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Eternal Life
Andrea Lende • July 1, 2020
John 17:2-3
Eternal Life
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Eternal-Life-eg5fb9
Daily Word:
John 17:2-3
“[Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.”
“And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.”
I often think of eternal life as the time after I am done here on earth and go to heaven.
But Jesus talked about another kind of eternal life.
The kind of eternal life that we can start living here on earth.
He said it means to know the Lord our God and to know Jesus as the Messiah.
If we know God the Father and God the Son, then according to Jesus, we already have eternal life here on earth.
As I press in and learn more about Jesus and His life here on earth, I worship Him more completely in my heart.
How is it that He could leave the perfection in heaven, paradise, to come and live here on earth?
He had difficulties and tribulations just as we do.
He was tempted by the devil just as we are.
He saw pain in others and felt their anguish.
He was sad at times.
He was angry at times.
He was a wanderer without a real home after He started His ministry.
He was often found praying in a garden or on a mountain bank.
Those were His prayer closets.
He seemed to sleep very little.
He ate very little and said that He feasted on other things than the things here on earth.
But He was still in a body and felt what all bodies feel – hunger, cold, heat, uncomfortableness, fatigue, and pain.
He left paradise to live here.
Our first verse shows His heart.
He prayed, “[now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all Whom You have given Him.”
He prayed that He would be crucified to save us.
What kind of a heart and man feels that and does that?
Only Jesus.
Today I am overwhelmed and thankful that we serve such a loving and giving Lord that He would give up His life for the one purpose of saving mine.
May you find the grace and mercy in eternal life as we experience it here on earth and look forward to eternity with God Almighty.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son here to be the Lamb that saved the world. Thank You for giving up Him in heaven by Your side for His lifetime to live as a man with all the pain that is here on earth. Thank You, Jesus, for leaving heaven’s door to come to us and give Yourself to save us. Thank You for loving each and every one of us so deeply that Your mission to save us came before You saving Your own life. Continue to teach me and help me give so freely of myself. Help me serve with a true servant’s heart. Help me give beyond what I think is possible, Lord. Keep my eyes on You as I serve others. Help me love as You love. Help me live with eternal life here and now. Help me grow and be all that You desire me to be and do all that You have for me to do. Strengthen me and give me courage to be wholly obedient to You, Father. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: My plans for you are wonderful, My child, and I will equip you to do all that I have planned for you.
Response: Undeserving of Your love and attention, thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.