Faith in the Son of Man

Read

John 5:25–29 (ESV)

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.

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

Remembering what Jesus said in...

John 5:24 (ESV)

24 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.

Last time, we looked at:

How one receives eternal life.

What is meant by eternal life.

The quantity and the quality.

We escape the negative.

We inherit the positive.

We have it already, as believers.

This morning we begin looking at Jesus’ 3rd “Truly, truly” statement.

All of these statements within this discourse teach us who Jesus is.

He is God in the flesh.

The eternal Son, divine in nature, essence, being...

Fully God, very God...

Taken upon Himself a human nature...

Fully Man, very Man...

Yet without sin.

He has told us that He has eternal life within Himself.

He has told us that He has authority to give eternal life to whomever He chooses.

He has told us that those who believe are immediately given eternal life.

The condemnation deserved has been removed.

Those who hear the Son and believe the Father...

Which is believing the Son...

Have eternal life.

Now, Jesus expands on that truth of hearing and believing...

John 5:25 (ESV)

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.

Jesus throughout the gospels made this statement along with his teachings...

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

In John’s gospel, a theme is that the Sheep of the Shepherd:

Hear His voice.

Listen to His voice.

Follow Him.

He knows them, and they follow Him.

But, Jesus gives a description here of those who hear His voice...

John 5:25 (ESV)

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.

In this passage there are two types of dead people.

One type, which Jesus is speaking of here in v.25, are...

—> Those who are spiritually dead.

Later, starting in v.28, Jesus is speaking of...

—> Those who are physically dead.

In v. 25, Jesus starts with the spiritually dead...

an hour is coming, and is now here...

While Jesus is speaking...

—> As He walks the earth...

There are spiritual awakenings happening at the sound of His voice.

Those who are spiritually deaf are hearing His Words of Life.

How Can the Dead Hear?

Think about what is being said.

—> Every word of Scripture is God breathed.

—> There’s purpose in the wording that God uses.

—> He’s teaching us spiritual truth.

And, Jesus says that the DEAD will hear His voice.

Right now, at the time that Christ is walking the earth...

Teaching divine truth...

The DEAD are hearing His voice and believing His testimony...

And, they are being granted eternal life.

SO...

How can the spiritually dead hear?

There must be One who has the power to overcome death on behalf of the dead.

What are the spiritually dead needing to hear?

—> The spiritual call of the Gospel.

—> The Spiritual truths of God.

—> Meaning they must hear spiritual truths with spiritual understanding.

Now, how can that be...

—> Scripture teaches us…

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

So, how does one transition from natural to spiritual?

Jesus said, “You must be born again to understand Spiritual truths.”

Paul said...

Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

If you are in Christ it is by the grace of God through faith, which is a gift...

You have been made alive by God to hear the Son and believe the Father.

And, this is a PROMISE of the New Covenant...

Ezekiel 36:26–27 (ESV)

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The gospel call goes out...

To the Jew first, and also to the non-Jew

And, those who have ears to hear, hear the voice of Christ...

And, they believe with new hearts of flesh.

Those who hear with faith are those who have been made alive by God the Spirit...

Born again by the power of the HS.

Made to be new creations in Christ by and through the application of the Great Shepherd’s work on behalf of His sheep.

How Can We Know Who Truly Hears the Word of Christ?

Jesus says that you shall know them by their fruit.

They hear and they believe.

And a true faith is never alone.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Remember Ezekiel...

27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The HS works in us as an application of the promises contained within the NC...

And, He works in us both to will and to do according to the good pleasure of God.

So, let’s understand the big Picture of what Jesus is saying.

—> What do we do with this statement by Jesus...

An hour is coming, and is now here...

What Jesus is saying is that the New Birth which results in Faith & Good Works... Is a foretaste of Eternal life...

Or, to say it differently…

—> We see and experience

A Foretaste of Eternal Life in Change that Spiritual Life Brings Upon Us

Those who awaken spiritually are those who will awaken to eternal life.

The Invisible Church...

Is made Visible by Faith in Christ...

And, true saving Faith is always accompanied by good works.

So, there can be and is an outer expression of change in the people of God...

That is brought about by the internal change produced by the HS...

Within the Believer...

Because of the work of Christ.

Now Christ gives us a “Because”

John 5:26 (ESV)

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

The Son came to give life, and that we may have that life abundantly.

John 17:1–2 (ESV)

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

Christ is the Executor of the will of His Father.

He came...

Full of life.

He had the authority to give life to whom He willed.

He had the divine knowledge and wisdom to execute the will of His Father perfectly.

And, He did so to perfection.

Christ is the Life Giving Messiah

Now look at what Jesus says next...

Another “because”

John 5:27 (ESV)

27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

Jesus is saying He is the Executor of Judgment because...

He is the Son of Man.

This was Jesus’ favorite title for Himself.

It was a title that was known by the Nation.

But, not understood enough to have many presuppositions attached to it.

The title comes from a vision that the prophet Daniel was given by God.

And, we’re told about in Daniel 7.

The scene is the courtroom of God judging over the entire universe.

And, it’s a fiery scene which biblically illustrates judgment.

And, the climax of the vision comes...

Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV)

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

The vision shows, in human form [one like a son of man]

But, yet, at the same time, more than a human [one like]

He’s like a human, but honored as God.

Given dominion and glory as only God receives.

This is a coronation of the King, the Son-King of Psalm 2.

The Kingdom of the Father’s Beloved Son that Paul speaks of in Colossians.

This is a vision of the sovereign judgment of the universe being assigned to the Son of God, who took upon flesh.

In Jewish Rabbinic literature this figure of Daniel 7 is explained as the Messiah...

And, the Jewish Talmud accepts this interpretation.

And, Jesus is teaching that He is this very person...

Standing present before their very eyes.

Christ, the God-Man is given a Kingdom that includes all nations.

He has dominion over all creation.

His dominion and kingdom are everlasting.

It is a Kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

The Messiah is More than a Son of Man

He is the Son of Man & the unique & only Son of God, foretold by Daniel.

And, all of creation is a gift from the Father to His Son.

Let’s think about this...

We serve a King who rules a kingdom that will never end.

Our citizenship within this kingdom will never end.

Our Savior is also Sovereign over the Universe.

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

There is not one molecule outside of His sovereign dominion.

The same depth and height of power and dominion He has over the universe...

He has the same depth and height of love for His children.

He has you...

You are in His hand.

You are a child of His love.

You are a child of His care.

You are a child of His kingdom.

So, rest in the King.

Take a deep breath.

Fill your lungs with air, so your voice will fill the air with His praise.

Closing Prayer & Lord’s Supper