John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
"And this is life eternal." There is an often asked question
concerning life after death. Is there life after death? What happens when we
die? There is a mysterious veil that shrouds the subject. Jesus answers the
very basic question in telling us there is "life eternal". We know
there is life after death for Jesus has already entered into that veil and then
showed us there is a resurrection from the dead. He left the promise that
"because He lives, we shall live also."
So now the next question is this, when did "life eternal" begin?
If there is no end to it, when did it begin? Or will it begin when we
die? I'm a stickler for word definitions. A synonym for "eternal" is
everlasting. So let's take that word and see where it takes us. First, we must
understand our natural bodies are not eternal or everlasting. This body shall
die. Or if the Lord returns before we die, then this body must be changed
because it is not an eternal or everlasting body. We know this is true for
there are funerals everyday.
I'm certainly not a math scholar but I do remember there are line segments
which have a beginning and an end. But true lines have no beginning or end.
They go into infinity. If I may be so bold and if my memory serves me
correctly, let me illustrate.
This is a line segment. ._________. It has a
beginning designated by a period and it has an ending also designated by a
period.
This is a line. <________________________> The
arrows designate it goes on and on and on in both directions.
You may be saying, "Steve, what in the world are you trying to say?"
Well, I'm glad you asked. Our life (natural) has a beginning and
an end just like the line segment. But "life eternal" has no
beginning and has no end. So where does "life eternal"
originate?
"Life eternal" does not originate in us; rather has its origin in the
Lord God Almighty. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or
ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God." (Psalm 90:2) God has no beginning and has no
end. "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn
thee." (Jeremiah 31:3) God's drawing us unto Himself is accomplished
in time. We call it regeneration or being born again. At that point
"life eternal" is imparted to us, but that is not when it originated. God is from everlasting to everlasting. His love for us is everlasting.
He has always loved us. He has always been the origination of eternal life.
The Lord God determined even before He said, "Let there be light,"
that He would have a people unto Himself. Our minds cannot truly fathom
this, but God loved you and me even before He created this universe. And
"life eternal" was determined for you in God and only in Him.
After saying all that, today Jesus tells us the sole purpose of "life
eternal": "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent." Jesus endured all the pain,
suffering, shame and humiliation that we might know God. Jesus endured the pain
of the cross that we might know God. Jesus died on that cross that we might
know God. If He was willing to endure such agony, doesn't it seem only
right that knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ is the highest achievement we
could ever reach? This isn't just a head knowledge that Jesus is talking
about. This is knowing the Lord God Almighty in a very intimate way. This is
speaking of knowing His grace, mercy, and love that is bestowed upon unworthy
sinners such as you and me. This is knowing the power of Christ to be
able to endure heartaches and struggles and pain and sorrow. This is
knowing the presence of the Lord Jesus in every situation of life. And
then to top it all off, this is living in all eternity with our Heavenly
Father.
What Wondrous Love is This, O My Soul