Answering to a Higher Authority

What does submission to God look like? Well, it begins by following Jesus’s instructions to believe him (v. 24). Any talk of obeying God or following God or pleasing him is empty and meaningless until you’ve accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on your behalf. It’s easy to think about Jesus and say things like, “I really respect him.” “I think he’s pretty cool.” “He says some really good things.” Think about those statements from God’s perspective. God made you, but you rebelled against him. Instead of punishing you, he put in motion a plan to rescue you. This plan required his Son to be born as a man, live a perfect life, and then die a horrible death so you could be forgiven and freed. You hear all this, and you think, Wow. I respect Jesus. God didn’t send his Son to die so you’d respect him. He sent his Son to die so that you’d throw yourself at his feet and ask him to rescue you. God is not after your respect. God is after you. He says anything short of coming in faith to Jesus Christ to save you amounts to disrespect. The only way to honor God is to embrace the gift of mercy and forgiveness Jesus won for you on the cross.

Jesus has authority over all men and their eternal destiny. He’s the giver of salvation, and his salvation has two perspectives. In verse 25 it’s a current perspective. Right now Jesus is giving life to those who are spiritually dead. Verses 28-29 have a future perspective. Jesus will raise the dead to eternal life. Jesus has the prerogative to give life because he has “life in himself” (v. 26).

If I were to walk into your house, take a painting down off your wall, and give it away, what would you think? You would probably think I had no right to give away your painting. But if I were to walk into my house, take a painting down off my wall, and give it away, would you think twice about it? No. It’s mine to give. Jesus has the authority to give life because he owns life.

To whom does he give this life? The spiritually dead. The dead “will hear [his] voice” (v. 25). I’ve heard numerous funeral sermons and never seen the corpse say amen. How can the spiritually dead hear and obey Christ’s message? I think the best way to answer that question is to ask another one: How can a lame man take up his bed and walk? Only if the commander provides the power (5:1-18). Apart from Jesus Christ no person can choose spiritual life. Just like the lame man, we’re unable to heal ourselves. Yet, when Jesus calls us to life, he instantly makes us alive. Salvation is wholly the work of Christ; he transforms dead sinners into living sons.

However, the authority of Jesus extends beyond calling spiritually dead sinners to life. It also encompasses calling the physically dead back to life. The final two verses (vv. 28-29) focus on a future day when Jesus returns to take believers into heaven and cast unbelievers into hell. On that day those in the grave will hear his voice. Just as Jesus told the lame man to “get up,” he will shout to those in the grave, “Get up!” and they will. What authority! Jesus will call all men to stand before him and receive his judgment. Those who have believed in him and submitted to his commands will receive eternal life, and those who have not will experience eternal judgment.

In John 11 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. How amazing it would have been to stand there that day and see this man rise from the grave and come walking out! In 5:29 Jesus tells of a day when every dead person will be called out of the grave by one simple command: “Get up!” Jesus will speak, and every single corpse from all of human history will obey. Now that’s authority!

A bugler could stand at the edge of a graveyard and play reveille, but nothing would happen. He could travel to the greatest of our national cemeteries, where military men, noted for their obedience throughout life, lie buried. No matter how well or loudly he played, nothing would happen. Those dead men need a far greater authority to bring them to life, and that authority is the voice of Jesus Christ. (Hughes, John, 166)

Verse 27 contains one final reminder of Jesus’s authority. Jesus describes himself with the title Son of Man. This title is taken from Daniel 7. In that chapter Daniel is experiencing a vision from God that reveals God’s sovereignty over all the nations and kingdoms in the world. In verses 9-10 he describes a scene from God’s throne room:

As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. (Dan 7:9-10)

Here’s what we find a few verses later:

I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. (Dan 7:13-14)

Jesus is the Son of Man. He’s been given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. He is to be served by all peoples, nations, and languages. His dominion is everlasting and shall never pass away or be destroyed. The story of the gospel is that the King has come. Will his subjects obey? The most pressing question this text poses to us is this: Will we submit to the authority of Jesus Christ? Will we seek to bring every area of our lives under his control?

Hebrew National makes 100 percent premium kosher beef hot dogs. On the hot dog package, right underneath the bright yellow letters, “Hebrew National,” are the words, “We answer to a higher authority.” The same slogan should be written on everything we do. Is the authority of Christ affecting how you talk to your spouse? discipline your children? discipline yourself? respond to criticism? spend your time? spend your money? As Christians, our confession is Jesus Christ is Lord, and our commitment is to submit to his lordship in every area of our lives. We do, indeed, answer to a higher authority.