The words were fulfilled in not a few cases, durino: our Lord's own niinistiy. They were fulfilled far more com- pletely after the day of Pentecost, through the ministry of the Apostles. The myriads of converts at Jerusalem, at Antioch, at Ephesus, at Corinth, and elsewhere, wore all examples of their fulfilment. In all these cases, " th© voice of the Son of God" awakened dead hearts to spiritual life, and made them feel their need of salvation, repent, and believe. — They are fulfilled at this very day, in every instance of true conversion. Whenever any men or women among ourselves awaken to a sense of their soul's vahie, and become alive to God, the words are made good before our eyes. It is Christ who has spoken to their hearts by His Spirit. It is " the dead hearing Christ's voice, and living."
We see, lastly, in these verses, a most solemn prophecy of the final resurrection of all the dead. Our Lord tells us that " the hour is coming when all that are in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation."
The passage is one of those that ought to sink down very deeply into our hearts, and never be forgotten. All is not over when men die. Whether they like it or not, they will have to come forth from their graves at the last day, and to stand at Christ's bar. None can escape His summons. When His voice calls them before Him, all must obey. — When men rise again, they will not all rise in the same condition. There will be two classes — two parties — two bodies. Not all will go to heaven. Not all will be saved. Some will rise again to inherit eternal life, but some will rise again only to be condemned. These are terrible things! But the words of Christ arc plain and unmistakeable. Thus it is written, and thns it must be.
Let us make sure that we hear Christ's quickening voice
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now^ and are numbered among His true disciples. Let us know the privileges of true believers, while we have life and liealth. Then, when His voice shakes heaven and earth, and is calling the dead from their gi-aves, we shall feel confidence, and not be " ashamed before Him at his coming." (1 John ii. 28.)
Notes. John Y. 24 — 29.
24. — [Verily, verily, 1 say."] Here, as in other places, these words are the preface to a saying of more than ordinary solemnity and importance.
[He that hearetli my word.'] The " hearing" here is much more than mere hstening, or hearing with the ears. It means hearing / with the heart, hearing with faith, hearing accompanied by obedient discipleship. He that so hears the doctrine, teaching, or '' word " of Christ, hath life. It is such hearing as that of the true sheep : " My sheep hear my voice," (John x. 27,) or as that spoken of by St, Paul: "Ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him." (Eph. iv. 21.)
[Believeth on Him that sent Me.] This must not be supposed to mean that a vague faith in G-od, such as the Deist professes to have, is the way to everlasting life. The belief spoken of is a believing on God in Christ, — a believing on God as the God who sent Christ to save sinners, — a believing on God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has planned and provided redemption by the blood of His Son. He who so believes on God the Father, is the same man that beheves in God the Son. In this sense the Father is just as much the- object of saving faith as the Son. Thus we read, " It shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." (Rom. iv. 24.) And again, " Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Pet. i. 21.) He that rightly believes on Christ as his Saviour, with the same faith believes in God as his reconciled Father. The Gospel that invites the sinner to believe in Jesus as his Redeemer and Advocate, invites him at the same time to believe in the Father, who is " well pleased " with all who trust in His Son.
Henry remarks, "Christ's design is to bring us to God. (1 Pet. iii. 18.) As God is the first original of all grace, so is He the ultimate object of all faith. Christ is our way, and God ia our rest. We must believe on God as having sent Jesus Clmist,