‘And the witness is this, God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath the Life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the Life.’ (1Jn 5:11-12)
For studying the Bible, the original Greek word definitions are terrific; actually, better than the English text. Because of that, I like to reference G. W. Bullinger’s lexicon. There, ‘Life,’ (using the original words), can be expressed by using 4 different meanings. The most common, the Greek word Zoe, is mentioned 125 times in Scripture. Bullinger’s lexicon separates most of the Greek scripture text quoting ‘life’ into: (1) Life (breath) (2) life (existence). That can be further expressed in the Greek as: Life (Zoe) and life (bio). Life (Zoe) and life (bio) are real but they’re separate and very different. Scripturally, they’re not to be confused as one; they’re not to be mingled. All living things have life (bio). They are active, they exist; but not every living thing that exists possesses Life (Zoe). Zoe is God’s breath of Life. Nature is the gift of life (bio) simply by creation. Living Life (Zoe) is the gift from God for people to live, not to just exist, but to live their lives well. Zoe is made possible by Christ Jesus. (The Apostle John had that word down pretty good: Zoe is expressed in John 3:16, John 20:31, John 10:10, John 3:36, John 1:4)
Author Wayne Jacobson: ‘A branch cut off from a plant can no longer perform vegetable life, is no long capable of performing the functions of that life. Man, and countries, that separate themselves from spiritual life can no longer function in his/their spiritual life…not capable of spiritual action…the root of that life, the Holy Spirit, can no longer inspire. They may act and attempt to perform such functions but they have no capacity to do so. It is possible for a man or country to be grafted back into the vine, and that’s required to experience fruit of the spirit.’ That, I think, describes life without Zoe (Life).
Here’s the deal, I’d like to suggest that the Word of God can, in some simple way, be simplified and packed into one box–it can have a bottom line: The Gospel is the difference between life and Life. You can live, exist without Life; you cannot live ’Life’ without the Gospel. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light. He is the only way simply because He is the only Way to Life (Zoe), Life as the Father would have it for you. (John 1:4) Zoe is eternal, it’s in the future, but Life, by Christ Jesus, is also right now. Jesus came to give us Life, a more abundant Life, he is Zoe. The Bible is the Creator’s manual. In it, He explains how to find and experience something that’s not available any other way; there are no substitutes other than using that manual.
Here’s my paraphrase of the Creator’s statement about the Bible (Word of God): ‘Look, I made the world, I know how that creation works best, just follow the manual, use its Wisdom and you’ll be in good shape.’ Even the 10 Commandments (yes, they are specific laws to be followed) can be interpreted as Life versus life. Each law is the Wisdom of God telling us how to live, how to experience Life more abundantly and be fulfilled in the greatest way possible. The essence of each Commandment is: don’t do that, I’m you source for that. Don’t do that, I’m your remedy. Don’t do that, I’ll provide that for you, etc. He created both Life and life. He knows about how each works, what works for you, and what doesn’t work well for you at all. Jesus came to make Life (Zoe) available (that we will experience more than simple existence). Zoe is an ‘add-on’, it’s Life to the full. Existence is life as humans can experience it with our ability and brain; it’s pretty chaotic by nature. Take His advice, His secrets, His Wisdom, His psychology, His manual of Zoe and apply it into our lives to receive His Life.
Just as in the Garden of Eden, Jesus is our New Testament tree of Life (Zoe). It’s a life experience other than the (bio); it’s a new way, a unique way. Look at the secular world, how’s that kind of life treating us? Is man-2024 doing well and super successful culturally or politically? Show me the place that ‘bio’ is working better than ‘Life.’ The fruit of the Spirit is: Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, and Faithfulness. (Paraphrased, The Spirit Life is: Agape, Cheerfulness, Calm-Rest, Patience, Good Character, Good, and a Belief in Christ.) That’s what we get by the fruit of Life (Zoe). Compare that to the seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19) ‘There are six things which Jehovah hates; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that devises wicked purposes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that utters lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.’ (Any of that sound familiar today?)
I like to believe that the Gospel is written, and can be lived, in such a way that there are parallels in the spiritual and physical world. For example, For example, 666 doesn’t only have to be a physical tattoo but can also be a spiritual condition. In the biblical sense, 6 is the number of man, 7 is the number of God. Man appears on the sixth day, God rests on the seventh. In Revelation, 666 is symbolic of a time when man will do all he can do for people: body, soul and spirit. Its: man, man, man- 666. The ‘created’ is ‘all in all’, we dominate, we are our own solution. God is dead. (Sound familiar?) In reality: 777, God (providing for body, soul and spirit) is the purpose and goal of Life. God providing for His creation to the full. That’s the Holy of Holies.
Another quote from author Wayne Jacobson that pretty well summarizes the source of our lives: ‘Through the lives of his followers, God continues to invade this sin-stained world. Though he does not fix every circumstance to conform to our comfort, he has offered to share all of his Life with us. He holds us in times of suffering and laughs with us in times of joy. He gives our lives meaning not by what we gain in this world but by making us part of his unfolding purpose: to win the world back to himself through his overwhelming love.’ There is only one way to Life/Zoe: Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Light. What if Don Francisco is right:
The gates and doors were barred and all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness and rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow and half in fear, the day
Would find the soldiers breaking through to drag us all away
Then just before the sunrise, I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle, and a voice began to call
I hurried to the window and looked down to the street
Expecting swords and torches and the sound of soldiers’ feet
But there was no one there but Mary, so I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me as she told us where she’d been
She said, “They moved him in the night and none of us knows where
Oh, the stones been rolled away, and now his body isn’t there”
So we both ran toward the garden, then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and the empty tomb just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped him in was just an empty shell
And how or where they’d taken him, it was more than I could tell
Well something strange had happened there, just what I did not know
John believed a miracle, but I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation couldn’t lift me very high
‘Cause I’d seen them crucify Him and then I saw Him die
Back inside the house again, the guilt and anguish came
Everything I’d promised Him just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices, I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive, it could never be the same
Then suddenly the air was filled with a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room
Then Jesus stood before me with His arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees and just clung to Him and cried
Then He raised me to my feet and as I looked into His eyes
Love was shining out from Him like sunlight from the skies
Guilt and my confusion disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I’d ever had just melted into peace
‘Cause He is (alive and alive, He’s alive, alive, and alive, He’s alive)
He’s alive, He’s alive, He’s alive, and I’m forgiven
Heavens gates are open wide
He’s alive!