Passed from Death to Life

I know some of the recent posts have been a little heavy, so I want to write something that is on a lighter note. Maybe that can be a bad thing to try to come up with something a little easier to hear. Maybe not. Maybe some balance is good. Anyhow. So, I was browsing one of my scriptures pages for some inspiration, and I came across a passage from John 5. I went to that chapter, and there are encouraging thoughts I want to share.

From The Gospel of John Chapter 5

¹⁸ Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

¹⁹ Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

²⁰ For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

²¹ For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

²² For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

²³ That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

²⁵ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

²⁶ For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

²⁷ And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Maybe you are familiar with John 5. If not, you can look it up. Here we are told about a time when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day and told the man to take up his bed and walk. Jesus then said that he works as his Father works. The first verse noted above tells us that the Jews were angry with Jesus for this. What Jesus had to say is pretty awesome.

Have you ever considered how incredibly humble Jesus was? Being that he is equal with God and even one with God, Jesus still lowered himself to that of a servant. Yet, Jesus has the very power of God and he is even able to raise the dead. What is really neat about this passage is the fact that God has passed all judgment to the Son because Jesus is the Son of man.

The fact that Jesus lived a human life and experienced this world as we do gives him the ability to judge things in a way that is sympathetic with our suffering and struggles with sin. He is someone we can approach without fear or feeling as if our sins are too shameful for him to forgive.

Jesus, who tasted death for us, has total power over judgment. He has the power to make alive and he has the power to condemn. However, since Jesus lived the human experience, he is merciful towards us. He is quick to forgive those who want to turn from their sins. As wonderful as that is, there is even more!

What’s equally awesome is that when we honor Jesus and hear his word, which I believe means that we take care after the things Jesus teaches about the way in which we should order our life, then we are going to pass from the dead things of this world and into life.

This is a present passing that we can hope for even now that will one day result in the ultimate freedom from death: The Resurrection!

I love the image of the dead who are in their graves hearing the voice of Jesus and becoming alive. We are all in a kind of grave before Jesus takes hold of us. I know I was. I know what it is like to feel as if coming alive out of the grave of this world.

What an amazing journey it is for us to pass from death to life during this present time — and one day, even our dead bodies will rise from the grave and yet again we will pass from death to life. What an incredible promise!