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

March 24th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Eternal life is the greatest treasure ever offered to any person on earth. Jesus made it clear that Father God’s intent is that we come to know Him personally. The Greek word ginosko, translated using 3 English words: know, perceive, and understand, appears 223 times in the New Testament. The Apostle John used the word know more than any other gospel writer. Jesus obviously used the word often since it appears 71 times in the Olivet discourse alone, when Jesus spoke about the end times on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:1–25:46). Why is there so much focus on knowing?

In the 1st century, when John wrote his gospel, this word ginosko was a hot word, loaded with meaning. Early historians tell us John lived to be almost 100 years old, so he had the opportunity to watch the newly founded Church of Jesus be birthed and make its first faltering infant steps of growth. But that also meant he lived to see the early counterfeit cults arise. Anti-Christian cults like the Gnostics (Greek = know) flourished. Sadly, those writings are again creeping into our own culture’s popular books and films. This Gnostic cult movement stumbled many from the late 1st century to the 4th century. To its adherents, Gnosticism promised a secret knowledge of the divine realm and only those who had this special knowledge could have interaction with God. John recorded the words of Jesus’ prayer to come against any idea of “special knowledge.” Jesus said, “that they may know You, the only true God.”

What would you say eternal life means? Is it nothing but eternal existence going on and on infinitely? Is it floating on cloud nine, strumming a harp? No, the definition is right here: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” That is eternal life! It is not so much about quantity of life as it is quality of life. The joy of eternal life is not just that all our problems will be behind us, but that we will see Jesus face to face. Eternal life is an eternal relationship with God, and, according to John 20:31, it is ours simply on the basis of faith in Jesus. Knowing God is the important and completely fulfilling thing we will be doing for eternity.

“LORD, we want to walk with You and know You better by the end of this day. Show us more of You along the road of life, in the things we see, hear, say, and sense.”