Life not Death

With the reality of Jesus' death in mind, I want to point out an important Greek word for the early Christian movement. That word is zoe (dzo AY) and means "life." The writer of the Gospel of John uses the word 36 times. It is now just physical life (the Greeks had another word for that concept - bios), but rather life that is filled with meaning and received as a gift from God.

Often John refers to it as eternal. But here is the interesting point. For John and his community, eternal life is experience now in the present. It is not something that must wait for a future heavenly bliss. Indeed Jesus is remembered as the bringer of Life: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

I believe John would argue that Jesus did not come to die on a cross. He came to bring life. During this Lenten season, let's pay more attention to what Jesus' life represents, not just his death.