If you like, you can follow along with the Script and slides here:
Intro
Hey everyone, my name is Radman and I'm a ministry apprentice at this church. I'm glad to be able to open God's word with all of you this morning.
Do you ever get that feeling from somebody that they're hiding something from you? Or that they're holding something back from you? You know, maybe you ask your friend what they're doing on the weekend and they're just a little vague about it, dodging the question. Turns out, they don't want you to feel bad about not being invited.
Or when my friend proposed to his fiancée,
he had to pretend they were just having a nice, regular picnic date at a very photogenic spot. But leading up to it, she sensed that there was something he was holding back. Something he was hiding.
Of course those two examples are at least somewhat nice and justified. But what if someone was hiding something really big or really important from you? How would you react if your doctor didn't tell you about your cancer?
Or if he had a cure for you disease but... just didn't feel like letting you know? Your trust would be totally broken. You couldn't listen to him ever again.
Hey. Do you ever get that feeling... about God? Is there something deeper or hidden that God's not telling you?
Friends in today's passage we're going to see that God isn't holding back anything from us.
He's given himself fully to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And we can take him at his word. Actually we must take him at his word! Jesus has all the authority of God in himself. And whether we listen to him, well. That's a matter of life and death.
So let me flag for us where the bible is taking us today:
1. The Son of God Shows All
We're going to learn that Jesus shows us all that God is and does, and marvel that he is the one who raises us from death to life.
2. The Son of Man Calls All
Secondly we'll consider why we must listen to his voice now before it's too late. We'll see that Jesus has authority to judge all of us, and he will.
And the big idea for today is this: We must listen to Jesus because he shows us all that God is and all that God does.
So before we get into the passage, I'm going to pray for us that we might listen and learn from God's word.
Dear God,
We thank you that your word gives us all that we need to know you through your Son, Jesus. As we hear from your word today, help us to see Jesus for who he is. Help us to respond the right way to your Son so that we may honour you.
In your Son's name we pray,
Amen.
Point 1 - The Son of God Shows All
To start, Jesus tells us the Son is enough to show us all of God. Whatever the Father is and does. We see it in Jesus. And one of the most special things God does is give us life. The Son gives life. So let's make sure we hear his words. But before we get into the passage, we'll need to set the scene.
Last week we saw Jesus heal a cripple. But no one seemed that amazed. No one praised God. In verse 18, John shows us the key reaction: (CHANGE: SLIDE 7)
*This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.*
Saying these things brought immense hatred upon Jesus. But he doesn't back off. In fact he's going to double down on what he has said. In doing so, he invites the Jews and us to see him more clearly and know God more deeply.
Let's pick it up from verse 19.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. 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.
Now let's hear what Jesus is saying. He isn't another, separate, secondary God. No, he only does what the Father does. The Son does not strike out on his own like an 18 year old ready to forge his own path in life. No. He does what the Father does. He does only what the Father does. He does all that the Father does. There's no rebel will in the Son. They are Father and Son, in a relationship of complete alignment. And it's not stolen valour and Jesus is not a copycat God. Actually, the Father loves him. That's why he doesn't hold anything back. He shows Jesus everything!
If the Father shows Jesus everything, that means if we wanna see God, seeing Jesus is enough. There is no secret aspect of God that the Father is holding back from us. Jesus' mighty works. His gracious words. His peace, patience, and kindness. When we see Jesus, we're getting the full picture of what God is like.
That should fill us with wonder. But it doesn't for everyone. Remember how no one really seemed all that amazed after the healing at the pool? Jesus says there will be greater works for us to marvel at. It's as if he's saying "wait 'til you see what's next".
See, just as the Jews believed God raises the dead and gives life, so Jesus can give life. He does give life. He's not just a teacher or a healer. He is the very God who can give eternal life to whom he wants. Now that's something to marvel at.
But seeing Jesus isn't just enough to show us all of God. Seeing Jesus is the only way to see God. To our surprise, the Father judges nobody. He gives all the judgement to the Son. The Son is the one who's been given the right to call all the shots. But why?
It comes from the relationship between Father and Son. The Father wants Jesus to be honoured! He sent Jesus to be honoured. We must honour Jesus to honour God who sent him. Now this is a huge problem for the Jews. They have the Old Testament. They try to obey it. They can say "I believe in God". They can say "I honour God". But it simply isn't true. You can't honour the one who sends without honouring the one who is sent. We need to see that believing Jesus is the only right way to believe in God.
You've probably seen someone like this before. You know, the person who isn't getting their way with a retail or restaurant employee. Maybe they can't accept that the Hainanese Chicken Rice is sold out. What do they do? You know the stereotype. They demand to see the manager. To be fair, this is kinda logical. The manager is a higher authority. Maybe they can override the decision and take your side, or give you a special deal.
