We see Jesus tell us that all of us will be resurrected.  Some of us will be resurrected to life, others among us to judgment.  That sounds scary. But He reminds us of this: if we believe (and follow) His words and believe His Father sent Him, we will pass from death to life. God is not out to get us. God wants us to be saved more than we want to be saved. If God is for us, who can be against us? God is not out to get you. He loves you and desires to know you.  All we have to do His hear, believe, and follow. Never forget that.

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.

If you’d like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

Click on the image above or this link to watch today’s video.

You can read today’s passage here.

You can podcast this reflection here. You can subscribe through Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!

Good morning! It’s great to be with you on this Wednesday morning as we continue our journey through the Gospel of John. I hope you’ve had a great start to your week. I’m really looking forward to being with you tonight for Wednesday Night Live at St. Matthew’s. We’ll be unpacking the text for this coming Sunday, which should be a lot of fun. I’ve been enjoying being deep into Bible study this semester—it’s one of my favorite things as a pastor to dig into God’s Word.

This passage is significant in the Jewish world of Jesus’ day. Jesus is speaking with the religious leaders, and there’s an underlying debate about the resurrection. The Sadducees, who were the chief priests and temple leaders, did not believe in the resurrection, as they only accepted the first five books of Moses (the Torah) as authoritative. The Pharisees, on the other hand, who were the synagogue leaders, believed in the resurrection and accepted the entire Old Testament as authoritative.

In verses 28-29, Jesus says, “Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” Here, Jesus is affirming the resurrection, stating that everyone will be resurrected—some to reward and others to punishment.

This reminds me of a quote by C.S. Lewis: “You’ve never met a mere mortal.” Lewis was highlighting the idea that we are all eternal beings created for eternity. This perspective should shape how we treat others, recognizing the sacredness of each person we encounter. As Lewis also said, outside of the Blessed Sacrament, the most holy thing you’ll ever encounter is your neighbor.

Our society often hardens our hearts toward others, but Scripture teaches us to honor the eternal nature of each person. God has given judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Jesus tells us that anyone who hears his word and believes in him who sent Jesus has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

The bar isn’t set so high that we can’t reach it. God isn’t out to get us; rather, He desires that all should be saved. He loves us more than we could ever love Him. God’s love is for you, and His desire is for you to be resurrected to life when you hear His voice.

So remember, God is not out to get you—He loves you. I hope you have a great rest of your day. We’ll finish out chapter 5 of John tomorrow. Have a great day!