All right, in John chapter 17,
we're reading verses 1 through 3, and again, my subject is knowing
God or saving knowledge. We find it here in the text,
John 17, 1 through 3. These words spake Jesus, lifted
up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy Son, that thy Son
also may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. And this is eternal life, that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent." Now, basically, the third verse provides us both
our subject and our text for the evening. Just about all Christians
are aware that this text that we have read from is a portion
of the great prayer that our Lord prayed that evening in the
upper room, in the presence of his apostles on the very eve
of his being crucified upon the cross. And it is John, John's
gospel, that gives us a long and a very detailed account,
more so than the other gospels do, of the events of this gathering,
our Lord and his disciples in the upper room. In fact, in John's
gospel, it covers all the way from chapter 13 down through
chapter 17. Just think about that. Five whole
chapters. in the gospel of John are devoted
to this most important time that our Lord spent with his disciples,
instructing them and preparing them for his coming departure. We're thankful for this section
of John's Gospel because it is the only record which we have
of these things in the Scripture, as the first three Gospels were
not inspired to include these things in their writing. John
has concluded the record of the public ministry of Christ, that
would be at the end of chapter 12, now he writes up those things
that pass between the Lord and the disciples the last time that
he would be with them in such a setting as this. And our text
being found in chapter 17, and it is the prayer of the Lord,
for notice what it said, Behold, he prayeth, as we might say. When he had finished his instruction,
when he was through at speaking to the disciples, the scripture
said here that he lifted up his eyes and he lifted up his voice
unto God the Father. Now, it is not unusual for us
to read in the gospel that Jesus prayed. That's not unusual. Several times we read of Jesus
at prayer. He prayed at his baptism, Luke
3 and verse 21. He prayed in Matthew 11. And verse 25, and what a prayer
that was. Father, I thank thee that you
have hid these things from the wise and the prudent and has
revealed them unto babe. He prayed at the tomb of Lazarus
in John chapter 11. We'll look at that later. He prayed in Gethsemane, and
all how our Lord prayed, great sweat drops, as it were, of blood,"
Matthew 26, 39, and verse 42. But of this prayer in John chapter
17, as the Puritan Thomas Manton wrote, in his 450-page exposition
of the Lord's Prayer here in John chapter 17, saying that
the Spirit of God seems to have put a very special mark upon
this particular prayer of our Lord, For in other prayers the
Lord says nothing, or at least nothing is recorded that he said,
and in other prayers that our Lord prayed, very briefly they
are summed up and a few words are given. But Manton called
this prayer of the Lord, quote, his dying blaze, end quote, a
monument It is to Christ's affection for his church, for the Father,
and for the work that the Father had given him to do. One other
point before we move along. In praying at the tomb of Lazarus,
Jesus said in John 11 and verse 42, Father, I thank Thee that
Thou hearest me always, but because of these which stand by, I said
it, that they might believe that You sent me. Now, some miracles
were done with no account, of any audible prayer from the Lord
Jesus. But in this case, at Lazarus'
tomb, he wants those present to hear his claims and his prayer
unto the Father, and see the resulting proof and the answer
of that prayer. Now, Mekinah thinks the same
about this prayer in John chapter 17, that our Lord willed that
it be heard by the disciple, that they hear his intercession,
that they hear him pray for them personally and directly, and
that they understand the very close union that there is between
the Father and the Son, that they might know the essence of
eternal or everlasting life. Now, look at it. The first thing
that the Lord prays for is His coming glorification, which is
the foundation of all covenant blessing. Until the Lord is glorified,
there cannot move further the blessings of the Lord and those
great things. He acknowledges in this prayer,
Father, the hour has come. That hour, that particular time,
that one that was appointed by the Father in the eternal counsels
of God, when the great, great sacrifice for sin would be offered
by the incarnate Son of God. The time has come, really, the
hour, that hour has arrived. He then prays to be glorified
with the Father. Remember that Jesus said in John
chapter 12 and verse 23, The hour is come that the Son of
Man should be glorified. And then from Luke 24 and verse
26, and other texts much like it, we learn that the way to
Christ's glory was by the suffering, the death, and the agony of the
cross and of the tomb. So, in verse 2 of John 17, in
his glorified state, he would exercise a special sovereignty,
having power been given to him over all flesh by the Father. Now, you may notice that the
word power here in this particular place is the word exousia, and
it means authority or right or privilege or freedom. It is not
the power of might, but it is the power of authority or of
privilege. It's the same word used in John
1 and verse 12, of those who have been given power, literally
