The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life”

What is life? For starters, life is what God breathed into the first man, Adam, after forming him from the dust of the earth on day 6 of creation week. The account is certainly a humbling reminder that we are created beings, dependent on God for life. This truth is affirmed throughout the rest of the Bible. One ancient Babylonian king was told that “the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified” (Daniel 5:23). On another occasion we are reminded that it is God who “gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).

God warned the first human, Adam, that life would be forfeited in death – if he disobeyed the one rule he was given. Genesis chapter 3 records that Adam did disobey God, and that God kept His promise, and that death spoiled what was originally a “very good” creation. Death affects all who are subsequently born into the human race. Today the statistics speak for themselves: it has a 100% success rate, no one has escaped death yet. What’s more, even while we are alive our existence is very fragile – the Bible describes our life as “a vapour” (James 4:14), as grass that “withers” away (Isaiah 40:6-8), and “like a passing shadow” (Psalm 144:4).

How is Christ the life? Christ is “the life” because He is the source of all life (John 1:4). Christ is “the life” because death has no power over Him; He did what no one else has done and rose from the grave three days after his death, never to die again (Matthew 28:5-6). Christ is “the life” because to all who are by nature destined hopelessly for death, and the judgement which follows (Hebrews 9:27), He offers hope; the hope of new life, given as a gift to all who come to Him for it (John 6:37). Christ defined the life that He gives: “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).