Gospel of John [17:24-26]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 48. Prayer summary.

Title: Gospel of John [17:24-26]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 48. Prayer summary.

 

 

JOH 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world.

 

Our Lord has prayed first for the original disciples (vv. 9-18), then for the Church on the earth throughout the ages (vv. 20-23), and now for the gloried Church of the future, united with Him in the place which He is going to prepare for it (vs. 24 and JOH 14:3).

 

In position we are seated with Him at the right hand of God, EPH 2:6. This is the very real destiny of all believers for all of eternity.

 

The mystery of His dual nature is expressed yet again, and this time in the love of the Father for Him. As God the Father and Son are one and are both love. This would seem more of a reference to the only begotten One, the incarnate Christ who has always existed. This mystery is great and I will not belittle it with poor attempts at definitions or categorizations, neither of which are possible. There was a glory and a love before the world was, before there was a need of a Savior, before the rebellion of creatures.

 

The eternity of the person of Christ enjoys love and glory with the Father, before the creation of the world and after its annihilation. We have been enveloped within it.

 

JOH 17:25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me;

 

JOH 17:26 and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

By worldly standards of success Jesus had little to show for His mission. He had made the Father known, but the vast majority of His hearers refused the knowledge that He offered them.

 

A handful of men and women had come to know the name of the Father and had believed that all Christ did, He was sent to do by the Father.

 

There are a few more works to do, really one in particular, that will make the rest of the person of the Father and Son known, and that is His Cross. The cross's victory will lead to the resurrection, ascension, and session and the gift of the Spirit. From these realities the rest of the knowledge predestined for man can be given in completion. "I have made Thy name known to them and I will make it known."

 

This knowledge will make the love of the Father, that He enjoyed, known to them and to us. This knowledge will also make known the indwelling of Christ and the reason and purpose for it.

 

He is the embodiment of the love of God. He said to the disciples that He would be with them, even to the end of the age, yet better still to be in us for all time and eternity. Christ is in us and so the love of God is in us. With the knowledge of the name of the Father through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, that love will fill us and shine through our thoughts, words, and actions.

 

Summary of Joh 17.

 

Glory: Glorify Your Son so the He will glorify You (vs.1). Result - You gave Him authority over all mankind (vs. 2).

 

The humanity of the Son received all the gifts of the Father and used them in an endeavor to save mankind by laying down all of it for them, both those who would believe in Him and those who would reject Him. This resulted in His exaltation to the right hand of God, the seat of authority over all creatures.

 

Vs. 4 - I glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You have given Me to do.

 

It was the Father's plan that worked out so successfully for Him and for us. The glorification of the plan is the glorification of the Father.

 

Vs. 5 - Now glorify Me together with You, the glory I had with You before the world was; now that that work is finished.

 

Before the world there was no need for a Savior. Once the world was created, or the thought of creating occurred there was a need for a cross. From the beginning of history the cross loomed over the only begotten Son, and eternal title. This is seen after the fall of man in the immediate institution of animal sacrifice on the altar that was between the two cherubim at the east gate of the Garden of Eden.

 

Vs. 10 - I have been glorified in them.

 

The disciples at this point didn't know the extent of their faith and the impact it would have on revealing the glory of God. The plan of the Father to the Son would have its comparative plan in them and they would execute that plan despite an amazing amount of opposition. The Son did the work and asked the Father to give them the plan and so the plan glorifies Him through them. The same potential rests in every believer since each one has been graciously given God's plan for their lives.

 

Vs. 22 - The glory You have given to Me I have given to them - so that they may be as We are.

 

A common purpose and objective makes for unity if the people involved believe in the purpose and strive for it. Their eyes get away from petty differences since there is such focus on the objective. There is no greater objective than God's desire and the believers who understand that they share in common the glory of Christ have their hearts set upon the objective and are thus unified as the Father and Son were to accomplish man's salvation.

 

Vs. 24 - I will that they may be where I am - so that they may behold My glory - the glory You gave Me as a token of Your love.

 

Seated with Christ, in the true Holy of Holies, gives us the greatest vantage point for seeing or perceiving His glory. We must be careful not to look away from that Shekinah glory towards idols.

 

Eternal life:

Vs. 2,3 - You have given Me authority over all mankind - so that I may give eternal life to all You have given Me - and this is EL, that they may know You and Jesus Christ.

 

With His authority the Lord continued to give and He gave the very life of God to every believer. This life throws open the door of intimacy so that we may come to know the Father and the Son.

 

Gifts to the believer:

Vs. 6 - I manifested Your name (person) to them.

Vs. 7 - The words You have given to Me.

 

Christ manifested the person of the Father to us and gave us the priceless gift of the Father's words. These are no longer words that we cannot understand for the Spirit also is given so that the words of the Almighty don't seem cryptic or foreign, but are in fact of our family heritage and their meaning comes naturally, really supernaturally, to members of the family.

 

Vs. 13 - My joy be made full in them.

Vs. 15 - Keep them from the evil (one).

 

Joy and protection or providence. This is not the joy of the world but the joy of Christ and it is not a distant, feeble exposure of His joy but it is to completely fill us.

 

There is very real evil in this world and it is from the source of the very real evil one, Satan. What God has provided will protect us from the evil of the world system and so it is imperative that we remain in that plan and not resist it or evil will overcome us. We are to abhor evil and overcome it with good, ROM 12:9, 21.