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What is Eternal Life? 4

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This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

What is eternal life?

Eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ who was sent! If eternal life is to know, what does it mean to know? The answer to that question is huge, and its more than the word "k n o w" in English offers us. The very thought of trying to explain in my on words what it means to "know", the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, feels like a ton of bricks on my shoulder. So, I will default to Jesus, who knew His father perfectly. To understand what it means to know, look no further than Jesus as the example.

Jesus knew His father, He knew Him, intellectually, experientially, intimately, and relationally. He knew Him in a way that He wants us to know Himself.

Jesus knew His Father intellectually:

John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

-Jesus intellectually knew His fathers will and therefore lived it out.

John 15:15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

-Jesus heard from His father and intellectually knew things about Him, this He passed on to His disciples.

Jesus knew His Father experientially:

Hebrews 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Matthew 27:46 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli , Eli , lama sabachthani ?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

-Jesus experientially knew His father by living life and going through all its hardships and blessings and seeing His Fathers hand in it all. This is experiential knowledge, seeing God’s hand at work in all of life.

Jesus knew His Father intimately:

John 14:10-11 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.

-Jesus and the Father are one. You cannot separate the two. Jesus knew His father intimately.

Matthew 3:17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

-Jesus knew His Father intimately as a Son.

Jesus knew His Father relationally:

Luke 6:12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

-Jesus continually spent time in communication with His Father. Communication is a major part in any relationship.

Luke 9:35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”

-Jesus knew His Father relationally as a Son. Jesus lived His life in accordance to His sonship.

To the unbeliever…
Do you know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, in this way?

To the believer…
Are you continually getting to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, in this way?

Because this my friends is eternal life!

O’ the sweet joy of knowing Him!

Your fellow servent in Christ,
Ryan