We live in a culture that wants to talk about anything except death and judgment. But Jesus – the same Jesus who spoke the universe into existence – has something to say about both. Today we're confronting one of the most neglected yet important realities in all of Scripture.
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."
When Jesus says "truly, truly," He's emphasizing the absolute credibility of what He's about to say. And what He says should stop us in our tracks: there's a day coming when every single dead person will hear His voice and be raised.
Think about this for a moment. The voice that spoke everything into existence – the voice that said "Let there be light" and light exploded into being – that same voice is going to call every single person out of their grave. Psalm 33:6 says, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host." And verse 9: "He spoke and it came to be; he commanded and it stood firm."
But here's what makes this passage so weighty: Jesus says "an hour is coming and now is." There's an "already, not yet" reality here. If you're a Christian, you've already been the recipient of resurrection life. That's what baptism symbolizes – our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus Christ. We're raised to newness of life. That's the "now is."
But the "hour is coming" refers to the physical resurrection that awaits every single person who has ever lived. Your co-workers, your neighbors, your family members – everyone will be raised from the dead and stand before the King of the universe.
Jesus has the power to give life, and because He has the power to give life, He also has the power to judge life. And the only one who can execute judgment is God. That's why verse 27 says the Father "gave him authority to execute judgment because he is the son of man" – the same figure Daniel saw coming in the clouds with all authority, power, and glory.
This isn't some distant theological concept. This is about every person you see at the grocery store, every person in your neighborhood, every person you work with. They're all going to stand before Jesus Christ, and their eternal destiny will be determined.
The most shocking thing to me is how nonchalantly people live when they know they're going to die. We spend our lives thinking about how we're going to live our 80 years on planet Earth and seldom think about the reality that one day we will stand before the eternal Judge who will render our eternal verdict.
But here's the beautiful part – if you're in Christ, you don't have to fear that day. The same voice that will raise the dead is the voice that has already given you life. The same Jesus who will judge the world is the Jesus who died for your sins and rose again to give you eternal life.
1. How does the reality of a coming physical resurrection change your perspective on death?
2. What does it mean that you've already received "resurrection life" if you're a believer?
3. How should the certainty of Christ's return and judgment affect the way you live today?
Stay dialed in.
