Untitled Sermon (26)

Church, what we have seen so far in John 5 is that Jesus healed a man who had been bound for thirty-eight years, but the religious leaders could not rejoice over a transformed life because they were too focused on their traditions. A man who had been lying on a mat was now walking, carrying the very thing that used to carry him, and instead of seeing the mercy of God, they saw a Sabbath violation. Jesus was changing lives, but they were protecting a religious system. And that is a warning to all of us: when religion becomes more important than restoration, we can stand in the presence of Jesus and still miss what God is doing.

Then Jesus makes the statement that takes this conflict deeper. He says, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “This healing was not rebellion against God. This was the work of God.” The Father was working, and the Son was working in perfect unity with Him. But the leaders understood exactly what Jesus was claiming. He was not just saying God was generally His Father. He was claiming a unique relationship with the Father, making Himself equal with God. That is why they wanted to kill Him. The issue was no longer just the Sabbath; the issue was the identity of Jesus.

And that is where John 5:19–30 takes us next. Jesus is going to explain His relationship with the Father. He is going to show that He does nothing independently, nothing selfishly, nothing outside the Father’s will. The Son sees what the Father is doing, and the Son does it. The Father gives life, and the Son gives life. The Father judges, and judgment has been entrusted to the Son. So the question before us is no longer just, “Why did Jesus heal on the Sabbath?” The question is, “Who is this Jesus who has authority to give life, execute judgment, and speak with the very authority of God?”

Point 1: The Son’s Perfect Dependence and Divine Authority (John 5:19-20a)

Listen closely to Jesus’ words in verses 19 and the first part of 20: “Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.’”

Think about it, church. This is the ultimate picture of surrender and obedience. Jesus, though fully God, perfectly models for us what it means to live in complete reliance on the Father. He doesn’t invent His own agenda; He doesn’t chase His own glory. He simply and perfectly executes the Father’s will. And why? Because “the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” It’s a relationship of intimate love, transparent communication, and shared purpose.

For us, as followers of Christ, this is not just abstract theology; it’s a foundational principle for holy living. We, too, can do nothing of eternal significance “by ourselves.” Our attempts at self-improvement, our efforts to “be good,” our striving for holiness through sheer willpower – these are ultimately futile. True, holiness isn’t about trying harder; it’s about surrendering deeper. It’s about letting God’s prevenient grace awaken us, allowing His justifying grace to transform us, and then seeking His sanctifying grace to cleanse and empower us, so that we, like the Son, can say, “I do only what I see my Father doing.” It’s about aligning our will with His, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us, to show us “all He does,” so that our lives become an echo of His divine activity. We are not trying to earn mercy; we are responding to mercy by living in perfect, loving dependence.

This is not a call to passivity, but to active, Spirit-led obedience. It’s a call to look to Jesus, the perfect example, and say, “Lord, show me what the Father is doing in my life, in my family, in my church, in my community, so that I might join in!”

Point 2: The Son’s Life-Giving and Judging Power (John 5:20b-24)

Jesus continues, revealing even greater works: “Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 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. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; they have crossed over from death to life.”

Do you hear the weight of these words, church? Jesus isn’t just healing physical ailments; He’s claiming power over life itself – and not just physical life, but eternal life! “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.” This is a staggering claim! He is the source of life, the one who breathes spiritual life into dead souls.

And not only that, but the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son. This means Jesus is not just Savior; He is also the ultimate Judge. This is why it is so critical that we honor the Son just as we honor the Father. To reject the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him. There is no bypassing Jesus to get to God. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

But here’s the glorious, hope-filled heart of this section, Pastor: verse 24. This is a life raft in a stormy sea of judgment! “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; they have crossed over from death to life.” This is a present reality, not just a future promise! The moment you hear His word, the moment you believe in the Father who sent Him, through Jesus, you have eternal life. You will not be condemned. You have crossed over from death to life.

