Eternal Life

Eternal life is a way of life that has no end. In Scripture, it may refer to life beyond time or to immortality, which means life that does not end.

Eternal life belongs to God, who existed before the creation of the world and will continue to exist forever. God gives eternal life to those who belong to him and respond to him in faith and obedience. The Gospel of John gives the fullest teaching about eternal life.

The phrase “eternal life” occurs only once in the Greek version of the Old Testament (Daniel 12:2, with the basic meaning of “the life of the age,” designating the life of the age beyond the resurrection from the dead). The primary meaning of “life” in the Old Testament, however, is the quality of well-being in earthly existence.

During the period between the Old and New Testaments, Jewish teachers made a clear distinction between “this age” and “the age to come.” They taught that life in the coming age would differ from life in the present age not only in length, but also in quality.

The Greek word translated “eternal” comes from the word for “age.” In its Jewish setting, this word points to the living God and to the promised “age to come.”

Jesus Christ came as God’s final and complete revelation. Through him, believers can begin to experience in the present the kind of life that will fully belong to the future messianic age, the age ruled by the Messiah.

A rich young man came to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17). He clearly was thinking about resurrection and life in the age to come. Jesus answered in the same way and spoke of eternal life in the age to come (verse 30).

In his answer to the rich young man, Jesus connected receiving eternal life with entering the kingdom of God (Mark 10:23–25). The kingdom of God is not only a future reality. It had already begun through the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus. This means that people can receive the gift of life while they still live in the present age.

Many of the parables of Jesus make this point, including those in Matthew 13). The Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount also describe a present blessing that includes salvation, forgiveness, and righteousness (5:3–12). Eternal life, then, is a present blessing for those who live under God’s rule. They begin to share in the blessings of the new age of salvation even before the present age comes to an end.

The Gospel of John gives the fullest discussion of eternal life. John explains why this teaching is so important: “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). The earliest Johannine reference to eternal life is found in John 3:15.

John shared the Jewish hope for the age to come and its promised blessings (John 3:36; 4:14; 5:29, 39; 6:27; 12:25). Eternal life includes the special blessings of the messianic age, the age ruled by the Messiah, when it reaches its full completion.

The raising of Lazarus in John 11 was a living picture of the future life available to those who trust in Christ. Before Lazarus was raised, Martha said that she believed he would rise again on the last day (verse 24).

Jesus replied that he himself is the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in him will live even if they die physically, and they will never experience final death (John 11:25–26).

John’s Gospel, however, focuses mainly on the present experience of this future life. The life of the age to come is already available to believers through Christ.

Jesus used several pictures to explain the new life he gives. He is the source of living water that becomes a spring leading to eternal life (John 4:10–14). He is the living bread that satisfies the world’s spiritual hunger (6:35–40). He is the light of the world, who leads his followers into the light of life (8:12).

Jesus is also the good shepherd who gives abundant life (John 10:10), the one who raises the dead and gives life (11:25), and the way, the truth, and the life (14:6). He is the true vine who gives life and strength to those who remain in him (15:5).

Jesus made clear that he did not carry out his mission by his own nature or ability. He depended on the Father who sent him. His obedience to the Father shows again that life is God’s gift.

Those who believe in the Son receive the life that only God can give—eternal life. The future resurrection of all believers follows from this gift (John 5:26–29). The raising of Lazarus showed this promise in advance. Christ’s own resurrection guarantees it, for he is the “firstfruits,” the first of those who will be raised (1 Corinthians 15:23).

Jesus added to the meaning of eternal life by connecting it with knowing the true God (John 17:3). IIn Greek thought, knowledge often meant understanding gained through deep thought or a mystical experience. In the Old Testament, however, knowledge often included personal experience, relationship, fellowship, and care (compare Jeremiah 31:34). The verb “to know” could even describe the close relationship between a husband and wife (compare Genesis 4:1).

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father” (John 10:14–15). The close relationship between the Father and the Son is the model for the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. This knowledge does not come through education or mental effort alone. It comes through God’s revelation in the Son (1:18; compare 14:7).

This brief survey shows that eternal life is more than life without end. Eternal life has no final limit, but the Bible focuses mainly on its quality, especially the qualities that come from God.

Through Christ, God brings the life of the age to come into the present. Eternal life comes through God’s revelation of himself as faithful, and it includes knowing God and living in relationship with him.

See also Life; New Creation, New Creature; Renewal, Regeneration.