This is a bittersweet moment.
Jesus wraps up the Upper Room Discourse with His High Priestly
Prayer, before heading out into the darkest night in human HIStory.
For five chapters, and several weeks, we’ve been enjoying a
meal with Jesus.
The only sound at the start, was that of water, as His
disciples sat in stunned silence, while He washed their dirty
feet. John 13:1-5.
Only Peter broke the silence… of course. John 13:6-9.
Jesus taught that a servant is not greater than his Master.
John 13:12-17.
And foretold that one of them (Judas) would betray Him. John 13:10-11, 18-30.
And Peter, would deny Him, thrice. John 13:36-38.
He gave the new command, to love as He loved. John 13:31-35.
He said I’m going away, but I’ll be back to take you to a
place prepared just for you, in My Father’s house. John 14:1-6.
If you love Me, you’ll love My Father, because if you’ve seen
Me, you’ve seen My Father. John 14:7-14.
He explained that leaving physically was so He could
return Spiritually; that way, instead of only dwelling with
some, He could be in all. John 14:15-18.
He gave His peace, and His joy, and His love… John 14:27, 15:9-11.
And His warning that persecution was coming, tribulation was a certainty; but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world. John 15:20, 16:33.
And with that,
He started praying with His eyes toward heaven. John 17:1
He prayed for Himself. And for those with Him in the Upper
Room.
But then, just hours from the worst imaginable, pain,
rejection and death, His gaze shifts. Perhaps, His eyes glisten, His mouth
lifts, and He looks across, the cross, over the ages, all the way to the
joy set before Him, this joy at another table, in another Upper Chamber, this
joy, of seeing… you. Hebrews 12:2. Matthew 26:29.
And so, before stepping out into the darkest night in HIStory,
He finishes His prayer, with His eyes focused on, you. John 17:20-26.
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also
for those who will believe in Me through their word;
These… are His disciples with Him in
the Upper Room.
Those… are His disciples’ disciples.
That includes all those who’ve become Christians
because of their testimony. That’d be, you and me; peeking into the
Upper Room, through the pen of John, from thousands of years away.
If you’re a follower of Christ,
you are one of those, written about here in the Bible, and prayed for
then and there, by Jesus.
There’s more.
It’s also for those who believe in Jesus through your
word, your testimony of Jesus.
You see this Word isn’t supposed to stop with you, it doesn’t come
to you, for only you, it’s meant to go through you, to others… and
others…and others.
His Word is Seed.
Seed is meant to be planted.
To plant is to expect a harvest.
Go to
Church, go to His Word, expecting to receive Seed to sow toward a Heavenly
Harvest.
Not fancy feelgood food for the
flesh to get fat.
Church is a feed store for equipment and tools and Seed to
plant, not a restaurant to get fed and fat.
2 Corinthians
9:10.
Now may He who supplies Seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and
multiply the Seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
Love is not Love unless it’s given.
For God so loved, that He gave… John 3:16.
1 John 4:16, God is Love.
Now, one more thing.
It’s so obvious it’d be easy to miss; but we dare not miss the
obvious, awesomeness of this verse.
Who is praying?
Jesus.
Who is He praying for?
You.
Did Jesus’ prayers get answered?
Yes. Every time. John 11:42.
He has and continues to, pray for you.
Hebrews 7:25
He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him,
since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Romans 8:27
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He makes intercession for the saints according to the
will of God.
So, if you need Seed to Sow, take this home.
Plant that Seed where someone needs it.
Jesus prayed for you.
He is praying for you.
His prayers always get answered.
Let’s agree with Jesus.
Lord, we pray for those You’ve given us, and for
those You’ve given them. We pray for Spiritual kids, and Spiritual grandkids.
We pray You make us one, big, noisy, messy,
happy, family, in You.
21
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in
Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, 21
…that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Jesus prays four times in a row that we become one,
in Him, in God. John 17:21-23.
This is covenant making language.
When couples start talking like this, friends start asking, “So,
when are you going to tie the knot?”
In the beginning God taught the power of oneness, by creating
covenant.
He said it’s not good for man to be alone. He caused a deep
sleep to fall on Adam; then took a rib, created Eve, and brought her to Adam.
Therefore,
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and
they shall become one flesh. Gen. 2:24.
The unity was great, all was right with the world, they were
both naked the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed; for they were
clothed from the inside out with the Presence and Glory of the Almighty.
