JOHN 17
Today has started with an element of confusion, I appear to have mislaid something of importance to me. It’s a New Testament which in the back has some of my notes of what I was going to write about today. I’m sure that you will have all been in this predicament at some time or other, searching maybe a little frantically, in the same places that you have already looked and, no, it still isn’t in the places that you have already looked? So I was a little disorientated with it all, a bit confused and a bit short of time to then write something, sat down and thought that this is not how Jesus wants us to be in anything, and then brought to mind JOHN 17, Jesus’s prayer for unity for believers. And in my search for my little New Testament, I had come across my dissertation book from Creative Word and it had flashed across my mind about this particular piece, so I am going to share this today, please bear in mind that I was an infant Christian in my first year after being saved.
JOHN 17
A short overview for new believers.
Good morning brothers and sisters in Our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 John 3: 1 says “Look what love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called Children of God! And that is what we are!”
Today we will conducting a short lesson, which is both ‘milk and meat’ 1 Cor 3:2, & Heb 5:12, that is, to relish, savour and digest on JOHN chapter 17.
This Chapter consists of 26 no verses, my Holy Bible has them split into three different sections, that’s three that all goes into one, like the Godhead, three into one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and one into three ‘triunetheism.’ God is three in one, creator and controller of the universe.
JOHN 17, this is the prayer of The Father’s obedient Son, it is one of only two that is complete in entirety, prayers of Jesus in the Holy Bible, the other being The Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2.
The three sections I referred to are subheaded thus;
V 1 – 5 Jesus prays for Himself
V 6 – 19 Jesus prays for His disciples
V 20 – 26 Jesus prays for future believers.
The first section of jesus’ actual words in prayer start, “Father the time has come (17:1a), glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You,” and continues onto 17:5, “And now Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.”
Which starts the true nature of relationship between Father and Sonand continues to assure of this by His request, to return to be seated at the right hand of God, after crucifixion, resurrection and ascension as it is written; Acts 7 : 55 “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”
17:10 “All I have is Yours, and all You have is mine, and Glory has come to Me through them.”
When we say ‘God’s Glory,’ we mean, His presence and His very being, His nature, His character and how His very presence brings great joy, love and peace.
So, 17:10 speaks of the unity and belief passed on through Him to His disciples.
Then onto the third section and as it starts in 17:21, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me (22) I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one, as We are one, (23) I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”
So, we see, we hear, or we read. It is abundantly clear, in Jesus’ own words, these are not the words to or about a Syro-Phoenician woman or a tax collector, no, these are the very words that jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, prayed to God Almighty, creator and controller of the universe, Our heavenly Father..upon.Our behalf!
23a, “to complete unity”…” that they may be one as We are one.”!
There can be no glory without unity!
We know that the Greek word for glory is ‘DOXA’, the Greek word for unity is ‘HENOTES’, from ‘HEN’ the neuter of, HEIS, which means, one as in UNIT, being one singular piece, but when I think of the word unity, I think of ‘opportunity’ = chance; op = to work, to work at a chance of coming together.
NEHEMIAH 4:16, “From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and arrows.”
As in NEHEMIAH, those called need to do all what they are called to do, then together that provides unity, which provides strength or a platform for the greater good.
Of course, this is just a very brief look at JOHN 17 and a slight insight into Glory and Unity, but Brothers and Sisters remember this, there is no Glory without Unity!
Putting God first in ALL things is our focus, remembering to; ”Be joyful always; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18.
The psalmist wrote in PSALM 145: 1 – 2, “I will exalt You, my God The King; I will praise Your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your name forever and ever.”
PSALM 113 : 3 “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, The name of The Lord is to be praised.”
PHILIPPIANS 4: 6 “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Amen.
God Bless.