The Path to Eternal Life

This morning I have been meditating on two verses from John 17. In these verses Jesus lays out a very simple path to Etneral Life. He is speaking to the Father in these verses, in prayer:

(NIV)John 17:2-3
"For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

That is an amazing statement, that eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus. The Greek word for eternal is Aionios :

Definition
1. without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be
2. without beginning
3. without end, never to cease, everlasting

And the word used for know is Ginosko

Definition
1. to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
a. to become known
2. to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
a. to understand
b. to know
3. Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4. to become acquainted with, to know

Clearly this is talking about an intimate relationship, and that is the key to eternal life. To know and be known, to be intimately acquainted with the Father and Jesus leads us to eternal life. This is not just head knowledge but an exchange of in depth knowledge, being able to tll how the other feels, what they are thinking, what they are feeling, understanding their motives and actions.

I think Jesus was speaking about this in Matthew, when he was asked about the greatest commandment.

(NIV)Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is not the language of book knowledge, but rather of love and intimacy and relationship, and I think that these two verses in John must be understood that way as well. In fact the three preceding chapters in John start with Jesus talking about love, His relationship with the apostles and the new relationship they will have with Holy Spirit. Its all about love in the context of intimate relationships.