Jesus Said Some Disciples Will Not Die

Mark 9:1 (NIV) – And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

This verse can be very confusing. It seems to suggest that some disciples who were present listening to Jesus will not die. The problem is, they all died. Did the Bible lie?

Many Christians would use many false explanations to seemingly defend the Bible and God. They would explain that death has other meanings. They will give a new interpretation of what Jesus actually meant, etc. That is what we call eisegesis – forcing the Bible to mean what you think it should mean. Exegesis is getting the original meaning from the Bible even when you don’t agree with the meaning. Bible students should engage in exegesis and NOT eisegesis.

God is not weak and desperate that He needs our defense. The Bible is not at the mercy of our defense. It is us who lack understanding. God and the Bible can defend themselves without our eisegesis. We should pray and ask God for the meaning of what we do not understand.

If your God needs your defense then you need a better God. If your scriptures will only stand the test of scrutiny if you engage in a lie known as eisegesis, then you need better scriptures and a better faith. God and the Bible do not need your lie based defense, they can defend themselves!

We will investigate a few Bible verses where Jesus said His people will not die. We will use exegesis rules and not eisegesis. We will seek to understand what Jesus originally meant. Key rule in exegesis is to appreciate the context.

There are two sets of verses that quote Jesus declaring that disciples will not die. The first set are those verses that tells us that whoever has faith has at that very moment received eternal life. Such a person will not die the eternal death. We will begin with these verses.

John 5:24 (NIV) – “Very truly I tell you, 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.

Anyone who listens to the words of Jesus and accepts them, has immediately crossed from death to life. They may die the temporary death but they will resurrect and receive eternal life. They will not die the eternal death. Before you accept Jesus and His words you are a candidate of eternal death. The moment you accept Jesus and His words, you immediately have crossed from death to life.

That doesn’t mean you will not die now, it means you will not die the eternal death. If you die now, you will resurrect. There is hope. Jesus came to save us from eternal death. If you accept Jesus, you will not die the eternal death- Never!

Revelation 20:5-6 (NIV) – 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

There is a death that ends with the first resurrection. There is a death that ends with the second resurrection. The first resurrection is for believers who were assured that they will not die, meaning the eternal death. That is why the Bible tells us that blessed are those who take part in the first resurrection. The second resurrection is for sinners, they resurrect so that they can be punished with eternal death. That eternal death is what Jesus came to save us from. 

When we receive Jesus we immediately cross from belonging to second resurrection and incase we die, we belong to first resurrection. That is what it means to immediately cross from death to life. Right now, if you accept Jesus as you are reading this, you cross from death to life, you will never die the eternal death.

Luke 23:43 (NIV) – Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Instant assurance of salvation. Today you no longer belong to second resurrection. Today you are assured of eternal life, and even if you die, you will resurrect in the first resurrection of believers who. This is the assurance Jesus gave the thief on the cross.

Jesus did not tell the thief that he won’t die. Jesus assured that thief salvation. Salvation is received on the spot and even if you die, you haven’t died permanently, you are just sleeping, you will wake up in the first resurrection.

The promise to the thief on the cross wasn’t a promise that upon dying He will meet Jesus who would also have died. The meeting in paradise wasn’t two dead people meeting that day in paradise. Jesus died that Friday, but the thief didn’t die that Friday.

John 19:32-33 (NIV) – 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

The legs of Jesus were not broken, because He was already dead that Friday. The two thieves on the cross with Jesus, were still alive, that is why their legs were broken. Even the one who was promised that today you will be with me in paradise, was still alive, therefore his legs were broken. Their legs were broken so that they do not escape and then after Sabbath they could be returned to the cross, to hang until they died. Only Jesus died that Friday. Therefore the promise to be in paradise wasn’t a reference to dying in order to be in paradise.

The following is yet another verse where Jesus promises that some people will never die. Jesus was speaking about Abraham. Jesus states that those have faith like Abraham, will never die.

John 8:51-56 (NIV) – 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word WILL NEVER SEE DEATH.” 52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father ABRAHAM REJOICED AT THE THOUGHT OF SEEING MY DAY; HE SAW IT and was glad.”

Jesus explains that He was talking about the instant assurance of salvation. Abraham may have died, but by faith he saw the coming of Jesus. The moment Abraham had faith, that very moment he received the salvation that Jesus brought. Therefore Jesus assured His listeners that whoever believes His words, then like Abraham, will never die. This again was an assurance of salvation from the second resurrection.

John 10:27-29 (NIV) – 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Anyone who listens to the voice of Jesus will never die the eternal death. The current death is but just sleep from which they will wake up during the first resurrection that is for believers only. True death is after the second resurrection. That is the death which believers WILL NEVER DIE!

John 11:25-26 (NIV) – 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me WILL LIVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY DIE; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me WILL NEVER DIE. Do you believe this?”

Even though they die. The present death means nothing if we have escaped the second resurrection. The present death means nothing if we will resurrect in the first resurrection and receive eternal life. That is why Jesus says, even though they die, they will live. Then Jesus emphasizes one more time that even if believers die now, they WILL NEVER DIE! A reference to the final eternal death preserved for Satan and sinners. Even though Abraham and many saints and all believers died, it’s is still true, they WILL NEVER DIE!

A second set of verses refer to the same incident cited in different gospels, where Jesus said that some of the disciples in His presence would not die. What did Jesus mean?

Matthew 16:28 – 17:2 (NIV) – 16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here WILL NOT TASTE DEATH before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

Mark 9:1-3 (NIV) – 1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here WILL NOT TASTE DEATH before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.

Luke 9:27-29 (NIV) – 27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here WILL NOT TASTE DEATH before they see the kingdom of God.” 28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

We have provided more verses to show the context. In all the three citations, Jesus was speaking immediately before the Transfiguration experience. He says some disciples, not all disciples, will not die until they experience the power of God’s kingdom. A few days later whether six or eight, doesn’t matter, Peter, James and John, experienced the transfiguration. They saw how Jesus will translate to a powerful King of the heavenly kingdom. The prophecy came true.

Peter, James and John experienced the transfiguration, therefore did not die, until they saw the power of God’s kingdom. They saw it before tasting death. They later on died, but the prediction by Jesus was fulfilled. WILL NOT TASTE DEATH until they see the power of God’s kingdom, and indeed during the transfiguration, they saw.

May God help us as we study His word, so that we properly interpret it. May we believe God’s word and cross from death to life today. In Jesus’s name, Amen!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE RIGHT NOW. Someone you know will only know about this article if you share with them. Someone you know needs this article. Share this with one more person. Don’t copy the text. Copy THE LINK or send the website address which is reikesis.com so that they too read the word of God FROM THE WEBSITE and access more. YOU CAN COMMENT on this article at the bottom of the article. Also remember this author has a YouTube channel @ReiKesis which has hundreds of videos for you! Thanks for your loyal support of this ministry!