John 3

John 3  •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 12
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In conversation with Nicodemus, the Lord introduced the subject of "life eternal" as being the portion of those who would receive Him in the new dispensation. The Lord explained to him that this would be something more than being "born again," which is what believing Israelites had, and what Nicodemus should have known about from the prophet Ezekiel (vss. 9-10). In essence, both have to do with the possession of divine life, but life eternal is to have that life in conscious fellowship with the Father and the Son (John 17:33And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)). The possession of this special character of divine life required the coming of the Son to reveal the Father (John 1:1818No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)), redemption being completed (John 3:14-1614And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:14‑16)), and the Holy Spirit (the "fountain") dwelling in the believer (John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)). These things were not known or possessed by those in the old dispensation. The Old Testament saints, therefore, could not have had life eternal. They were born again and thus possessed divine life, and they are safe with Christ in heaven now. Christians are born again too—it is the means by which they enter the kingdom of God (vs. 5)—but they have something more in life eternal, which is a heavenly blessing and is one of the great elements that mark the new dispensation. By introducing this, the Lord was showing that "earthly things" were going to give way to "heavenly things."