John 5:25-27 — The Voice That Awakens

John 5:25-27 — The Voice That Awakens — Aneel Aranha

Hello and welcome to the Bite-Sized Gospel with Aneel Aranha. Today we will reflect on John 5:25-27. Listen.

[Jesus said:] "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. 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 judge because he is the Son of Man."

Can you imagine being fast asleep and somebody blowing a trumpet right next to your ear? Can you imagine being dead and somebody doing the same thing and rousing you back to life?! Jesus is saying something like this will happen. "I tell you," he says in a paradoxical statement, "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."

Jesus is talking about two dimensions of resurrection: a present dimension and a future dimension. The present dimension refers to spiritual resurrection, where those who are spiritually dead will experience a spiritual rebirth when they hear Jesus' voice (Ephesians 2:5). The future dimension speaks of the physical resurrection at the end of time (John 5:28-29), where everybody will again hear Jesus' voice.

The voice of God is always associated with the power to create and change. Just as God's voice brought forth life at the beginning of time (Genesis 1), Jesus' voice —which are his teachings and his call— has the power to awaken the spiritually dead and, eventually, even those physically dead.

For believers, this underscores the importance of knowing Scripture, the recorded words and the teachings of Jesus. Immersing ourselves in his words can awaken us spiritually, renew our minds, and deepen our relationship with Christ. By responding to Jesus' call now, we can experience a foretaste of the eternal life promised to us.

Jesus also says he is the source of life. Again, Jesus' assertion that he has life in himself is a profound declaration of his divinity. It's not merely that he gives life or restores life, but that he is the very source of life. Recognizing Jesus as this intrinsic source of life challenges us to anchor our lives in him. We must derive our identity, purpose, and sustenance from our relationship with Jesus, understanding that we are spiritually dead apart from him.

God bless you.