And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Parallel translations
- WEB I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”
- BSB And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”
- NKJV And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
- NASB And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
- NLT And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus knows the Father's commandment is eternal life, and so He speaks exactly what the Father tells Him. It links obedience to the Father's word with the gift of eternal life.
Overview
Jesus closes His public ministry affirming that the Father's word, which He faithfully delivers, leads to eternal life. To receive His teaching is to receive the life-giving will of God. The verse presents Christ as the trustworthy mediator of the Father's saving word, perfectly aligned with the Father in both message and mission.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- John 6:68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
- John 6:63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
- 1 Jn 5:20And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- John 20:31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
- 1 Tim 1:16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
- 1 Jn 3:23–24And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
- 1 Jn 5:11–13And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
- 1 Jn 2:25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 12:50 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.