The Night of the Living Dead

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02/16/16 - Miscellaneous

The Night of the Living Dead

When Jesus healed a man [38 years an invalid] in John 5, the Jews only criticized His violating the work prohibition on the Sabbath. In fact, they wanted to kill him for it. In the discussion that followed, Jesus emphasized that he and his Father are ALWAYS working. This only incensed them, and they sought all the more to kill him, because they understood he made himself equal with God (v. 18).

Jesus did not deny their conclusion – he was equal with God. In the rest of the chapter, he works to help them understand the relationship between him and his Father. “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (v.23). Then Jesus makes an astonishing claim. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”

Note that he is not speaking of a future resurrection. Though he does mention that in this chapter, he is here emphasizing something that “now is” - a passing from death into life that has already happened for those who believe in him. The lesson is striking. Jesus says to these Jerusalem Jews, in effect, “You are spiritually dead. You are dead in your unbelief, your refusal to hear and believe. Dead men are now being called. Some of those dead will hear and believe and pass out of death into life. But you, rejecting the call of God, will remain dead.”

In this town and in our neighborhoods, and even perhaps in our congregation, we are surrounded by the living dead. They walk every day in the darkness. Their night never ends! Jesus is trying to call them to life. Are we calling them? Are we too busy? Don’t care enough? Or maybe put it this way: are we among them? “Hear, O Israel, and live!”