This is the power of God’s grace, Pastor! It’s not just about escaping hell; it’s about entering into a new quality of life right now. It’s about being regenerated, adopted into God’s family, and beginning the journey of new life in Christ. This is the work of prevenient grace drawing us, justifying grace saving us, and sanctifying grace transforming us. The world does not get to name what God has redeemed. You are not defined by your past sins, your shame, your failures, or the enemy’s whispers. You are defined by your union with Jesus, the Giver of Life! When we know who we are in Christ, we begin to live like people who belong to Christ. We don’t just hope for eternal life; we possess it through faith! This truth should amaze us, Pastor; it should fill us with a holy awe and compel us to live out the reality of this new life every single day!

Point 3: The Son’s Future Judgment and Eternal Separation (John 5:25-30)

Jesus pushes even further into the future, saying: “Very truly I tell you, an hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but to do the will of him who sent me.”

Here, Jesus speaks of two resurrections. First, the spiritual resurrection that is “now come” (verse 25), where those who are spiritually dead hear His voice and are made alive through faith – the very truth we just celebrated in verse 24! But then, He speaks of a future, physical resurrection (verse 28-29) when “all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.” This is a universal resurrection, but with dramatically different outcomes.

There will be a resurrection “to live” for those who have “done what is good,” and a resurrection “to be condemned” for those who have “done what is evil.” Now, let’s be clear, church: this is not salvation by works. We are saved by grace through faith, not by what we do. But our works are the evidenceof our faith. They are the fruit that demonstrates the root of our salvation. If we truly have “crossed over from death to life” (verse 24), then our lives will bear witness to that transformation. The identity we have in Christ should lead to function, and that function should be marked by love for God and neighbor. Holiness is not legalism; holiness is love made visible.

The judgment of the Son is just because it is perfectly aligned with the Father’s will. “I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but to do the will of him who sent me.” This echoes back to His perfect dependence in verse 19. His authority is absolute, His judgment is righteous, and His will is perfectly united with the Father’s.

Church, this means the choices we make today have eternal consequences. Will we hear His voice and respond in faith, allowing His life to permeate our being, leading us into a life of holiness and good works that glorify Him? Or will we ignore His voice, reject His authority, and face the condemnation that comes from choosing darkness over light? The grace of God does not just forgive what we have done; grace restores who we are in Christ and empowers us to do what is good, not to earn salvation, but to demonstrate that we are already saved and being sanctified.

Closing / Altar Call

My friends, this passage is a thunderous declaration from the Son of God Himself. He is not merely a prophet, not just a good teacher, not simply a moral example. He is the one in whom the Father’s love, power, and authority reside in their fullness. He is the Giver of Life, the righteous Judge, and the perfect embodiment of the Father’s will.

You see, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day missed it. They were so caught up in their rules and traditions that they failed to recognize the very Son of God standing in their midst, offering them life. They were so focused on condemning His actions that they condemned their own souls.

But Jesus is calling out to us today, just as He did then. He is asking us to hear His voice, to believe in the Father who sent Him, and to cross over from death to life. He’s asking us to surrender our own agendas, our own self-sufficiency, our own attempts to “do it ourselves,” and to step into that perfect dependence that He modeled.

Are you living in that place of perfect dependence on the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Spirit? Have you truly heard His voice and believed, moving from the realm of death into the abundant life He offers? Maybe today, you need to acknowledge His supreme authority in every area of your life. Maybe you’ve been trying to live life on your own terms, and it’s left you feeling empty, defeated, or far from God.

This is not just information; it is an invitation. An invitation to surrender. An invitation to believe. An invitation to receive the life He alone can give. Come out of hiding. Stop letting shame name you. Let Jesus become greater in your life. In view of God’s mercy, offer Him all of you. Let God renew your mind until your life proves what mercy has made you.

I’m inviting you right now, as we sing this next song, to come to this altar. If you need to hear His voice for the first time, to believe and cross over from death to life, come. If you need to recommit to living in perfect dependence on Him, to allow His will to be your will, come. If you need to surrender an area of your life to His divine authority, come. The world does not get to define what God has redeemed. He has called you to life, to holiness, to Himself. Will you answer His call today?