“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (John 10:27)

In this passage Jesus is responding to a request from Jews who were gathered around him: “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24)

Here Jesus suggests that the folks in this gathering do not know him because they do not listen to his voice, or take action to get to know him by following him, as sheep follow their shepherd . It is a remarkably simple reply, and a window into a relationship with God’s son. The promise of eternal life was spoken by Jesus before his death and resurrection, but even before this, Jesus spoke clearly to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Eternal life is at the very center of Jesus’ message to the world. Jesus shared eternal life with his Father God, in and offering it to everyone, he is extending the family of God to human beings.

Sometimes churches reserve “eternal life” for funerals, but to Jesus, eternal life is God’s priceless gift to His people; better, even than a Promised Land, or having more descendants than there are stars in the sky, Entering eternal life is entering your eternal family, and finding everything you thought you had ever lost in your life. While it’s not possible to know everything about eternal life, just as it’s not possible to know everything about God Himself, we have a real sufficiency in Jesus , who came from eternity, entered helpless infancy among us, lived, loved and taught us, and in dying and returning from death, gave a path to his followers. He opened eternity to everyone who listens to his voice and follows him. To be a sheep in Jesus’ pasture is to have tasted eternity in time, and on earth.

Jesus didn’t leave his sheep to wander around seeking him or his Father. At Pentecost they received his Holy Spirit to ensure that news of eternal life could be spread throughout the world, and for generations to come: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (John 15:26)

Today “Eternity” gets a bad wrap, but Jesus presented it to us as a hope and a gift emerging from a well of love that has no end and that shakes hands with “Truth.”

Eternity with Christ is indescribably, everlastingly good.

Love in Him,

Prue