Introduction

Some words rearrange a room, don’t they? A doctor says, “It’s benign,” and shoulders drop. A coach calls your name, and you run to the field. A judge declares, “You’re free to go,” and the hallway home seems shorter. Words can wrap around us like a warm blanket on a windy night. And then there are the words of Jesus—words that do more than comfort for a moment. They create. They carry. They change destinies.

Tonight we gather under one sentence from the Savior that sounds like a bell in a fog, clear and kind, steady and sure. It’s a verse you can carry into the hospital and into the household, into the classroom and into the quiet. It speaks to the anxieties that rattle our ribs—the ache of guilt, the fear of death, the dread of judgment. Could a single sentence carry you through a sleepless night? How many syllables does it take to silence shame? Jesus answers with a promise so present, so personal, that hope begins to hum in your chest.

Hear Him:

John 5:24 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Let that land. “Has eternal life.” Not a future wish, a present possession. “Does not come into judgment.” The gavel won’t be raised over your head, because the nail-scarred hands already carried your case. “Has passed from death to life.” Not a maybe, not a maybe someday—Jesus says a transfer has taken place. His Word writes your story in the ink of grace.

Tim Keller put it this way: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” That’s the melody under this verse—honest about our need, lavish about His love. If you’ve been carrying the heavy backpack of shame, hear the unbuckling click in that promise. If fear has been hitchhiking on your thoughts, listen to the Savior’s stop sign: “No condemnation.” If you’ve been living in the waiting room of uncertainty, Jesus ushers you into the living room of assurance.

I think of a child in a dark hallway. The storm outside is loud, the house creaks, shadows stretch on the wall. The child freezes, small feet glued to the floor. Then from the next room comes a voice: “I’m here.” Not a lecture, not a map, just a voice from someone who loves them. And with that one sentence, the hallway changes. Same storm, same house, but a settled heart. The child walks forward, not because the dark disappeared, but because trust arrived. Our Savior speaks like that. His word is a lamp, His tone is tender, His truth is sturdy. “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.” Could it be that the hallway you’re standing in—grief, guilt, worry—will look different by the end of this service because of His voice?

We’re going to listen closely to this promise. We will lift our eyes to Jesus, the Word who gives life—He doesn’t just talk about life; He gives it. We will consider what it means to hear His word and believe the Father—ears open, hearts soft, trust awakened. And we will celebrate the breathtaking assurance of eternal life now without condemnation—security that steadies us today and sings us into tomorrow. This isn’t thin optimism; it’s thick assurance. The King has spoken.

Maybe you come weary today—tired of trying to clean your conscience with a dirty rag. Maybe you come worried—checking the horizon for the next shoe to drop. Maybe you come wounded—old scars still tender, new scrapes still stinging. Friend, you are exactly the kind of person Jesus had in mind when He said “whoever.” Whoever hears. Whoever believes. Whoever is done with pretending and ready for a promise. He meets “whoever” with “has.” He trades your tremble for His truth, your panic for His promise, your fear for a Father’s welcome.

And for the saint who has walked with Him for years, don’t you love how fresh this feels? Like mercy in the morning and kindness in the evening. Assurance doesn’t get stale in the sunlight of the Savior. “Has passed from death to life”—say it slowly. That’s your story. You crossed over. The old address doesn’t fit you anymore. You live where grace governs and peace patrols the streets of your soul.

So let’s steady our breathing, set down our burdens, and let this promise warm the room. The One who cannot lie has spoken. His cross answers our case. His resurrection opens our future. His Spirit tunes our ears. He stands at the doorway of our doubts and says, “Truly, truly.”

Would you pray with me?

