Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
John 6:40
Eternal Life
40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 17:3
Now This is Eternal Life
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
If we believe what Jesus teaches us, then everyone will get to eternal life...But eternal life will either be the best thing we have ever had in our total life, or it will be something very, very sad...In Jesus' story about Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man even gets eternal life...But he is on the other side of heaven...After his death, he is living on the not so good side...
The time had come for both Lazarus and the rich man to die...The beggar was carried to the angels then to Abraham’s side...While the rich man who had died and knew Lazarus, the beggar, had also died and was buried...In Hades, the former rich man was in torment...He looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side...So he called to Abraham, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’...The rich man wanted one of his earthly desires to be quenched and satisfied...He was hot, in agony, and very thirsty...“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony...And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’...
So both Lazarus and the former rich man were living out their eternal lives...The beggar was in good company, with the angels and our Father Abraham...The former rich man was thirsty and sweating and in eternal agony...He was in torment...So when Jesus tells us about eternal life and when everyone looks to His Father's will and to His Son and believes in Him, then they shall have eternal life, and Jesus will raise them up at the last day....And Jesus adds, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."...We see with the story of Lazarus, Jesus also wants us to follow His deeds and His teachings, while He was on earth...