Are you prepared to enter the Holy of Holies?
Back before the earth-shaking moment when Jesus cried from the
cross, “It is finished” (paid in full), if anyone were to enter the Holy of
Holies unprepared, it was sure and sudden death.
Just as sure and sudden as darkness dies at the appearance of
Light.
As we open our Bibles to John 17; you may want to prepare your
heart, remove your shoes, for it is considered The Holy of Holies, of the New
Testament.
Here we hear the longest, most powerful, all-encompassing
prayer from the One to whom our prayers now go.
This powerful prayer, called the Farewell Prayer of Jesus, or
the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, is the benediction of the Upper Room
Discourse; which we’ve been in since chapter 13.
The prayer can be outlined in three sections:
V Jesus
prays for Himself. John 17:1-5.
V For His
disciples. John 17:6-19.
V For His
disciples’ disciples. John 17:20-26.
The personal application to each section looks like this:
V Praying
Like Jesus—for yourself, John 17:1-5
V Praying
Like Jesus—for your own, John 17:6-19
V Praying Like Jesus—for others, John 17:20-26
It only takes about four minutes to read the entire prayer,
however, we could invest twenty-six weeks, (a week for each verse) and still
not scratch the surface of this majestic Masterpiece.
Today, we are at the place in the prayer where Jesus transitions
from praying for Himself, to praying for His disciples, specifically, “for
those whom You have given Me.”
Are you prepared to enter the Holy of Holies?
6 “I have manifested Your name to
the men whom You have given Me out of the world.
They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
I have manifested,
revealed, displayed, You to those You gave Me.
To see Jesus, is to see the Father.
Jesus did not simply teach about
the name (character) of God, He manifested (displayed,
revealed) that character. Walked the walk, talked the talk; in Living Color.
If You knew Me, you’d know the Father, John 14:7, 8:19.
Jesus mostly spoke of God, as Father. One hundred times in
John; sixty-five in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
God is referred to as Father, only about fifteen times in the entire
Old Testament.
When Jesus comes on the scene, He changes the dynamic of the
relationship between God and man. Welcome to the Family. Come on in. Meet My
Dad. He’s awesome!
Jesus is the exact reflection of the character of God. Hebrews
1:3; the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His
person.
Can we say the same?
Of course not.
But does our life reveal that we’re trying to walk in His
shoes, follow His footsteps? Like a child following dad in the snow trying to
step in his footprints.
Can we say I didn’t just talk about God; my life has
been a reflection of God; His Love, honor, integrity, character, Truth, His
fruit?
Jesus did. He was tempted in all ways like we are, yet, He followed the Father, without fail, without sin, white as that snow. Hebrews 4:15.
He is our example.
Lord,
help me reflect You; Your Love, honor, integrity, character, Truth, Your fruit.
Less of me, more of You.
Whom You have given Me…
Jesus invested in an all-night prayer meeting with His Father
before choosing the twelve apostles. Luke 6:12-13.
He prayerfully selected who He’d let near Him. Who He’d invest
time in.
There are those God has given you—those He wants to reach
through you. You are a co-laborer with
Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:9.
Note: It works both ways—He not only flows through you to
others, but through others to you.
We must be gracious givers, and receivers.
Jesus prayed and then followed the divine connection direction
of his Father.
They were Yours, You gave them to Me...
God gives them, it’s not our job to pick them. Our picker
is broken.
God is the ultimate Matchmaker. He’s all about relationship.
Marriage, family, friend, business partner…
NOTICE: Jesus says they were
yours. They were God’s. The Father had them first. He prepares
them, then gives them. Master Matchmaker.
It’s been like this from the beginning. It’s not good for man
to be alone, so while Adam took a nap, God took a rib, and made Eve. Gen. 2:22.
If we wait, God prepares the perfect mate. If we jump the
gun…we get a Hag—ar. Just ask Abraham. Genesis 16:4.
We have precious little time on this planet. Who we invest
time with (giving and receiving) is more valuable than silver and gold.
1 Corinthians 15:33; bad company corrupts good
character.
Proverbs 13:20; Whoever walks with the wise
becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.
6 …and
they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known…
Keeping God’s Word always leads to knowing.
