John 5:28-30 - Do not be amazed

5:28

The Jewish leaders were outraged at Jesus’ claims, and the man in the street doesn’t expect Jesus to actually be God, but Jesus tells us not to be amazed at what He is saying. Yet it does seem amazing to us, why is this? It is because we have sinned against God. Right back in Genesis we read that we were created in the image of God, male and female. It is because we do not appreciate the wonderful purpose with which God created us, and we do not appreciate the utterly devastating effects that sin has had. Most of us think that there are some people who are utterly evil, but most of us aren’t that bad really. We only think that because we don’t appreciate what we would be like if we had not sinned.

But in Christ the work of sin is undone. Again, I would take “in their graves” metaphorically, referring to those who are dead in sin. The voice of Jesus has gone out and the dead hear it and are raised to life.

5:29

This verse is very interesting. Let’s look at it (and therefore obviously at the preceding verse as well as it is part of the same sentence!) in two ways.

First let’s look at it as referring to the resurrection at the end of time. It then says two very important things. First all will be raised. It is not just believers who are raised from the dead, this is something we often forget. The difference is what we are raised to, which is the second point: judgement. Those who have done good will rise to live, those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. Now we know from the rest of Scripture that this cannot be teaching a salvation by works. However, the notion that you can do what you like, believe in Jesus and still go to heaven is equally unbiblical. If we believe in Jesus (and this also involves repentance) we are born again and a work of transformation begins in our lives.

Now let’s look at it figuratively as speaking of those who are spiritually dead. Then this is referring to the response of people to the good news. Those who “do good” are then those who repent and believe. If we do this we will rise to live. We start to truly live the moment we first believe. This continues throughout our Christian life, and is brought to fulfilment at the last day when we will be either raised from the dead or, if we are still alive, transformed in the twinkling of an eye. If we reject the good news then we stand condemned (3:18). So under this interpretation doing good is believing the gospel, doing evil is rejecting it. Remember that Jesus was speaking to the Jewish leaders at this point, and they were heading down the “doing evil” route.

5:30

Jesus has just made several audacious claims about Himself, having the gift of life, being the judge of all etc. Now He adds vital words about all this being in submission to the Father. “By myself I can do nothing”. His judgements are based purely on what the Father says and does, so all His judgements will be just. As an aside, people frequently speak about Jesus saying do not judge others. This is true, but Jesus also speaks much about judgement, and judgement is a key attribute and function of Jesus. Jesus then says He lives and acts to please His Father, the one who sent Him.

Jesus is the perfect human being, and remember that we were all created in the image of God. Jesus shows us what we are meant to be like, and what we are meant to be. In our rebellion against God we seek to act and live independently. We will decide what is right and wrong without any reference to what God says, we say we don’t need God at all. And so all the consequences of sin follow. We need to live in perfect harmony with God, in perfect trust and obedience to Him.