Christian Argument

Jesus said...

John 10:28

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Only God can give eternal life. How can Jesus claim to be giving it? Jesus must be God!

My Response:

First we have to read Jesus' statements in context in order to figure out what he meant when he uttered that statement. 

Mark 10:17-21

¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

    ¹⁸"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'^[a]"

    ²⁰"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

    ²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

John 5:24

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

John 6:40

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6:47

I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

John 6:68

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 12:49-50

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

John 14:24

He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me

John 17:2

Father, the time 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.

Jesus is known to have spoken figuratively at times...

John 16:25

²⁵"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

So when Jesus said that he "gives eternal life" it means that if you believe in him and the word that he came to preach from God the Father and follow the commandments then you will inherit eternal life. Therefore, in a figurative sense Jesus had the authority to give eternal life because he was the one whom God has sent to give and share His commands to the people so that if they believe in it they will go to paradise. Jesus gave the key to eternal life to people through his preaching the word of God. Not his words, but the words of the Father (John 14:24).