I love John 17. It is sometimes called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. All through the New Testament we can read about how Jesus interacted with other people. Here, in John 17, we get to read a prayer that Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples and us. Yes, us (vs. 20). I'm amazed at how He loves me!
In the first verse, Jesus agrees with Father that "it's time" - - - time for Father to glorify Jesus so that Jesus can glorify Him. The Message version says it like this:
"Display the bright splendor of Your Son
so that the Son may in turn show Your bright splendor!"
In verse 5, Jesus points out that this splendor, this glory is the same that He experienced with Father, before the world existed. The Father loved the Son before the world's foundation (vs. 24).
"From everlasting to everlasting, You are God!"
(Ps. 90:2)
From everlasting to everlasting....we had a point of creation, a point of conception in the womb of our mother. But, the human soul was created to exist forever, and each one will exist forever .... somewhere. Each of our souls will live forever with God or exist forever in everlasting torment, in Hell.
Have you ever wondered what eternal life will be like?
Popular images are of angels floating on clouds, playing harps. Those images are, for the most part deceptive. Jesus tells us in verse 3 what eternal life is: knowing God.
When everything else is stripped away, at the very foundation eternal life IS and will be an ongoing process of getting to know the limitless God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, forever and ever.
Salvation is not a prayer or walking down a church aisle or getting baptized. Salvation of the soul is a beginning; it begins when a person says, "yes" to beginning a relationship with God through the One Way, His Son, Jesus Christ. Then, for the rest of that person's earthly days, the relationship grows and deepens as the Holy Spirit works in each believer's heart to shape him or her more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. In his classic, allegorical book, The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis describes it like this: "further up, further in."
In eternity, that relationship just continues to grow and expand, forever, as we grow deeper into the glory of our Savior. THIS is eternal life. Everything else in Heaven will be sprinkles on the cupcake.
Jesus emphasizes over and over in this prayer His "Oneness" with Father. They are separate Persons, but they One. The Holy Spirit, of course, makes up the 3rd Person of the Holy Trinity. I just don't want you to miss that Jesus is GOD, Y'all! He is repeatedly claiming equality with Father, because He IS God-With-Skin-On.
The Father put Jesus in charge of humankind, and out of that vast sea of humanity, God gave Jesus His followers - - those who said "yes" to Jesus in His day, as well as we who said "yes" to Him in our day. Jesus prays the following for us:
1. He asks Father to guard/protect us by His name, that we may be one in heart and mind (vs. 11)
(I'll talk more about this in tomorrow's post.)
2. He asks Father that our joy may be completed in Him (vs. 13)
3. He asks that Father protect us from the evil one (vs. 15)
4. He asks that Father sanctify us (ongoing process of cleansing and purifying) by the truth. Jesus proclaims that the Word of God IS truth. (vs. 17)
5. He asks that Father reunite us with Jesus, our Savior, after our earthly lives are over so that we may see the full impact of His glory and be with Him forever. (vs. 24)
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for not only praying to Father on my behalf, but also for inspiring the apostle John to write down Your prayer so that I can read it these 2000 years later, and be encouraged. Oh Lord God! Please work in me the answers to those things my Savior prayed on my behalf...deliverance from evil, unity, joy, sanctification! Eternal life is in me, because You are in me. As this week of Thanksgiving begins, I am most thankful for this: The resplendence of Your eternal life! In Jesus' name, amen.
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