Some teachings are very old. Is 1700+ years old enough? Let’s look at one of them.

24:20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you [3,000+ years old], sayings of counsel and knowledge…

We ended yesterday’s post with this statement, “Since Jesus is life, to walk with Jesus is to have eternal life.” Later in John, Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life“ (John 14:6). John tells us in 1 John 5:12, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” The verse that we will discuss today is John 3:36, the last verse in that chapter:

³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

The big question to me is, “What is God’s wrath?” In order to answer this question, we go back to Genesis 2:16-17,

¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

The wrath of God, otherwise known as God’s judgment, is death. We could look at death as a punishment, but I see a redeeming quality in it. It’s wrapped up in Genesis 3:22, “…he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” Death confines sin to this life. When we die, we are freed from its grasp. It used to hold mankind in Hades, but Jesus broke the power of death and took control of Hades when He died on the cross, went to Hades and took the keys of death and Hades away from Satan (Revelation 1:18). He then led a triumphant train out of Hades to His kingdom. There are multiple Scriptures supporting this statement (, as well as the Apostles’ Creed, written and spoken universally even before AD 300. Here’s what it says,

The Apostles’ Creed – Traditional version

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic (universal) Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The point is that Jesus has defeated death for us. When we die, we proceed straight to His throne (2 Corinthians 5:8). We have what we refer to as eternal life, which is life in the Son (we’re already in it). Those who reject the Son* remain in darkness and suffer the “wrath of God,” which is life without Christ (they’re already in it). What about those who never get to hear about Jesus or are taught a wrong image of Him? Well, that’s a topic for another post sometime.

Abba, thank You for revealing Yourself to us so that we can believe in You and have Your life. We pray for those who don’t know You that You would reveal Yourself to them. May we be ambassadors of Your Good News, all the while basking in Your love, light and life. Amen.

*The Son of God, Jesus Christ, i.e. the Anointed One who came from God and IS God