Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)
Jesus’ Claims
In our last post from the book of John we looked at the 10 Attributes Of Jesus’ Relationship With His Father from John 5:17-37.
Among other attributes, Jesus tells us that God “shows him all that He Himself is doing.” (John 5:20) And that, like God, Jesus “raises the dead and gives life…” (John 5:21) And that God “has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” (John 5:22, 27)
So here’s the deal: Each one of us has to ask the question, “Do I believe these claims of Jesus?” I mean, they came directly from him. And if they’re true…
If Jesus’ claims are true, then he sees what the Creator is doing, and does likewise.
If Jesus’ claims are true, then he’s like his Father in that he can give life, eternal life–or judgment.
If Jesus’ claims are true, then he dwells at the nerve-center of the universe, with the Godhead, with his Father, and his Holy Spirit. If Jesus’ claims are true then he’s at the heart of the creation of art, and music, and warmth, and the smell of a rose, and the taste of a really great pizza. If Jesus’ claims are true then he’s central to the creation of the DNA replication process, and quarks, and the formation of the Grand Spiral Galaxy, and Supernova 1987A. If Jesus’ claims are true his creative capability is, well, beyond our comprehension.
Your Claims
There are claims we can make about each of our lives also. And the following two are indisputable.
1) We did nothing to create our own life. It was given as a gift. You and I had absolutely nothing to do with its creation. Your life came from God.
2) Sooner or later, you’ll have to give it back.
If-Then…
Given our two claims and Jesus’ claims: If Jesus’ claims are true, then, he is, without a doubt, the most important person in your life. He holds your life in his hands–your eternal life. Because he “gives life to whom he will.” (John 5:21) Jesus is the one who will decide if he will give to you the resurrection of life, or the resurrection of judgement. (John 5:28-29) He was chosen as the judge of humanity because he lived as a human. He was maligned, mocked, and misunderstood beyond any of our experiences. And he suffered unjustly beyond any of our suffering. He’s perfectly qualified for the position. God appointed Jesus to judge the fate of each man because Jesus is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)
“Truly, truly, I say to you…” he begins his statement in verse 24, the passage at the top of this post. Whenever Jesus begins a statement like that he’s saying, listen, what I’m about to say is of the greatest importance. Then he continues, “…whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
God gave you your life as a gift to begin with, and now he gives you the gift of eternal life–if you want it.
All you have to do is believe his Son.
“This is the work of God,” Jesus said, “that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)
If you want eternal life for yourself, or if you have a comment or a question, I’d love to hear from you. Just email me at kurt@kurtbennettbooks.com.
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