Live Forever

Scripture/Bible: Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death." 52 The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, 'If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.' 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?" 54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. 55 But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad." 57 The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." 59 So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple. John 8:51-59

Reflection:  Can a physician ever claim that he will give you a medicine and you will never get an attack of cold or a cobbler claim that he will manufacture a sandal for you that will never get worn out?

It can never be, at least for the present, with whatever modern progress modern science has made. 

I am sure if someone makes a tall statement; you will either pooh-pooh the whole thing or may give it a thought.  If the statement has some credibility or has a plausible explanation then you will, all the more, give it some attention.  But happens when a statement is too far-fetched?

The assertion of Jesus sounds exactly like that; “Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death." No wonder the Jews react badly to Jesus and question him on a statement which human experience and by any human logic is an improbable bet.   

They reason it out with him; forget ordinary men like us and those ordinary belonging to our ancestry but what about some of our holy and greats like Abraham and the prophets, they were holy men and they all died too.

In reality we see that finally the very one, who makes a proclamation, also died. But by rising from the dead he makes his point clear that there is now no need to fear death because he makes eternity a reality and possibility in himself through faith.  

Martyrdom of the countless witnesses to Christ is the greatest proof of this reality which Jesus proclaimed; they walked through death, fearlessly, as if it did not exist, into eternity!

He was to achieve this for us by pouring out his very life, eternal life into our hearts at the Cross. It is finished was also a cry of finishing this work of becoming the author of life.

Hence Jesus was not making a statement for public consumption so as to sell his wares in deception as many salesmen do, but a rather a significant and relevant statement, which he was to prove in himself: “…that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Prayer: Lord, believing in you may I have the eternal life which you have set before me at the Cross.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us