“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. John 5:28-30

Jesus, knowing all men perfectly, knows very well that what he is saying here is really angering the leaders. I imagine they are in a state of disbelief at this point otherwise they certainly would have spoken up. He also knows that there are many many others outside of the Jewish leadership who are listening to and absorbing what he’s saying.

As I’ve stated elsewhere, when you speak to others, often others nearby hear what you say and how you say it.

• If you’re angry all the time, they’ll hear that.
• If you’re down, they’ll hear it.
• If you complain all the time, they won’t want to be near you.

On the other hand, if you are joyful and cheerful, that will be noticed and quite possibly contagious.

I’m not at all saying we need to go from joy to joy because it’s not very realistic. What I am saying is that we need to guard our attitudes and speech because others are probably listening, and more importantly, watching.