In the book of Hebrews we learn about the wonderful work that our Saviour is doing for us today:
“For Christ is not entered into the holy
places made with hands, which are figures of the
true; but into ________________________ itself, now
to appear in the presence of _________ for _____” (Hebrews 9:24)
Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest (see Hebrews 4:14; 7:26 and 8:1) who passed into heaven itself so that He could make Intercession for His believers who are still on the earth:
“Wherefore He is able also to _____________
them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,
seeing He ever _____________________ to make __________________________________ for them”
(Hebrews 7:25)
When Jesus Christ returned to heaven He did two things to help His disciples who were still on the earth. First, He sent the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) to live in every believer. We studied this in John Chapters 14-16. Second, He began a ministry of prayer for His believers: “seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Jesus Christ is no longer on earth with His disciples, but He is in heaven constantly praying for His disciples!
How important is this ministry of prayer? Suppose Jesus were to stop praying for His believers? Would they be able to survive in this world? Peter once got into trouble and even denied His Lord (see Luke 22:34,54-62). But did Peter have Someone praying for him so that he would survive and so that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32)? _______ Peter was very thankful that Jesus interceded for him!
In John Chapter 17 we are going to learn how important it is to have our Saviour in heaven praying for His believers on earth. All of John Chapter 17 (all 26 verses)’ is a PRAYER that Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father. He prayed this prayer on the very same night that He was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Jews. This prayer was prayed on the evening before His crucifixion. On the very next morning He would be nailed to the cross and in less than 24 hours He would be in the tomb.
The Chapter can be divided into three main sections:
1A. Jesus prays for God’s glory (John 17:1-5).
2A. Jesus prays for His disciples (John 17:6-19).
l B. Jesus Describes His Own (John 17:6-10).
2B. Jesus Prays that God will “KEEP THEM” (John 17:11-15).
3B. Jesus Prays that God will “SANCTIFY THEM” (John 17:16-19).
3A. Jesus prays for Future Believers (John 17:20-26).
Before we begin looking at these verses in John 17, let us first point out several facts about this great prayer:
1) This is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus found in the Bible (26 verses long!). The other prayers of Jesus which are written down in the Bible are very short (see for example John 11:41-42; John 12:27-28; Luke 22:41-42; and Matthew 11:25-26).
2) This is a very important prayer for us! Jesus prayed many prayers. On one occasion He even continued ______ ______________ in prayer to God (Luke 6:12). But of all the prayers which Jesus prayed, God wanted this one in John 17 to be recorded (written down) for us. God had some very important reasons for choosing this prayer to be part of His Bible. God wanted us to listen in and hear the words that Jesus prayed on this night before He went to the cross.
3) The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ prays for His own. In Romans 8:34 we learn that Christ is “at the right hand of God, who also maketh ___________________________ for ________" (Romans 8:34). Jesus Christ is in heaven today praying and pleading for those who belong to Him. When Jesus prays for us, what kinds of things does He pray about? It would be helpful if we could “listen in” and hear that which Jesus is praying.. This is one of the reasons God has given us John Chapter 17. He wants us to “listen in” as Jesus prays to the Father for us.
4) The prayer in John 17 may be rightly called THE LORD’S PRAYER. It is the prayer which the Lord prayed on the night before He went to the cross. There is another prayer which is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer” and it is found in Matthew 6:9-13. This prayer in Matthew was a prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples when He was teaching them how to pray. But did Jesus ever pray this prayer Himself? Would Jesus ever pray this: “forgive us our debts” (Matthew 6:12)? ______ Did Jesus have any sins that needed to be forgiven? _______ The sinless Son of God never prayed for forgiveness! This prayer in Matthew was a prayer that the Lord taught but it was not a prayer that the Lord ever prayed. The prayer that Jesus prayed is found in John Chapter 17.
