It’s a Given

March 10

Read: John 17 (Jesus’ Final Prayer; Part 2)

It’s a Given

Over the next couple days, I want us to think about what is called “the High Priestly prayer” of Jesus. This is the final prayer we have from Jesus before he is crucified. It is a prayer for US as much as it is for the disciples that were with him. So what are the things that Jesus is praying about? What themes run through this final prayer? Let’s take a look:

2.) “Given”

This prayer of Jesus reveals to us just exactly what the Father has “given” to both US as well as the Son. The “giving” nature of our Heavenly Father is woven through this passage.

“…since you have given him (Jesus) authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (v.2)

• The Father has given Jesus authority over all flesh

• The Father has given Jesus the power to give eternal life

“…to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (v.2)

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (v.9)

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

• The Father has given a people to Jesus

“…(they) have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (v.8)

• The Father has given the Son to us

“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (v.4)

• The Father has given the Son work to do

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me,” (v.6)

• The Father has given the Son a people “out of this world”, they were the Lord’s in the first place to give. They always belonged to him.

“Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them…” (v.8)

“I (Jesus) have given them your word, and the world has hated them” (v.14)

• The Father gives us his words through the Son (as well as the Spirit.)

“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (v.22)

“…to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (v.24)

• The Father gives glory to the Son

• The Son shares that glory with us

From beginning to end, this prayer is steeped with a celebration of what God has GIVEN. We belong to God the Father as his precious children. We have always been HIS, even when we didn’t realize it. We have been taken “out of this world” and in turn given to Christ. We have been given eternal life! We will never “die”. We have been given authority through Jesus… the Father gave it to Jesus and he has entrusted it to us. God has given us work to do… we have a job in this world. He has given us his word, and probably most shocking of all… he has given us glory via Jesus - who shares his glory with us. Whenever you are tempted to think of God as “stingy” or a “penny pincher”… maybe you feel like he is withholding something from you? Remember that God is a “giver” who has given greatly to us. We are HIS, entrusted to the Son - Jesus! We may think we “picked him”, but the truth is that we were actually GIVEN to him by the one we truly belong to. More to come. Love you guys! - JDP