Matthew 16.26 asks what can be compared with the value of eternal life.

What do we all really want?

In the moment it might be acceptance from others. In the moment it might be more money to pay our bills and meet our needs. In the moment it might be the new house, new car, new job or other longed for pleasure.

When we hear we only have weeks to live or we lose someone we love dearly what we want most of all is eternal life.

None of us want to die or lose our spouses or children or parents to death. We try not to think about death yet repeatedly we are confronted with its impending reality either through friends who have passed before us or when the doctor informs us we have cancer.

Death is the worst thing that happens to us and it is guaranteed to happen to all of us.

In the beginning God did not intend for us to die, death is the consequence of our rebellion against obedience to His commands. God provided the means for eternal life on this earth in the garden He created for the first people but their rebellion is our curse and caused the removal of the tree of eternal life.

As much as we despise death God detests it even more. God is life so death is an affront to His very nature.

All people, like the first people, must choose death or life.

While we all really want life, eternal life is to be received on God’s terms and not ours.

As long as we continue to rebel against God death looms ahead and hopelessness increases.

God commands we seek His forgiveness through Jesus the Savior then submit ourselves wholly to His Lordship.

Those who surrender to God are promised eternal life with God which is what we really want most of all.