Jesus spoke of receiving, as a gift, eternal life. Although the expression “eternal life” is not common in the Synoptic Gospels, occurring only seven times, the word “life” is sometimes used in such a way as to have the same meaning as “eternal life.” For example, “It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into hell” (Mark 9:43; cf. Matthew 7:14; Acts 3:15; 5:20; 11:18). . . In his Prologue, John told his readers that “in the Word was life and that life was the light of men.” Life (zoe) and light (phos) go together; he who has life is the Revealer of deity. The Word made flesh, the Son and the Messiah, is the life (11:25; 14:6), the bread of life (6:35, 48), the light of life (8:12), who gives the water of life (4:10f; 7:38) and the bread of life (6:50ff.). His words are spirit and life (6:63) and actual words of eternal life (6:68). And this life (zoe) cannot be put to death, for when Jesus dies upon the Cross it is his moral life (psyche) which he gives up in death. 

   To receive the incarnate Son and to believe in him results in the bestowal of revelation and of eternal life (3:16). It is noteworthy that eternal life is first mentioned in the gospel immediately after the sole reference to the kingdom of God (3:3, 5). Thus the Johannine emphasis upon eternal life as a gift present that anticipates a greater fullness in the age to come, resembles the synoptic emphasis upon God’s saving rule coming into human lives now. In fact a study of the seventeen references to eternal life show that while reference to the age to come is retained, it is not prominent (3:15, 16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 39; 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 68; 10:28; 12:25, 50; 17:2, 3). Eternal life is presented as a quality and depth of life given by God to believers in this age that they might truly know him in this age and the age to come.    

Heaven And Hell - Peter Toon