people have about this… Listen to –
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
"Good works" are not the means TO salvation – they are the fruit OF salvation! And the Lord will "reward" people according to their works!
Listen to –
Romans 2:6-10
6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Our works are mere … evidence of our spiritual condition!... Believers are saved by grace – not works! And we have no need to fear and condemnation! Why? Because –
Romans 8:1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
He absorbed the condemnation we rightfully deserved!...
But, as redeemed people, we are to be concerned about our "works" for they testify to our relationship with Christ! James elaborates on this –
James 2:17, 26
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
The greater context is – (James 2:14-26) … make sure you read it and study it carefully…
Let me let John MacArthur have the final word on this…
John MacArthur – "The Bible teaches clearly that the evidence of God's work in a life is the inevitable fruit of transformed behavior (1 John 3:10). Faith that does not result in righteous living is dead and cannot save (James 2:14-17). Professing Christians utterly lacking the fruit of true righteousness will find no biblical basis for assurance they are saved (1 John 2:4). Real salvation is not only justification. It cannot be isolated from regeneration, sanctification, and ultimately glorification. Salvation is an ongoing process as much as it is a past event. It is the work of God through which we are 'conformed to the image of His Son' (Romans 8:29, cf. Romans 13:11). Genuine assurance comes from seeing the Holy Spirit's transforming work in one's life, not from clinging to the memory of some experience."
What comes next is –
● A Final Sentence
These words from Jesus are hard to hear… Jesus speaks of the eternal future of those whose lives are characterized by "evil deeds"... Look at the next statement –
John 5:29c
… those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
This is the final sentence of the guilty!...
There are those in our day who try to deny that there is more after one dies… They ignore it at best, or they are bent on defiantly denying the reality of eternity, after death… Regardless, the Scripture is clear that there is an appointment in everyone's future –
Hebrews 9:27
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Listen to Jesus' warning, that was as much a part of His message, as was the promise of eternal life for those who repent of their sins, and believe on Him –
John 8:24
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
Do you hear the heart of our Lord?... He warns the … willful unbeliever of the danger of "dying in your sins"!...
Listen, John isn't the only one to record Jesus' words that there is … judgement – and a great divide that will take place between the believer, and the unrepentant… Listen to –
Matthew 25:46
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Again, our text –
John 5:28-29
28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Just Who is the Judge, Who will pronounce this … verdict and sentence? Our text already identifies that it is Jesus!... Listen to the detail in what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans –
Romans 2:6-10
6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Listen to the Apostle John's words in the Apocalypse –
Revelation 21:7-9
7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
[ Some translations read; "Blessed are those who do His commandments"... The difference is due to two ancient Greek words which have appeared in different manuscripts: HOIPLUNONTESTASSTOLAS (washed their robes) or HOIPOIOUNTESTASENTOLAS (do His commandments). It is a good example of how a copyist's error can cloud a text in rather minor ways, without affecting the essential meaning of the passage… ]
Listen friend, there is only one way for your "robes" to be washed! It is in the blood of Jesus!... Write this verse down –
1 John 1:7
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Questions to Consider in Community Group
- According to verse 24, what does it mean to "cross over from death to life" immediately? How does believing in Jesus change your present life, not just your future?
- Jesus says the dead will hear his voice and live. How do we "hear" his voice today, and what does this mean for those who are spiritually dead to hear His voice?
- How does this passage give you confidence regarding your standing before God, particularly the promise that believers will not come under judgment?
- What does our passage say about Jesus' authority as judge?
- If salvation is by faith, what does Jesus mean by judging those who have "done good" versus those who have "done evil"? How can you explain that good works are the evidence of faith, not the cause of salvation?
- How do these verses highlight Jesus' equality with the Father, particularly His authority over life and judgment?
- Which part of this passage brings you the most comfort, and which part challenges you the most?
- How can we conclude that believers already possess eternal life and are safe from condemnation?
