What does "raise him up at the last day" signify for Christians? Setting the Verse in Context “For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40) What “the Last Day” Refers To • A definite, future moment when God will bring human history to its climax • The day Jesus returns visibly and bodily (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7) • The time when all the dead are summoned for resurrection and judgment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29) “Raise Him Up”: A Promise of Bodily Resurrection • Christ guarantees believers a literal, physical resurrection—not merely spiritual survival (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) • The same power that raised Jesus (Romans 8:11) will transform mortal bodies “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52-54) • This resurrection completes salvation: redemption extends to the body as well as the soul (Romans 8:23) Assurance and Security for Every Believer • The promise hinges on Christ’s ability, not human effort: “I will raise him up” (John 6:44, 54) • Eternal life is both present (“has eternal life,” v. 47) and future (resurrection on the last day) • Because the Father’s will cannot fail (John 6:39), believers rest in certain hope rather than anxious uncertainty Living in Light of the Promise • Hope shapes daily endurance—present sufferings become “light and momentary” compared with the coming glory (2 Corinthians 4:17) • Motivation for holiness—our bodies are destined for glory, so we honor God with them now (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) • Comfort in grief—those who “sleep in Jesus” will rise; we “do not grieve like the rest” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) Summary: What It Signifies • A guaranteed, bodily resurrection for every true believer • The final fulfillment of eternal life already possessed in Christ • Unshakable assurance grounded in the unbreakable will of the Father and the power of the Son • A hope that transforms present living, fuels perseverance, and comforts in loss |
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