Jesus is life. That sentence may look like a bumper sticker, but it’s the reverberating testimony of the entire Bible, and a life-altering truth.
In this article you’ll discover a handful of explicit declarations in the Bible that say that life is found in Jesus Christ alone. Many of them come from one biblical author named John who was one of Jesus’ closest friends during his earthly ministry. Listen to these few words from John’s first letter:
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. (1 John 1:1-2 NLT)
Do you hear the earnestness and wonder in John’s writing? Here John says that “we” (which refers to him and the other disciples of Jesus) desperately want to testify about someone they have heard, seen, and touched. This person, John tells us, is “life itself,” “eternal life,” and “the Word of life.”
Jesus is the man John referred to, who John saw walk on water, feed thousands, heal the sick, preach with authority, cast out demons, and also die by crucifixion and rise from the dead. This Jesus, John says, is life. John wrote his letter (the book of 1 John in our Bibles) to bear witness to the fact that life and eternal life is only found in relationship with Jesus.
It is this truth that John expresses so beautifully that we aim to express to you in this article, and also all through all the content you find at Bibles.net. We do not write to you about a Jesus whom we have read books about—a historical figure we studied in Bible college. No, we write to you about the Jesus who has personally revealed himself to us as God, who has answered our prayers, provided for us in miraculous ways, and who we have heard speaking through the Scriptures. We, like John, know Jesus to be life, just as the Scriptures testify, and we want you to find life in him too.
Where do the Scriptures testify that Jesus is life? Below are a smattering of references from John’s writing (and a couple from other biblical authors). These Bible verses tell us that Jesus is life, that he offers life to us, and that we can find life in him. As you peruse the verses below, there’s one question we have for you. It’s a question Jesus asked his friend Martha on the brink of raising her brother from the dead, after telling her that he was the resurrection and the life. The question is: “Do you believe this?”
Explore these Scriptures that testify about the life that is found only in Jesus, and ask yourself, “Do I believe this?”
#1 Eternal Life Is a Relationship with God
How Does the Bible Define Eternal Life?
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 ESV)
Eternal life means knowing God and knowing his son, Jesus Christ. Eternal life isn’t a place or perpetual existence merely; it’s a personal relationship with God that lasts from now into eternity.
What Is Life?
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20 ESV)
We search for life in many things and define life in many ways. What is life? Life isn’t an experience; it’s a person. Life is found in Jesus, who leads us to the Father and into relationship with him.
Do You Have Life?
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-1 ESV)
The Bible does not look at your accomplishments, bank account, health, home, or family to determine whether you “have a life.” According to the Bible, you have life if you “have the Son,” meaning have a relationship with Jesus. Whether you have life is determined by whether you have Jesus in your life.
#2 Eternal Life Is Rescue from Death
If the Bible tells us that we need life, that must mean we don’t have it. If we don’t have life that would mean we are dead! Spiritually speaking and eternally speaking, this is true (Ephesians 2:1-2). For, by default every one of us lives under the wrath of God, awaiting his judgment in eternity. Our sin against God has earned us death. Without some sort of salvation, we will face eternal consequences, because God in his justice must punish evil.
Jesus came to deliver us from death and give us life. Because of his great love for us, he bore the wrath of God on our behalf as he died upon a cross, that we might be delivered from the punishment of death and brought into new life. Jesus’ gift of life is free to us—he paid the cost for it through his suffering and death. We have only to put our faith in him as our salvation, and in the sufficiency of his death and resurrection to atone for our sins, and he will in turn rescue us from the wrath of God and bring us into God’s love. Here are four verses about how Jesus is the eternal life we desperately need.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36 ESV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV)
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-16 NIV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25 ESV)
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40 ESV)
#3 Eternal Life Starts Right Now
Eternal life might sound ethereal and vague; but it is a reality right now for those who trust in Jesus. John 17:3, listed at the beginning of this article, reminds us that eternal life is a relationship with God, which starts the moment we believe in Jesus. Just as we trusted in Jesus for a reconciled relationship with God and for salvation, so we trust Jesus for life each day.
We draw life not from entertainment, or vacations, or high-quality food, or intellectual conversation, or meditation, or exercise. We ultimately draw life from the Lord Jesus and our union with him. And now that we enjoy a relationship with Jesus all those wonderful things in life we receive as blessings from him and things to enjoy with him as means to better know him.
As we came to Jesus for salvation, so we continue to come to Jesus to satisfy our souls each day. We live by continuing to trust in him and drawing strength from his love for us.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 ESV)
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3-4 ESV)
#4 Eternal Life Is Found in Jesus Not the Bible
The two Scripture passages below both talk about Jesus being our source of life, but they also share one other message in common. They both tell us that the point of the Bible is not to give us life; rather, the Bible serves to point us to the person of Jesus that we might have life in him. As you come to the Bible, remember that Bible study is not the source of life; Jesus is! Go to the Scriptures that you might know Jesus better and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see and hear Jesus clearly through his Word.
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me [Jesus], yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40 ESV)
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31 ESV)
#5 Eternal Life Is Offered to You
Jesus is life, not just for a certain kind of person, but for all people. Jesus offers himself to every person. Whoever you are, Jesus offers you the gift of eternal life—salvation from your sin, restored relationship with God, and his friendship and presence with you from now into eternity. Jesus longs for you to know him and find your life in him. He gave his life for you, that you might be reconciled to God and welcomed into a loving relationship with your Creator (1 Peter 3:18). Will you receive his gift?
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4 NIV)
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)
Jesus speaking about himself: “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33 ESV)
Who Is Jesus to You?
Jesus does not claim to just “have” life or “give” life. He claims to be life. He claims to be the life. He claims to be the only way into right relationship with God and the only way to be saved from our sins (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). We are all looking for “the good life.” In our search, Jesus’ friend John writes to us in a way that sounds like he’s running and shouting, I’ve found life!
The Scriptures—John’s letter included—point to Jesus Christ and say, “He is life, and he offers himself to you.”
What is your relationship to Jesus? Is he your life?