Anchor My Faith

Which Resurrection?

Scripture: John 5:28-29

With this lesson we will finish this interesting and meaningful section. In the previous section, the paralytic man that Jesus healed and told to take up his bed and walk, told the Jews, when he was accused of breaking the law on the Sabbath, that it was Jesus who healed him and told him to carry his bedroll. Knowing this, the Jews apparently confronted Jesus about violating the Sabbath. In this section Jesus gives a very strong reason why he works on the Sabbath. His reason opens our understanding of the work of restoration, his role in that restoration, and how his activities reflect the work he is doing.

We pick up our study at verse 28, with Jesus saying: ^{Jn 5:28} “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.”

We must approach verses 28 and 29 with caution and not be misled by the phrases, “have done good” and “have done evil”. It is important that those two phrases be considered in their context, because if one doesn’t it is possible that that one might conclude that salvation is based on what we do, not on our faith. With this caution in mind, let us begin with “Do not marvel at this.”

To marvel is to be filled with wonder and amazement over something. That something is an event that will occur in an hour that is coming that we can look forward to. Those who are physically alive are the ones who can marvel and those who are dead and in the grave are the ones who can benefit. Their benefit is what those who are alive marvel over, because one day they will also be in the grave. So, what is the event that is so great that it will cause one to marvel?

All of those who have died and are in the grave and have turned into dust and perished from human view, are described to have the ability to hear and respond to someone calling them. No matter what the grave might be, even to the extent of being vaporized in an atomic blast, God knows where to find some remains of each person and can raise them up.

One may marvel over the promise that God can restore life on the other side of the grave, but that one must be reminded that when God raises up the dead they are separated into two groups: “Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” Considering context, what we learn from other portions of Scripture, what we do does not imply that a person’s deeds in this life are the basis which determine which of the two groups they are in. We know that Jesus is the only way to eternal life, not by what we do. Eternal life is a gift; it is not based on our works. Good works are the evidence of true faith, for without works one’s faith is dead. Those who were born spiritually through faith in Jesus will be raised to experience life with God forever, but those who were not born spiritually will be raised to face eternal judgment, apart from God forever.

Conclusion

How important it is for each person to be sure before they die, which resurrection they will experience when they are called from the grave. I ask each reader if they know for sure. Don’t wait until it is too late.