John 8:52 The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’
They couldn’t believe their ears. They had never heard of such a thing as someone never tasting death. I’m so glad we live on this side of the cross. Never tasting death is a thing because Jesus tasted death for us. Listen to Heb. 2:9. “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Jesus’ death was a substitutionary death. If we let the Scripture above inform us as to who the “everyone” is in Heb. 2:9, we know He tasted death for those who would keep His word.
Those who believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life will never die. Jesus said this to Martha when she came to Jesus after Lazarus, her brother, had died. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this’ ” (John 11:25-26)? Martha did believe it, but when Jesus spoke of it to the Jews, they couldn’t believe it. They didn’t believe it because they did not receive His word.
How about you? Have you believed in Jesus Christ and kept His word? To keep His word is to believe it to the end of your life. It’s to surrender your life to Him so that He lives His life in you for the glory of the Father. We know that if we live with Him now, we will live with Him forever—and never taste of death. We have eternal life, and that life is a life of love.
Father, glorify Your name through Your Son. Thank you for giving Him to taste death for us. Thank you for giving Him the grace to suffer for us so that we might never taste death. Give us also the grace to die to ourselves so that He might live through us today.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
