John 17:11b-19 NIV
11b Holy Father, protect them by
the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be
one as we are one. 12 While I
was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave
me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that
Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you
now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they
may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have
given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the
world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer
is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the
evil one. 16 They are
not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify
them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you
sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I
sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
The Prayer
Once again, this week we hear all the words of Jesus. The words of Jesus
as he prays for his disciples. Hear his words and listen carefully to what
Jesus has to say in this prayer. This is a time in Jesus’ life just before his
agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal, his suffering, his denial and
abandonment by his disciples. This is a time before the crucifixion and death
he was to suffer. Yes, this was a time prior to Jesus’ time in the tomb and the
time before his resurrection. This was the time before the resurrected Jesus appears
before many witnesses to his new life in God. And this was a time before his ascension
from this earth to heaven. But for this moment, Jesus, aware of how mankind is
trapped in sin, Jesus, prays for his disciples, who will remain in this world.
A world that is influenced by sin, death and evil. And Jesus prays for joy, protection, and sanctification
of his disciples.
This prayer is a contrast of heavenly joy and worldly hatred. It is a contrast of unity verses the confusion
of the hatred of one faction against another faction. Jesus prays for the
oneness of mind, purpose, and mission of his disciples in Him and God’s mission
of love, forgiveness and salvation.
Yes, even as the disciples are on the cusp of betrayal, denial, abandonment,
and sloth, before Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection; Jesus is loyal
to THEM! Jesus is thankful for THEM! Jesus loves THEM! For--- God has given
THEM, me, you, and all people, to Jesus! Jesus regards US as His amazing gift
from God the Father.
Jesus’ only advantage that He reaps from all of this, is that we are
saved through God’s plan of salvation. Wow! His advantage is OUR salvation!
What a thought! What a friend we have in Jesus! For sure… without a doubt…
rejoice!
What about me and you? What does God desire for us in all of this?
Thank God for all those wonderful people He places in our lives each and
every day. Thank God for the friends we are given. Thank God and love all of
those placed in your life daily… the ones easy to love and those that are difficult
to love. Thank God to be able to tell of God’s wonderful gift of salvation.
Thank God for the opportunity to serve and love them each and every day.
As Jesus makes clear in his prayer; we must continue to live in this
world. So, we also are called to pray for our friend’s protection, love and
salvation. We are to hold together in this world. We are called to feed from
the Vine of Life which is Jesus.
Yes, Jesus means for us to live in this world. We are to live in this world
although not of this world. We are called to take life in its fullness as a
gift from God to use to His glory.
Don’t neglect the “goodness of life in this world.” Rather we are to use
life in the here and now to God’s service. Live and use this world to God’s
glory… Yet… don’t bow down to this world.
Just in the past couple of months, I have been given awesome displays of
God’s glory and power in His creation. I have witnessed a full eclipse of the
sun, last night, I witnessed the sky light up in colors of red, white and
streaks of green that appeared and disappeared, as energy from the sun
interacted with the earth’s ionosphere. Every week I witness amazing sounds and
communications as I send morse code and bounce signals off of ionospheric
layers to friends near and far. I see flowers bloom, grass grow, trees come to
new life. Yes, this world is amazing, and what God has created is a gift to us
and a witness to the life that God creates and continues to give to each and
all of us.
But there is more in store. As Jesus tells us in this prayer, we are not
of this world just as Jesus is not of this world. We are in the world, but God
has more in store for us. God has prepared a heavenly home for us to be with Him
in eternity.
But that time is not yet. We are to remain here in this world. And, Jesus
prays that God will sanctify us by the truth. This “sanctify” is a little bit
more than just the usually being set apart as holy. In this “sanctify” we are
dedicated and now equipped through the Word (Jesus the Word made flesh) for the
service of God. We are called to continue the mission of God, in this world, here
and now.
This mission is to witness to all those God gives to us each and every
day, of the Truth from the Father. The Truth is Jesus, God’s Son. Jesus is the
Truth we are to tell of to counter the evil of hatred and death in this world
in which we live.
In this world, we, Jesus’ disciples, are to remain, to go tell, to go
save, to go change all that we can change, to point to the love of Jesus. To
point to forgiveness and new life in God for all. Yes, in this world, we serve
God as Jesus served His life to us and as we serve our lives to our friends in
love for God and each other.
Witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Delight in the joy and happiness in
God and keep in mind, whoever has the Son--- Jesus--- has life.
Pray for one another as Jesus prays for all of us, that Joy may be complete
in the gift of life that God freely gives…. today… tomorrow… and forever.
Thanks be to God!
How could I not but leave you with this song from Hillsong --- “The Lord’s
Prayer”
Hillsong --- "The Lord's Prayer"
God bless you as you walk this earth this week with The Friend in Jesus
and all the friends God gives to you each and every day.
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