John 5:25-29 | The Dead Will Hear

²⁵ “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:25-29)

Focus: The purpose of John’s Gospel is that we may have life.

…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

1. Everyone will be raised from the dead by the voice of Jesus

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25)

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] Everyone will be raised; the good, the bad and the ugly.

“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, …” (John 5:28-29) See also Acts 24:15

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] The dead will obey the voice of Jesus.

“…all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out” (John 5:28b-29a) See Hebrews 1:3

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] Jesus is referring to both the physical and the spiritual dead. See Matthew 13:15,16; Acts 7:51

2. Resurrection has come and is coming

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25)

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.  See John 11:25

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] Resurrection has come.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] The resurrection will come.

3. There is both a resurrection of life and of judgment.

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29)

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] This does not imply that we are justified by good works.

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] We are justified by faith and empowered by God to produce good works. See Ephesians 2:8-10

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] Those who believe in the Son are resurrected to eternal life.

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) See John 5:24

[efsicon type=”fi-lightbulb”] Those who do not believe in the Son are resurrected to judgment.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18)