According to John, Chapter 3

I decided to just write about chapter 3 in today's According to John post. I also thought that I should change the title to John, According to John, but decided against that. 

There is much more theology and such packed into the third chapter of John's gospel than I'm prepared to unpack in this format. That's pretty much going to be the case throughout this endeavor. My main goal is just to read and reflect and share some thoughts, not to break it down into a Bible study of any kind.

In the beginning of chapter 3 we see the difference I was writing about yesterday. Nicodemus, a leader among the Jews, sees Jesus as having come from God, but does not recognize him as being God.  Part of the exchange between Jesus and this teacher of Israel is probably the most quoted scripture of all time - John 3:16.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
It's too bad that many have not read (or at least taken to heart) the next verse. 
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

We do tend to spend a lot of time and thought about who is going to hell, don't we? 
We seem to be more interested in sharing the message of condemnation than loving people.
It's weird that even though Jesus didn't come to condemn, the church people I've known are pretty big on the whole condemnation thing. We seem to know a lot about who God hates and condemns. 
If you drink, you're going to hell.
If you're gay, you're going to hell.
If you're pro-choice, you're going to hell.
If you're Catholic, you're going to hell.
If you're not Catholic, you're going to hell.

I can't help but think that Christians must have a pretty powerless god if he came to save the world and yet so many people are going to hell. Could it be that our idea of eternal life is different that what Jesus is talking about?
I think it's pretty fair to say that our idea of eternal life is that we live forever with God when we die. Our souls, our spirits live forever, either in heaven or in hell. We may separate that into eternal life = heaven, and eternal death = hell, but we believe our souls exist for eternity in one state or the other.

But is that what Jesus meant by eternal life?
If we jump ahead to the 17th chapter and look at the priestly prayer of Jesus, Jesus says this (to God the Father):
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Wait!
What?
Is Jesus saying that eternal life is a present day experience that comes from knowing God and knowing Jesus as the Christ, the co-eternal 2nd part of the Trinity?
Can we experience eternal life (according to Jesus) right now in this very moment?

If I was preaching this message instead of writing it, I would invite you to close your eyes and be still. I would tell you to breathe in deeply and exhale slowly. And I would instruct you to talk to God; to get to know God; to experience God.
And this is eternal life, that they may know you

Welcome to eternity.

Hmmm...?
Just things I think about as I read this stuff.
What do you think?

Chapter 4 next.

John