But, alas, they didn’t live happily ever after because, this
is no fairy tale, and God’s Word is True.
Instead of staying one with the Father, covered and clothed in
His glorious Light, they willingly stepped out of His Light, and in to the night to taste of sin, and commit spiritual adultry with the snake.
And just like that, they were naked and ashamed, and separated
from Life and Light, and united with death and darkness.
Mankind continued to separate further and further from God
until the earth was filled with violence and every thought and intent of their
heart was evil.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
So, mankind was saved from total annihilation by the skin of
Noah’s teeth.
However, no amount of flood water can cleanse the heart of
man, and the serpent still slithered upon the planet.
This time, he perverted the precedent setting power of unity.
Whatever God does, the devil counterfeits.
So, along comes babel. Genesis 11:1-9.
The people were unified with one language, one
voice, one heart, one goal; to build one tower to heaven, one
world government and one great name for themselves.
The same prideful lust as the serpent, before he was kicked
out of heaven.
God saw what they were doing and made an amazing statement regarding
the power of unity:
They’re of one language and one heart, and now
nothing they imagine to do will be impossible to them. Gen. 11:6.
So, He confused their language, divided their tongues, and
thus their unity dissolved and they scattered.
Even after all of that, the Lord still longed to restore His
relationship, to make them one again.
According to God’s Divine Justice, that would happen, but it
would take time.
Fast forward a little over 2,000 years, to the days of Jesus, to
our text today, and you’re at the threshold of the moment He’s been longing for.
Jesus prayed they’d be one, and then, gave the purpose
for the prayer: that the world may believe that You sent
Me.
Just to be sure He says it twice, only the second time it’s
more emphatic:
22 And the glory which You gave Me
I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me; that
they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may
know that You have sent
Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Notice, He adds a couple words, perfect and
know.
He begins praying, that they be made one that the world may
believe…
Then His prayer soars to more certainty, that they may be
made perfect in one and that the world may know
that You have sent Me.
So, what happened? What caused the change?
Well, perhaps what Jesus said between, the change will give us
a clue. Look again at verse 22:
22 And the glory
which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are
one:
What glory?
Scholars have different opinions:
Future glory in heaven. Miracles. Salvation. Reconciliation.
The unity, the oneness, of the believers, that He just prayed for. The Church.
Perhaps the answer is multifaceted and they’re all, at least
in part, correct.
One thing seems to be certain. Jesus is calling those things
that be not, as though they were. Rom. 4:17.
Prophetically speaking it’s a Prophetic Perfect Idiom;
something in the future spoken of as if it is in the past, to emphasize that
it’s sure and certain, it will occur; it’s as good as done.
Remember, God’s Word in its original text is perfect.
Giving His glory, seems to trigger a soaring of His
prayer, to include perfect oneness and a sure and certain knowing.
So, the question is; what glorious event would happen in
the life of the disciples to cause them to go from some unity, to perfect oneness,
and a sure and certain, knowing?
Jesus’ death? When He died the veil in
the temple was ripped from top to bottom; removing the wall of separation
between God and man, opening the door forever more to humbly enter, His Holy
Presence.
His resurrection? That was glorious indeed;
defeating death, hell and the grave. Giving the blessed assurance for those in
Christ that even though they die, yet shall they live. Forever, with Him, in
glory, hallelujah amen.
And then, there’s this:
It was fifty days from the crucifixion. They were back here
again, in the Upper Room.
They were all together, perfectly in one accord,
in one place.
Suddenly, there was a sound, like a mighty rushing wind, and
it filled the house where they were sitting. Tongues like flames of fire
appeared and settled on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in different languages.
At that time, people from all over the world were in
town. When they heard the noise, they came running and saw and heard the
disciples declaring, in their own language, the glory of God. Acts 2:2-21.
By the end of the day, 3,000 souls were saved. Acts 2:41.
And from that day to this, the Church has continued as one. Acts 2:46-47.
That they
may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You
have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:23.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, we pray for those You’ve given us, and
for those You’ve given them. Thank You for filling us with Your Holy Spirit,
that we all as one with You, can plant Seed in Word and deed, so the world will
know, and love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
Call or text: 612-554-2522
Email: pray4measap@aol.com
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Jesus—for others, John 17:20-26
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John 17:20-26
Thank you for sharing.
Remember, we love you. Most importantly, Jesus
loves you.
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