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 [ hee (G3588 ) aioonios (G166 ) zoon (G2198 )], THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE THE ONLY TRUE GOD - the sole Personal, Living God, in glorious contrast with all forms of pagan polytheism, mystic pantheism, and philosophic naturalism. AND JESUS CHRIST, WHOM THOU HAST SENT. This is the only place where our Lord gives Himself the compound name "JESUS CHRIST," afterward so current in apostolic preaching and writing. (See the note at...

3._And this is eternal life _He now describes the manner of bestowing _life, _namely, when he enlightens the elect in the true knowledge of God; for he does not now speak of the enjoyment of_life _which we hope for, but only of the manner in which men obtain life And that this verse may be fully understood, we ought first to know that we are all in death, till we are enlightened by God, who alone is _life _Where he has shone, we possess him by faith, and, therefore, we also enter into the possession of _life; _and this is the reason why the _knowledge _of him is truly and justly called saving, or bringing salvation. (109) Almost every one of the words has its weight; for it is not every kind of knowledge that is here described, but that knowledge which forms us anew into the image of God from faith to faith, or rather, which is the same with faith, by which, having been engrafted into

1-5 Our Lord prayed as a man, and as the Mediator of his people; yet he spoke with majesty and authority, as one with and equal to the Father. Eternal life could not be given to believers, unless Christ, their Surety, both glorified the Father, and was glorified of him. This is the sinner's way to eternal life, and when this knowledge shall be made perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully enjoyed. The holiness and happiness of the redeemed, are especially that glory of Christ, and of his Father, which was the joy set before him, for which he endured the cross and despised the shame; this glory was the end of the sorrow of his soul, and in obtaining it he was fully satisfied. Thus we are taught that our glorifying God is needed as an evidence of our interest in Christ, through whom eternal life is God's free gift. #6-10. Christ prays for those that are his. Thou gavest them me, as s...

Verse John 17:3. _THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL_] The salvation purchased by Christ, and given to them who believe, is called _life_: 1. Because the life of man was _forfeited_ to Divine justice; and the sacrifice of Christ redeemed him from that _death_ to which he was exposed. 2. Because the souls of men were _dead_ in trespasses and sins; and Christ _quickens_ them by his _word_ and _Spirit_. 3. Because men who are not saved by the grace of Christ do not _live_, they only _exist_, no good purpose of life being answered by them. But when they receive this salvation they _live _- answer all the Divine purposes, are _happy_ in themselves, _useful_ to each other, and bring _glory_ to God. 4. _It is called eternal life_ to show that it reaches _beyond_ the limits of time, and that it necessarily im

THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL - This is the source of eternal life; or it is in this manner that it is to be obtained. The knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ is itself a source of unspeakable and eternal joy. Compare John 11:25; John 6:63; John 12:50. MIGHT KNOW THEE - The word “know” here, as in other places, expresses more than a mere speculative acquaintance with the character and perfections of God. “It includes all the impressions on the mind and life which a just view of God and of the Saviour is fitted to produce.” It includes, of course, love, reverence, obedience, honor, gratitude, supreme affection. “To know God as he is” is to know and regard him as a l

EXPOSITION JOHN 17:1 4. The _high-priestly intercession_._ Audible communion of the Son with the Father_._ _The prayer which now follows reveals, in the loftiest and sublimest form, the Divine humanity of the Son of man, and the fact that, in the consciousness of Jesus as the veritable Christ of God, there was actually blended the union of the Divine and human, and a perfect exercise of the prerogatives of both. The illimitable task which writers of the second century must have set themselves to accomplish, if they had by some unknown process conceived such a stupendous idea without any historical basis to support it, has actually been so effected, that a representation is given which adequately conveys such a synthesis. The author of the Gospel does, however, draw rather upon his memory of that night than upon his phi

AND THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL,.... That is, the beginning and pledge of it, the way unto it, and means of it, and what will certainly issue in it: THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST, WHOM THOU HAST SENT. The knowledge of God here spoken of, is not the knowledge of him by the light of nature, and works of creation; for a man may know God in this sense, and not know him in Christ, nor anything of Christ; yea, may know God and profess him in words, and in works deny him, as the Heathens did; nor is eternal life known hereby, nor connected with it: nor is it such a knowledge of God as is to be obtained by the law of Moses, in which God is represented as a righteous and incensed Being; nor is there in it any discovery of God, as a God of love, grace, and mercy in Christ; nor any revelation of a Mediator, Saviour and Redeemer; nor can it either show, or give to persons...

John 17:1. _These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come;_ This is in a very special sense our Lord's prayer. What a word that is from the lips of Jesus, «Father»! This was the night of his deepest sorrow and his heaviest woe, but he begins his prayer with this tender expression, «Father, the hour is come;» the hour of darkness, the hour of his passion and death, had now arrived. John 17:1. _Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:_ Did Jesus look upon his suffering as his glory? He does not merely pray, «Sustain thy Son,» but, «Glorify thy Son.» In truth, our Lord's lowest stoop was his highest glory. He was never more resplendent than when he hung upon the cross, that was his true spiritual throne, so he prayed, «Glor

CHAPTER 17 _ 1. The Finished Work. (John 17:1 .)_ 2. The Father's Name and the Father's Gift. (John 17:6 .) 3. Not of the World but Kept in it. (John 17:11 .) 4. Sanctification of Himself for His Own. (John 17:17 .) 5. The Glorification. (John 17:22 .) His words were ended to the eleven disciples and next He spoke to the Father, and His disciples listened to all His blessed words. What moments these must have been! His words to the Father told them once more how he loved them, how He cared for them, what He had done and what

Jesus prays with full consciousness that the crisis of His earthly career is come. Will His death prove the annihilation of His person and work, or its glorification, the transition to a higher form of life, in which His life-work on earth shall be consummated in fuller life under circumstances of wider opportunity? The glory for which He prays is not for Himself but to disclose what the Son really is, that by the completion of His life-work, which has shown God's purpose of love for men, God may be glorified, revealed in His true nature of Love. He knows the prophets-' wider outlook of blessing for all men through the Jews, and that His commission of authority extends to all flesh. The Heb. form of expression is to be noticed. So He prays to enter into the wider life in which He can fulfil the wider purpose of His mission, which during His earthly life was confined to Palestine. The aut...