“It’s just not fair!” You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? I can guarantee you that if you’re a parent, you’ve heard that. “All the other kids get to go. Why can’t I go?” And then, being the reasonable person that you are, you give them a logical, well-reasoned defense of your position. You craft the argument so well that any reasonable person could see and understand your position. And then is when you hear it. The comeback of all comebacks—“It’s just not fair!” Well, in reality, kids aren’t the only ones who act like that, are they? Because we do the exact same thing. We look around at the world and we see things that just aren’t fair. We see people who haven’t worked a day in their life who have a whole lot more than we ever had. We see people who eat right and exercise and die earlier than the guy who smokes and drinks and gets winded when he uses the remote control. We see some of the sweetest, most successful kids come out of the most terrible homes you can imagine. And at the same time, some of the meanest kids come from wonderful homes. That just isn’t fair, is it? I think that the Psalmist was thinking along these lines when he wrote the 73rd Psalm. In the first 14 verses, he wrote, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands [pains, difficulty] in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.” Do you ever feel like that? I look around and see evil going unpunished. And at the same time, I see the righteous suffering. Starting tonight, over the next four Sunday nights, we’re going to look at suffering. Tonight, we’re going to see the source of suffering. And next week we’ll see the purpose of suffering. But still, even when we understand those things, one thing is immanently clear. Life’s not fair! It’s not fair for godly Christian couples to not be able to have children or even to lose their child. It’s not fair for that to happen at the same time that crack babies are being born left and right to mommas who don’t have a clue who daddy is. It’s just not fair. Each of us is born with an innate sense of justice. We can immediately recognize when things aren’t fair. And when things aren’t fair, it makes us cringe. It makes us cringe and cry out for justice. That’s why people protest. That’s why we demand that laws get created. That’s why we throw out old politicians and vote in new ones. And sometimes in history, that’s why we revolt. We do those things because we demand justice. The problem is, we live in an unjust world. And the only thing that we end up doing is multiplying laws, which in turn just seems to magnify and multiply the injustices. Thinking about that can lead us to the place the Psalmist was, can’t it? It can lead us to the place where our feet are almost gone and our steps have well nigh slipped. But that’s not where he stayed. Because in verses 16-20, he went on to say, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.” You see, we only see a small part of the picture. Yes, there is terrible injustice in the world. But that’s only a small part of the story. Because there is a time when all things will be made right. As the prophet Amos wrote, there will be a time when justice will flow down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. How can that happen? Who in the world cam make that happen? Laws can’t make it happen. Politicians can’t make it happen. Rulers and kings and leaders can’t make it happen. Who can make justice happen? Revelation 5 tells us who can make it happen. Revelation 5:1-10 says: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” Do you know what those 7 seals are? They are seven seals of judgment. Verse 2: “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.” Why was John weeping? Wouldn’t you think that he would be happy to know that none of the horrifying judgment of the rest of the book was going to happen? Wouldn’t he be happy that the wrath of God wasn’t going to be poured out on all of creation? Wouldn’t he be happy that the Lake of Fire was not going to be opened and all who are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life cast in it? Why wouldn’t that have made him happy? Because if no one opened the seals of judgment, then there would be no justice in the world. If there was no judgment, then all suffering is meaningless. If there is no judgment, then nothing makes sense. If there is no judgment, then God is capricious, cruel, pointless and evil. No wonder John wept. But then we get to verse 5: “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Why are they worshipping Jesus in heaven? They are worshipping Jesus in heaven because He is about to rain down horrific judgment on creation. Why? Because He is worthy to do so. He is worthy because He is pure and sinless and holy. But He is also worthy because He is the Lamb who was slain. He was slain to buy us out of the judgment that we deserve. Because God is just, someone has to be punished for sin. And Jesus was slain to bear that punishment and accept on Himself the judgment that He will execute. But for those who have not accepted His redemption, judgment awaits.
Jesus is God. And as God, He is just. And as the just-God, He will execute judgment. The tab will be called. The bill will come due. The accounting sheet will balance. He will make all things right. This morning we’re looking at Jesus’ sixth and final claim to these Jewish leaders that He is God. Jesus makes the claim that He is God because He is judgment. We’ve seen how Jesus is worthy to open the seven seals of judgment in Revelation because He is the Lamb who was slain. But what I want us to in our passage this morning is how that judgment plays out. It plays out in two phases. We can see that in verse 25 and in verse 28. In verse 25, Jesus says, “The hour is coming and now is.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “There is a time coming which has even now begun.” He is speaking of a time that started when His work on earth would soon be finished. He’s speaking of the time that He came to inaugurate with His virgin birth, sinless life, death, burial and resurrection. Then, notice the change in verse 28. There He only says, “For the hour is coming.” There, He is speaking only of a future time. A time that is marked with a future date on each of our calendars. We can’t see that date. None of us knows when it is. But it’s a time that none of us can avoid. It’s a time when, for the first time in all of history, justice will completely and fully be served. It will be the only time in history when none of us will be able to say, “It’s not fair.” Because all will be made fair and just on that day. But before Jesus talks about that coming hour, He talks about the hour that is coming and now is. The time that, for each of us here today, is now. Look back at verses 25-27.