authority or right, to become the children of God. He has been
given authority over all flesh, over all mankind. The Lord has
a universal sovereignty. in order that he might bestow
eternal life to the ones which the Father hath given unto him,
as has been given to him that he might say." This is as clear
a statement as you're going to find on election in the gospel. Christ having a universal sovereignty
and bestowing salvation or everlasting life. upon those that the Lord
has given him. Remember Acts 2 and verse 36,
the Lord hath made this same Jesus whom you crucified, both
Lord and Christ. Remember Philippians 2, verse
9 through verse 11, as he has the keys to death and the keys
to death, and as Joseph had the keys to the great storehouses
in the land of Egypt. So the Lord has authority over
all mankind to give eternal life to, notice three words, many
as, to give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given
unto him." Thomas Manton put it this way, that this is the
reason for Christ receiving that authority over all flesh, or
over all mankind, for the purpose of bestowing eternal life unto
some of them. Coming to our text then, Here
in the third verse, having mentioned in verse two eternal life, eternal
life given by the Son, he gives there in verse three, the essence
and the nature of this eternal life. He sums it up. Eternal
life consists in knowing God, or to turn it around, knowing
God is eternal life, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I give unto them eternal life. And this is eternal life, that
they may know the Father and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent." Now, we probably are apt to only think of eternal life
as mere unending existence, and that would be right, that's one
of it. But even the last, and even in hell, have an unending
existence. Even those that perish and are
lost, they will be in existence perpetually or forever or from
now on, even in eternal death. But this eternal life has its
conscious beginning in the elect, in their life, and in this particular
world. They now have eternal life, and
shall not come into condemnation, but they have passed from death
unto life." John 5 and verse 24. 1 John chapter 3 and 14,
the last passage saying, we know that we have passed from death
unto life because we love the brethren, since he that hates
his brother abides then in death. Not only so, but the Lord speaks
of a knowledge A knowledge here that might rightly be summed
up and rightly be called saving knowledge. This is not just educational
knowledge, this is saving knowledge. So let's make the distinction,
before going any further, that there are two kinds of knowledge,
that is, knowledge that we would call religious. There are two
aspects of knowledge that would fall under the heading of religion,
things that pertain unto God, having to do with one's view
of God, and the two sorts of knowledge are Number one, natural
knowledge, or natural revelation, as we might call it, since knowledge
of God comes only by revelation. Except God reveal Himself, none
can know Him in any degree. A man can only know God to the
degree that he reveals himself unto them. Some only have the
knowledge of natural revelation. I read in a book by Herman Bebink,
the Dutchman, called The Doctrine of God is the name of the book.
He said religion and the knowledge of God can have their origin
only in revelation. If God does not reveal himself
to the creature, knowledge of him is evidently unattainable. Now some examples of this sort
of revelation and natural knowledge are two, creation and conscience. When you think of those two things,
creation and conscience, and how they work and how they relate
unto men, even the heathen, You have that passage in Psalm 19,
and that's a great psalm and a great passage. You have Romans
chapter 2, 14 and verse 15. Romans 1 and verse 19 said, Because
that which may be known about God is manifest unto them because
God hath shown it unto them." And we ask, how is it that God
has shown it unto them? In the twentieth verse, Romans
1, in creation, so that they are literally without excuse. Notice that verse 20 beautifully
carries over into verse 21, "...so that they are without excuse,
because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God." Now,
the knowledge that Paul has in mind is that which is evident
or made manifest, or is revealed in creation. By seeing the vast
creation of God, they must consider in their mind that there is a
Creator, and He should be glorified for His great power, and His
glory. Instead, in the face of what
they knew, they turned and worshipped some creature rather than worshipping
God. So then let us reclaim. I'm not
suggesting, nor was Paul, that such knowledge to lead one to
the knowledge of salvation. One does not look at the stars
or creation there find a revelation of saving grace or the forgiveness
of sin. But God has not left himself
without a witness, Acts 14 and verse 17, still in observing
the works of creation. It will not lead any to the truth
of Christ as the Savior of sinners. John Owen wrote, No works of
prophethood can make this discovery. There is not to be had either
in creation either in providence, a revelation of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the forgiveness of sin. Instead, leaving or taking
that revelation, they became idolaters, sinning against what
God had showed them or revealed to them. Now, the second point
to be made, there is saving knowledge. There are some that have had
a revelation of God. They believe there is a God.
