Who Would Jesus Send To Hell?

John 5: 25-30


That is the challenge of the passage.  Jesus has taken over the role of Judge.  He's got the Father's power, blessing, and authority to Judge.  Jesus does a 'third person' point of view about it, the Son of Man will be there to receive everyone coming out of the grave.  But it is plain, resurrection of life or resurrection of condemnation, those are the choices, and Jesus will choose.


Does the idea of Jesus sending somebody to hell, of condemning them in the words of this passage, does that bother you?  I struggle with it.  He died for me.  His was a sentence of capital punishment that, when he judges me, I shall not receive the sentence of capital punishment.  It is liberation in the midst of great harshness.


On the one hand, Jesus stands there with the "get out of hell free" card for all who wish to take hold of it, while being the one who sends the evil to hell.  In American jurisprudence, Jesus would have to recuse himself for taking on such a central role in the defense of and the judgment of a client.  Thank God he is perfect.  Because if Jesus recused himself, that leaves God the Father.  And while God the Father is indeed perfect as well, his Old Testament case history of judgment is a little dark.


Who would Jesus send to hell?  The bible passage speaks of actively doing good and actively doing evil.  Many churches have their own policy statements on what one must do to be 'saved'.  What does the Gospel of John say?  That is what we are working in.  Jesus has dealt with a bunch of different kinds of people so far.  How do they measure up to the resurrection of life versus resurrection of condemnation dichotomy? 


Can the bible help us understand the bible?  More on Sunday.