In one of His miracles, Jesus had fed five thousand people with just a small amount of bread and fish (John 6:1-14). Perceiving that the multitude then intended to proclaim Him king (John 6:15), Jesus sailed with His disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. But the next day the multitude followed Him there, where He delivered His powerful sermon on the Bread of Life, with special emphasis on the gift of everlasting life (John 6:22-59).

 Read John 6:26-51. How did Jesus associate the gift of everlasting life with the final resurrection of the righteous?

 In His sermon, Jesus highlighted three basic concepts in regard to eternal life. First, He identified Himself as “the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33, 58, NIV). By declaring that “I am [Greek egō eimi] the bread of life” (John 6:35, 48), Jesus presented Himself as the Great “I AM” of the Old Testament (Exod. 3:14). Secondly, Jesus explained that everlasting life can be secured in Him: “he who comes to Me” and “he who believes in Me” will have this blessing (John 6:35, NKJV). And finally, Jesus linked the gift of immortality with the final resurrection, assuring His audience three times, “and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54, NKJV).

 Jesus also gave this amazing promise: “Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47, NRSV). So, the gift of eternal life is already a present reality. But this does not mean that the believer will never die, for the very expression “raise him up” (John 6:40, NKJV) presupposes coming back to life after one has died.

 The picture is clear. Without Christ, one does not have eternal life. But, even after accepting Christ and having the assurance of eternal life, we continue for now being mortal and, therefore, subject to natural death. At the Second Coming, Jesus will resurrect us and, then and there, He will give us the gift of immortality that was ours already. The gift is assured, not because of a supposed natural immortality of the soul, but, rather, because of the righteousness of Jesus that comes to us by faith in Him.