His Heart's Desire
Posted: August 2nd, 2008, 1:55 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #125f Written 24JUL08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw
Spiritual Survival: Part Six—His Heart’s Desire
by rev dave c
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. …4 …They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ...8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. ...9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. …11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. 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. ...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. 20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 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. 24 "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. (John 17:1-25; NIV)
Often referred to as “Christ’s High Priestly Prayer,” I find in these verses a perfect summary of the absolute necessity for continuous prayer, the reading of Scripture, attending a Christ centered church regularly, and daily fellowship with Believers. Even a cursory examination of these passages reveals Jesus exemplifying each of these four points through the desires of His heart and His actions.
First of all, the verses from the Gospel of John are in and of themselves the record of Christ’s prayer to His Holy Father. In verse 9, He says, I pray for them, meaning the eleven apostles who accompanied Him, but He goes on to include all those who would come to believe in Him through the testimony of the original inner circle. Of that second group we are gratefully and gloriously included. All the Gospels evidence continual communication between the Son and the Father.
Secondly, Christ refers to the “word” (logos in Greek) four times in these passages, once as the words you gave me, and three times as your word. In verse 17, He asks the Father to sanctify believers by the truth and then states that your word is truth. From the opening of First John we know that the Son is the Word, and in John 14:6 Jesus states that He is the truth. Ephesians 5:26&27 tells us that we, as the church, have been cleansed [sanctified] by the washing of water with the word (NAS).
Thirdly, by stating, I will remain in the world no longer...I am coming to you, Jesus is indicating that His work on earth was nearing completion and that He would soon be able to rest in the presence of the Father. This is obviously something that He greatly anticipated. In the same fashion, I pray that we are eager to be done with this life so that we may spend eternity in the presence of God. In the mean time, we should greatly desire to gather together in the Name of Christ and enter into a Sabbath rest by regularly attending a Bible believing church.
Fourthly, in verse 24 Jesus prays, Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. This is a clear statement of Christ’s desire for us to be with Him in eternal fellowship because He loves us individually, and collectively. In the same way, if we love Jesus, we should love other believers and eagerly seek their company on a daily basis.
If I do not feel well physically and/or emotionally, and I seek medical help, I would hope that attendant doctors and nurses would check my respiration, ask me about my eating and drinking habits, and inquire about the amount of rest that I am experiencing, before administering other tests. When we are not well spiritually we should seek the counsel of the Great Physician who asks, “Are you praying without ceasing? Are you drinking in the water of the Word daily? Are you gaining a Sabbath rest within the Church? And, are you breaking the bread of fellowship on a regular basis?”
If we answer, “No”, to any of these questions, let us kneel before God and present our physical, social, and spiritual needs as prescribed by Christ in Matthew 6:8-13, ...your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 'Give us this day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen' (NASV).
Spiritual Survival: Part Six—His Heart’s Desire
by rev dave c
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. …4 …They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ...8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. ...9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. …11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. 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. ...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. 20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 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. 24 "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. (John 17:1-25; NIV)
Often referred to as “Christ’s High Priestly Prayer,” I find in these verses a perfect summary of the absolute necessity for continuous prayer, the reading of Scripture, attending a Christ centered church regularly, and daily fellowship with Believers. Even a cursory examination of these passages reveals Jesus exemplifying each of these four points through the desires of His heart and His actions.
First of all, the verses from the Gospel of John are in and of themselves the record of Christ’s prayer to His Holy Father. In verse 9, He says, I pray for them, meaning the eleven apostles who accompanied Him, but He goes on to include all those who would come to believe in Him through the testimony of the original inner circle. Of that second group we are gratefully and gloriously included. All the Gospels evidence continual communication between the Son and the Father.
Secondly, Christ refers to the “word” (logos in Greek) four times in these passages, once as the words you gave me, and three times as your word. In verse 17, He asks the Father to sanctify believers by the truth and then states that your word is truth. From the opening of First John we know that the Son is the Word, and in John 14:6 Jesus states that He is the truth. Ephesians 5:26&27 tells us that we, as the church, have been cleansed [sanctified] by the washing of water with the word (NAS).
Thirdly, by stating, I will remain in the world no longer...I am coming to you, Jesus is indicating that His work on earth was nearing completion and that He would soon be able to rest in the presence of the Father. This is obviously something that He greatly anticipated. In the same fashion, I pray that we are eager to be done with this life so that we may spend eternity in the presence of God. In the mean time, we should greatly desire to gather together in the Name of Christ and enter into a Sabbath rest by regularly attending a Bible believing church.
Fourthly, in verse 24 Jesus prays, Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. This is a clear statement of Christ’s desire for us to be with Him in eternal fellowship because He loves us individually, and collectively. In the same way, if we love Jesus, we should love other believers and eagerly seek their company on a daily basis.
If I do not feel well physically and/or emotionally, and I seek medical help, I would hope that attendant doctors and nurses would check my respiration, ask me about my eating and drinking habits, and inquire about the amount of rest that I am experiencing, before administering other tests. When we are not well spiritually we should seek the counsel of the Great Physician who asks, “Are you praying without ceasing? Are you drinking in the water of the Word daily? Are you gaining a Sabbath rest within the Church? And, are you breaking the bread of fellowship on a regular basis?”
If we answer, “No”, to any of these questions, let us kneel before God and present our physical, social, and spiritual needs as prescribed by Christ in Matthew 6:8-13, ...your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 'Give us this day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen' (NASV).