"Lord, to whom would we go, you have the words of eternal life."1
This word for eternal means unending, of a perpetual time, having a particular character and quality. Its root word is age which speaks to an unbroken time span, and for the Jew it is a Messianic period, present or future. The word new comes from age, meaning new in quality (innovation),fresh in development or opportunity. It is the new creation and the New Covenant which is an Age of the Covenant of the Messiah. This speaks more to the age of Christ, a life that is without beginning or end which always has been and always will be; eternal. It is an age of the mystery of the gospel, hidden in God in the beginning, He that walked among us, a gift from God.2
This life is in His Son. He was in the beginning with God and was God, He created all things, and is the author of salvation, and of faith, and his words are eternal life. "The one the word of me hearing and believing the one having sent me has eternal life" And "The one eating of me the flesh and drinking of me the blood has life eternal" Eating is hearing and drinking is believing, this is eternal life.
Do you serve God for eternal life or do you serve God for the rewards of this earth? yes, the people wanted to follow Jesus, to make him king and savior, but for earthly rewards, to lord over the Romans. Why would they not want true life, bread from heaven, eternal life? it was before them, the living bread. It was their thinking, as Jesus said, they labored for earthly food not for the food that would bring eternal life. They labored for fleshly things, for rewards of this earth.
James writes the crown of life is for all those who love God.5 Life is in the love of God, it is the greatest commandment for a reason, no other way for this life. So how do we demonstrate our love for God? If we love Him we will follow his commandments. He commanded us to love our neighbor, it is like the greatest commandment because God is love. Do we return evil with good? Do we love those who do us wrong? do we forgive those who persecute us, do we pray "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?" Why is this difficult food to swallow? is it not heavenly food?
"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."6 If God took the hedge of protection away, like He did with Job, would you still serve Him? now Job was a rightoeus man and his friends sat with him in ashes for seven days before they judged him, oh for such friends that would only sit an hour in our mourning. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth..."7
What work must He do to receive our loyalty? must He put protection around us, must He reward us with good? Is not the "act" of faith believing? "This is the work of God that you believe." What sign must He perform that we may see it and believe? just eat. Someone read a letter from a man in prison, he wanted prayer, but he stated he could not "pay" for prayer. Surely, believing is the work of God not to be improved upon by man, Jesus is this bread from heaven, author of faith, salvation, eternal life. If I am taught to give to get prayer, healing, and blessings, then it is no longer the Work of God, no longer a free gift, and naturally I should expect rewards in return for my good works. This is not good soil, the cares of this life will come, and many will abandon the faith, without roots deep in Christ, the fertile soil.
Jesus came as the light of the World. What was this Light? "In him was life, and the life was the light of men."6 In him was Life which was the Light of the world. This life gives life and light into the world, in us we are to let this light shine. How do give such, you say? by being a light, by experiential living of eternal life. “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”7 What greater testimony than for someone to say, I want the life you have in Jesus! We are this light by our love for one another, and our unity, by such the world will know we are a light, that we are his disciples and that He came to give life and to give it more abundantly!
If this is the age of Christ, then we can experience life now, through "the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead." This Spirit which "dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."6 Life to our mortal bodies? eternal life now? but there is a catch, the seed must die, to bear the fruit of life. We can call it many things but the Bible says, we are baptized into His death and raised with Him into New life.
To be like Peter. where could I go but to the Lord. Jesus has the words of eternal life. Let us not seek earthly life but eternal life.
Where Could I Go
This word for eternal means unending, of a perpetual time, having a particular character and quality. Its root word is age which speaks to an unbroken time span, and for the Jew it is a Messianic period, present or future. The word new comes from age, meaning new in quality (innovation),fresh in development or opportunity. It is the new creation and the New Covenant which is an Age of the Covenant of the Messiah. This speaks more to the age of Christ, a life that is without beginning or end which always has been and always will be; eternal. It is an age of the mystery of the gospel, hidden in God in the beginning, He that walked among us, a gift from God.2This life is in His Son. He was in the beginning with God and was God, He created all things, and is the author of salvation, and of faith, and his words are eternal life. "The one the word of me hearing and believing the one having sent me has eternal life" And "The one eating of me the flesh and drinking of me the blood has life eternal" Eating is hearing and drinking is believing, this is eternal life.
Do you serve God for eternal life or do you serve God for the rewards of this earth? yes, the people wanted to follow Jesus, to make him king and savior, but for earthly rewards, to lord over the Romans. Why would they not want true life, bread from heaven, eternal life? it was before them, the living bread. It was their thinking, as Jesus said, they labored for earthly food not for the food that would bring eternal life. They labored for fleshly things, for rewards of this earth.
James writes the crown of life is for all those who love God.5 Life is in the love of God, it is the greatest commandment for a reason, no other way for this life. So how do we demonstrate our love for God? If we love Him we will follow his commandments. He commanded us to love our neighbor, it is like the greatest commandment because God is love. Do we return evil with good? Do we love those who do us wrong? do we forgive those who persecute us, do we pray "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?" Why is this difficult food to swallow? is it not heavenly food?
"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."6 If God took the hedge of protection away, like He did with Job, would you still serve Him? now Job was a rightoeus man and his friends sat with him in ashes for seven days before they judged him, oh for such friends that would only sit an hour in our mourning. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth..."7
What work must He do to receive our loyalty? must He put protection around us, must He reward us with good? Is not the "act" of faith believing? "This is the work of God that you believe." What sign must He perform that we may see it and believe? just eat. Someone read a letter from a man in prison, he wanted prayer, but he stated he could not "pay" for prayer. Surely, believing is the work of God not to be improved upon by man, Jesus is this bread from heaven, author of faith, salvation, eternal life. If I am taught to give to get prayer, healing, and blessings, then it is no longer the Work of God, no longer a free gift, and naturally I should expect rewards in return for my good works. This is not good soil, the cares of this life will come, and many will abandon the faith, without roots deep in Christ, the fertile soil.
Jesus came as the light of the World. What was this Light? "In him was life, and the life was the light of men."6 In him was Life which was the Light of the world. This life gives life and light into the world, in us we are to let this light shine. How do give such, you say? by being a light, by experiential living of eternal life. “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”7 What greater testimony than for someone to say, I want the life you have in Jesus! We are this light by our love for one another, and our unity, by such the world will know we are a light, that we are his disciples and that He came to give life and to give it more abundantly!
If this is the age of Christ, then we can experience life now, through "the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead." This Spirit which "dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."6 Life to our mortal bodies? eternal life now? but there is a catch, the seed must die, to bear the fruit of life. We can call it many things but the Bible says, we are baptized into His death and raised with Him into New life.
To be like Peter. where could I go but to the Lord. Jesus has the words of eternal life. Let us not seek earthly life but eternal life.
Where Could I Go