Is Jesus Life or Life-giver?

By Editorial Staff

We often find the New Testament describing Jesus as “Life” or “Life-giver”. In the New Testament, we read: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’” (John 11:25). We also read: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’” (John 14:6) We further read: “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33)

But, is this description a literal or metaphorical one? Unfortunately, Christians have got so confused that they believe that so long as Jesus is described as “life” and “Life-giver”, he should be so described literally. By so doing, they have gone astray.

Jesus himself explained this description in more than one position. He implied that it is a metaphorical description and made clear that it is God Who is the true life-giver and that the eternal life lies in the awareness of and belief in God as the only true God as well as belief in Jesus as a messenger of God.

In the New Testament, we read: “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.’” (John 17:1-5)

We also read: “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” (John 6:32-35)

We further read: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

Jesus also made it clear that life is ensured by keeping the commandments conveyed by all previous prophets and messengers, especially Moses that Jesus came to corroborate the Torah he had come up with.

In the New Testament, we read: “Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.’ ‘Which ones?’ he inquired. Jesus replied, ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 19:16-19)

Jesus is not life or life-giver literally but metaphorically

In fact, the New Testament explains the above description in many positions. We find the New Testament indicating that Jesus’ life was a light, i.e. guidance, for people. We read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

Jesus stated that life lies in hearing his word and belief in God Who sent him and in him as a messenger of God. We read: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (John 5:24-25)

We also read: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’” (John 11: 25)

We further read: “And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.” (John 6:40)

We can also read: “Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the one who believes in me has eternal life.” (John 6:47)

The New Testament asserts that life is got through belief in Jesus. We read: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36)

Jesus said that the words he spoke from God give life. He said: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. (John 6:63)

At last, it goes without saying that life lies in response to God and His prophets and messengers, including Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. This is confirmed by the Qur’an. We read:

O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.(Al-Anfal 8:24)