The Ancient Word...

Throughout John's Gospel, Jesus promises his followers "eternal life." Last week we saw that the Greek phrase translated "eternal life" (aionios zoe) literally means "age life." It refers to the life of the "last age" or the coming Kingdom of God (see Bare Roots 10.1).

When does this "age life" begin? When does God's Kingdom come?

On the one hand, "age life" is a future reality associated with the Resurrection of the dead, the Final Judgment, the total elimination of evil, and the coming of God's Kingship in its fullness. In John 6:40, for example, Jesus anticipates this future event:

My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life (aionios zoe), and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40, NIV)

"Age life," then, is resurrection life.

On the other hand, "eternal life," or "age life," is also a present reality because God's Kingdom has already broken into history. Jesus said,

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matthew 11:12; compare Luke 16:16)

The Apostle Paul looks forward to the day when "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord" (see Philippians 2:10-11). Christians, however, have already acknowledged Christ -- "forceful" men and women are already "laying hold" of him. Whenever someone surrenders to Christ as Lord, the Kingdom of God extends a little farther. As soon as someone comes to Christ, they begin living the life of the new age in covenant with God.

Scholars refer to this truth as "the already, but not yet" of the Christian faith. The Kingship of God and the new life it brings have already begun, but they have not yet come in their fullness. We see this tension between the "already" and the "not yet" throughout John's Gospel. To illustrate, Jesus says:

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life (present) and will not be condemned (future); he has crossed over from death to life (present). I tell you the truth, a time is coming (future) and has now come (present) when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live (future). (John 5:24-25)

For followers of Christ, "age life" is not only a future hope, but a present reality. "Eternal life" starts now.

... for Today

We live with the tension between the "already" and the "not yet" every day.

Prayer brings us already into the presence of God, but not yet into the fullness of His Presence that we will one day experience. The Lord already grants us peace in crisis, but we do not yet live free from crisis. We already experience the transforming power of the Spirit, but do not yet demonstrate "the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

The gospel has already broken down barriers between people, but we have not yet seen the end of racism, sexism, or socio-economic division. The Word of God is already in our hands, but we have not yet learned to hear His voice as intimately as we might desire.

The Lord already gives us strength in suffering, but mourning, crying, and pain have not yet passed away (see Revelation 21:4).

Both the "already" and the "not yet" must be held in some balance. People who see only one side, and not the other, tend to grow disheartened -- perhaps even cynical -- because of the gap between their experience and what they hope for by faith.

"Eternal life" in this present age lives with one foot already on the ground and the other not yet planted.

Discuss...

1. What are some of the other "already, but not yet" contrasts that we experience in our lives?
   
2. How does this aspect of "age life" relate to Paul's assertion that, for the believer, "these three remain: faith, hope and love" (see 1 Corinthians 13:13)?

Chris Davis, PhD & David Timms, PhD
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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