How to Have Eternal Life: Hear and Believe

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

Just before this passage, Jesus has healed a lame man. He is responding to persecution he had received from the Jewish leaders because of this healing.

Read the story:

16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21For 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. 22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25I tell you the truth, 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. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27And 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 29and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

The truths of this passage:
The religious leaders were angry at Jesus because he healed on the sabbath and he made himself equal with God! They did not rejoice because the man was healed. This clearly show that religious rules were more important to them than the needs of people. It raises the question for us, do we care about the hurting people around us more than we care about church?

Jesus made it clear that he was not operating on his own agenda but according to God's agenda! He said, " The Son does nothing by himself but only what He sees the Father doing" Whose agenda do you follow? Do you sometimes follow your own?

Jesus said that God would show him even greater things in the future.
Jesus, the Son gives eternal life to whomever he is pleased to give it. (Just like his Father) (Lord, thank you for eternal life!)

It is amazing the God has turned alljudgement over to Jesus, His son. We easily see Jesus as saviour and Messiah, but he is also King and ruler and Eternal Judge! Hallelujah!

Jesus made it plain that eternal life comes by hearing the words of Jesus and believing them.

Let's Pray:
Lord thank you for eternal life through your son, Jesus! Thank you that He will also return to Judge the world! Let me warn men and women to flee the coming judgement by hearing and believing the words of Jesus!
In Jesus Name! Amen!