The One Thing We’re Missing

 

The One Thing We’re Missing


Eternal Life and the Cry of a Restless Heart
Based on John 3:15–16

Opening Whisper

There’s a hunger beneath your habits,
A thirst behind your striving.
You look put together,
But your soul is unraveling.
There is life beyond religion,
And love that lives forever.

The Secret Visits of the Restless

Two men.
Two conversations with Jesus.
Two hearts filled with questions that still echo today.

One came at night, afraid of what his peers would say.
The other came in daylight, confident, wealthy, young.
One was a religious teacher. The other a moral achiever.
But both were empty.

And both asked Jesus the same hidden question:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

That question still lives in every weary, striving heart today.

1. What Is Eternal Life? — A Relationship, Not a Reward

Jesus didn’t define eternal life as a prize after death. He said:

“This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
— John 17:3

Eternal life is not just about going to heaven.
It begins now—in knowing God. Walking with Him. Living in Him.
It is the restoration of a relationship that was lost in Eden, but offered again at the Cross.

The Rich Young Ruler kept commandments.
Nicodemus taught the Scriptures.
But neither had this life.

And many today—pastors, parents, professionals—still don’t.

They know about God.
They try to please Him.
But they’ve never been reborn into His life.

We crave a life that doesn’t end with death—a life that continues even when our bodies fail. This is the promise of God: eternal life, both now and forever.

2. Why Do We Need Eternal Life? — Because Something Is Dying Inside

Nicodemus was a religious leader. But his heart was still in the dark.
The Rich Young Ruler had everything—yet he knew something was missing.

Jesus didn’t flatter their goodness.
He pointed out the truth:

“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:3

You can’t fix a dying soul with good behavior.
You need new life.
You need to be born from above.

Without eternal life, we’re all:

  • Chasing meaning but never finding peace.
  • Striving to be “enough” but always falling short.
  • Afraid of death, even while alive.

That’s why Jesus said:

“Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16

Not just someday.
Right now.

3. Who Gives Eternal Life? — Only Jesus, Lifted Up for the Broken

To Nicodemus, Jesus gave a strange story—one he knew well:

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”
— John 3:14–15

In the wilderness, the Israelites were dying from snake bites.
But when they looked at the bronze serpent, they lived.

Jesus said, “That’s Me.”

He would be lifted up—on a Cross.
Not to condemn the world,
But to save it.

Eternal life is not earned.
It’s not reserved for the strong, or the sorted, or the sinless.
It is a gift to the guilty, a lifeline for the lost.

4. What Must I Do? — Let Go and Follow the One Who Calls

The Rich Young Ruler asked, “What must I do?”

Jesus answered, “Sell what you have... then come, follow Me.”
But he couldn’t let go.
He left—still rich, still young, but now sad.

Nicodemus stayed longer.
He listened. He wrestled.
And one day, he came into the light—bringing spices for the burial of Jesus.
He had seen the One lifted up.

You, too, must decide:

  • Will you cling to what’s safe and known?
  • Or will you step into the mystery of grace?

Eternal life is not about “doing more.”
It’s about believing in the One who already did it all—and following Him.

5. When Does Eternal Life Begin? — Today, If You Hear His Voice

Jesus didn’t say, “One day, if you’re good enough, you’ll get eternal life.”

He said:

“Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
— John 5:24

It begins the moment you believe.
The moment you turn from trusting yourself
To trusting the One lifted up for you.

Not just for now, but for all eternity—beyond the grave, beyond time, beyond death itself. And that life cannot die.

 

The Invitation: Be Born Again

Maybe you're like Nicodemus—religious, respected, but restless.
Maybe you're like the young ruler—successful, moral, but empty.

You’ve tried. You’ve searched.
You’ve followed the rules. You’ve kept the image.
But you’re tired.

You were not made for this death-paced world.
You were made for life in Christ.

Let today be your new birth.
Let go of your own way.
Believe in Him. Receive His life.

Reflection

  • What am I clinging to instead of Christ?
  • Have I been religious without ever truly being reborn?
  • What would it look like to let go and follow Jesus into life?

A Prayer of New Beginning

Lord Jesus,
I come to You—not with answers, but with emptiness.
I have tried to be enough on my own, and I am tired.
I believe You died for me. I believe You were lifted up for my healing.
Give me Your eternal life—now and forever.
Let me follow You from this day forward.
Amen.

Closing Whisper

You don’t need another rule.
You need a new heart.
You don’t need a second chance.
You need a second birth.
Come and live.
Come and follow.

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