# Known by Jesus ## Background - There is a nexus of knowledge, belief and eternal life in these four chapters; probably others too, but I am going to limit this note to these. - I have various Bible studies touching on this subject. However, the [[Holy Spirit]] has been poking me about this for days, so I figured I better record the random thoughts / scripture observations He has been showing me. - These thoughts are recorded in book order in the Notes section and summarized in the Takeaways section - The things I want to look at in this note include: - to know - to love - eternal life ## ToDo - ToDo Study - Finish linking ## Takeaways - Although I didn't start out to make a note on election & predestination vs freewill, the scriptures seem to point in mixed directions {[[Election]]; [[Predestination]]; [[Freewill]]} - election in the Matthew 7 and Luke 13 passages - freewill in the John 3 passages - On one level, God loves His creation. Period. - On another level, not all of creation will be allowed to spend eternity with God. Many / most will be eternally separated from God ## Notes ### Matthew 7 2024.01.19 - In **verses 13-14**, Jesus described the path to life as narrow and through a small gate. He continued by saying that few find it. {[[Matthew_07|Matthew 7.13-14]]; [[Life]]} - In **verses 15-20**, Jesus taught His disciples (and us) that we should beware of false prophets. Furthermore, we can tell who's who by their fruit. {[[False_Prophet]]; [[Fruit]]} - However, He continued to teach that despite apparent fruit, not all those who seem to be doing His will, will enter the kingdom of heaven {[[Kingdom]]; [[Heaven]]} - So, even though He taught that we can can / should discern true prophets from the false ones by their fruit, He has an additional criteria for admittance to heaven; namely whether He knows us or not {[[Matthew_07|Matthew 7.23]]} - It is interesting that Jesus said, "I never knew you". I am definitely NOT a Greek expert, but there some good tools on the interwebs - "***Never***" means pretty much what it sounds like {[[G3763]]} - "***I ... knew***" is a Aorist Indicative Active verb. Best I can tell, it is one of the past tense conjugation {[[G1097]]} - So, I think Jesus is saying that for all of eternity past, He didn't know those false prophets. For more on the past eternity, see my study The Omnitemporality of God. {[[The_Omnitemporality_of_God|The Omnitemporality of God]]} - A couple of germane topics not found in this chapter - love {[[Love]]} - the definition of eternal life {[[Eternal_Life]]} - The following summary is my best guess as of this date - We are commanded / warned to beware of false prophets - We should be able to discern false prophets from the true ones based on their fruit - Jesus uses a different criterion than we would to determine who will enter the kingdom of heaven - Ours - Prophesy in His name - Drive out demons - Perform miracles - Jesus': be known by Him ### Luke 13 2024.01.20 - This section starts off with someone asking Jesus, "will only a few people be saved?" {[[Luke_13|Luke 13.23]]} - Jesus answers the question with similar words but from a different angle than recorded in Matthew 7.13-14 - In the Matthew passage - The seeker's argument was that they: - Prophesied in His name - Drove out demons - Performed miracles - Jesus is the arbiter of access to heaven - The criterion is whether Jesus "***knew***" the seeker - In this passage: - The seeker's argument was that they ate and drank with the master and that He taught in their streets - The "master" is the arbiter - The criterion is whether the master "***knew***" where the seeker is from - I am not sure about the significance of knowing where the seeker is from - A guess: Jesus is looking at the seeker from the throne of God point of view - In other words, Jesus knows who will be with Him in heaven and who won't - Compare with [[Psalm_139|Psalm 139.16]] - Like the Matthew passage, a couple of germane topics not found in this chapter - love - the definition of eternal life - Summary - Much like my summary for the Matthew passage, admittance is based on Jesus' knowledge of us and nothing else ### John 3 2024.01.20 - Based on **verse 16**, God loved the world and the Father loves the Son {16 & 35} - There are three occurrences of knowing in this chapter - Nicodemus told Jesus, "we ***"know"*** that you are a teacher who has come from God {[[John_03|John 3.2]]} - Jesus said to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” {[[John_03|John 3.8]]} - Jesus continued with Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we "***know***", and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony" {[[John_03|John 3.11]]} - The criterion for eternal life or not is discussed several times in this chapter - everyone who "***believes***" in Him (the Son of Man) may have "***eternal life***" {15} - everyone who "***believes***" in Him (God's one and only Son) shall not perish