Psalm 16:11: “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
Verses 10 and 11 are a prophecy about Jesus. God would not permit Jesus to remain dead and let His body corrupt in the tomb (in hell, sheol, or the grave). As recorded, God resurrected His Son on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Ephesians 1:19-23). Verse 11 indicates that Jesus was shown, by His Heavenly Father, the path that led to his resurrected life. In heaven, He was exalted to the right hand of God, given immortality (life within itself), and positioned above every name that is named (God always being the exception to that). This path of life is the heart of your question. The scriptures show that our Lord did indeed take this path. Furthermore, He opened up this way for His followers to journey with Him. If faithful, they would receive a similar resurrection reward. What is this path?
A path is a course or direction in which a person is moving. Jesus instructed His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me,” Matthew 16:24. He also said in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate…For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
The Apostle Peter explained, “…But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously,” 1 Peter 2:20-23. The path to this narrow way of sacrifice is open now to those who believe and consecrate their lives to doing God's will. If faithful they will obtain immortality, like our Lord and his Father. This path is a life of full submission to do God's will, and to follow the example of Christ in our everyday lives.
There is another “path” to life, to everlasting life here on earth. This path will open in the future for all those who did not follow Christ in their present life. That path is spoken of in Isaiah 2:3 and Micah 4:2, and will be a “highway” of holiness, (Isaiah 35). It will lead to perfect human life to whomsoever will become sons of God. Two paths from which to choose – one now and one in the future. Isn’t God’s wonderful plan great?!
