The twenty-fourth verse is very important. He who through faith in the Word believes in Him that sent Him has three things; 1St, he has eternal life; 2nd, he shall not come unto judgment; 3rd, he is passed from death unto life.
Life and judgment, as we have said, are the two means by which Jesus is honored, and these two means are distinct. The believer has life, therefore he has nothing to do with judgment, and he honors Him in life. When one believes on Him who sent Him, he believes in the love of God. It is by means of Christ that one believes in God. (1 Peter 1:2121Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:21).) To hear the word of Christ means to say, that one has to do directly with Him. I ought to be convinced that it is Christ Himself whom I believe—that it is His word. This word I can indeed hear from a man, but I ought to receive it immediately from Christ. God has direct authority over our souls. If I believe the word of Christ only because men tell me it is His word, I have not true faith. It is of the utmost importance that between me and God there should be neither church, nor doctors, nor anything.
At verse 25 it is said of those who are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins they live in receiving into the heart the word of the Lord. And in verse 29 it is the dead, separated from their bodies, who will be raised from the graves at the fitting time. Those who have done well are those who have divine life, by which alone one can do well. In this verse 29 we have two resurrections, which, though they are here brought together, are still quite distinct, both in regard to the time, because there will be at least a thousand years between the first of the good, and the second of the bad (Rev. 20); and especially in regard to the quality and character of the resurrection.
The idea of a general resurrection of good and bad together is quite false. The saints rise because they have the life of Christ, and because they are accepted of God, as Christ is raised by the glory of the Father; and this resurrection has nothing in common with the other. Our resurrection takes place because we are one plant with Christ. “He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.” (Heb. 2:1111For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, (Hebrews 2:11).)
At verse 30 the Lord says that He does not do His own will, because He had taken the place of a servant; and though this gospel presents Him as God, and as equal with the Father, still here He is always the Servant who does the will of God.
Now we have come to the second part of the chapter, viz., to the responsibility of man, who was bound to receive these testimonies.
They are four; the first is that of John. The Jews rejoiced for a season in him, because it was a glory for Israel to have such a prophet; but as soon as their conscience was touched they would not obey him.
The second is the testimony of the works that Jesus had done.
The third, that of the Father, who had rendered a testimony to Jesus when they went to the baptism of John; to which baptism the Jews not having wished to go, they did not hear the voice of the Father, who bore witness to His Son. “This is my well-beloved Son.”
Lastly, the fourth are the Holy Scriptures, which were spoken (or written) of Him. Notwithstanding all these testimonies, Jesus is obliged to say, “Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life.” Consequently, not having wished to receive Jesus, who came in the Father’s name, they will be so blinded that they will receive the Antichrist, who will come in his own name. Fortunately for us, we shall be in heaven when they will receive the Antichrist.
It is precious for us to see that the Lord puts the written Word of God on the highest level. The Scriptures speak of Him, and they who will not receive in simplicity the Holy Scriptures despise God. Jesus always gives the greatest importance to the Scriptures, as is especially seen after His resurrection. He rebuked His disciples for not believing the Scriptures with simplicity, and opened their understandings that they might understand them. Scripture is not as all human books, for the understanding of which the Holy Spirit has no need to open our understanding, nor need He breathe into us for this purpose; but He does it for the Holy Scriptures, because without Him we could not understand them. One of the great hindrances to receiving Jesus we find in verse 44, “How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another?” Jesus never sought either His own glory, or that of men, but only that of His Father. And so it should be with us. We ought to be content with the approval of God-satisfied with this in communion, that men do not know the good that we do.