John 6:47

Drawing attention to the importance of His Words, Jesus states plainly that those who believe in Him have eternal life. No beating around the bush, no elaborate verbiage, Jesus both succinctly and concisely states the Truth in polished smoothness. Life eternal, which belongs to God - who is not affected by the limitations of time, is bestowed upon those who believe in His Son. There are two things man dreads – lack and death - Jesus meeting both needs with His overflowing sufficiency for His followers. We find earlier in this same chapter of John:

35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NIV)

Jesus tenderly reminds us of the benefits of being His sheep when He contrasts Satan’s ways to His own:

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

Fullness, sufficiency, abundance, strength, righteousness, peace – all words that so describe what our Savior desires to bestow upon the sheep of His pasture. I am reminded of the comforting words of King David in Psalm 23:

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. Psalms 23:1 (NIV)

Again, David states the following Truth for us to savor in Psalm 37:

3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; Psalms 37:3-7 (NIV)
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Psalms 37:25-26 (NIV)

The very good news for believers is their surety of the abundant life in the here and now and their future eternal life with the Father in the hereafter. Yet, just as good as the news is for those who choose to believe, is the sad news of those who harden their hearts to the Truth. Those who kick against Him, desiring to go their own way – rejecting God’s Remedy will not see life as God’s wrath remains on him. John clearly states:

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36 (NIV)

Wrath is our holy God’s necessary righteous reaction to all evil. This wrath remains on all unbelievers – it is future wrath but it also exists now. Man is given two options – trust in the Son who though perfect took the fullness of God’s wrath upon Himself on the cross as our substitute to again provide access for our relationship with the Father or reject God’s Remedy for our restoration.

“We came into this world wretched, miserable, and undone creatures, in cruel bondage to sin and Satan, under guilt and under wrath, hostile toward God—the fountain of blessedness—and in a state of condemnation leading to everlasting destruction. But when a man is converted, he is brought out of that state of woe and misery into a sure title to glory, honor, and peace forever. When once a man is converted, all this blessedness that we have heard of is his; he has an absolute right to it. God’s work is accomplished for it; His faithful promise is given.” Jonathan Edwards

"While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good." C.H. Spurgeon