Spurling Silver: Praying Like Jesus—for going Home, John 17:24-26

Jesus has already prayed for Himself, which was more like a progress report, establishing that His rescue mission was entering the final phase.

He prayed for His disciples, and His disciple’s disciples—those who will believe because of their word.

He’s basically said:

Okay, Father the hour has come; I’m all done. I’ve reflected You; I’ve echoed You; I’ve kept all You’ve given Me, lost none, except one, the son of perdition.

Now, I’m coming Home.

Keep them from the evil one. The world hates them, but You love them. Set them apart from the world, make them one, as we are One; that the world will believe You sent Me, and have loved them as You’ve loved Me.

Now, having covered all the bases, He winds up the prayer where He started; looking toward Home. John 17:1.

John 17:24

“Father,

Father… Jesus addresses God, as Father.

A half-dozen times in this prayer. This is the fifth time. Next time He says, “O righteous Father.” Previously He said “Holy Father.” One hundred times in the book of John, sixty-five times in the synoptic gospels; Matt. Mark, Luke.

However, Father, is used of God only about fifteen times in the Old Testament; usually, in reference to God being a Father to the nation of Israel.

Jesus changes everything.

He invites us individually into the Family; but doesn’t commit the sin of familiarity.

He maintains a respectful, honoring attitude toward His Father.

Jesus never refers to God as the Big Guy upstairs. Or, My Buddy. God never calls from heaven, “Hey J.C.”

Not that there’s anything wrong with that wording, but the respect and honor He demands and deserves is missing from that type of talk.

Abram fell on His face in silence, Genesis 17:3

Isaiah cried out, Woe is me, I am undone! Because I’m a man of unclean lips, among a people of unclean lips; and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. In respect, honor, and humility, the six-winged seraphim covered his face, that he not see; his feet, that he be not seen. Isaiah 6:2-5.

Johua fell to his face before the LORD, Joshua 5:14

Revelation 4:10-11; the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ¹¹ “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 7:11; And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Amen, Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever, Amen.

Philippians 2:10-11; at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, every tongue, confess that, Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 26:39; Jesus went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Father, we humble ourselves, and pray we maintain a healthy respect, honor and reverential fear of You, being ever mindful that You are our Loving Heavenly Father, and also, The Great I AM, Almighty God, Creator of the Universe.

A lot of people go through a lot less than what Jesus went through and they throw in the towel. They go from calling God their Father, to calling Him the Godfather. They get angry at God because religion judged them, or Christians didn’t act Christ like, or, so-called-Christians acted downright evil, or, life happened, something bad happened, someone died…

We live in a wicked, wonky, whacked out world. An evil world. A broken world.

But God is Good.

Always Good.

He’s a Good Dad.

He wants to help.

He can help.

If we let Him.

Lord, our Good, Holy, Righteous, Heavenly Father, we pray for those folks that feel like orphans, feel abandoned, angry atheists, and ask for their eyes to be opened to You. Your Goodness. Your nearness. Your willingness to help them. Your never ending, never failing, Love.

We pray, You flow through us, to them.

Thank You,

Amen.

²⁴…I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am…

I desire…

The rare occasion Jesus says, I want, I desire… Normally, He’s all about meeting everybody else’s need.

Luke 4:18; The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

You know, Acts 10:38; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

What?

So, what does Jesus desire?

A family reunion.

He wants His family back.

His family’s been kidnapped by the serpent.

He’s willing to pay the ransom—in His own blood.

2 Peter 3:9; The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Ezekiel 33:11; As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Who?

His desire is for all to be with Him, forever; He doesn’t want to lose any.

DISCLAIMER NOTICE: Although all are invited, not all attend; not all are allowed in. Only those who come to repentance, who turn, turn from evil ways, to the only, Way, Truth, Life, Jesus Christ.

Where?

Be with Him, where?

John 14:1-3

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

He told them He was going to His Father’s house—that’s Heaven.

It happened just as He said.

He also said, He’s coming back.

It’ll happen, just as He said. Soon.

When?

When is His family reunited with Him?

Depends.

Since Jesus’ Resurrection, when a Christian dies, they are immediately, forever, with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8; We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

However, before the Resurrection, when the Righteous died they went to a place called Abraham’s Bosom, which was a place of peace and rest. It was on one side of a great chasm that cannot be crossed; the other side is hades (Hebrew: sheol).

The righteous were on one side, the unrighteous are on the other.

Jesus tells about hades and Abraham’s bosom in, Luke 16:19-31.

The righteous waited for Jesus to finish His redemptive work; sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection.

Then, He led them out of the holding place, Abraham’s bosom, and into heaven. Ephesians 4:8.

They are there, to this day.

However, the sinners, the unrighteous, are still waiting, in torment, and flames, in hades. They will be there until the Great White Throne Judgement, after the Millenium. Revelation 20:11-15.

Then, they will forever be in the Lake of Fire, created for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41.

Now, we can’t overlook the next big event on God’s calendar.

The rapture of the Church.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

In a moment, any moment, Jesus will do what He said He’d do; come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Remember, this event is exclusive, only for those who know Him.

Do you know Him?

25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.

Righteous Father... Notice, He continues to honor the Father, even though He knows all hell is about to break loose against Him.

Known, known, known…

Jesus ends where He began.

John 17:3; And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

That they may know You.

The world hasn’t known You, but I know You, and these have known…

He is not talking about intellectual knowing. Head knowledge. He is talking about the intimate, personal knowing. Obviously not sexual but the personal, intimate, knowing that the Bible describes when speaking of Adam knowing Eve, and bearing a child. Or Joseph not knowing Mary, until after Jesus was born.

Jesus is talking about a deep knowing, a personal, intimate, knowing so deep it can only be described as… Love.

26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus declared, reflected, revealed, His Father’s name, His character.

God is Love. 1 John 4:16.

Jesus is Love.

It all boils down to those last words, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

He desires that we are with Him, and know Him and are so in Love with Him, that His Love gushes out with every step we take, every move we make.

It looks like this:

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Let’s pray.

Lord, we too, desire to be with You, now and forever. We want to know You, really know You, personally, passionately, intimately, so much that Your Love, gushes out with our every breath.

Thank You for making this possible.

We love You, forever.

Amen.