February 2012
" ‘… eternal life.' " John chapter 5 verses 11-13.
Fom the earliest pages of the Bible the theme of life attracts our attention.
From Genesis 2:7 for instance, we learn that when the LORD God formed man, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, ‘ and man became a living creature '.
Further, from the book of Psalms, David expresses his confidence that the living God will show Him ‘… the path of life….' and then takes us beyond this life and death itself: ' in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.' (Psalm 16:11)
Again, in another Psalm, this time on the subject of unity amongst believers, David (under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit), introduces us again to this further dimension of life:
‘For there the Lord commanded the blessing- Life forevermore'. (Psalm 133:3)
C.H.Spurgeon comments: ‘Never will the covenanted and commanded blessing come forth from the Lord, our God, ‘till once again we shall have ”one Lord, one faith, one baptism”.
In the Bible book of wisdom – Proverbs, we are encouraged to keep God's ways, hear His instruction, to be wise and not disdain it, ‘For whoever finds me finds life'. (Prov.8:34-35)
These early references to this life and that further ‘life evermore' are developed and enlarged upon in the New Testament.
For instance, each of the first three Gospels record a young man, successful and wealthy, who
nonetheless evidently felt there was something missing from his life. The scene is set in Mark's Gospel chapter ten, where we read that he came running and actually knelt before Jesus asking, “ Good teacher what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life”. (Mark 10:17)
Evidently, despite all he had achieved, there was an unresolved question – what about the future, that life beyond death? Note carefully that he was thinking in terms of what he could do, the fact was that he had lived an exemplary life, and we read that ‘ Jesus looking at him loved him'. But, the truth was revealed when Jesus suggested he should get rid of his wealth, ‘ Take up the cross and follow Me. ' We read that he was ‘sad at this word, and went away grieved , for he had great possessions.' The truth was that his possessions were his God, and he mistakenly thought that he could earn his way to that ‘life forevermore'. (Mark 10:21-22)
The Gospel record of John is replete with references to ‘everlasting life' and ‘eternal life'.
In fact it begins with these words: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God'. In a brief resume of the Creation of all things, we are told that ‘All things were made through Him , and without Him nothing was made that was made.' (See also Colossians 1:15-16). That Jesus Christ is here referred to as ‘The Word' is evident from the context and from the words that follow; ‘In Him was life, and that the life was the light of men' and later in verse 14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.' ( John 1:1-14)
