For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (John 5.21 ESV)
After Jesus had healed a man at the poolside—the man had been there for thirty-eight or so years—they wanted to kill Jesus because he had done that, among other miracles, on the Sabbath day. Another thing that hurt the Jews was that he made himself equal to God.
Jesus raised a number of issues with them in John 5 and one of them is what we have just read in John 5.21. Today, I want to announce to all of us that Jesus, the son of God, gives life.
Jesus came into the world primarily to give life to a dying world—life that goes beyond the life in which we find ourselves because this life will end in death. If you are listening to me and can understand me clearly, maybe a hundred years from now you won’t be here, but, the fact is, whether you like it or not, this life will end in death. Jesus says though this life will end in death, he has come to give us life beyond this one—eternal life to anyone who believes. So, he said in John 10.10 that, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” In the Garden of Eden, the thief came to steal, kill, and destroy and that makes the devil a very bad devil. He didn’t end at killing, but went further to destroy what he had killed. But in Jesus we have hope and life. He came that we may have life and have it abundantly. There is no scarcity of life with him for the son gives life to whomever he wills.
And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5.11-12 ESV)
It means eternal life cannot be found in any other person but Christ. Without Christ, there is no eternal life anywhere. There is salvation in no one else. Salvation is found only in Christ. Eternal life is not in any other person. It is not in any other religion. It is written, in him was life and the life was the light of men and it shines in darkness and the darkness cannot comprehend it.
Jesus does not only possess life but he is life. He does not only have life but he himself is life so he said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14.6) So, Jesus himself is life. That is why I read about him in John 11 when he visited Mary and Martha after Lazarus had died for some days and it was impossible for him to come back to life. He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus! Come out.” The man who had died and been buried for a number of days came out of the grave. The reason is that Jesus is life and life follows him. If you are looking for eternal life beyond this one we see, it is only in Christ Jesus you can have it.
He said, “I am the way,” not one of the ways, “the truth,” not one of the truths, “and the life,” not one of the lives. Life eternal is found not in images or trees or any other person but only one person and he is Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrated that he is full of life and that is why he gave himself to be killed.
He said, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” (John 10.17 ESV) So, one fateful Friday, he was arrested and whipped, they put a crown of thorns on his head, a cross on his shoulders, and they killed him on the cross. The devil must have been happy to do this but he didn’t know that Jesus was life and that life couldn’t be taken away from him. One morning, as the guards were guarding the tomb, there was an earthquake and this man came back from the dead in all glory, and he lives today, tomorrow, and forever.
So Jesus died and rose again because he is life and wanted to demonstrate to the whole world that it is in him that life can be found. Jesus gives this life to whom he will. I believe that today he wills to give you life. If you don’t have this life, today is the day of grace and salvation. He is willing to give it to you. Whoever has the son has life and whoever does not have the son does not have life. We receive the son by believing in the son as lord and savior. If you will receive him into your life, he is willing to give you this life.
Today is the day of grace and salvation. He is wiling to give life to anyone who will receive.
Main reference
John 5.21
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