John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed here is the shift in tone and immediacy. Unlike the spiritual resurrection he just spoke of ("the hour... now is"), this future resurrection is presented as something definitively yet to come, without the immediate "and now is" qualifier, highlighting the vast scope of Christ's authority over physical death.
Jesus has just claimed the divine authority to give life and execute judgment, an astonishing statement that would have surely caused murmurs among the crowd. He's about to clarify that this power isn't limited to the spiritual realm; he's also asserting his future role in raising everyone from physical death for a final judgment. He emphasizes that this future resurrection, when all who are buried will hear his voice, is a certainty that should make their current astonishment seem small in comparison.
Jesus tells us to 'marvel not' at His power to bring life. But what kind of life? Is it only spiritual, or is there something more concrete to come?
In John 5:28, Jesus shifts from the immediate spiritual resurrection (bringing the spiritually dead to life through faith) to a future, literal resurrection of every person.
The Shift in Time
Notice that in verse 25, Jesus says, 'the hour is coming, and now is,' referring to the present reality of spiritual awakening. But in verse 28, He says, 'the hour is coming' – with no mention of 'and now is.' This signals a transition to a future event.
Universal Call
While the spiritual resurrection is for believers, this future call from the graves is for all. Whether good or evil, loved or forgotten, every person will hear His voice. This isn't just about believers being revived; it's about every single human who has ever lived being called forth.
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Jesus' 'voice' is no ordinary sound. It's the command that pierces death itself, calling back to life what was lost.
The core of this verse is the power inherent in Jesus' voice. It's not just a suggestion or an invitation; it's a divine command that brings about what it declares.
Divine Authority
Jesus, as the Son of God, possesses the life-giving power of the Father. His voice isn't merely heard; it acts. It's the same power that spoke creation into existence and the same power that will call every deceased person out of their resting place.
More Than Sound
This 'voice' isn't just audible sound waves. It's the expression of His divine will and authority. It penetrates even the deepest grave, reaching the dust and remnants of every human life, compelling them to hear and respond.
The text specifically mentions those 'in the graves.' What does this imagery tell us about who is being called, and why this specific language?
Jesus uses the imagery of 'graves' to emphasize the totality of death and the comprehensive nature of His future resurrection call.
Beyond Burial
While 'graves' can refer to literal tombs (as Vincent notes, distinguishing from 'tombs' which preserve memory), the context here implies all who are dead, regardless of their physical state. Whether buried, scattered, or reduced to dust, they are all 'in the graves' in the sense of being separated from life and hidden from view. Barnes points out this means 'all the dead,' not necessarily the reassembly of the exact same particles.
A Comprehensive Command
By speaking of those 'in the graves,' Jesus includes everyone. It’s not a selective call; it's a universal summons that will reach every single human who has ever existed. The Cambridge commentary highlights that this universality ('none whom He does not will to come forth') points to a literal resurrection, not merely a spiritual one.
Understand the original words
mnēmeion · Greek Noun
The place of burial; symbolically used in Scripture to represent the state of death or the grave from which the dead will be awakened.
anastasis · Greek Noun
The future, bodily rising of the dead, either to eternal life or to eternal condemnation, based on the power of God.
This passage speaks of a trumpet call that will signal the resurrection of the dead, echoing the idea in John 5:28 that a voice will call all from their graves.
Daniel 7:13-14This prophecy describes 'one like a son of man' receiving dominion and glory, which aligns with the authority of the Son of God to raise the dead and exercise judgment as mentioned in John 5.
1 Thessalonians 4:16Similar to John 5:28, this verse describes the Lord descending with a loud command and the trumpet call of God, signaling the resurrection of believers.
Romans 8:11This verse connects the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers to Christ's ability to give life, paralleling the life-giving power of Jesus' voice described in John 5.
Revelation 20:11-13This passage vividly describes a great white throne judgment where the dead, small and great, stand before God and are judged according to their deeds, directly illustrating the universal resurrection and judgment implied in John 5:28-29.
barnesJohn 5:28: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,"
Marvel not - Do not wonder or be astonished at this. The hour is coming - The "time" is approaching or will be. All that are in the graves - All the dead, of every age and nation. They are described as "in the graves." Though many have turned to their native dust and perished from human view, yet God sees them, and can regather their remains and raise them up to life. The phras…
vincentJohn 5:28: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,"
The graves (τοῖς μνημείοις)Rev., better; tombs. Two words are used in the New Testament for the place of burial, τάφος, and μνημεῖον or μνῆμα. The former emphasizes the idea of burial (θάπτω, to bury); the latter of preserving the memory of the dead; from μιμνήσκω, to remind.
What's easily missed here is the shift in tone and immediacy. Unlike the spiritual resurrection he just spoke of ("the hour... now is"), this future resurrection is presented as something definitively yet to come, without the immediate "and now is" qualifier, highlighting the vast scope of Christ's authority over physical death.
Jesus has just claimed the divine authority to give life and execute judgment, an astonishing statement that would have surely caused murmurs among the crowd. He's about to clarify that this power isn't limited to the spiritual realm; he's also asserting his future role in raising everyone from physical death for a final judgment. He emphasizes that this future resurrection, when all who are buried will hear his voice, is a certainty that should make their current astonishment seem small in comparison.
Jesus has just claimed the divine authority to give life and execute judgment, an astonishing statement that would have surely caused murmurs among the crowd. He's about to clarify that this power isn't limited to the spiritual realm; he's also asserting his future role in raising everyone from physical death for a final judgment. He emphasizes that this future resurrection, when all who are buried will hear his voice, is a certainty that should make their current astonishment seem small in comparison.
"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." — What's easily missed here is the shift in tone and immediacy. Unlike the spiritual resurrection he just spoke of ("the hour... now is"), this future resurrection is presented as something definitivel…
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