3
Andδέthisαὕτηisἐστινeternalἡ αἰώνιοςlife,ζωὴthatἵναthey knowγινώσκωσιyou,σὲthe onlyτὸν μόνονtrueἀληθινὸνGod,θεὸνandκαὶthe one whomὃνyou sent,ἀπέστειλαςJesusἸησοῦνthe Messiah.Χριστόν
John 17:3
Study it in the app“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus the Messiah.”
Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God and the one he sentDeath and Eternal Life
With the Greek beneath
John 17:3, word by word
- isἐστινestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios
eternal
Without end, like the life God gives.
Where else “aiōnios” appears- lifeζωὴzōē
eternal life
What God gives to live with him without end.
Where else “zōē” appears- they knowγινώσκωσιginōskōsi
know
To be truly acquainted with someone, or grasp something fully.
Where else “ginōskōsi” appears- the onlyμόνονmonon
only
Nothing beyond that: bread is not enough to live.
Where else “monon” appears- trueἀληθινὸνalēthinon
true
True, genuine, real.
Where else “alēthinon” appears- Godθεὸνtheon
God
The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.
Where else “theon” appears- you sentἀπέστειλαςapesteilas
send
To send someone somewhere on an errand, on behalf of the sender.
Where else “apesteilas” appears- JesusἸησοῦνIēsoun
Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
Where else “Iēsoun” appears- the MessiahΧριστόνChriston
Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
Where else “Christon” appears
The context
2just as you have given him authority over all flesh, so that to all that you have given him he may give eternal life.
3 · This verse (above)
4I glorified you on the earth, having completed the work that you have given me to do.
To study John 17 in a group
1. What it says
In his prayer, what does Jesus say eternal life is, and for whom does he pray? (vv. 3, 9, 20)
2. What it means
Jesus asks that all his own be one, as the Father and he are one (vv. 21-23). What does he say the world will know when that happens?
3. How I live it
Jesus prays for those who would believe through his disciples' word (v. 20). Whom could you pray for today with the same tenderness?