God has prepared those He has given you, by planting His Word
in their heart.
That’s why, if you keep His Word, and they keep
His Word, when you have a Divine Connection, you just know. There’s a
kindred spirit. As if you’ve known each other forever.
They kept His Word; you kept His Word,
“Thy Word
I have hid in my heart that I not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.
So, when you meet, that Divine Seed, blossoms, bears much
fruit; the Fruit Of The Spirit.
Galatians
5:22-23
The fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no law.
7 Now they have known that all things which You
have given Me are from You.
Now, Jesus is watering a mustard
Seed of faith.
In, John 16:29-30, His disciples said:
“See, now
You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now
we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone
should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.”
After they said that, it’s as if Jesus let out a sigh of
relief. Finally.
Then, next thing you know, He launches into this closing
prayer.
8 For I have given to them the words which
You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known
surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent
Me.
Jesus is not just watering the mustard seed but
speaking life into it.
I’ve given them the Words.
Faith comes from hearing the Word (rhema) of Christ;
Romans 10:17
God’s Word (rhema) built faith in them, to receive and know
and believe.
Abram
believed and it was counted unto to him for righteousness; Genesis 15:6
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray
for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
Them…those You have given Me...
Not the world… specifically, those His Father has given.
Jesus is our example.
Lazer focused, precise, accurate, intense, effectual, fervent,
powerful prayer.
Not a lazy no aim shotgun blast, God bless everybody in the
whole wide world.
You have God given authority and responsibility and power in
prayer over the area and people God has given you.
The centurion understood that.
Matthew 8:8-9
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof: but speak the Word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Jesus has all Authority; however, we don’t have power
or place to plow another man’s field.
Lord, I pray for those You’ve given me. That Your Word, in their heart, will bloom into the harvest You intend it to be.
Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and
Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
Jesus once again, reveals His Deity.
You and I may be able to pray, all mine are Yours.
However, only Jesus can say, and Yours are Mine.
Then, Jesus makes a proclamation of faith that has stood for
nearly 2,000 years.
Generation after generation, around the entire globe,
multitudes upon multitudes continue to shine with His Love and glory.
Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
God’s work in us moves from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Lord, we pray for those You’ve given us, that You
will be glorified in them.
11 Now I am no longer in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your
name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
Now I am no longer in the world…
He speaks with the voice of faith, calling those things that
be not as though they are. Romans 4:17.
He has rounded the last curve, is on the Home stretch.
Everything is set in motion. I AM going Home.
But these are in the world…
He loves His own, to the bloody end and protects and keeps
them through the power of prayer.
Notice, He doesn’t refer them to another rabbi, teacher or
master; He commits them to the Father.
He knows His death is not the end of His mission, but just the
beginning. He expects them to keep going in His name, stronger, and stronger,
forever and ever.
Lord, in the hearts of those You’ve given us, we
pray You’ll plant Holy Seed that will outlive us and grow into eternity.
That they may be one as we are one
Jesus is all about relationships. He commits them to Dad, and
prays they will be one as We are.
One, big, noisy, messy, happy, family.
One in faith, in love, in harmony; yet, unique individuals,
like a family.
Families have quarrels, disagreements, fights. Unless you’re a
Christian, then, it’s not an argument, it’s an intense moment of fellowship.
Even though they
struggle, a healthy family sticks together, works it out.
Church, by God’s design, should look like a family. One, but
each member unique.
Not identical, not clones. The only place everybody is the
same is a cult.
12 While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept;
and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture
might be fulfilled.
I kept them...
None of them is lost except, Judas.
None that were His, were lost (destroyed) except, Judas the
son of perdition (destruction).
Psalm
41:9
Even my
own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
NOTE: Just because God knew it would happen does not
mean He made it happen.
The son of perdition points to the character of Judas,
not the destiny. He was not predestined to be lost.
Judas knew all about Jesus but chose to willingly reject Him
and accept satan.
Jesus knowing what Judas would do, allowed him to do it.
Jesus loved Judas to the very end; even gave him extra
attention. The seat of honor at the table, dipped bread with him, even washed his
feet.
Judas rejected each extension of love, each opportunity to
repent, until finally, satan entered him, and he walked away from the Light,
into the night, into his own destruction.
