Tag: eternity

Jesus seems to specialize in doing the unexpected.

For instance, consider when the rich young ruler asks Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus side-steps the question about eternal life. Instead he goes into a teaching about good. That was unexpected.

Another time, four men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. Jesus shocks everyone by forgiving the man’s sins. That was really unexpected.

However, later on Jesus does heal the paralyzed man and he does answer the young ruler’s question (although it’s not what the man wanted to hear —that was unexpected, too).

Jesus often does the unexpected. Perhaps that’s one reason the crowds were drawn to him two thousand years ago and why we are drawn to him today.

Unexpected Jesus may surprise us and at times perplex us, but he is still our healer and savior.

[Luke 18:18-22 and Luke 5:18-25]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

The Bible tells the story of a rich young ruler who asks Jesus the question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

His use of the word inherit is interesting — and a bit confounding.

His question implies that salvation is inherited. Is this a misconception of the man posing the question? Surely we cannot inherit a right relationship with God from our parents or relatives. This is not a condition that is passed on to us, but one we need to seek and receive on our own.

The man’s use of the word inherit, however, does imply that eternal life is a gift given after the death of a benefactor and it can’t be earned. These conclusions are both true.

We do not earn eternal life; it is given to us.

And, yes, someone had to die before we could receive this inheritance, but it’s not a relative; it’s Jesus.

Jesus died so we could inherit eternal life. Thank you, Jesus!

[Luke 18:18]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

When Jesus died, many dead people can to life.  This is a literal, physical event that Matthew documented (Matthew 27:52-53).

This can also be understood and applied on a figurative or symbolic basis, in that for all who follow Jesus: We came alive when Jesus died.  This is a new, spiritual, eternal life.

In short, Jesus died so that we may live.

[Read more about Jesus.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.