“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36

So said John the Baptist when answering a question posed by his disciples about Jesus who, they said, “is baptising and everyone is going to Him.”

The text is the last sentence of a nine verse testimony about Jesus. John was not jealous of Jesus’ popularity but generous and God-fearing in his answer.

God’s wrath and our death, which we all deserve, is avoided only by belief in Jesus, the Son. Through belief we gain a different quality of life. It is life that belongs to God and is God’s gift to those who believe and trust in Jesus. Eternal life starts now (note the present tense) and it continues forever through physical death into the kingdom of God, which is to come.

As Jesus said in John 17:3, “this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”

Thank You, Lord God, for the gift of eternal life through Your Son. We pray that more and more people will come to trust in this wonderful work. Amen.