Words of eternal life
Sunday 29th March 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
‘No one ever spoke the way this man does.’
John 7:46 (NIV)
Words of eternal life
There was a preacher who once said that ‘No one has yet discovered the word Jesus ought to have said.’
I’ve been reflecting on those words. How true they are! Jesus’ words are sometimes confusing, even frustratingly so, often challenging and always thought-provoking. But they can never be improved on. Have you ever found yourself responding like this: ‘No, Jesus, that’s not right. This is what you ought to have said…’?
How different are our words. We often don’t know what to say, and when we do speak we often feel we’ve said the wrong thing or failed to say the right thing. And we may well think, ‘No, this is what I ought to have said.’
The words quoted above are those of the temple guards, sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus, explaining why they’ve failed to bring him in. (And if you want to know the words they may have heard from Jesus, just read John 7:32-46). They were clearly in awe of him, mesmerised by the wisdom of Jesus the Messiah.
We get a further sense of how special Jesus’ words are when a chapter earlier Simon Peter explains why he’s not turning back from following Jesus, even though many of his disciples are. His logic is sound: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’ (John 6:68).
That’s what makes Jesus’ words so special. He has come from God, and speaks words from God which, if we believe them, will take us to God.
I have decided that next week, Easter Sunday, will be my last ‘Thought for the Week’ as we get ready as a church to transition into the vacancy when I retire. Although it’s something I’ve done on and off over the years, it became a weekly habit during Covid when it was also on video. It was a way of reflecting on what was going on, hopefully from a gospel perspective, and also staying in touch with people in a semi-personal way.
It has not always been easy to know what to write about, or what to say, and I’ve often wondered if I’ve got it right, rightly understanding God’s word and rightly applying it. But it’s been good for me to try, so thank you for bearing with me!
Perhaps I can leave you with Peter’s logic? Other words will sound appealing, and other speakers will seem attractive, but we must give priority to Jesus and his words. After all, there’s nowhere else we may go to hear words of eternal life.
Prayer
Lord, thank you that you speak words which are always true, good and wise; help me to trust what you say, always, and help me to speak words which lead others to life. Amen.
Yours warmly, in Christ
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)