John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

I have found that it is possible to have a limited understanding about fundamentals of the faith, sometimes for years. This is why spending time reading the Word is so important instead of just waiting to be taught.  It is not reasonable to expect that any one pastor or teacher will get around to teaching any of us all that we need to know. When you develop an appetite for the Word and begin to search it for yourself, the Holy Spirit will become your teacher.

I grew up with the understanding that if you believe in the Lord Jesus as Savior, when you die you will have “eternal life”. True! You will spend eternity with the Lord, yes and that is also referred to as everlasting life. However it was an eye opener for me when I read in John 17:3 that Jesus, in his prayer to his Father, said in effect that eternal life begins now! He defined eternal life as: knowing the Father, the only true God and himself (Jesus Christ) whom God has sent. Wow!

The disciples had the pleasure of knowing Jesus in the flesh, yet when he was closing out his earthly ministry, they still had questions. John 14 records that when Jesus told them he would be going away he also said: “You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas responded: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

It seems then that knowing the Father and Jesus Christ is like an inexhaustible spring from which to draw – the more we know them, the more there is to know. I think one of the reasons Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit is that our human limitations are perfectly known to them. Jesus said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  (John14:25-26). It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to begin to live “eternal life” here and now.