Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 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. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:25-30).
When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, the Jewish leaders were provoked to commit murder when Jesus defended His Sabbath-day healings by invoking God the Father: My Father has been working until now, and I have been working. This only made them angrier at Jesus than they had already been because of His alleged Sabbath-breaking. Jesus called YAHWEH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, His Father. Jesus was claiming to be God, just like YAHWEH. The Jews understood what Jesus was saying here, even if we don’t. That’s why they sought all the more to kill Him. Sometimes liberal theologians, who do not respect the authority of Scripture, teach that Jesus never claimed to be God. A common argument is that the concept of Jesus’ divinity developed over time; the Gospels were written many, many years after Jesus’ death, so there was plenty of time for a god-myth to develop around Jesus. Christendom understands the truth. The Gospels were written early; there are many logical and rational reasons to accept them as authentic and trustworthy. Much ink has been spilled to demonstrate this point. We don’t believe the things contained in Holy Scripture, however, because of good scholarship about it’s origins. We believe Holy Scripture because it is God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit has granted us repentance and faith, working through it.[1]
Evidence for the reliability of Scripture is good to know and present. We Christians are called to give a reason for our hope, with meekness and fear.[2] We must remember, however, that no one can be reasoned into the faith by an apologetic argument. Faith is a gift of God. And, while we give our reasons with meekness and fear, we are to confidently proclaim the Gospel: that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.[3] The Gospel is less a persuasive speech to be logically presented than it is a royal proclamation to be boldly declared. The Jews saw Jesus’ miracles. They heard His word. They rejected Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.[4] Just as everlasting life is God’s gift to those who hear Jesus’ word, and believe in Him who sent Jesus, those who reject Him will receive judgment and condemnation. The spiritually dead hear the voice of Jesus through water and the word and are made spiritually alive.[5] Their sins are washed away, and they are buried with Christ by baptism into His death; they will also participate in His resurrection, and be raised to eternal life, physically.[6] Those who reject Christ are already spiritually dead. They will be raised to everlasting death and condemnation.
I cannot, by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. The Holy Spirit must call me by the Gospel. The Holy Spirit must, through the means of the Gospel, God’s Word, gather, enlighten, and sanctify. The Holy Spirit, by the proclamation of the Gospel, builds the Christian Church as He sees fit. It is the Holy Spirit who, by His working through Water and Word, causes us to confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[7]
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