In John 17, Jesus prays for his disciples. However, He says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” And so, Jesus prays also for us.
I’m not going to go through every verse of John 17, however I want to look into what I believe is the heart of this prayer spoken so long ago, and yet which speaks to us as much today, as it did to those who first heard it.
As Jesus began his prayer he said, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
In this post and the next, I want to explore two questions that have come to my mind. What does it mean to know God? And, what is eternal life?
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Let me begin by briefly saying what I think knowing God and Jesus does not mean here.
First—It does not mean that I accept some theological doctrines as being true. I can believe that God exists, that God is good, and that God created the Universe. I can believe that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and a lot of other big words defining God—And still not know God.
I can believe that Jesus is the son of God, that He died for my sins, that He rose from the dead, and a dozen other facts about Jesus—And still not know Jesus.
Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. Knowing Jesus is not simply a mental agreement, or a verbal confession. It is not believing information we “know” and believe because we grew up in the church, agreed with a doctrinal statement, recited the sinners prayer, took a catechism class, or graduated from Bible College or Seminary.
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Second—Knowing God and Jesus, is not simply an emotional attachment. Many songs emphasize how people “feel” about Jesus, and how it is assumed that he “feels” about them. “I love you Lord.” “You are wonderful.” “You are precious.” “You are beautiful.” “hold me close.” “Feel the warmth of your embrace.”
I don’t want to belittle these emotional sentiments. However, we can have all the warm feelings in the world toward Jesus—And still not know him in the way that Jesus prays for us to know Him.
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As He continues to pray for His first century followers and for us, Jesus gives us insight into what it means to know God, and to know Him.
In John 17, the Greek word translated know, is a form of the same word used in Matthew 1:25—Joseph…had no union with his wife until she gave birth to a son. Some translations read, Joseph knew her not…
The King James translation of Genesis 4:1 reads: And Adam knew his wife, Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.
In Scripture, to know is often used as a term of intimacy. Genesis says that in the physical “knowing,” between husband and wife, the two become one flesh. In John 17, Jesus prays that we become one in spirit with him and the Father.
—Vs. 11 …That they may be one as we are one…
—Vs. 21 …That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you, may they also be in us…
—And again in Vs. 22 …That they may be one as we are one…
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Some Christians in quoting Galatians 2:20, which says, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me,” talk as if this oneness with Christ is some sort of spiritual possession in which I am merely a passive medium, and that Jesus controls me and acts through me.
I don’t believe that this is the case. This union which Jesus prays for, is one that leaves us fully who we are, and yet begins to change who we are.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells us precisely what it means to be united with Christ and with one another: …having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
In Scripture, the word spirit means breath. To be one in spirit with Jesus means that we “breathe” with him. When we are united with Christ, his purpose for this world, begins to become our purpose as well.
In other words, our lives begins to model the life of Jesus where we live and walk daily. Our oneness with Jesus begins to re-shape our thinking and motives, inform our decisions, and guide our actions.
What concerns Jesus, concerns us. We share his perspective and his priorities. We “breathe” with him in his passion for justice, mercy, equality, and peace.
We carry God’s purpose into our real lives, our homes, and our communities. It is shown in the way we do business, the way we live in creation, the way we relate to children, the way we treat the broken, the marginalized people of society, and all those who we encounter.
Sometimes, “Christ in me” is just another overused, vague, and undefinable Christian cliche. But Jesus called it glory. Glory means who God is and what God does.
Christ in us is not vague or undefinable at all. Jesus says that this oneness with Him and the Father, would be recognizable by the world and would reveal to the world two things: I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity (unity of love, spirit, and purpose). Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
What is called sharing the gospel, or telling others about Jesus, is good, but it is not our words that will reveal God’s love, forgiveness, and purpose for this world. It will be revealed when we are actually living God’s love, forgiveness, and purpose in this world. Someone has said, “Share your faith at all times. If necessary use words.”
Knowing God and knowing Jesus is not simply something we think, or believe, or feel, it is who we are. It is not merely a spoken truth, it is a living truth.
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The ancient Hebrew prophet, Jeremiah, presented a contrast between two kings: Jehoiakim, a corrupt and oppressive ruler who used his power for personal gain, and his father Josiah, who Jeremiah says, …did what was right in the eyes of the Lord…
Jeremiah 22:13-16
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice,making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.
He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.
“Does it make you a king to have more and more, cedar?
Then Jeremiah offers the contrast:
Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just,…
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,…. ….Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord
Jehoiakim did not know God. His desire was to live in luxury and excess. He payed poorly, those who served or worked for him. His goal was to get and keep more for himself. He made decisions based solely on what would benefit himself. He spent his money on himself. He lived for himself.
Josiah, on the other hand, made decisions framed by simplicity, justice, and fairness. He showed compassion toward the poor and needy, and mercy and goodness toward all.
Maybe as it was with ancient kings, so it is with us today. Maybe this is still what it means to know God……..or not.
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