Answering the Prayer of Jesus
The prayer of Jesus as recorded by John deserves much study. I have included it below. May we each one let HIS HOLY SPIRIT make us ONE.
This is the New Living Translation.
John 17
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life-to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
"I have told these men about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory! Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them-all those you have given me-so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I have kept them safe.* I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
"And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours.
"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father-that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.
"I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began!
"O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them."
What relation do the Father and the Son sustain to each other?
"I and My Father are one." John 10:30.
In what did Christ ask the Father in behalf of His disciples?
"Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are." John 17:11.
Could the church be thus, what influence would it have on unbelievers?
"That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou has sent Me." John 17:21.
What did the apostle Paul teach on this point?
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 1 Cor. 1:10.
What was a prominent cause of division in the early church? "For I know this, that after My departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:29, 30.
What did this division cause among the believers even in Paul's day?
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [hindereth] will let, until he be taken out of the way." 2 Thess. 2:7.
When paganism, that which hindered the full development of this "mystery," was taken out of the way, what followed?
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2 Thess. 2:8.
By what name is this power elsewhere called?
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
To what does the apostle liken the church?
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1 Cor. 12:27.
And being members of Christ's body, of what else do we become members?
"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Rom. 12:5.
As members of one another, what is the duty of each?
"That there should be no schism in the body: but that the members should have the same care one for another." 1 Cor. 12:25.
If the church is one, as the body of Christ, what should be its united aim?
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph. 4:1-3.
When the Lord is about to come, how will the true ministers of the gospel stand on this point?
"Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion." Isa. 52:8.
What solemn message, just before the Lord's coming, will bring this unity?
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God... Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:9-12.
When the lord comes, what will be the united cry of these faithful ones?
"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isa. 25:9.
This is the New Living Translation.
John 17
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life-to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
"I have told these men about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory! Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them-all those you have given me-so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I have kept them safe.* I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
"And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours.
"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father-that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.
"I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began!
"O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them."
What relation do the Father and the Son sustain to each other?
"I and My Father are one." John 10:30.
In what did Christ ask the Father in behalf of His disciples?
"Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are." John 17:11.
Could the church be thus, what influence would it have on unbelievers?
"That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou has sent Me." John 17:21.
What did the apostle Paul teach on this point?
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 1 Cor. 1:10.
What was a prominent cause of division in the early church? "For I know this, that after My departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:29, 30.
What did this division cause among the believers even in Paul's day?
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [hindereth] will let, until he be taken out of the way." 2 Thess. 2:7.
When paganism, that which hindered the full development of this "mystery," was taken out of the way, what followed?
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2 Thess. 2:8.
By what name is this power elsewhere called?
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
To what does the apostle liken the church?
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1 Cor. 12:27.
And being members of Christ's body, of what else do we become members?
"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Rom. 12:5.
As members of one another, what is the duty of each?
"That there should be no schism in the body: but that the members should have the same care one for another." 1 Cor. 12:25.
If the church is one, as the body of Christ, what should be its united aim?
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph. 4:1-3.
When the Lord is about to come, how will the true ministers of the gospel stand on this point?
"Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion." Isa. 52:8.
What solemn message, just before the Lord's coming, will bring this unity?
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God... Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:9-12.
When the lord comes, what will be the united cry of these faithful ones?
"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isa. 25:9.
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Tuesday, November 01, 2005
<< Home