Tag: John 17
Not of this world!
Scripture reading for April 29: John 17
“But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is Truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:13-18
Jesus was sent by His Father into the world that He had made. He came to earth as a man even though He was God’s eternal Son. His mission was to reveal the Father to His lost children and to seek and save them from eternal destruction and give them eternal life by adopting them into God’s family again. The ‘seed’ that would bring new birth and adoption was God’s Word and Jesus brought that Word to the world. His disciples had received Him and His Word and Jesus asked the Father to protect them from the evil one by sanctifying them through His Word of Truth.
Jesus emphasized that His disciples were not of this world. They had been part of the world system, but through believing God’s Word and receiving Jesus as Lord they were now citizens of heaven. They had been sanctified, that is ‘set apart’, for God’s use and family. As the Father had sent Jesus into the world from heaven to seek and save lost people, now Jesus also sent the reborn sons and daughters of God into the world to finish His Work. Jesus in love for His disciples, prayed these truths over them in His last hours here in the world.
Is it comforting to know that Jesus Christ has prayed this prayer for His disciples and for all to come through them? How is your world view of this earth and it’s people changed through Jesus’ prayer? Would you say that you are actively going into this world to complete Jesus’ mission of reaching the lost?
Prayer: Father God, Thank You for answering Your Son’s prayer for us who follow Jesus Christ. We are certainly not of this world and look forward to our eternal home with our heavenly Father and Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit again this day to empower me to reach the lost with Good News! Amen.
Unity with the Trinity!
Scripture reading for April 28th: John 17
Key Scriptures for over-comers: John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
Jesus Christ prayed for Himself, His immediate disciples, and then for all who would believe on Him as a result of their preaching the message of Christ! He prayed for us and it is written down! The central focus of that prayer is that we would be in unity with the Father and Jesus and each other! This unity would be a witness to the world enabling many to believe that the Father sent Jesus Christ to save them. We must do our part to maintain the unity of the Spirit and bond of peace with our brothers and with the Lord and our Father!
Observations for over-comers: Disciples who over-come the world maintain a close bond with the Trinity and seek unity with the Body of Christ, His Church. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! . . .It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.” (Psalm 133, 1, 3)
Jesus prayed with His disciples for us!
Scripture reading for April 29th: John 17
What a comfort to know that Jesus talked with His Father about His own life and the lives of His followers! First, Jesus prayed for Himself as He approached the cross. This prayer took place in the upper room just before He and the group left for the Garden of Gethsemane. “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1-3) Jesus looked at His obedient death on the cross as a glorification of the Father and Him. This plan would bring authority to Jesus to grant eternal life to all the Father would give Him.
Next Jesus prayed for His current faithful disciples. These would be left behind in the world to do His Father’s work of reaching the lost and confronting the evil one. “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name–the Name you gave Me–so that they may be one as We are One.” (John 17:11) Jesus asked for their protection in the world from the evil one through His Name!
Finally, Jesus prayed for all future followers: “My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be One. Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21)
Sunday Rest and Reflection:John 17
Dear Friends,
Greeting on this day of rest in the finished work of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ! He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and the punishment that brought us peace fell upon Him! By His stripes we are healed! We have a great King to worship!
As I look back over this past week, there are many passages of Scripture that we did not get to look into. One of the most encouraging chapters is the prayer of Jesus for Himself, His disciples, and all who would believe as a result of their witness. This prayer is the longest recorded of Jesus Christ in the Bible. It is given as Jesus approached the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified.
Jesus begins this prayer by looking up to heaven and addressing His Father. He is aware that, and states that, the time had come for His final work. His prayer acknowledged that God had given Him authority to give eternal life to those who believed on Him. Eternal life involved knowing the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son. Jesus asked the Father to glorify Him in His presence with the glory He had enjoyed before the world began. (John 17:1-5) Wow! What a personal request for Jesus to ask of His Father!
Jesus then prays for the disciples. He asks the Father to protect His followers who will remain in the world. This protection would come through the power of God’s name and the unity of Father and Son that they would themselves enjoy. (John 17:6-19) Jesus wanted them to be kept from the evil one, Satan, and given a full measure of His joy. He also wanted them to be sanctified in the Truth of God’s word. The reason for this was the mission that Jesus had given them to go into the world to preach and make disciples.
Finally, Jesus prays for the believers down through history until He comes again. (John 17:20-26) Jesus prayed for all to be one, brought into complete unity as He and the Father were in unity. Jesus prayed that all who would believe would be with Him where He was to behold His glory. The power of this prayer is drawing each one of us heavenward. We are being prayed for even now! The best is yet to come!