The Sum & Substance of Eternal Life
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Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that they know you,the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3 |
When I was in seminary one of my professors reflected on his days as a pastor. He mentioned the fact that he always preferred a funeral over a wedding. He said he didn’t care for weddings because no one seemed to care about his message. Everyone was focused on the bride and how pretty her dress was.
He loved funerals, however. He loved them because at a funeral, people are thinking about their mortality. They were thinking about life and death. They were thinking about ultimate questions. So, he said, that they were more willing to listen to what he had to say.
It’s true. In this context it’s almost as if the grave is staring directly at each and every one of us. While we gather to remember my mother and pay our respects, we can’t help but think about your own demise and the grim reality of it.
That’s why its good to turn to the Scriptures on such an occasion. Because in the Scriptures we are presented with the good news; Good news of life and salvation.
And this passage in John 17 couldn’t be better. For this tells us about the wonderful blessing that comes to everyone who is in Christ. It reminds us of the life that there is in God. And it is not just any life. The believer has this thing that is described as eternal life.
And that is what I want to focus on for a few moments. I would like us to reflect on what eternal life is. I’d like us to think about this concept of eternal life and understand its essential nature.
And I want to do that for two reasons. One reason is because it is such a great comfort. There can be nothing more consoling than knowing that we may have eternal life.
But I also want us to reflect on it because I don’t think that everyone truly understand what eternal life really is.
And this goes for Christians too. I do not believe that Christians have a good grasp of the concept. Maybe even people who have been Christians for a long time. I would suggest that most people who have been Christians 20, 30, even 40 years truly understand what the sum and substance of eternal life is.
I. What people think it is
I know what you are thinking: You think you know. You probably do not think that it is all that difficult. Maybe you’re sitting there thinking that I’m wasting your time. That’s because the answer seems so obvious.
If you would go out on the street corner and you would ask anyone, “What is eternal life?” The answer would be that eternal life consists of living for a very long time. It is, after all, eternal life. And that means that we continue to have this thing we call consciousness and it does not cease. Life just goes on forever, and ever, and ever.
And I do not want to downplay this at all. We should not push aside this concept in the least. Because it is a very important thing. Indeed, one of the greatest blessings of the gospel is that we get to spend eternity living. That is one of the blessings God promises us in the gospel. We get to enjoy a life that does not end.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. Sin is that which keeps us from having unending life. We must die because we have broken God’s commands. But because Jesus rose from the dead he broke the power of death. And those who believe in him gain salvation from sin and death. And the blessing is that we get to have an eternal, unending experience of life.
So then, even though we may die, our life does not end. It goes on forever and ever.
But, let me just clarify that this is not what eternal life truly is. It is a blessing. It is a wonderful thing. There’s no doubt about that. But that in itself is not really getting at the essential nature of eternal life.
That is merely talking about the duration of eternal life. While we may talk about eternal life in terms of how long it is, that is not the sum and substance of it.
You need to understand that eternal life is more than simply having a lot of birthdays. There’s much more to it than merely this time component. And, that is why I’m taking the time to talk about this. For so many people think of eternal life as being defined by its extent.
There’s much more to it though.
Now I want to address those of you who are more theological. Some of you know that it was a trick question. And you saw right through it the whole time. And you said, “I know what he’s talking about. I know what eternal life is. Eternal life isn’t an issue of time, it has to do with experience.”
Some of you know are keen enough to know that all of us, whether we are believers or unbelievers, have a life that will go on forever. After all, we were all created with an immortal soul. And whether you go to heaven or to hell, you will have some sort of ongoing consciousness.
And you recognize that those who go to hell and are punished for their sins, will not have anything close to being associated with that which we call eternal life. Even though their life may not end and they will see the continual passing of days, they cannot be said to have something that’s really called life. At least not in the biblical sense of the term.
No, those who have not turned to Christ and repented of their sins will die, just like everyone else. But after their death they will experience what the Bible calls “the second death.” They will go to a realm where they will experience unending pain and torment. The wrath of God will come down upon them because of their sins and they will suffer. The Bible describes it in various ways. It is the worm that does not die. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is described as eternal destruction. It is not anywhere close to being eternal life. It is, at best, an eternal existence.
Scripture, when it talks about life, talks about it in the most lively of ways. The word, you may say, is pregnant. That’s because so much is packed into the term.
Jesus says he came that we might have life, and life to the full. And the idea is that the life that the believer enjoys has a certain quality about it. There is joy, there is health, there is peace, there is wellness, there is an experience of loving and being loved. There’s no pain, no sorrow, no tears; there’s no misery at all. It is nothing but pure and genuine life! It’s the fullness of life.