That being said, it's pretty satisfying to watch a video where it all goes wrong for the person who's complaining. They demand to speak to the manager - but the manager just takes sides with their employee. Or even more satisfying is when the person says "I AM the manager". And the angry customer doesn't get their way.
In these situations, not listening to the person in front of you is a mistake. Thinking the manager would do, or say, or know something that the employee doesn't, that's a mistake. And we don't want to make that mistake with God. You can't look at Jesus and think "there's got to be more". The truth is, there's no special discount, there's no extra stock. Jesus shows us all of God. He's the only one to listen to if we want God's best.
And God's best for us is eternal life. Honouring Jesus isn't just something we're supposed to do. Honouring Jesus means we get to hear his word, believe in him, and pass from death to life. God's given us his best already! And we should be amazed!
Most of us have probably gone through seasons where we feel a bit 'spiritually dry'. How do you react in those seasons? I wonder if we really believe that God has already shown us his all. That God has given us his best. Or do we wonder and ponder about ways to unlock more of God?
Are you waiting for a voice from heaven? A whisper in your ear? A dream, or vision? Something, anything, to supercharge your spiritual life? Why? Do you think that God's holding back? Are you dishonouring Jesus by yearning for something different, something more?
Here's another thing. Maybe we turn to disciplines and techniques. "This intensive bible reading plan will get me back on track". Or journaling. Mindfulness or meditation. Fasting. I'm not saying any of these are bad things. But are we putting our trust in the "magic" of these techniques? Do we think they will unlock more of God? If you believe this, please understand they will only help you as far as they help you to behold the person of Jesus. He is enough. Jesus shows us all that God is, and all that God does. He is enough.
Point 2 - The Son of Man Calls All
If Jesus is showing us all that God is and does, it means how we respond to him is critical. We don't just have a duty to honour God. Every person's response to the Son will matter for them individually and personally.
Why?
Well, the voice of Jesus calls everyone, whether we like it or not. And the crucial difference for our lives is whether we hear him now or whether we get called out when it's too late. Let's pick it up from verse 25.
Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, 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 also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
The time is coming to hear the voice of the Son of God and have new life. In fact, it's already here! Jesus has come! He's holding out life on offer to his whole audience. Even the haters. Even those who won't recognise him for who he is. Maybe especially for them. See Jesus is talking to the dead. Not physically dead. Spiritually dead in sin. And the voice of Jesus is calling them to hear and receive life now. Eternal life doesn't have to be some faraway thing. It can start now.
Remember the Jews? Everything Jesus says gets them more and more uncomfortable. The right to give life belongs to God alone. God is the uncreated one. All creation depends on him for life. But we learn here that Jesus has that same kind of life- life in himself.
When have something that's borrowed, you don't have the right to share it or give it away. But the Son doesn't have life on loan from the father. He has life in himself. And that means he has legitimate authority to call people to life. He calls people to life by his own life, by his own will, and with his own voice.
Jesus has authority to give life. He also has authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Jesus uses this name to reference the figure from Daniel chapter seven that we had read for us. A human, yet given everlasting rule, just like God. That's who Jesus says he is.
You see, It's not time to marvel that Jesus healed a cripple. It's time to respond to the Son of Man who alone has authority to execute judgement. So don't marvel. Respond. Don't marvel. Respond. Don't marvel at the healing. Respond to Jesus. There's no time to marvel.
There's no time. There's an hour coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out. Did you realise it's not just Christians who live forever? One day every single person in this world will hear the voice of Jesus and leave their graves. Everyone will get a resurrection. Everyone lives forever. But it's not good news for everyone. There's the resurrection of life, yes. There's the resurrection of judgment, too.
Which one do you think you deserve? Have you done good, or have you done evil? Which resurrection will you get? What about your friend? Your brother? Your mum? Your boss? Which resurrection will they get?
There's over 8 billion people on the planet right now. We've all done evil. You and me, we've lied. We've cheated. We've struck people, looked down on others, and disrespected our parents. Personally, I have no doubt about which resurrection I deserve. Yanno, we've talked a lot today about Jesus giving life. Don't forget the other side of the coin. The other side of the coin is everlasting judgment for those who have done evil.
What does it mean for us? It means it's time to hear his voice. The time is right now! Cos once you die, once you go into a tomb, there's no more doing. You can't do good or do evil. You're dead. Whatever happens when you exit that tomb, it's been decided before you enter it. At most, *at most*, your time limit to hear the voice of Jesus is one lifetime. Your forever starts now.