Some will keep His Word, others will reject.
Their response is not our responsibility.
We cannot force them.
We must love them, and leave the results to the Lord. Divine discernment needed.
Lord, we pray for those You’ve given us. We pray You keep them.
We pray You use us to reach them, and keep them.
And give us grace to lovingly release them, into Your care.
13 But now I come to You, and these
things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled
in themselves.
The most intense night of His earthly life, yet, He talks
about His joy.
Remember Who is speaking.
Jesus, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1.
The Word, spoke the world into existence.
And here we see as in creation He speaks into the
world His joy.
Jesus’ joy is not tethered to the circumstances of the world. Jesus’
joy endures through the darkest, most painful, stressful night since the
creation of the world. Jesus’ joy gives strength through the sorrow and brings hope in the morning. Jesus’ joy continues, and is even offered to you at this very
moment.
Hebrews
12:2
Looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter
1:8-9
Whom
having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of
your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Lord, we pray for those You’ve given us, to
experience Your joy unspeakable and full of glory.
14 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.
There is a conflict between the Word and the world.
A demonic hatred.
The Word became flesh, through a Jewish virgin.
The Seed that came to save the world, came through the nation
of Israel.
The world at this moment is burning with a demonic hatred
toward Israel.
Recently, repeatedly, randomly, I’ve had people ask about this
worldwide hatred.
It’s the Jews first, and soon to follow will be those who love
them and the Word they brought.
Christians.
Part of those God has given each of us, is the Jewish people.
Psalm
122:6
Pray for
the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper.
That’s why we stand with Israel, pray for Israel.
15 I do not pray that You should
take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from
evil.
Until we breath our last, or the trumpet sounds, it’s not
God’s plan to take us out of the battle but to equip us to win.
2
Corinthians 2:14
Now
thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and
through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Romans
8:37
Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
1
Corinthians 15:57
But
thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
Revelation
3:21
To him
who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and
sat down with My Father on His throne.
John
16:33
I have
told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will
have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!“
Revelation
12:11
And they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and
they loved not their lives unto the death.
1 John
5:4,5
For
whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, even our faith
Lord, we pray for those You’ve given us, that You
will keep them from the evil one, and equip them to overcome.
16 They are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
Notice this is the second time He has said, “They are not
of the world, just as I am not of the world”
Not of the world, set apart from the world, not as a hermit,
or out of this world wacko, but not of this world JUST AS I AM, JUST AS
JESUS IS, not of this world.
Check out this beautiful verse:
1 John
4:17
Love has
been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of
judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
As He is, so are we in this world. Wow.
As Jesus is set apart from the world, so are we.
In the world, but not of the
world.
Like a ship in the ocean, but the ocean not in it. It travels in
the water, but doesn’t take on water; it takes on people, who need to be
rescued from drowning in the water.
That’s Jesus in the world. As He is, so are we in this
world.
The words, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of
the world” sets the stage for the word He’s about to repeat, three times.
Sanctify.
17 Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth.
Sanctify (set apart) them by Your
Truth. The Word of God is Truth.
It’s encouraging to know Truth is still alive and well in a world
flooded with lies.
Jesus said, You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall
make you free.” John 8:32.
Sanctification is the process of being set apart for God from
the world, to be used by God to the world.
Truth sets apart. The Word sanctifies.
The more Truth you believe, the more sanctified you will be.
The operation of Truth upon the mind is to separate a man from the world unto
the service of God.” (Charles Spurgeon).
18
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the
world.
Jesus calls His Church, Ekklésia: called out ones.
Those called out, set apart, not of the world, just as Jesus.
Sent to the world, just as Jesus.
He doesn’t just leave them, He sends them, on a mission.
The word “mission” comes from the word that means, to send.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify
Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Jesus sanctifies Himself, for sacrifice
He set Himself apart for sin, that we may be set apart from
sin.
Thank You, Jesus.
We end where we began,
Lord, for the sake of those You’ve given me, help
me be set apart, not of this world, but a reflection of You in this world, Your
Love, honor, integrity, character, Truth, Your fruit.
Less of me, more of You.
We love you, forever, amen.
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