For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
Parallel translations
- WEB For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.
- KJV For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
- BSB For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.
- NKJV For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
- NLT The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.
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
As the Father has life in himself, he has granted the Son to have life in himself. The Son possesses divine, self-existent life.
Overview
The Father's life is underived and self-existent, and Jesus says this same fullness of life has been given to the Son. This expresses both the Son's deity and his eternal relation to the Father. Because Christ has life in himself, he can be the source of life for all who believe.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- John 11:26Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
- John 1:4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
- John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
- Exod 3:14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
- John 17:2–3even as you gave him authority over all flesh, he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
- 1 Cor 15:45So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
- 1 Tim 1:17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
- Jer 10:10But Yahweh is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to withstand his indignation.
- Ps 36:9For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light.
- Rev 22:17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.
- 1 Jn 1:1–3That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
- Col 3:3–4For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
- Rev 22:1He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
- John 7:37–38Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!
- John 14:19Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.
- John 4:10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
- Ps 90:2Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
- Acts 17:25neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.
- Rev 21:6He said to me, “I have become the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
- 1 Tim 6:16who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.
- John 8:51Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
- Rev 7:17for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
- John 6:57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me.
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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 5:26 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
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