He Shall Never See Death | The Institute for Creation Research

He Shall Never See Death

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." (John 8:51)

This passage has been a difficult one for commentators. Most would interpret it to mean that a Christian will not experience spiritual death. While it is very true that a Christian--one who has been born twice (the second birth being a spiritual birth) will not experience spiritual death, in this passage Jesus seems to be talking about physical death. This is evidenced by the fact that the Jewish skeptics around Christ called Him a heretic for saying it, since it was obvious that Abraham and the other prophets had died physically. Christ did not correct them by clarifying His words to mean spiritual death. Despite the fact that the grave is full of those who physically died while believing in Christ, He teaches that His followers will "never see death."

Actually, the Greek is very emphatic here. The combination of words could be literally translated "He shall absolutely not see |physical| death, never." Perhaps Christ is teaching that a believer will never see real death, since, to such a one, death is, in reality, only "sleep."

But perhaps the key to understanding this teaching might be in the word "see." What does this mean? Several Greek words are translated by the English word "see," but this one merits special study. It implies a look that is more than indifferent, but one of pondering; intensely interested; preoccupied; and fully acquainted with its object.

A Christian, therefore, will not "see" death with such interest, for his attention will not be on death's terrors, but upon the One who Himself bore all that death had to offer, yet conquered it forever. A Christian can look even at his own approaching death calmly, with passive interest, for it holds little influence over him. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). JDM

The Latest
NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...

NEWS
Acoustic Communication in Animals
We are all familiar with vocalizations in the animal world. For example, dogs bark, birds sing, frogs croak, and whales send forth their own distinct...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Crystals!
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

APOLOGETICS
Playing Chess with Little Furry Critters
God’s multifarious and marvelous designs for basic creature needs are so innovatively clever and providentially purposeful that Christ’s...

ACTS & FACTS
Credit Only Our Creator
History was my favorite subject as a young kid. But it always puzzled me when my teachers said, “We study history so that we don’t repeat...

ACTS & FACTS
Genomic Tandem Repeats: Where Repetition Is Purposely Adaptive
Tandem repeats (TRs) are short sequences of DNA repeated over and over again like the DNA letter sequence TACTACTAC, which is a repetition of TAC three...

ACTS & FACTS
Dinosaur National Monument: Fossil Graveyard of the Flood
Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) is one of the richest exposures of dinosaur fossils in the world.1...

ACTS & FACTS
The Transforming Influence of Genesis: Worker Dignity and Safety
When Pharisees questioned the Lord Jesus about marriage, He answered by quoting Genesis 1:27: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made...

NEWS
Giant ''Meg'' Shark: Longer and Leaner?
Fossil remains of the giant shark Otodus megalodon have been found in Miocene1 and Pliocene2 rock layers, which ICR scientists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...