Father, thank You for the voice of Your Son, clear and kind, faithful and full of life. Open our ears to hear His word and open our hearts to trust the One who sent Him. Quiet the accusations that haunt us and magnify the mercy that holds us. Where guilt has gripped, let grace be greater. Where fear has frozen us, breathe courage. Where weariness has weighed us down, lift us with the assurance that we have passed from death to life. Holy Spirit, help us receive this promise with childlike faith. Fix our eyes on Jesus, the life-giving Word. Make Your presence palpable among us. In the name of Jesus, who gives life and removes condemnation. Amen.

Jesus the Word Who Gives Life

Jesus speaks and life starts showing up. His voice is not empty talk. It does what He says. From the start of the Bible, God brings light and order by speaking. John tells us Jesus is that living Word. So when He talks about life, He is not giving a slogan. He is giving Himself. That helps us hear the weight of His promise in this verse. He ties life to His voice being heard and to trust in His Father. He ties safety to that same trust. He ties a real change of state to this hearing and believing. This is personal. It is also solid.

His word gives life because His word carries His own life in it. He does not point to a secret place where life might be found. He does not hand out tips. He speaks, and His breath wakes hearts. Think of how His call stirred fishermen from their boats, a tax collector from his table, a dead man from a tomb. Think of how crowds sat hungry and went home full after He taught. His speech is full of Spirit. His speech enters ears and goes deeper, down into the will and the affections. It awakens love for God. It softens what was hard. It cleans what was stained. This is why hearing matters so much here. His voice is not just data. It is power. He speaks with the authority of the One who made all things. He speaks with the nearness of a friend who knows your name. When He says life, life starts. When He says rise, strength comes. When He says come, faith comes along with the call.

Hearing in this verse is more than catching sounds. It is welcoming. It is letting His message land and stay. It is giving Him your ear and your yes. In Scripture, the people who truly hear are the people who keep the word, treasure it, and let it work. The seed goes into good soil and bears fruit. The sheep recognize the Shepherd’s voice and move toward it. That is what He is talking about. You put down your defenses. You stop treating His words like reports to review. You take them in as truth for you. You let His commands guide your steps. You let His promises calm your heart. You let His warnings steer you away from harm. This is ordinary in one way. You hear and respond. But it is also holy. God opens ears that were shut. God gives attention to distracted minds. God tunes the heart to the pitch of grace. Hearing like this is itself a mark that His life is already at work.

Trust in this verse aims at the Father who sent the Son. That matters. Jesus is not an independent teacher with a clever plan. He is the Sent One. He carries the heart and will of the Sender. To believe Him is to believe the Father. To receive Him is to receive the Father’s love. The whole mission of the Son is a gift from the Father’s heart. The Father loves the world and sends His Son. The Son speaks the Father’s words and does the Father’s works. So when Jesus ties life to faith in the One who sent Him, He is lifting your eyes to the source. You are not hanging your hope on your own resolve. You are resting on the faithfulness of God who made the promise. You are staking your future on the unity of Father and Son. You listen to Jesus because He perfectly shows the Father. You rely on Jesus because the Father has placed all authority in His hands. This trust is not vague. It is personal. You lean your weight on God’s character. You treat Him as true. You count Him as able. And that trust keeps growing as His word keeps working.

The promise tied to this hearing and believing is not pushed far away. The life He gives is present. It begins now. It stretches beyond the grave. It is a share in His own life with the Father by the Spirit. It bears fruit in love, joy, peace, and steady hope. And with that life comes safety from the final verdict of guilt. The person who receives His word and trusts the Sender will not face the penalty that hangs over sin. There has been a change of standing before God. There has been a change of realm. You were under the rule of death. Now you belong in the sphere of life. You were bound to a past that could only end in loss. Now you are held by a future that is secure. This is not a wish. This is a settled gift anchored in His authority and work. So you can wake tomorrow with a real calm. God has already acted for you in His Son. Your case is settled in heaven’s court. And the life of the age to come has already begun in you, even as you wait for the day when every part of you will match what He has promised.

Hearing His Word and Believing the Father

Listen to the line in John 5:24: “whoever hears my word ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO