Random Quotes & Articles to Provide Food for Thought
John 17:1-10
I want to speak to you for a few minutes tonight about ETERNAL LIFE. My text is found in verses 2 & 3 of the passage I just read: “…that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
These words are part of what is sometimes called the High Priestly Prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. The prayer forms the concluding part of what we call the upper room chapters of John’s Gospel—chapters 13 through 17. Here we find Jesus at the end of His earthly ministry, on the eve of His crucifixion. He is giving some parting instructions and words of encouragement to His disciples.
To begin with, He washes the disciples feet and then inaugurates the Lord’s supper. Then He goes on to talk about the many mansions in Heaven, the vine and the branches, the persecution that they can expect from the world, and He also talks to them about the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—whom He will send once He has gone.
Then comes this prayer, which takes up the whole of John chapter 17. His prayer starts out: “Father, the hour is come.” What did He mean? What hour had come? The hour of His crucifixion; the hour of the world’s redemption; the greatest hour in the history of the universe. There never was an hour like it before or since. It was the critical hour, the hour of destiny for all mankind. It was the hour of ignominy, shame, and cruelty but it was also the hour of glory, victory and triumph for all mankind. It was the hour that Jesus had looked forward to from the shoreless ocean of eternity. This hour was the explanation, the reason, the purpose behind the incarnation; it was the ground of all His teaching, the end to which His whole life had moved. It was the hour when all the forces of darkness would surround Him and try to thwart the plan of God. It was the hour when He would leave His followers to carry on the great programme of redemption that He had initiated.
“Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify Thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh….” Jesus Christ has supreme authority over all mankind. The devil is only a usurper; Christ is the true Head and Ruler.
“That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”
What is eternal life? Is it merely endless existence? No, because every human being is going to exist for ever; but those who reject Jesus will exist for ever in a place of torment. So eternal life is something more than mere endless existence.
It is LIFE ON A DIFFERENT PLANE—LIFE WITH A DIFFERENT QUALITY—SPIRITUAL LIFE! Eternal life is superior to animal life, superior to intellectual life, superior to any kind of life that man knows on a natural level. It is GOD’S LIFE IN THE SOUL OF MAN. That’s right—it’s the same kind of life that God possesses, implanted into the very souls of men and women, boys and girls.
And you know what? We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to experience it!! Listen to what Jesus says in John 3:36: “He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life”—has it already!
And John 6:54: “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.”
When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and become God’s child, we immediately receive the gift of eternal life!
Now comes the interesting part. In verse 3 our Lord DEFINES eternal life—He describes it, tells us what it consists of: “And THIS is life eternal: that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”
What does that tell us? It tells us that eternal life can be defined as a RELATIONSHIP with two persons—the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the sent One. Eternal life is not a doctrine or a creed or an experience or a feeling. Eternal life is a RELATIONSHIP with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ—“That they might KNOW thee….”
In other words, if we know God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Saviour, then we have eternal life. It’s not enough to know God the Father—indeed it’s not possible to know the Father without also knowing the Son, because Jesus Christ is the ONLY way that we can know God—the only way into God’s presence.
What does it mean to know God? It means to be intimately acquainted with Him.
It doesn’t mean to KNOW ABOUT Him. We can know a lot about a person and not really know them intimately. For example, I can know a lot about President Bush by reading books about him (which I’ve done!) and hearing about him in the news; but I don’t KNOW President Bush. Only those who are close to him really KNOW him—his wife, his family, his closest aides. The rest of us know ABOUT him; these others KNOW him and are personally, intimately acquainted with him.
The same is true when it comes to God. It’s possible to know a lot ABOUT God. We can read the Bible and lots and lots of books about God, and have our heads stuffed full of that kind of knowledge, and yet still not really KNOW Him in a personal way.
So how do we get to know Him? We get to know Him by receiving and believing on His Son, Jesus Christ. Listen to John 1:12: “But as many as RECEIVED Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVED on His name.” By receiving Christ and believing on Him, we enter into a RELATIONSHIP with God the Father and God the Son.
The most important thing for each of us tonight is whether or not we know God; for if we know Him, we have ETERNAL LIFE.
May God bless each one of you tonight and thank you for listening.
Amen.
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