“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)
It is the desire of our Savior to be in communion and fellowship with His followers throughout all eternity. He comforts us with these words earlier in John as well. He wants us to be with Him, sharing in His glory:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
We are eternal beings, though our natural body is perishing and our mortal frames will one day expire. Whether we choose to believe this fact or not does not negate its truth. Our physical bodies are mortal, but we have immortal souls. One day, depending on our response to Jesus Christ, each one of us will either be with the Lord Jesus throughout eternity or be separated from Him in a place our Lord repeatedly described as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Those of us who cling to the truth of Christianity–that apart from belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redeeming work for us on the cross we remain eternally damned–should certainly be motivated to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. The apostle Paul was a master at tirelessly presenting the Gospel. He took seriously the ministry of reconciliation that all believers have been entrusted with:
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)
Take It to Heart
“Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all–except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” (C.S. Lewis)
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “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)
None of our Lord’s prayers are recorded as fully and as richly as what is often referred to as His “High Priestly Prayer” which begins in our verses for today. It sets forth the wonderful pattern of intercession which Jesus as our great High Priest is ever carrying on for us in heaven. Here we have a prayer offered up by the Lord on an especially interesting occasion–just after the Lord's Supper and prior to His betrayal and crucifixion.
Jesus fleshes out what He had taught the disciples in Matthew regarding prayer–He begins with “Father.” A term of endearment; an expression of closeness; a word that conveys freedom of access as well as great expectation.
Jesus also tells us here that His appointed time has arrived–the fullness of time has come. The time for His sacrificial death is upon Him–the final accomplishment of His atonement for all mankind. The hour has arrived and the Sacrifice is ready. We see the redeeming work of Christ–his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven–bringing both the Father and the Son much glory.
Daniel had prophesied regarding the Lord Jesus’ authority years before:
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
When we read of the Father giving power to the Son, it is not as a superior giving authority to an inferior, but rather it signifies the permanent arrangement in the everlasting Trinity. The intentions and purposes of Jesus’ authority were to lead people to salvation and a restored relationship with God.
Take It to Heart
This knowledge is more than mere head knowledge. This is knowledge that dwells in our hearts and influences our lives! To know something at the heart level will direct our eyes and our tongues and our hands and our feet. We will act on what we truly know and believe. We must know God–His holiness, His purity, His hatred of sin–as well as Christ–His redemption, His love of sinners, and His mediation between God and man. To know God without Christ is to know a consuming fire that will fill us with fear. To know Christ without God is to not truly understand what the Savior has done on our behalf. We will fail to see the meaning of the cross.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
“You believe at last!” Jesus answered. “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:31-33)
Certainly our Lord’s words to His disciples must have stung bitterly. They could not have imagined forsaking their Master. Over-confidence in our actions and abilities can be our downfall, can it not? Preoccupation, distraction, lacking a fixed focus, selfish indulgences, vain conceits and fears all have a way of catching us off guard. Before we know it, we, like the disciples, find ourselves doing something we could never have possibly imagined doing. They were sure of their stick-to-itiveness, seemingly unable to comprehend that they could forsake or flee from the One they so dearly loved. Paul tells us:
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
(1 Corinthians 10:11-13)
Even the most committed followers of our Lord know little of their own hearts–loudly professing loyalty, yet scattering for cover as soon as difficulty strikes. The disciples simply did not know themselves–they were unaware of the shallowness of their convictions, the weakness of their flesh, and the depth of human depravity that was
buried within their hearts. Scripture tells us:
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
We would do well to mark this in our memories–we are all capable of a fall.
