Apr 20 - "Parting Words"

“After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.’” --- John 17

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Did you know, that Jesus prayed for you? Not just to those who were on the earth with them, but for you…yes, you…who are reading these words right now.

To be honest, I am not sure if I have ever read this chapter of John’s gospel. Most likely, at some point, it was covered in a sermon, Sunday School or a bible study, but for some reason it never stuck with me. I think it is one of my new favorites! I encourage you to crack open your Bible and read more than just the excerpt above, but the whole chapter.

The whole chapter is basically a prayer. It is Jesus praying to God, His Father, about all that has happened during His time on Earth. But the most important part of the prayer is what He is asking God to do for His followers; “Holy Father, protect them in Your name...”. Jesus, our friend and teacher with who has been with His earthly family and friends over the three-plus years of His ministry has a beautiful prayer for us; He also says:

He assures us that what we have seen is the truth: “Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”

He comforts us that, although He is leaving us, we will not be sad: “But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.”

He blesses us: “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

He gathers us together as His family: “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

What a wonderful gift these words are!

So, rejoice in the blessing Christ gave to us in his parting words. Because, even though we was praying for those who were with Him at that time, He also prayed for YOU: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word.”