This is the last chapter of Upper Room sayings. The first 19 verses of this chapter are directed at the disciples that walked with Jesus in his earthly ministry. Jesus prays first that God will be glorified in the final moments of Jesus life, and that God will in turn glorify Jesus. In these intense moments of his passion, Jesus makes a high priestly appeal for his followers. He reminds God that he has kept the disciples while he was alive, and they have heard and believed all the things God has revealed through him. Jesus asks that the disciples joy may be made complete in their unity, and that God will protect them now as Jesus leaves the earth.
Some theologians have called this portion of scripture "The Lord's Prayer" and the prayer from the Sermon on the Mount "The Model Prayer". What ever title you chose to give this section of scripture, it is powerful and moving. I am always convicted by Jesus appeal to God that those of us who follow him may be one, and how fragmented and broken we are. Some of the brokenness is my hard hearted, hard headed stubbornness. Lord, make us one.
In verse 20 Jesus turns his prayer from those present disciples to the generations of disciples that would believe because of the words of the first disciples (that's you and me!). He prays that we might be "completely" one even as Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus prays that so the world might believe that God had sent Jesus!
Finally, in verse 24 Jesus prays that all of his disciples might be able to see his glory - glory God was giving him because he had loved him from the beginning. This glory, Jesus said, he had made known to them and he would make it known "so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." John 17:26 NRSV I think this refers to the love Jesus was about to reveal to us in his passion and ultimately his death on the cross, and his victorious resurrection and victory over death!
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
6 comments:
Why does Jesus speak in the third person in the first three verses and then switch to the first person?
Hello Fellow Christians, As much as I enjoy this blog and Pastor Bill's [great] personal observations, I have been traveling around and learning from other blog sights as well. One in particular is The Bible Illustration blog, located at
http://bibleillustration.blogspot.
com.
I enjoy worldwide viewpoints illustrations, and artistry of and by professors worldwide. I hope Bill, that I am not using this blog to promote someone elses blog, but this is a great spot for learning.
DeColores
Good observation Darlyne. As I read this, Jesus is asking for Father God to glorify the Son so that the Son migh glorify the Father. It may be because in these irst three verses the relationship is more formal and the style of prayer is different. Jesus prays for glory in John 17:1-8, the prayer for the disciples in verses 9-19, and the prayer for future believers in verses 20-26.
Also, sometimes in John when Jesus speaks of his role as messiah he speaks in the 3rd person.
Bill
Hi A-M,
I have no problem with pointing us to other good posts! If I can ever figure out how to do it I will put some links up on the main page of the 4 or 5 other blogs I like to read - also some of the folks who read here also blog and they could put in links from their pages - maybe this weekend when my daughter and son-in-law are home they can show me how to do that!
Bill
Jesus is facing death, yet He prays and glorifies the Father, and then prays for the disciples, and all believers.
How much more can we be loved?
How much more can we be humbled?
Honestly, this chapter didn't hit me hard until I heard Pastor Bill read it last night. I am not sure why, but his reading it aloud planted it in my heart.
I have such a looooong way to go.
But I will get there :)
Hoo Rah!
I really struggle with the gospel of John sometimes. It is just so different from the others that I have a hard time remembering they're talking about the same Jesus sometimes ;)
But the last verse for me is the key of the chapter - learning to love like God loves.
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