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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_5:24-29
24"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 25Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Joh_5:24 "Truly, truly" John's unique doubling (cf. Joh_5:25) of Jesus' words is a characteristic introduction to significant statements. See Special Topic Amen at Joh_1:51.
▣ "he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life" These are three present active verbals. This is an emphasis on belief (see Special Topic at Joh_2:23) in the Father that is exercised by belief in the Son (cf. 1Jn_5:9-12). In the Synoptics, eternal life is often a future event to be hoped for in faith, but in John it is characteristically a present reality (i.e., Joh_8:51; Joh_11:25). It is possible the term "hears" reflects the Hebrew term shema, which meant "to hear so as to obey" (cf. Deu_6:4).
▣ "who sent Me" The verb apostellô (aorist active participle) is the root form of the word "apostle" (cf. Joh_5:36). It was used by the rabbis as "one sent as an official representative on an assigned mission." This term is used often in John for the Father sending the Son as His representative. See note at Joh_4:34.
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▣ "but has passed out of death into life" This is Perfect active indicative; that which has happened in the past and has now become a state of being. The Kingdom of God is present, yet future, so too, eternal life (cf. Joh_5:25-26; 1Jn_3:14). Joh_5:25 is a strong statement of the presence of the Kingdom now!
Joh_5:25 "an hour is coming and now is" This is the kind of language that characterizes John's writings. Words and phrases often have two senses. In this case, "hour" means
1. hour of salvation
2. hour of judgment
The time frame is both present and future (cf. Joh_5:29; Joh_6:39; Joh_6:44; Joh_6:54). What one does with Jesus now will determine what happens to him/her in the future. Salvation and judgment are both a present reality and a future consummation (cf. Joh_5:28).
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▣ "when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God" Joh_5:25 speaks of the spiritually dead; Joh_5:29 speaks about the resurrection of all of the physically dead. The Bible speaks of three kinds of death.
1. spiritual death (cf. Genesis 3)
2. physical death (cf. Genesis 5)
3. eternal death (cf. Eph_2:2; Rev_2:11; Rev_20:6; Rev_20:14) or the lake of fire, hell (Gehenna).
This is a rare use of the phrase "Son of God." See Special Topic at 1Jn_3:8. One reason this phrase was not used more often is because of the Greek religious view of the gods (Mt. Olympus) taking human women as wives or consorts. Jesus' status as God's Son does not reflect sexual generation or time sequence, but the intimate relationship. It is a Jewish familial metaphor. Jesus was affirming His Deity to these Jewish leaders in a very clear and specific way using OT categories (cf. Joh_5:21; Joh_5:26).
Joh_5:26 "for just as the Father has life in Himself" This is basically the meaning of the term YHWH from Exo_3:14. This form of the Covenant name for God comes from the Hebrew verb "to be." It means the ever living, only living One. See Special Topic: Names for Deity at Joh_6:20.
In the OT only YHWH had "life" (cf. 1Ti_1:17; 1Ti_6:16) and only He could give it to others (i.e., Job_10:12; Job_33:4; Psa_36:9). Jesus claims that YHWH gives this same unique power to Him!
▣ "even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself" This is a strong affirmation of Jesus' Deity (cf. Joh_1:4; 1Jn_5:11).
Joh_5:27 The reason that Jesus is able (exousia, has authority, cf. Joh_10:18; Joh_17:2; Joh_19:11) to judge rightly is because He is fully God but also fully man. There is no definite article with the phrase "Son of Man" (cf. Eze_2:1 and Psa_8:4). He fully knows us (cf. Heb_4:15); He fully knows God (cf. Joh_1:18; Joh_5:30).
It is surprising that in a context where Jesus calls Himself "the son" (cf. Joh_5:19 [twice],20,21,22,23 [twice],25,26) that in Joh_5:27 the title "son of man" (but without the usual definite article) is used. However, the same switch is in (1) Joh_3:13-14 vs. Joh_3:16-18; Joh_3:35-36; (2) Joh_6:27; Joh_6:53 vs. Joh_6:40; and (3) Joh_8:28 vs. Joh_8:35-36. Jesus used both titles for Himself interchangeably.
Joh_5:28 "Do not marvel at this" This is a present active imperative with a negative particle which usually meant to stop an act which was already in process. As shocking as Jesus' previous words to these Jewish leaders were, His next statement would also totally shock them.
▣ "all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice" This seems to reflect the shout of the Messiah at the Second Coming (cf. 1Th_4:16). Lazarus (cf. Joh_11:43) is a paradigm of this event. This does not negate the truth of 2Co_5:6; 2Co_5:8. It does assert the universal judgment and authority of the Son.
Much of this context relates to the reality of the spiritual life here and now (realized eschatology). But this phrase also asserts an end-time future eschatological event. This tension between the already and not yet of the Kingdom of God characterizes Jesus' teachings in the Synoptics, but especially in John.
Joh_5:29 The Bible speaks of resurrection of both the wicked and the righteous (cf. Dan_12:2; Mat_25:46; Act_24:15). Most passages emphasize the resurrection of the righteous only (cf. Job_19:23-29; Isa_26:19; Joh_6:39-40; Joh_6:44; Joh_6:54; Joh_11:24-25; 1Co_15:50-58).
This does not refer to judgment based on works, but rather to judgement based on believers' lifestyles (cf. Mat_25:31-46; Gal_5:16-21). There is a general principle in God's Word and world, humans reap what they sow (cf. Pro_11:24-25; Gal_6:6). Or to put it in an OT quote, "God will recompense humans according to their deeds" (cf. Psa_62:12; Psa_28:4; Job_34:11; Pro_24:12; Mat_16:27; Rom_2:6-8; 1Co_3:8; 2Co_5:10; Eph_6:8 and Col_3:25).