It's like when you were growing up and mum would call you to dinner. namsayin? She'll always yell loudly to reach upstairs to your room. And of course you hear it. You heard it the first time. But two minutes later, you'd hear her yell again. "SEK FAAN" And maybe you really meant to come downstairs to the dinner table. But ah... there's just one more level in this video game. One more paragraph of this essay. She can wait, right? But what happens when you don't listen? Mum starts counting, doesn't she. "YOU'VE GOT TIL THE COUNT OF THREE.... ONE... TWO... "
You know just as well as me, whether you listen or not. you WILL be going downstairs. But do you want to go downstairs for a life-giving, succulent Chinese meal? Or are you gonna wear mum's patience thin, and finally go downstairs to face her wrath?
Friends, we gotta take the resurrection seriously. Picture in your head, 8 Billion people coming out of graves. Not like a zombie movie, real people. An eternal destiny waits for each one.
We're all heading for either everlasting life or everlasting judgment. You get one lifetime to hear Jesus' voice. You have 'til the count of three. Are we realising how serious this is?
You and I, we deserve the resurrection of judgement. We deserve God's wrath. And we only have until the count of three.
But you know something? When mum is counting - it always seems to take a while to get from two to three doesn't it? Mum doesn't want to punish you. She loves you. She wants you to respond. ONE... TWO... TWO AND A HALF... TWO AND THREE QUARTERS. Mum always pauses after the two.
And you know what? God has paused after the two.
We don't have to get the judgment we deserve. Jesus bore it all by suffering and dying on a cross for us. He's been through the death we meant to die and the judgement by which we were meant to be judged.
ONE
8 Billion and more evildoers on this planet, including you and me.
TWO
Only one man has done good - Jesus.
TWO AND A HALF
The one who has the authority to judge us is the one who has chosen to serve our sentence.
TWO AND THREE QUARTERS
The one who died for us also walked out of his tomb alive.
The resurrection of life is deservedly his. Jesus shares it with us.
If you haven't heard his voice yet. Jesus is waiting. When he calls you out of your tomb. Will you follow him out to life? Or be dragged out to his judgment?
God's paused after the two. Will you listen to the Son before the three?
Conclusion
Summary
Well friends, Jesus has taught us that the Son shows us everything that God is and everything that God does. He's our judge. He's our life-giver. We need to hear his voice. We need to hear his voice because that's the only way we can honour God. We need to hear his voice because we only have so much time. We need to hear his voice to escape from his judgement.
As we wrap up let me give you two things to think about and take home with you.
Number 1 - Marvel at the Son and hear his voice.
God himself reveals all that he is and all that he does through the Son. Isn't that incredible? That a living, breathing, human being is himself the message of God.
Folks, not every passage in the bible invites us to deeply consider the theology of the trinity. But today, we see Jesus unfold in front of us the perfect relationship between him and God the Father. I wonder, could we just stop for a minute and be amazed? Be amazed that they're united, Father and Son, in all they do? Be amazed that the Son shows us all of God? Be amazed that out of this perfect loving partnership pours eternal life for us?
If you've been a Christian for a while, let me ask you, are you still marvelling at Jesus? Or has your relationship with him start to become stale or cerebral? Is salvation just a doctrine to you? Or do you see it for what it is. Do you see it as **the** greatest work that the Father has shown the Son? Will you marvel at him? Will you delight in hearing his voice?
If you're here today and not a follower of Jesus. Let me ask you. Will you listen to his voice? Jesus will call you out of the grave one day. Which resurrection do you think you'll be called to? Jesus has all authority to judge. But he also has the power and the right to offer you life. Will you accept it?
Number 2 - Yearn to know Jesus deeper.
What do you think is going to grow your spiritual life? If you feel like you're waiting for God to give you the special sauce, stop waiting. Don't wait for an epiphany, a voice from heaven, a sign or a vision. Look to Jesus. Yearn to know him deeper. He alone shows us all that God is and all that God does.
For those of us who think our spiritual disciplines are what grows our spiritual life, let's remind ourselves this week- these disciplines are about knowing Jesus deeper. When you read your bible this week, you're learning more about Jesus. When you pray tomorrow, you're drawing nearer to Jesus. When you serve at church next Sunday, you're serving Jesus and growing your heart towards him.
In all we do, let's yearn to know Jesus more deeply.
Because, we've seen who God is. We've seen what God does. We've seen Jesus. And he is enough.
Let's pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We praise you for giving us your Son Jesus. Please help us to know that Jesus Christ is enough for us to know you fully. Help us to honour him in all that we do.
In your Son's name we pray,
Amen.
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