Our Glorious Resurrection
Jesus told His disciples a startling promise: “Do not marvel at this: for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (John 5:28–29).
After 2,000 years, we are closer to that “hour” Jesus told about than when He said those words. But no human can know exactly when that “hour” will come.
This promise of Jesus returning and with a loud voice raising up all those who have died is one that only God can keep. Jesus is God. John wrote that “the world was made through Him” and “in Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:10, 4). Since Jesus gave life to all at creation, He also has power to restore life to all who have died. Jesus demonstrated that divine power when with a word He raised Lazarus to life, after he was dead four days.
All the resurrected dead—along with those who were alive when Jesus returned—will be gathered before Jesus for judgment. In the words above, Jesus states that there will be two groups: one that is given eternal life and the other is given condemnation.
No one should be in the second group, because Jesus paid the punishment for all sins when He died on the cross and because God wants all to be saved and know the truth about Jesus. However, many still refuse to trust in Jesus and His work of salvation. They spurn the royal robe of salvation that Jesus earned for them. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Only through trusting Jesus can anyone’s sins personally be forgiven by God.
Jesus’ words in John 5 seem to contradict that truth. For He speaks of “those who have done good” and “those who have done evil.” Some people conclude from this that if they do enough good they will rise to the resurrection of life. But this would contradict many other passages, which state, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). “Justified” means “be declared ‘not guilty.’”
For this reason, Jesus’ words, “those who have done good” refer to the visible evidence of our invisible faith in Jesus; for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). True faith cannot help but do works pleasing to God. Thus, works are evidence of true faith.
In the above passage, Jesus promised that He will raise to life all believers in Him who died, so that they will live forever in heaven. This promise is the message that has brought joy and hope to many believers. For they know that heaven will not have any sorrow, pain, trials, or death. They know that they will see the glory of God and their Savior forever. They will ever praise Jesus for His love, grace, and salvation.
The hour is coming when Jesus returns and God’s time of grace will end. Now is the time to believe in the salvation Jesus won for all people, and believing you also will rise to everlasting life.