We must remember that we can do nothing of eternal value apart from Christ. It is only when we are weak in the estimation of our own abilities that we are strong in God’s perfect, all-achieving power. Paul tells us:
But he [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Life is difficult. We can expect trouble and hardship. The word which Jesus uses for trouble in our verses for today is translated from the Greek word thlipsis meaning “to crush, press, compress, squeeze; tribulation, trouble, affliction; conveys the picture of something being crushed or squeezed as from a great weight; used to denote grievous physical affliction or mental and spiritual distress” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids). Yet, Jesus goes on to say that in Him we can have His perfect peace amid the turmoil, trials, and testings of this life. He is our only sure and continuous fountain of true and lasting comfort. Paul tells us:
“For he himself is our peace.” (Ephesians 2:14)
Take It to Heart
Jesus said:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
As we live in close communion with the Lord–with a steadfast mind and focus on the Prince of Peace and His achieving power–we are able, like the eagle, to soar above the storm clouds. This does not mean that we will not feel the pain or the loss or a hurt, but rather that our pain can be seen with a view of “the big picture.” Whatever God allows can ultimately be used for our good and His glory.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
True peace is not derived from circumstances, people, or things; true peace is derived from Jesus. Christ’s peace is peculiarly His to give as He purchased it with His precious blood, He being the substitute for a perishing world. Jesus was commissioned to bring peace to mankind.
The peace Jesus offers is precious and dearly costly compared to the world’s transient variety. The world gives temporary satisfaction in all things. The excitement that gratifies our passions and affections and pride for a season always leaves us longing for more. The world is unable to offer what Christ’s peace affords, for it does not possess it to give–there is no rest with the world. Indeed, what Jesus bestows, the world cannot offer at all–peace of heart, peace of conscience, and a peace that comes from knowing our sin is forgiven. The peace Jesus gives results in an inward calm and rest for the soul amidst even the greatest trials and tribulations, when circumstances become stern and severe. Those who possess the peace of Jesus experience strength and hope.
Our Lord is neither unwilling nor sparing in the distribution of His precious peace to those who believe–amazingly, being far more willing to give than the world is to receive.
“Peace is Christ’s peculiar gift: not money, not worldly ease, not temporal prosperity. These are at best very questionable possessions. They often do more harm than good to the soul. They act as clogs and weights to our spiritual life. Inward peace of conscience, arising from a sense of pardoned sin and reconciliation with God, is a far greater blessing. This peace is the property of all believers, whether high or low, rich or poor.” (John Charles Ryle)
I am reminded of the prophet Isaiah’s words:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)
There will never be lacking anything on Christ’s part for the believer’s anguish–when we come to Him. He provides every medicine for a troubled heart and provides it in abundance–always doing more than we can ask or imagine. Scripture tells us:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
This peace from Jesus is not mere formality; it is a real and true blessing–enriching the soul eternally. This is sufficient reason for our hearts not to be burdened down with the troubles of this world where sickness and death, hunger and poverty, deceit and betrayal press down upon us as heavy weights.
Take It to Heart
Jesus tells us to be courageous:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The peace of Jesus provides calm in the midst of a storm. We are to be as a child in the comforting arms of our Father who remains with us. He enables us to soar above our circumstances as we take captive our thoughts in obedience to Jesus.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26)
Sent from the Father, in the name of Jesus, every true believer in Christ receives the gift of the promised Counselor–the Comforter–the precious Holy Spirit. It is He who is promised to teach us all things and to remind us of all the things Jesus taught. What a blessed assurance for the followers of Jesus! Who among us does not have a weak memory when our spirits have become troubled or disheartened? Perhaps we even find ourselves fumbling and stumbling and losing our way. The Person–not influence–of the holy Trinity is promised to abide within every believer of Jesus, teaching and enlightening all true lovers of the Lord in every age for all time, shedding light on the truth and bringing back to our memories all those things that have been taught. It is the Holy Spirit’s special responsibility to open the eyes of our understanding–teaching, leading, and empowering us into all truth:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”
(John 16:13-14)
Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians:
We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"–but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:7-11)
What a needful promise this is! How many times do we, like the original disciples, stand scratching our heads in our lack of understanding, or find ourselves discouraged or shaking with fear for our lack of power? We need only listen to and heed the Spirit’s leading. Sometimes hearing His still small voice over the world’s megaphone is not easy. We must be still before the Lord and listen carefully for His voice.