but have "***eternal life***" {16} - Whoever "***believes***" in the Son has "***eternal life***" {36} - Another angle related to eternal life seems to be eternal condemnation / wrath - Whoever "***believes***" in Him (God's Son) is not "***condemned***" {18} - whoever does not "***believe***" has already been "***condemned***", because he has not "***believed***" in the "***name***" of God’s one and only Son {18} - Whoever "***rejects***" the Son will not see "***life***". Instead, the "***wrath***" of God remains on him {36} - Summary - God loves His creation! - Although there are criteria for eternal life vs eternal condemnation / wrath, there is no indication in scripture that God stopped loving His creation - The use of the verb "to believe" as well as the negative form "not believe" and the verb "to reject" seem to support the idea of freewill {[[Freewill]]} - Believing in Jesus seems to be a major theme of this chapter {[[Believe]]} ### John 14 2024.01.20 - This seems to be a key chapter for this study - There are 11 occurrences of "to know" in this chapter - Jesus told His disciples, "You "***know***" the way to the place where I am going" {[[John_14|John 14.4]]} - Thomas said to Jesus, "Lord, we do not "***know***" where You are going, so how can we "***know***" the way?" {[[John_14|John 14.5]]} - Jesus addressed Thomas' question, "If you had "***known***" Me, you would "***know***" My Father as well. From now on you do "***know***" Him and have seen Him.” {[[John_14|John 14.7]]} - Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not "***know***" Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? {[[John_14|John 14.9]]} - Jesus continued His teaching about the Holy Spirit, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor "***knows***" Him. But you do "***know***" Him, for He abides with you and will be in you." {[[John_14|John 14.16-17]]} - More from Jesus, "On that day you will "***know***" that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you." {[[John_14|John 14.20]]} - Like **John 3**, believing in Jesus is a significant theme of this chapter - You "***believe***" in God {1} - "***believe***" in Me as well {1} - Do you not "***believe***" that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me {10} - "***Believe***" Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me {11} - or at least "***believe***" on account of the works themselves {11} - whoever "***believes***" in Me will also do the works that I am doing {12} - I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will "***believe***" {29} - However, love seems to be the main theme - If you "***love***" Me, you will keep My commandments {15} - Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who "***loves***" Me {21} - The one who "***loves***" Me will be "***loved***" by My Father {21} - I will "***love***" him and reveal Myself to him {21} - If anyone "***loves***" Me {23} - My Father will "***love***" him {23} - Whoever does not "love" Me {24} - If you "***loved***" Me {28} - But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I "***love***" the Father {31} - WRT freewill, there are several occurrences of conditional on choices / actions from man - "***If***" you love me {15} - "***Whoever***" has My commandments and "***keeps***" them {21} - "***The one who***" loves Me {21} - "***If***" anyone loves Me {23} - "***Whoever***" does not love Me {24} - "***If***" you loved Me {28} - Summary - Although eternal life was not defined in this chapter, Jesus seemed to define "life" by His statement, "I am the way and the truth and the life" {6} - The 10 occurrences of love provide some good examples / definitions of love ### John 17 - Jesus gave us a clear definition of "***eternal life***": they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent {3} - Although love is a notable theme, knowing the Father is the main theme in this chapter - Now this is eternal life, that they may "***know***" You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent {3} - Our eternal life is based on us knowing God and Jesus and knowing that God sent Jesus - Now they "***know***" that everything You have given Me comes from You. {7} - so that the world may ***"know"*** that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me {23} - although the world has not "***known***" You {25} - I "***know***" You {25} - and they "***know***" that You sent Me {25} - And I have made Your name "***known***" to them {26} - and will continue to make it "***known***" {26} - There are four occurrences of love in this chapter. However, in 3 of the four occurrences, Jesus was talking about The Father's love for Jesus - so that the world may know that You sent Me and have "***loved***" them just as You have "***loved***" Me - Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You "***loved***" Me before the foundation of the world {24} - so that the "***love***" You have for Me may be in them, and I in them