John 5:19-29 | Food for Thought

A Bigger Conversation | Jesus’ words here are a response to the Jews who were accusing him of breaking the law and blasphemy at the end of the last focal passage (5:1-18).

He doubles down on not only being the Son of the Father, but on being the Son of Man (Daniel 7) who would receive authority from the Father to judge the world and reign over an everlasting kingdom. Daniel’s words are key to understanding the claim that Jesus is making here! It’s significant.

Jesus’ response actually continues in the next focal passage (John 5:30-47). To get the big picture of what Jesus is trying to say (and how this focal passage fits into it!), I’d encourage you to read the whole thing!
Themes in John | Hearing, believing, and being granted eternal life are all mentioned again here in this passage.

“Truly, Truly…” #1: Honor the Son like the Father.
- The Father loves the Son and shows him what he’s doing.
- The Son does what he sees the Father doing. (…it’s all he CAN do!)
  - Raises the dead, gives life, grants judgment
- Therefore, we should marvel at and honor the Son like we honor the Father.
  - (Not criticize, demonize, etc. like the Jews were doing to Jesus’ healing.)
“Truly, Truly…” #2: Believe the Son sent from the Father.
- When we hear the Son we get to believe the Father who sent him.
- When we believe , we have eternal life.
  - We won’t come into judgment. (future!)
  - We have already passed from death to life. (now!)
    - (Bigger than healing the sick, invalid, etc.!)

“Truly, Truly…” #3: Hear like dead men and women.
- The everlasting ruler from Daniel 7 (the Son of Man) is also the Son of God.
  - He’s given life in himself to reign forever.
  - He’s given authority to execute judgment.
- The time is NOW when the [spiritually] dead will hear the Son, and those who “hear” will come to [spiritual] life in the here and now.
- The time is COMING when the Son of Man will raise the [physically] dead from their tombs.
  - Those who have done good will live.
    - (This isn’t a works-based thing; those who hear and believe will live; those who live will do good in this life. There’s no doing good apart from hearing and believing!)
  - Those who have done evil will face judgment.
  - The Jews shouldn’t marvel at this (despite marveling at the works above!), because this Son of Man stuff / coming judgment isn’t anything new to them. It’s a huge part of their theology.

What is Jesus trying to tell the Jews about himself? What’s the relationship between Jesus and the Father like?
What’s the difference between “Son of God’ and “Son of Man?”
Based on this text, what SHOULD the people be marveling at? What SHOULDN’T they marvel at? Why?
- When’s the last time that WE marveled at Jesus? …anything that God did?
- Are WE surprised / marveling at the fact that we’ll be raised and judged someday? Why or why not?
When does eternal life seem to begin?
- What’s it look like to “pass from death to life” in the here and now? How does THAT life look different from the world’s?
How can Jesus say that “those who have done good” will go to the resurrection of life? Didn’t he just say that “whoever hears and beleives him who sent me has eternal life?”
- How can the “dead” hear and come to life that’s only found in Jesus… if they’re dead? It seems like it’s a done deal after death when Jesus points to what folks have ALREADY done in their life (good or evil) as the basis for their judgment.
- How can WE (and others!) hear like dead men and women (5:25), that we might come to life?
  - Any similarities to needing to be “born again?” (John 3)

GOSPEL: We get to come to Jesus as DEAD men and women in need of LIFE, unable to avoid judgment or give ourselves life on our own. And the eternal life he gives begins NOW, even though we will likely be among those “in the tombs” when Jesus returns.
- We get to spend our days marveling at grace, honoring him, and doing good in light of how HE has done GOOD to us!
Healthy disciples get to have a well-rounded picture of Jesus: both the Son of God who speaks, words, and gives life to those who hear, and the Son of Man who resurrects, reigns, and executes judgment based on how we live.
Healthy disciples marvel MORE at the life-giving grace of the Son than the justice that the Son will one day execute. (They’re BOTH good news!)
Healthy disciples won’t pit Jesus and God (the Father) against one another, contrasting them as if they’re on two different missions or have two different attitudes / demeanors. They’re on the same page, doing the same work for the same purposes!