III — The Reward Promised to the Righteous
Not the least important of the many offices which Jesus claims to fill is that defined in the phrase, “I am the Resurrection and the Life” — (John 11: 25). Its meaning is somewhat elucidated by a statement made by him on another occasion: “I am come that they (the Jews) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” — (John 10: 10). There is no antagonism between this passage and that already quoted, in which he says that he came to “preach the kingdom of God” — (Luke 4: 43). He came to preach “the gospel of the kingdom”, that the Jews, by believing it, might obtain eternal life and enjoy it in that kingdom. Believing him to be an impostor, they would not seek life through him, and hence he was led to say to them, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” — (John 5: 40). But of the opposite class, whom he styles his “sheep”, who “hear his voice”, he says. “I give unto them eternal life” — (John 10: 28).
Religious people are so accustomed to hearing and repeating Bible phrases, without exercising their understandings to ascertain their meaning, that it is necessary to point out the import of the above quotations. The “life” which Jesus offered to the Jews is not, of course, natural life, such as men now enjoy: it is something higher and far superior. Jesus styles it “eternal life”. He says he gives this to a certain class who hear him, or, in other words, believe and obey him. It is, therefore, a gift bestowed on certain conditions; and, as all men do not comply with such conditions, it is something which all men cannot possess.
These conclusions will receive general assent until it is shown to what they logically lead. This arises from the widespread custom of interpreting “eternal life” to be merely happiness. By this means Jesus is reduced from the high position of a life-giver, to that of a mere bestower of happiness. For this there is no warrant whatever. To show the fallacy of this system of interpretation, it is but necessary to observe that if “life” meant happiness, it would be impossible to speak of a happy life for the righteous or of a miserable life for the wicked; the former would be tantamount to a happy happiness, and the latter to miserable happiness; which would be absurd. Jesus does not say that he came simply to give happiness; he came to give “life” itself which, as a matter of course, will be accompanied with happiness.
“Immortality of the Soul” a Pagan Idea
Respecting those who do not comply with the conditions imposed, he says they “shall not see life” — (John 3: 36). These declarations cut at the root of the doctrine of man’s natural immortality by proving that men do not by nature possess a life which will never end, but that only a certain portion will ultimately become the recipients of this great gift. So far, therefore, from Jesus being, as some people suppose, a supporter of the pagan doctrine of the immortality of the soul, he taught truths which prove it to be a part of “the wisdom of this world”, which is destined to “come to nought” — (I Cor. 2: 6).
A careful examination will necessitate the same conclusion with regard to all that God has revealed respecting the nature of man. Moses records that the first man was originally made “a living soul” — (Gen. 2: 7), a term applied to beasts as well as to man; that he was threatened, as a punishment for eating of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, with death (Gen. 2: 17), a thing as opposite to life as darkness is to light; and that when he transgressed, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden . . . lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” — (Gen. 3: 22-23).
Such an action as this on the part of the Almighty is only possible on the hypothesis that Adam did not by nature possess the power to “live for ever”, or, in other words, was not endowed with immortality. All his descendants being of the same nature, they also have no inherent immortality; they all died as he died. It may be said of each of them, as it was said of him, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” — (Gen. 3: 19). They all return to the ground from whence they were taken; and were no further action taken in regard to them, they would remain there for ever, and “be as though they had not been” — (Obad.: 16).
The Way of Life
But God has graciously provided another “tree of life”, to replace that of which Adam was not permitted to partake. That “tree” is Jesus Christ who calls himself “the true vine” — (John 15: 1), and says, through the apostle John “Blessed are they that do his cornmandments, that they may have right to the tree of life” — (Rev. 22: 14). Hence Jesus said, “He that eateth me, even he shall live by me” — (John 6: 57). Before this promise can be fulfilled, those who have died must become the subjects of a change; they must be brought from the death-state in which “there is no remembrance of God” (Ps. 6: 5) — for “the dead know not anything” (Eccles. 9: 5) — into a state of life; a process which is termed in the Scriptures “resurrection”. Jesus looked forward to this event when he said, “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” — (John 5: 28-29).
The enjoyment of “life ”, it will be observed, does not
take place until the dead have come forth from the grave, where there is no
work, nor device, nor “knowledge, nor wisdom” — (Eccles. 9: 10). The reward of
the righteous, therefore, cannot be realised until the resurrection. Jesus has
removed all room for doubt or controversy on this point by saying, “Thou shall
be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” — (Luke 14: 14). And, having
also declared that he will reward man when he “comes in his glory”, it follows
that the resurrection will take place at the second appearing of Jesus Christ.
Not until then can he perform the functions implied in his title, “The
Resurrection and the Life”, nor until then can any of those who have eaten of
him now, by digesting his “wholesome words”, be permitted to eat of “the tree of
life” and live for ever.