They don't know Him, but it's not a saving revelation. On the
other hand, there is a saving knowledge of God, and it's the
sort intended here in our text in John 17 and verse 3. And it
is inseparable from eternal life. Watch, that they might know the
Father and the Son, which is eternal life. The words of Pharaoh
are the words of many. In Exodus 5 and verse 2, I know
not the Lord, neither will I be obedient to his voice, neither
will I let the people go. Paul spoke again of such in Galatians
chapter 4 and verse 8. You knew not the Lord, you knew
not God. In 1 Thessalonians 1, 2 Thessalonians,
1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, Paul speaks of the Gentiles that know
not God. Yes, in the 2nd epistle, chapter
1 and verse 8, that God will take vengeance on those who know
not God. 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 8. Now, John especially, of all
the other writers and apostles, was fond of the expressing of
salvation as knowing God. He carries it over into his epistles
as well. Now, do you wonder how is it
that Scripture would say that they know not God on the one
hand, when on the other hand, Job 9 and 10, who does great
things past finding out? Romans 11, 33, how unsearchable
are his judgment and his ways past finding out? Job again,
chapter 11 and verse 7, Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection? Job 26 and 14. These are but
parts of His ways, but how little a portion is heard of Him. Now
the question is how to reconcile the two things. We frankly confess
that God in His absolute essence and nature is incomprehensible. incomprehensible to the most
spiritual mind and the most spiritual enlightened mind even. Who is
there that can know Him fully? Who can know his mind and his
thought? Who can comprehend his multiple
perfections which dwell innately in him? Who is there that can
search out the depths of his counsel and know all of them? Who is there that can fathom
the nature of our great and wonderful God? Who is there that can measure
the eternality of God? We answer, only the Son knows
the Father in these senses that we have mentioned. Matthew 11
and verse 27, No man knows the Father except the Son, nor does
any know the Son except the Father, and He to whom He will reveal
Him. The Son reveals the Father to
whom He will. And just think on this text. Only the Son is capable and qualified
to know and to reveal the Father unto the human family. The Son
knows the Father, knows him in the fullness of his nature and
of his essence. And yet the Son reveals not the
fullest absolute essence of the Father, but he reveals that great
salvation purpose before the foundation of the world. We repeat
what older writers have said. Our God is both knowable and
unknowable. For our God is both unknowable
and is knowable. What is knowable is revealed
to us in and through Christ in the Scripture, a saving knowledge. Then we can remember how in Deuteronomy
29, and verse 29, Moses closed that long last discourse that
he gave to the nation of Israel with these words. the secret
things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which he
has revealed unto us and unto our children forever, that we
might do his law." Let's go back to John 17 and 3 and see the
knot here that is tied between knowledge and eternal life, or
if you prefer, eternal life and knowledge, that a proper knowledge
of God and of Christ is the essence of eternal life. Yea, that a
right knowledge of God and of Christ is the vital essence of
all Christianity. And the whole world can be divided
into two classes, those that know God and those that do not
know God. Now, let's be very clear about
this, that this knowing God in the sense that our Lord declares
it, is not a mere intellectualism. It is not merely intellectual
learning or mental ascent. It's not education and not studying
necessarily. It's not a bare speculative notion
of God, as some times say. It's not a mere head knowledge
of God that we're talking about. Many people would say they believe
in God. They would say they believe that
God exists, but they do not know Him. Even some would say that
Jesus exists and that they have heard that He saves sinners,
and yet they do not know Him. Many people have been in church
a long years, some all their life, and they do not no God. They do not have a saving knowledge
of God and of Christ. They might have heard doctrine
and might assent to that doctrine, but they do not know the Lord
God and Christ. So there is a reciprocal knowledge
between Christ and his people. By that we mean that there is
a knowing on both sides. Not only do the saved know God
and know Christ, but they know their own. 2 Timothy 2, verse
19, the foundation of God stands assured, having this seal, or
literally this inscription, the Lord knoweth them that are His. It is firm and unshakable, and
in that context the apostle had just spoken of the defection
of some who were seduced by false prophets. and had gone off into
heresy. And in verse 18 he said, who
concerning the truth have erred, have missed the aim, have wandered
aside, even saying that the resurrection is already taken place, and overpro
the fate of some. To this Paul says, nevertheless,
The foundation of God is firm, it's steady as it is in the margin,
and sealed with the seal of God. God knows them that are His. Cannot this refer to their election? He knows them that are His. Whom he did foreknow, yes, those
chosen in him before the world. Now concerning this double knowing
that we spoke about, consider a minute John 10 and verse 14. This is a marvelous verse. I am the good shepherd, I know
my sheep, and am known of mine. Now let's get all of that. I'm
the great shepherd, I know my sheep and I am known of mine. The essence of this statement
is this, I know my sheep and my sheep know me. And what kind of knowing is it? that is meant and illustrated
in the next verse. There is in the first part of
verse 15, which should not be separated from verse 14 in our
study, and puts it in its proper perspective when we put it together. Watch this. I am the good shepherd,
I know my sheep, and they know me, even as the Father knows
me, and I know the Father." This respects a most intimate knowing,
a close relationship, the Father and the Son. Others are not his
sheep, but his sheep hear his voice and they follow him, and
they will not follow the voice of a stranger. Remember John
10.26, some are not my sheep, you are not my sheep. To the
foolish virgin in Matthew chapter 25 and 1 and 2, When they came
knocking on the door, the master said, I never knew you. Again, in Galatians 4 and verse
9, Paul reasons with some wavering ones there in Galatia. And he
sets forth this dual knowing when we take in verse 8 and 9
of Galatians chapter 4 together. When you knew not God, you did
service to them which were by nature not God's. He is speaking
here to the Gentile section of the church at Galatia. And then
they came to the knowledge of the true and the living God.
