2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 134
Resurrection Has Already Begun
John 5:25–47
“When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'”
"Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.'” John 5:6, 8 CEB
"Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.'” John 5:6, 8 CEB
Today's passage is difficult because Jesus is saying something almost too large to process in one sitting. He is not merely claiming to teach about resurrection someday; he is claiming that resurrection itself has already begun in and through Him.
“The time is coming—and is here now—when the dead will hear the voice of God’s Son, and those who hear will live.”
We tend to think of resurrection only as a future event at the end of history. Jesus certainly includes that reality later in the passage. But he is also speaking in the present tense. Eternal life is not a future destination language in John’s Gospel. It is the life of the age to come, breaking into the present through Jesus himself.
Salvation isn't just about “going to heaven someday.” It is about passing from death into life now.
N. T. Wright’s explains that new birth is not simply receiving a spiritual experience or emotional moment. The life of resurrection itself begins unfolding inside those who receive Christ. God’s new creation has already begun. Which means grace is not cosmetic, it's resurrection. Something dead becoming alive. Something broken becoming renewed. Something trapped in sin, fear, pride, bitterness, addiction, despair, or selfishness being awakened by the voice of Jesus.
Maybe that is why this passage feels so heavy and hard to process. Because Jesus is not inviting mild religious improvement. He is announcing that the Creator is reclaiming the world from death.
Then John shifts into courtroom language. Witnesses. Evidence. Testimony. At first, it appears Jesus is on trial. But, it is actually the hearers of the discourse (and we as future readers) who are being evaluated. Jesus keeps saying, in essence: Look at the evidence.
The works. The healings. The Scriptures. John the Baptist’s witness. The Father’s testimony.
The problem is not lack of evidence. The problem is that the people examining the evidence are spiritually unable—or unwilling—to recognize what is standing in front of them.
It is possible to know Scripture deeply and still miss Jesus. It is possible to defend doctrine while resisting transformation. It is possible to study the text without allowing the text to bring us into the presence of the living God. That may be one of the hardest warnings in this passage.
Jesus tells the religious leaders: “You examine the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you have eternal life… but the scriptures testify about me!” They had the right book, but they were reading it the wrong way.
The Law was never meant to become a trophy for religious performance. It was meant to lead people toward the Messiah. That warning lands heavily for pastors, teachers, theology students, and lifelong church people. We can become experts in Scripture while remaining resistant to surrender.
We can analyze Greek verbs, debate interpretations, build systems, defend traditions, and still keep Jesus safely at arm’s length. But John’s Gospel refuses to let us do that. The goal of Scripture is not merely information — it is encounter.
Following Jesus requires more thought, not less. The movement is always meant to continue beyond analysis into worship, prayer, obedience, adoration, and personal knowledge of Christ. From Scripture to Messiah and back again. An upward spiral.
Knowledge and holiness were never meant to be separated. John Wesley insisted that theology must become lived religion — grace embodied in transformed people. Truth that never becomes love, obedience, worship, or communion with God has missed its purpose.
Maybe that is the question this passage quietly places before us: Are we merely studying resurrection… or are we allowing the voice of Jesus to awaken resurrection life within us now?
Because according to Jesus, the dead are already beginning to rise.
“The time is coming—and is here now—when the dead will hear the voice of God’s Son, and those who hear will live.”
We tend to think of resurrection only as a future event at the end of history. Jesus certainly includes that reality later in the passage. But he is also speaking in the present tense. Eternal life is not a future destination language in John’s Gospel. It is the life of the age to come, breaking into the present through Jesus himself.
Salvation isn't just about “going to heaven someday.” It is about passing from death into life now.
N. T. Wright’s explains that new birth is not simply receiving a spiritual experience or emotional moment. The life of resurrection itself begins unfolding inside those who receive Christ. God’s new creation has already begun. Which means grace is not cosmetic, it's resurrection. Something dead becoming alive. Something broken becoming renewed. Something trapped in sin, fear, pride, bitterness, addiction, despair, or selfishness being awakened by the voice of Jesus.
