By Jim Mettenbrink
Since no one has seen eternal life, does such really exist? This is a reasonable question. That there is another realm where people can live eternally is first and foremost proposed in the Bible. This is first set forth in the opening pages. After Adam and Eve sinned, eating of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, God banned them from the garden “lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever….and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22, 24). Such doom!
They brought death to each of us – the grave. The psalmist acknowledged, “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” (Ps 89:48). We can not avoid death. Many think death is the end of a person, that we can not do anything to avoid nonexistence eternally. However, again the psalmist noted the possibility of living again “O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit” (Ps 30:3). Another psalmist declared, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me” (Ps 49:15).
In Jesus’ prayer before He was crucified, He claimed to be the source of eternal life in the last day (John 17:1-3). Decades later the apostle John wrote “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life” (1 Jn 2:25). Does Jesus have this power?
Several months before Jesus’ death, His friend Lazarus died. About four days later, He resurrected from him the grave (John 11:1-14; 38-44). When Jesus arrived, He declared “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (Jn 11:23-26).
For several months, people had seen Lazarus alive again. At the beginning of Jesus’ last week before being crucified, He ate with Lazarus (John 12:1-2). That it was the near the Passover, many Jews came from all over the Roman empire and would be aware of this supernatural event – Lazarus alive. “Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.” The chief priests who plotted to kill Jesus and Lazarus, did not attempt to deny that Lazarus died and was resurrected to life –Jesus’ real life illustration that He has the power! Genuine certification (John 12:9-10).