Take It to Heart
Now it is God who makes us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
“If a man is drawing on his own resources, he will soon run dry. It matters not what his powers may be, or how extensive his reading, or how vast his stores of information; if the Holy Spirit be not the spring and power of his ministry, it must, sooner or later, lose its freshness and its effectiveness. How important then, that all who minister (and live) in the gospel … should lean continually and exclusively on the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows what souls need, and He can supply it. But he must be trusted and used. It will not do to lean partly on self and partly on the Spirit.” (C. H. Mackintosh, Notes on the Book of Numbers, 1861)
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17)
Our Lord Jesus came to this earth modeling a love and obedience for the Father that His disciples were and are expected to follow. Love and obedience do not spring from a legalistic set of rules, but flow freely from a life of love for our Lord–all that He is, and all that He has done, and all that He continues to do for us. The Bible tells us:
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us … In this way, love is made complete among us … We love because he first loved us … And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:16-21)
Jesus desired for His disciples upon His departure to demonstrate their love for Him, not through a lamenting grief, but through a loving obedience to His commands. Throughout the Bible, this message is reiterated. I am reminded of one such passage in the Old Testament:
“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:21-24)
Obedience to God is grounded in our trust that He has our best interest at heart. It is a faith that is based on a firm knowledge of who He is and a solid understanding of His ways. The more we know Him, the more we will love Him, and the more we love Him, the more we will trust Him and desire to be obedient to His will. John tells us:
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)
It is when we go our own way, leaning upon our own flawed understanding and abilities that we stumble and fall.
In our verses for today, Jesus gives the disciples this great and glorious promise–as long as He is in heaven, they shall never want for a fresh supply of grace and comfort, wisdom and strength–given to them by the precious Holy Spirit. They shall never know the lack of a Comforter. This blessed promise was not only sure for them but also for every believer in Jesus thereafter. The Holy Spirit will never depart from a believer in Christ–we are sealed–indwelled until He returns. The promise remains that He will never depart from us. Paul writes that the Holy Spirit is our identification of ownership to God as well as our authentication and approval–our certification of genuineness so to speak:
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Take It to Heart
The Spirit is poured out upon us, equipping us to be like our Lord–not just outwardly but inwardly as well. The presence of God in this world is to be the Spirit indwelling in the heart of every believer:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
(2 Corinthians 4:7-9)
The Spirit constantly abides within the believer–equipping and comforting, encouraging and strengthening.
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)
Our Lord was constantly praying–He could be found both rising early as well as praying through the night. He certainly prayed prior to or at every major event of His life–His baptism, His choosing of the disciples, in the garden prior to His betrayal, and even on the cross–setting forth for us an example that we would all do well to follow. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:
Pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
James wrote:
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
It is God’s desire for us to have continual communication with Him in the midst of our daily living. In our verses for today, Jesus was telling His disciples how they would stay in touch with Him after His soon-to-be departure. They would derive power from Him through prayer after He left to go to His Father’s side. They would send forth their prayers and Jesus would communicate to them by the Spirit.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is our great High Priest who sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:
But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:24-25)
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Take It to Heart
Here are a few tips that I have found beneficial in my prayer life and they may be helpful to you! I find that there are many ways to offer prayer and all are necessary and important.
First of all, it is essential to have a time alone with the Lord, pouring out our innermost thoughts and concerns. It is simply a matter of letting Him know of our deepest heart matters.
It is also important to pray with others. I find it helpful to pray with someone as soon as I receive a request from another or desire a request myself. This keeps me from forgetting to pray as well as giving me the privilege of corporate prayer. Again, Jesus tells us in God’s Word:
"I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:19-20)
At other times I simply pray throughout the day as thoughts come to me. Perhaps it is to praise Him or thank Him, perhaps He brings someone to mind for me to pray for. I seek to respond quickly to this, though sadly I often fail. I am sure that I neither praise nor thank the Father a fraction of what He is due.
King David proclaims:
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. (Psalm 145:21)
I also seek to pray God’s Word back to Him. He is always faithful to His promises. Hiding His Word in my heart helps keep it always at hand. Scripture is full of promises to pray for ourselves and for our families.
Remember to thank God for His answers. Unfortunately, it is easy to take things for granted. God enjoys it when we are thankful for what He gives us.
Journaling your prayer requests is an easy way to keep up and remember all the ways that God is answering your requests and also to record all of the things you are thankful for.
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)