Maybe that is why this passage feels so heavy and hard to process. Because Jesus is not inviting mild religious improvement. He is announcing that the Creator is reclaiming the world from death.
Then John shifts into courtroom language. Witnesses. Evidence. Testimony. At first, it appears Jesus is on trial. But, it is actually the hearers of the discourse (and we as future readers) who are being evaluated. Jesus keeps saying, in essence: Look at the evidence.
The works. The healings. The Scriptures. John the Baptist’s witness. The Father’s testimony.
The problem is not lack of evidence. The problem is that the people examining the evidence are spiritually unable—or unwilling—to recognize what is standing in front of them.
It is possible to know Scripture deeply and still miss Jesus. It is possible to defend doctrine while resisting transformation. It is possible to study the text without allowing the text to bring us into the presence of the living God. That may be one of the hardest warnings in this passage.
Jesus tells the religious leaders: “You examine the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you have eternal life… but the scriptures testify about me!” They had the right book, but they were reading it the wrong way.
The Law was never meant to become a trophy for religious performance. It was meant to lead people toward the Messiah. That warning lands heavily for pastors, teachers, theology students, and lifelong church people. We can become experts in Scripture while remaining resistant to surrender.
We can analyze Greek verbs, debate interpretations, build systems, defend traditions, and still keep Jesus safely at arm’s length. But John’s Gospel refuses to let us do that. The goal of Scripture is not merely information — it is encounter.
Following Jesus requires more thought, not less. The movement is always meant to continue beyond analysis into worship, prayer, obedience, adoration, and personal knowledge of Christ. From Scripture to Messiah and back again. An upward spiral.
Knowledge and holiness were never meant to be separated. John Wesley insisted that theology must become lived religion — grace embodied in transformed people. Truth that never becomes love, obedience, worship, or communion with God has missed its purpose.
Maybe that is the question this passage quietly places before us: Are we merely studying resurrection… or are we allowing the voice of Jesus to awaken resurrection life within us now?
Because according to Jesus, the dead are already beginning to rise.
Faith In Action
As you read Scripture today, resist the urge to treat it merely as information to analyze or master.
Instead, ask: What is this passage revealing about Jesus? Where is Christ inviting me toward deeper trust, surrender, or transformation? Am I studying God while resisting intimacy with Him?
Spend time moving intentionally from study into prayer, worship, silence, or obedience.
Instead, ask: What is this passage revealing about Jesus? Where is Christ inviting me toward deeper trust, surrender, or transformation? Am I studying God while resisting intimacy with Him?
Spend time moving intentionally from study into prayer, worship, silence, or obedience.
Lord Jesus, thank You that You did not come merely to teach about life, but to bring life itself into a dying world. Thank You that resurrection is not only a future promise, but a present reality breaking into our lives through Your grace.
Forgive us for the times we have settled for religious knowledge without true surrender. Forgive us for studying Scripture while resisting the living Word to whom it points.
Open our ears to hear Your voice. Awaken what has grown spiritually numb, weary, prideful, fearful, or dead within us. Let resurrection life continue taking root in us day by day.
Teach us to read Scripture not as spectators collecting information, but as disciples seeking Your presence. Lead our minds into deeper understanding, and lead our hearts into deeper worship, obedience, and love.
And when we are tempted to place You on trial instead of allowing Your truth to examine us, give us humility enough to respond honestly to Your voice.
Bring us from death to life again and again. Amen.
Forgive us for the times we have settled for religious knowledge without true surrender. Forgive us for studying Scripture while resisting the living Word to whom it points.
Open our ears to hear Your voice. Awaken what has grown spiritually numb, weary, prideful, fearful, or dead within us. Let resurrection life continue taking root in us day by day.
Teach us to read Scripture not as spectators collecting information, but as disciples seeking Your presence. Lead our minds into deeper understanding, and lead our hearts into deeper worship, obedience, and love.
And when we are tempted to place You on trial instead of allowing Your truth to examine us, give us humility enough to respond honestly to Your voice.
Bring us from death to life again and again. Amen.
Posted in Bible Reading Plan 2026
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