JOHN 5:25-27
When Jesus spoke those words, this is the hour that was coming. And because of that, this is the hour that now is. We are in that hour right now. From the time that Jesus finished His work of atonement on the cross and rose again on the third day, we are in that hour. Jesus tells us three things about this hour that we are now in. First, He tells us that there are the dead. That shouldn’t get much argument, should it? I’m sure several of you checked the obituaries this morning. I didn’t, but I think I’m pretty safe in saying that none of us were in there. But just because you didn’t see your name in the obituary this morning doesn’t mean that you aren’t dead this morning. Check your pulse. Check your neighbor’s pulse. You might even be able to feel a pulse—but that doesn’t mean you’re not dead. I don’t know if you are dead this morning. But I do know this. Each of us in here this morning was dead. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And the first part of Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Do you know what that means? It means that everyone in here either is dead or was dead. We are surrounded by death. Physical death, yes. But even more than that, we’re surrounded with spiritual death. In the hour that now is, everywhere we turn, we are surrounded with the stench of death. But not only does Jesus tell us that there are dead… He tells us that there is a Voice. He tells about the voice of the Son of God. What is that voice? It’s the voice that John heard and wrote about in Revelation 1. It is the voice that sounded as a mighty trumpet. It is the voice that had the sound of many waters. It is the voice that came out of His mouth like a sharp two-edged sword. It is the voice which said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” It’s the voice which said, “I am the first and the last. I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore.” It is the voice that said, “I have the keys of hell and of death.” And it is the voice which said, “Fear not.” How can He say fear not? Because, the Voice that spoke creation into existence… and the Voice that spoke to John on the island of Patmos… is the same Voice that says in verse 25 of our passage, “they that hear shall live.” That’s the third thing Jesus tells us about this hour that we are now in. He tells us that there are dead. He tells us that there is a Voice. And He tells us that the Voice offers life. Later on in chapter 11, John tells of the time when Jesus’ friend Lazarus died. He died, was dead, and stayed dead. As a matter of fact, he was dead four days. But after four days, Jesus commanded that the tomb be opened. And after the stone was removed, the Bible says that He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” And ears that had been dead for four days, heard the Voice. And when they heard, the dead lived. Verse 26 of our passage says, “For as the Father hath live in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.” In other words, just as God the Father gives life because He is life, God the Son gives live because He is life. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and THE life.” If you are going to live, it’s because the voice of the Son of God has spoken to you. And if you hear it, you will live. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Today is the day for all the dead in trespasses and sins to hear the voice of the Son of God. Why is today the day? Because, verse 28 says that the hour is coming. Look at verses 28-29.
JOHN 5:28-19
When is that coming hour? I don’t know when it’s coming. Jesus doesn’t tell us. But He does tell us three things about that coming hour. First, He tells us that there are dead there too. But the dead that He’s talking about here aren’t just spiritually dead. They are actually in the graves. Dead people throughout history, in the graves. But not only are there dead people in the coming hour, there is also a Voice. This voice comes from the exact same person as the voice in this hour. But His message is completely different. And that’s the third thing Jesus tells us. In this hour, Jesus tells us that the Voice calls out to offer life. In the hour which is to come, Jesus tells us that the Voice calls out to execute judgment. In the hour to come—and none of us knows when that is—Jesus will cry out just like He did at Lazarus’ tomb. Except this time, instead of only calling one person out of the tomb, He will call out everyone. All who are in the graves will hear His voice. And when the graves are opened, Jesus will execute judgment. Everything will be made right. Justice will flow down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Everyone who has done good will be resurrected and given eternal life. Everyone who has done evil will be resurrected and given eternal damnation. But wait a minute. Didn’t Romans 3:23 tell us that all have sinned? So, if all have sinned, then we’ve all done evil. And since we’ve all done evil, does that mean that the only thing we have waiting for us is the resurrection of damnation? If life’s fair it does. That is, unless Someone has already paid the price for our evil. And not only paid for our evil deeds, but has also credited us with all of His goodness. Jesus has done that for you. He has done that for you and in this hour that now is, He has offered it to you. The question is, will you hear His voice this morning? If you have never trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are dead in your trespasses and sins. The only future that waits for you is a future resurrection of damnation. It’s the only fair thing that can happen. And because Jesus is God and He is just, it will happen. Unless you hear His voice today. He has paid the price. Justice was fully served on the cross at Calvary. Hear His voice and accept His sacrifice for you this morning. And when you do, you will live. You will have victorious life in Jesus today and eternal life in Him forevermore. Will you just hear Him?
