{"id":92,"date":"2021-11-03T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=92&2021"},"modified":"2021-11-01T18:00:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T00:00:10","slug":"two-views-of-death-john-10-22-42","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/two-views-of-death-john-10-22-42\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Views of Death: John 10:22-42"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: John 10:22-42 (GNT)<\/div>

\u00a022<\/sup> It was winter, and the Festival of the Dedication of the Temple was being celebrated in Jerusalem.\u00a023<\/sup> Jesus was walking in Solomon\u2019s Porch in the Temple,\u00a024<\/sup> when the people gathered around him and asked,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How long are you going to keep us in suspense? Tell us the plain truth: are you the Messiah?<\/p>\r\n

\u00a025<\/sup> Jesus answered,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I have already told you, but you would not believe me. The deeds I do by my Father\u2019s authority speak on my behalf;\u00a026<\/sup> but you will not believe, for you are not my sheep.\u00a027<\/sup> My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.\u00a028<\/sup> I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me.\u00a029<\/sup> What my Father has given me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father\u2019s care.\u00a030<\/sup> The Father and I are one.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a031<\/sup> Then the people again picked up stones to throw at him.\u00a032<\/sup> Jesus said to them,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I have done many good deeds in your presence which the Father gave me to do; for which one of these do you want to stone me?<\/p>\r\n

\u00a033<\/sup> They answered,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We do not want to stone you because of any good deeds, but because of your blasphemy! You are only a man, but you are trying to make yourself God!<\/p>\r\n

\u00a034<\/sup> Jesus answered,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is written in your own Law that God said,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You are gods.\u00a035<\/sup> We know that what the scripture says is true forever; and God called those people gods, the people to whom his message was given.\u00a036<\/sup> As for me, the Father chose me and sent me into the world. How, then, can you say that I blaspheme because I said that I am the Son of God?\u00a037<\/sup> Do not believe me, then, if I am not doing the things my Father wants me to do.\u00a038<\/sup> But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, you should at least believe my deeds, in order that you may know once and for all that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a039<\/sup> Once more they tried to seize Jesus, but he slipped out of their hands.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a040<\/sup> Jesus then went back again across the Jordan River to the place where John had been baptizing, and he stayed there.\u00a041<\/sup> Many people came to him.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0John performed no miracles, they said,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0but everything he said about this man was true.\u00a042<\/sup> And many people there believed in him.<\/p>\r\n

Read John 10:22-42<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

Tucked away in this passage is a verse that jumped off the page at me, mainly because it can have two very different implications, depending on how one looks at it, and these two differing ways of looking at it have wildly different outcomes.<\/p>\r\n

Here\u2019s the verse: \u201cI give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 28)<\/p>\r\n

Jesus promises to give His followers (sheep)<\/em> eternal life, and<\/strong> that they will never die.<\/p>\r\n

There are two key concepts in this passage that warrant our attention: \u201ceternal life\u201d and \u201cdeath\u201d. These two concepts are contrasted in this passage, which leads us to two different ways of thinking:<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n

  1. The first way we can look at death contrasted with eternal life is that the second our earthly life ends, our heavenly life begins. \u201cDeath\u201d then is not really an end, but instead the beginning to eternal life. With this view, we take death to mean the end of our physical lives, and since Jesus promised that His followers would never \u201cdie\u201d, eternal life in heaven must then begin immediately at the end of our physical lives for Jesus\u2019 words to be truth.<\/p>\r\n

    I, like millions of Christians, see great peace, joy, and happiness with this belief. This belief virtually eliminates the fear of death, leaving one to only be concerned about the \u201cdying\u201d pain, and there is comfort believing that our loved ones are looking down and smiling \u2013 at least when we are living how they would have wanted us to live.<\/p>\r\n <\/li>\r\n

  2. However there is a second way we can look at death contrasted with eternal life. This way defines death as completely ceasing to exist \u2013 even from our memory, and perhaps even from God\u2019s memory. Those who define death this way see it as the natural contrast to eternal life. Jesus promised His followers that God would never forget them, and that they have a future in heaven \u2013 at the \u201cresurrection of life\u201d. Physical death in this view is seen as a peaceful sleep\/rest that awaits them on the last day.<\/p>\r\n

    Unlike most Christians, many of whom believe that this second way of belief is an attack on Christianity, I see it as being even more loving and more God-like. God promises rest for those who have served Him faithfully in life, and death as a sleep provides that rest. From heaven\u2019s perspective, I doubt much rest or peace would happen if all the grand-parents, great-grandparents, and earlier ancestors are glued to \u201cEarth\u201d-vision, watching their descendants struggle through life.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    In this verse are two possible views, and either way you lean on this idea, we are assured that as followers of Jesus, no one can snatch us away from Jesus<\/em> and eternal life is our reward!<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 John 5:24-29<\/a>, 6:40<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

    This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

    Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tucked away in this passage is a verse that jumped off the page at me, mainly because it can have two very different implications, depending on how one looks at it, and these two differing ways of looking at it have wildly different outcomes. 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