26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Those are Jesus’ words to Martha, who was grieving over the death of her brother, Lazarus. Although four days had passed since Lazarus was buried (v.39), Martha and Mary were still in anguish of heart. Jesus assured her, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (v.25). Jesus then roused her soul, with the words of our verse: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” Just as in Martha’s case, these words of Christ offer great peace and comfort for anyone who is bereaving over a departed Christian relative or friend.
In life, if one has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord, he is immediately granted eternal life. Jesus said, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). Jesus will never permit the life which He has bestowed on a believing soul to perish. He will preserve it forever. It is not “never-lasting life” that Jesus promised, but everlasting life (cf. Jn. 3:16, 36). Jesus also said in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Had it been left to us to protect the gift of eternal life, we would surely lose it. But Christ, the giver of the eternal life, shall preserve it forever. Perpetuity or permanence of the life that Christ gives is in His own hands. Because He lives forever as our Redeemer, He shall keep our souls for ever and ever. Paul said unto the believing Corinthians that Christ “shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8).
Jesus said that the believer “shall never die”. Though his body would die, his soul, having received eternal life from Christ, shall live in His presence for endless days. Neither physical death nor “second death” (which is the eternal judgement of the unbelievers in hell [Rev. 20:6; 21:8]) will affect that soul. So in the face of death, being sustained by Christ’s precious promise of eternal life, we shall not mourn like the unbelieving. In bereavement, we shall boldly confess that the departed believer lives in heaven, to the glory of the Giver of eternal life, even our Lord Jesus Christ!