Once you knew Him not, but now you know Him. Or rather, he says,
are known of God, known by God, for they knew Him because He
first knew them. And He brought them to know Him
because He first knew them even in election. Consider what was
said to Jeremiah. Before I farmed you in the womb,
I knew you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nation. Jeremiah
chapter 1 and verse 5. So the essence of the matter
is, God and Christ knew the elect from everlasting And in due time,
whatever there had been their background, however they had
lived in this world, or however they had worshipped, they are
made to know God. They are brought to a saving
knowledge of Him. They have been brought to the
knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. When you
consider a statement found in that greatest of all prophecies
in Isaiah and the fifty-third chapter, you know that it concerns
Christ the Messiah. And in verse eleven of Isaiah
fifty-three, we have this statement there, By His knowledge shall
my righteous servant justify many. Now think about that. In
the midst of all those other wonderful things that are said
about Messiah, by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many. Now I think, with those who do,
that this is not by His knowledge, not by His knowing how to justify
them, For certainly he knows that. This is true, but it is
not the meaning of the statement in this place. But the impartation
of the knowledge of Christ is what is meant here. By that my
righteous servant shall justify many by his knowledge. John Gill
wrote on Isaiah 53 and verse 11, that it is none other than
justification by faith that is meant in that text. And here
we could have the discussion that whether or not faith is
a part of knowledge, or whether knowledge is a part of faith. Think about that. Is faith a
part of knowledge? Is knowledge a part of faith? One conclusion which we are likely
to reach is, they are inseparable. Where there is one, there will
be the other. Where there is faith, there will
be knowledge. Where there is knowledge, there will be faith.
And a point about all of this not to miss, Knowing God is a
part of the promise of the covenant that God made to Israel of old. Listen to Jeremiah 24 and verse
7. I will give them an heart to
know me. What a wonderful thing. I will
give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord." Jeremiah
31, 31 through 34, quoted in Hebrews 8, 8 through 12, says
in part, and I'm only using part, this is the covenant I will make. I will put my laws in their inward
parts and write it upon their hearts. They shall all know Me."
The thing promised? The knowledge of God. They would
learn of God, not just by external instruction from a scribe, but
have a heart to know Me, have heart knowledge, or as it is
a fact, saving knowledge of God and of Christ our Lord. They
shall know Me, those that are in covenant with God. The Apostle
John emphasized this in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 20, saying
to them, You have an option of the Holy One, and you know all
things. Now, the word unction there in
verse 20 is the same word that is translated down in verse 27
as anointing. You have an anointing, and need
not that any teach you. You should read verse 26 and
verse 27. John declares that this anointing that teaches the
truth to the saints of God is a hedge against them being seduced
by false teachers and carried off yonder somewhere into heresy. This being or having the knowledge
of the truth and of God and of Christ is a great hedge against
heresy and being led into error. and it led astray." What's more,
John writes, verse 5 and verse 20, we know that the Son of God
is come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true, and we are in Him that is true in His Son Jesus Christ,
and listen again, this is true God and eternal life. There they are connected together
again. Do you ever consider the words
of the Lord in John chapter 6 verse 44 and verse 45? If I might turn
there and read them for us very quickly. John 6, 44 and 45. No man can come to me except
the Father which hath sent me drawing. I will raise him up
at the last day. And watch verse 45. It is written
in the prophet, they shall all be taught of God. Every man,
therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh
unto me." First of all, there's the power of depravity and inability,
the person void of the grace of God. They will not, for they
cannot come to Christ apart from being drawn, irresistibly drawn
along. In verse 45, though, The Lord
confirms this from the passage found in Isaiah 54 and verse
13, is where you'll find that. They shall be taught of God. Now, the full verse there is
this. They shall be taught of God, all thy children, and great
shall be the peace of thy children, unquote. The Lord makes the application. all that are taught of God, that
is, by God, by the Holy Spirit, shall come unto me, and that
those who come to Christ have been taught by God, having learned
They come, a necessary prerequisite for those who come to the Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. They shall be taught of God,
and every one so taught cometh unto me. Now, to close with this
conclusion, it is more blessed to know God or to know Christ
than to know a president or a king or a head of state. or the world's
richest man, or any public figure, or the country's favorite movie
star. It is more blessed to know God
and to know Christ, for that is eternal life. Of all that
we might know, to know God, to know Christ, that is eternal
life. Saving knowledge. And think again,
as I quit, about whether Faith is a part of knowledge, or knowledge
is a part of faith, or whether they're so mixed together, we
can no longer separate them except in our theology.