Some of you are coffee snobs. You’ve grown accustomed to a certain kind of coffee. When you make your yearly budget, you probably put a load down for this line item because you buy some of the premium stuff. You want to enjoy the best coffee there is. And you’re willing to pay for it.
And there are those times where you get stuck at a hotel. And you do not have your coffee with you. And you are forced to drink the stuff that comes out of that toilet they call a coffee pot. And as you take your first sip of it, you think, “You call this stuff coffee?”
That coffee is terrible in comparison to the coffee you typically drink. The kind you drink is bright and has a rich nutty flavor, with floral notes. Every cup of it enthuses your palette and is a joy to drink.
In a similar way, we can talk about the kind of life that the Bible promises. It is a robust thing. The life promised by God is not in anyways lacking. It is a life that is full of pleasure and joy and vigor.
And many of you know that when we speak of eternal life that’s what we mean. It is the supreme experience of life.
And Yes, you are correct. When we are saved from sins, we are, of course, saved from its miseries too. So we get to enjoy all the blessings of God’s favor. He showers upon us his love and affection. Our days are filled with unspeakable bliss. For ages upon ages we get to bask in the the greatest conditions. Never do we have even the hint of sadness.
If you have thought this, I want to commend you. You have a keen understanding of Scripture. But, you are still not correct.
And again, I do not want to downplay your answer. There is something grandiose about this life that is eternal. But what you are describing is the quality of eternal life. You have not yet described the real essence of eternal life. There’s a difference between what it is, and what it is like.
There’s a difference between what it is and how long it lasts. So it’s just like I said. A lot of people think they know. But they do not really know.
So I want to clarify that for you this morning. As we face the reality of death, I want us to grasp what Jesus says here about eternal life. Jesus provides us with a unique description.
II. What eternal life really is
Notice what he says. The text says, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Make sure you understand that the real focus of it--the real core of eternal life, is knowing God and his Son, Jesus Christ. That is what eternal life is.
Eternal life consists not in many birthdays or happy experiences. Rather, it is fundamentally social in nature. Eternal life is fundamentally defined by a living and vital relationship with the Lord.
The thing that makes eternal life so wonderful is that the Lord is at the center of it. We know him. We may relate to him. We may enjoy him. We have fellowship with him.
Again, it is social. It has to do with the communion that we may share with God. We who were alienated from God, get to interact with him. We who were estranged from him, get to have draw near to him. Better yet, He who was once was our enemy, is now our friend who embraces us and accepts us.
Jesus says, This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Now, I recognize that there may be some here who may balk at this. You may say, “Really? That’s what eternal life is?” And you may think that is the biggest joke. It might seem like a huge letdown to you.
But you probably do not appreciate it because you probably have a wrong concept of God. You don’t really know who God is or anything about him. You don’t grasp the fact that he is gracious and compassionate. You don’t comprehend the extent of his love, or the immensity of his holiness. This is the omnipotent God, the majestic One who transcends time and space.
You are underwhelmed because you have an underwhelming view of God.
That’s what is expressed here. He is the only True God--Those words are an abbreviated way of talking about the greatness of who God is.
But, you’ll notice that it also says that it was this God who sent Jesus Christ. This God willingly gave up his Son. He sent him into this world to save us; to die for us. To remove the curse of sin that lay upon us. He sent his Son in order to provide a way that we might be freed from hell and condemnation and enjoy eternal life.
That is the God we get to know. The one who is willing to pardon; the one who is willing to receive
sinners, though they do not deserve it.
This is eternal life, that we may know the only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom he sent.
That, my friends, is the comfort of eternal life. And that is the great comfort that my mother experiences at this very moment. She has passed into a world where she stands in the presence of God.
And though there may be many dazzling wonders all around her. Though she may now enjoy a health and wellness that far surpasses anything we can imagine. Even though she has days without number ahead of her. The one thing that she now delights in most is the communion she has with her Savior.
And we may enjoy the same blessing. Christ has come that we may enter into the joy of fellowship with God forevermore.
May that peace be yours and bring you abiding comfort.
Let’s pray…
That is the wonder of wonders, O God. That we may be united to Christ and enjoy you forever. That we might experience your love, benefit from your favor, bask in your greatness, and celebrate your grace for all eternity. May the blessing of this gospel give our hearts every encouragement and may it stir up the joy of our eternal hope.
Amen.