If you recall from our
last installment, we are considering Jesus' eternal relationship with
God. Up to now we have seen that...
(a) He does His Father's
work, and
(b) He does His Father's
will
Thirdly we see that...
(c) He shares His
Father's worth, 5.22-23, 26-30
Jesus is worthy of our
worship, and our obedience, just as is God, because..."God has
committed all judgement to The Son", v. 22. In fact, as the
verse says..."The Father judgeth no man". When, following
the Lord's return to this earth, and those who are left behind
finally recognize Him for Wo He is (Revelation 22), it will be too
late to say..."Here comes the Judge!"
Have you ever considered
your worth? And I don't just mean financially, or socially; I
mean spiritually...eternally. Suppose our lives were to be weighed
in a balance, right here and now? What would be your worth to Him;
and what standard would apply? Well the judgement of Jesus is the
only standard there ever was, or ever will be! And Jesus' standard
is based on two things and two things alone...how well you served
Him, and how well you served others; that's all. And Jesus is the
Judge Who decides who will, and who won't, and who is, and who isn't,
and He is worthy to be that Judge! He is The One Who God has
appointed to carry out that work, as v. 23 states...in order that we
may honour Him, and honouring Father God in the process.
You know, Jesus was
willing to clothe Himself in flesh, and cross the gulf to live on
this earth, and die on that cross to show the love of God for sinful
man! He was despised and forsaken, but He will be placed in supreme
honour and authority, and every one will be compelled
to bow the knee to Him; He will finally receive the honour He is due,
and He will finally be vindicated of all the falsities that have been
said and done concerning Him.
Do you realize that by
speaking these words, Jesus is trying to bring His hearers back to
attention? Those Jews, and we even today, need to listen and to hear
and be aware of the truths that Jesus is teaching here. We need to
take stock of our lives and we need to invite Him to judge us right
now; and we need to live out our lives based upon what He says is
really worthwhile, and is worth being and is worth living-for! Do
you really believe Jesus is The Dispenser of life? Do you draw near?
do you listen? do you trust and obey? These are all questions that
need answering, because Jesus shares the authority of His Father.
Next, we see that...
(d) He speaks The
Father's word, vss. 24-25
Have you heard
that..."imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"? Just
think of the things that we learned from our parents, or our
teachers, or our friends to do as we do. Did you ever notice a
little boy watching his father shave? Or trying to walk in his
father's footprints, perhaps in the snow? And even mimicing his
father's word's, or language. Well Jesus words speak to us the
thoughts of Father God; when we pay attention to what Jesus has to
say, we are able to come to a greater understanding-of, and love-for,
the Creator!
You know, in v. 25 Jesus
goes on to draw out a very fine point, in the last of the "verily,
verily" verses in this passage..."I say unto you that the
hour comes, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God, and they that hear shall live." An hour is coming, and
now is! It's time to hear the words of life, from the very Giver of
life! And, "the dead shall hear..."; now there's a paradox
for you! But the fact is, that the graves are soon to be opened, and
the ears of the spiritually dead will soon be opened, and that
life-giving voice will call us to Himself, irresistibly...some of us
with our feet dug-in, in vain! In v. 28 He says..."Marvel
not..." that these things are prophesied! "I don't speak
for Myself, but only on behalf of The Father Who has sent Me!"
I'll say it again...do we
not draw near? do we not listen? do we not trust and obey? Jesus
couldn't have put it any plainer, there in v.
24..."hear...believe...receive everlasting life... pass from
death unto life". These, verily are the very words of The
Father!
Finally, in our last
installment in this lesson we will see Jesus' teaching that...
(e) He has a fourfold
witness, vss. 31-47
Thanks for keeping up!
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