Lessons from John 17: Dying on a Cross
Now up to this point, Jesus’ prayer has been directed to the Father, looking forward to the cross. Yet, here in verse 4, Jesus prays knowing full well or having full confidence that God, His Father would indeed see Him through to the end of His earthly ministry. This includes dying on a cross and everything that would come before it.
Look with me if you will at verse 4 where it was as if Jesus had already uttered with His last breath, the great shout of joy, “It is finished.” His mission on earth to glorify God was completed and nothing more needed to be done! Jesus paid it all! Once and for all! Hallelujah!
And then Jesus asks in verse 5, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” Before creation began, God the Son possessed that same unmatched glory, in equal measure as the Father and the Spirit. And at the Incarnation, Jesus did not give up His divine attributes, but rather He placed His use of them in the hands of His Father.
Jesus voluntarily, meaning of His own volition or will, laid aside His rights and became the true human Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, His glory remained “veiled.” though it was always fully there.
Yet upon His return to heaven, Jesus would not only regain His full glory as God’s own Son, He would also gain glory from the Father as the Son of Man forever! And not only that but every time a person comes to know and received the person of Jesus Christ within their own life, again Jesus is glorified.
In fact, Jesus Himself tells us in Luke 15:7,10, “I tell you, in the same way, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
What a thought! What a God!
And it’s no wonder that we find in Philippians 2:6-10 these words, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who being the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And there is still a future glory that awaits Jesus and that is the glory when all believers will be gathered together in Him! On that day Jesus will receive His final and full glory from the Father! What a great and glorious day that will be! But until then we as believers have a work to accomplish, a God to know better, a Savior to serve and a world to tell about His glorious deeds!
Might we all be able to proclaim with the same zeal and fervor these words of Jesus upon our own death, “Father, I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do, now may you too be glorified in my death, just as Jesus glorified you in His.”
Next, after praying to His Father for Himself, Jesus now turns His thoughts and prayers towards His eleven disciples whom He loved and knew were going to need God’s help when Jesus left. Jesus recognizes in His conversation with His Father that these men were indeed a loved gift to Him from His Father. A gift that God had chosen them and then placed them in His Son’s hands. And as they followed Jesus, they had come to know and believe and understand that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One. They not only accepted His true identity, but they also accepted Jesus’ words and knew that He had come from the Father. And therefore they belonged not only to Jesus but also to His Father.
And recognizing His disciples’ needs with His soon to be departure, Jesus asks the Father in verse 11 to, “protect them by the power of His name. Which, Jesus referred to as Holy Father implying that God who is alone holy is therefore high and lifted up. Meaning, He is set apart from His creation.
Our English word, “holy” is from the same root word as “whole”. Meaning God is whole—His is perfect in goodness and righteousness. And there is no one like Him. Even God’s holy angels tremble in reverent worship before Him. And being that He is God, it is He who sets apart His children for Himself and commands us to be holy as He is holy. And therefore being holy makes you whole, as God intended you and me to be. Therefore we as God’s people can rest in God’s perfect peace and protection though we may live in this world and are promised the trials of it, it doesn’t have to overtake us. For in the power of His name and the promise of His protection nothing will happen to us that is out of His knowledge or realm of rescue.
And so Jesus continues to pray to His Father for the protection of these disciples that they may remain one in holy union. Jesus knew the trouble that was coming their way, individually and as a whole. He knew that though the world would despise them just as they had despised Him, they were going to need each other. And so in their presence, within their listening ear, Jesus asks the Father, the Holy Father of heaven and earth to keep them together, of one mind, and of one body and of one spirit. Just as God the Father and God the Son and God the Spirit are one. This was Jesus’ prayer for these men whom He loved and who had grown to love Him.
Next, Jesus asked the Father in verse 12 to protect them from the danger of sin and the effects of it. And then in verse 13, Jesus asked the Father to give them the full measure of His joy, knowing that this world is not the end of the story, the best is yet to come. In verses 14 & 15 Jesus asked the Father to protect them from Satan, the evil one, and the world that would hate them.
We have already heard from Jesus that in this world we will have trouble but we are to take heart and know and remember that He upon His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, even now. He has overcome Satan and thus the system of this world and its sinful effects. Therefore we too, those who are in Christ Jesus can also be overcome. For nothing is impossible for God and those who believe in Him!
In verse 16, Jesus asks for the Father’s protection of their identity as distinct or different from those of the world and that He would sanctify them by His word in verses 17 & 19. Meaning that God would make them more like Jesus and enable them to fulfill their mission in the world found verse 18.
Principle: A person can never know who they are until they know who they are.
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach