John 5 :21, 24-29 (NKJV)
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes he who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
In the beginning of the Book of Genesis, no living things exist on earth because light is absent. Genesis 1:2 says, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Then GOD sent Light and living creatures existed.
It is the same case when Jesus Christ came into the world. Although living things were present, people were considered dead in spirit. They were living in spiritual darkness because of their sins. For the wages of sin is death, death in spirit (Romans 6:23).
GOD, being omniscient and full of grace, sent His Son Jesus as the Light to revive the Spiritual life of humankind. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2. Matthew 4:16 quotes,
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”
To understand more of this, John 1:4-5 clearly revealed that Jesus is the Light that gives life not only to the physical but to those dead in spirit. The scripture says, “ 4 In Him (In Jesus who is the Word of GOD) was life, and life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [a]comprehend it.”
Now, when light becomes present and shines on dead seed or dead spirit, it starts to be revived. It started to sprout —first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head (Mark 4:28).
The simile presented here is that, as light revives the dead seed, the Word that was heard and received also revives the dead in spirit. That is when revival happened. As the seed sprouts and changes its form and becomes fruitful, also the man who is alive in spirit will certainly become loving, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is beginning to be revealed in that being. The one who experienced revival will definitely have joy, become peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and not easily angry or intimidated (Galatians 5:22-23). And one thing is for sure, the revived seed will also produce seeds. Same with the revived person, this person will share the Word he received to others so that he will become light also, which gives life to the dead. That’s why Jesus anoints those who listened to Him and believed in Him, to become like Him, the ‘Light of the world’ ( Matthew 5:14).
Jesus is the Light of the world. (John 8:12) And His words are not just ordinary words. His words are Spirit and they are life. Jesus said in John 6:63; “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
The revival happens to anyone when he hears the word of Jesus Christ and believes and accepts it. The moment he believes and accepts it, the Holy Spirit makes a home in him and gives life to him.
This is what our Gospel today is saying. Jesus said in verse 25; “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the DEAD WILL HEAR the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” That is when the Spiritual Revival happens. To make it happen, all we need is our ears that are willing to hear and our contrite or repentant hearts that GOD would not despise (Psalms 51:17).
Spiritual revival should happen to us now so that we will not be judged but have crossed over from death to life. In John 11:17-27, Lazarus was dead for four days but was raised to life by Jesus. He asked Martha, the sister of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
The same question to us. If we believe, John 6:40 confirms with a promise. It states, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
However, John 5:28-29 in our topic Gospel is not a Spiritual Revival but the Day of Judgement. Not all those who do good can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21-23). Although all will rise up; good and bad,... but not all will be raised up. And those whom Jesus will raise up will not be judged, those who are alive in His Spirit (John 5:25).
Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” No one can escape Judgement, except those who believe Jesus’ words and obey it. This is why it is a must for us to listen to those who proclaim the Gospel of Salvation. This is the sure venue of Spiritual Revival. No one can come to the Father except through Christ, through His Gospel (John 14:6). He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. From Jesus comes the Living Spirit through His Spoken words (John 7:38-39).
This is the purpose of Jesus Christ, The Word of GOD who came down from Heaven, became flesh and dwell in us:
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me [c]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Revival is coming and now has come as the Gospel was proclaimed and continuously being proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Glory be to GOD, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN!
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