What is more than eternal? John MacArthur

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.*

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 
(John 3:15-17)


Explanation from John MacArthur:

*This is the first of ten references to "eternal life" in John's gospel. The same Greek word is translated eight times as "everlasting life."

The two expressions appear in the New Testament nearly 50 times.

Eternal life refers not only to eternal quantity but also to divine quality of life.

It means literally "life of the age to come" and refers therefore to resurrection and heavenly existence in perfect glory and holiness.

This life for believers in the Lord Jesus is experienced before heaven is reached.

This "eternal life" is in essence nothing less than participation in the eternal life of the Living Word, Jesus Christ.

It is the life of God in every believer, yet not fully manifest until the resurrection.


[Note: This explanation by John MacArthur helps me understand Christ's words more fully when He said, at the Upper Room just before He was arrested:

Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

          -- John 17:1-3

And from 1 John, chapter 5:

     And this is the testimony: God has given us
     eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has
     the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of
     God does not have life...

     We know also that the Son of God has come and
     has given us understanding, so that we may know
     him who is true. And we are in him who is true--
     even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God
     and eternal life.


We are already in Him and so we are already participating in eternal life - it has already been given to us.]