Jesus wants you with Him for all eternity. Isn't that shocking? Can you believe it? With all of our laziness, self-centredness, small thinking, innumerable limitations and sins, still Jesus wants us to join Him and His Father.
We are made for relationships because our Triune God has always been in relationship, Father, Son and Spirit. One thing about healthy relationships: you want to share experiences. Like healthy families that want to share the joy of Thanksgiving or Christmas together. Like friends who want to travel together through Europe or Asia. Sharing!
The Lord's prayer in John 17 is, like the chapters that precede it, packed with amazing deep truth. I've studied it, preached a series of sermons on it and yet still feel I've barely begun to understand it. So much that Jesus prays brings comfort and encouragement to believers of all generations. You do remember that Jesus prayed not just for his disciples then, although surely they were most on his mind. Jesus also prayed for us; "for those who will believe in me through their message." 17:20 That includes you and me!
Toward the end of this chapter we hear Jesus pray:
“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." 17:24
How wonderful, how marvellous: Jesus wants all of us to be with Him and to see Him there - not in the weakness of the humanity He shared with us; not in the helplessness of His death on the cross - but on that day to see Him in all of His glory. What a day that will be! Jesus wants us to be there with Him!
We are made for relationships because our Triune God has always been in relationship, Father, Son and Spirit. One thing about healthy relationships: you want to share experiences. Like healthy families that want to share the joy of Thanksgiving or Christmas together. Like friends who want to travel together through Europe or Asia. Sharing!
The Lord's prayer in John 17 is, like the chapters that precede it, packed with amazing deep truth. I've studied it, preached a series of sermons on it and yet still feel I've barely begun to understand it. So much that Jesus prays brings comfort and encouragement to believers of all generations. You do remember that Jesus prayed not just for his disciples then, although surely they were most on his mind. Jesus also prayed for us; "for those who will believe in me through their message." 17:20 That includes you and me!
Toward the end of this chapter we hear Jesus pray:
“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." 17:24
How wonderful, how marvellous: Jesus wants all of us to be with Him and to see Him there - not in the weakness of the humanity He shared with us; not in the helplessness of His death on the cross - but on that day to see Him in all of His glory. What a day that will be! Jesus wants us to be there with Him!
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