5) When we read the prayer in John Chapter 17 we are entering upon holy territory. We are listening in on a holy conversation as the Holy Son of God is speaking to His “H___________ F ___________________" (John 17:11). It is very amazing and wonderful that God should even allow us to listen to such a prayer! May we study this prayer with reverence and respect for a God who is greater than any tongue can tell. We must realize also that there are many deep things in this prayer--things which our little, puny minds have great difficulty understanding. For example, this prayer takes us all the way back to eternity past (Verse 5-“before the ______________ was"; Verse 24--”before the foundation of the _________________”) and it takes us all the way ahead to eternity future when we will be with Christ seeing His glory in heaven (Verse 24). If our hearts are right with the Lord, He will teach us many things from this prayer. With the Lord helping us, let us consider some of the verses in John 17:
Prayer is not always bowing one’s head and closing one’s eyes. When Jesus prayed we are told that He “lifted up His ___________ to _________________ " (John 17:1). He lifted up His eyes and looked up!
Notice the very first words that Jesus prayed, “Father, the __________ is______________” (John 17:1). Jesus knew that the hour of His death had come. It was time to go to the cross to provide salvation for sinful men. In this dark and difficult hour in His life, what did Jesus do? HE LOOKED UP! He prayed to God!
What do you do when things get rough and tough? What do you do during those dark and difficult times? God wants us to LOOK UP and lift up our heads (compare Luke 21:28)! Don’t look around at the problems (Luke 21:26) but look up at the Saviour (Luke 21:28) There was only one thing that Jesus wanted more than anything else!
There was one thing that Jesus cared about and was concerned about more than anything else! It is, found at the end of verse 1: “that thy ____________ also may ________________________ Thee.” Jesus prayed that God the Father would be glorified! This was His greatest desire (compare John 12:28).
This should be our greatest concern also. The Bible says that in whatever we do we are to do all “to the ________________ of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). We are to live in such a way that God will be made known and honored!
Was Jesus praying a selfish prayer when He prayed, “Father . . . glorify thy Son” (verse 1)? He was really saying, “Father, GLORIFY ME!” (compare verse 5). Did Jesus want to be glorified for SELFISH reasons? Of course the answer is “NO”! “Glorify thy Son” is only the first half of the prayer! The second half is this: “that thy Son also may glorify ________” (John 17:1). He wanted the Father to glorify Him so that He could glorify the Father. There was nothing selfish about this!
Have you ever prayed that God would glorify you? “Lord, glorify me that I might glorify You!” This is not a selfish prayer as long as the “glory” returns to God!
What does the word “GLORY” really mean? The word “GLORY” refers to the wealth, worth and weight of someone. The GLORY of God points us to how wealthy, worthy and weighty God really is! The glory of God is the expression of all that God really is!
The Father has given His children GLORY (John 17:22) so that these children can point back to the Father and glorify Him (1 Cor. 10:31). God gives His children GLORY so that the world will know who His children belong to! God’s children are able to point out to others how wonderful God is. God’s children ought to be showing off the wealth, worth and weight of God!
The believer can pray something like this: “Father, thank You for providing me with all I need (John 17:22). Help me to use and to exercise all that You have provided me with so that others might take notice and think and ask about my Source for such supply.” Others might ask questions such as these: “How did you do that?” “Why did you do it that way?” “Why do you think like that?” “Why didn’t you join us in doing this?” etc.
Consider the son of a very rich man (the son of a billionaire). Suppose this son went around town dressed in rags and looking like a poverty-stricken bum. Would this glorify and point back to his father? ______ This would dishonor his rich father. People would never be able to guess that this poor-looking person belonged to such a rich man!
But suppose that this rich man’s son acted like a rich man’s son. Suppose he dressed in expensive clothes and wore gold and diamond watches and rings and was driven to school every day by a chauffeur in a limousine. What would this tell you about his father? Would you somehow get the idea that his father is rich? _______
We have a very RICH heavenly Father and we want people to know how glorious He is. As believers (as children of God) may we thank our heavenly Father that He has given to us all that we need so that our lives will point back to Him and so that the world will know that we belong to Him! May we have our hearts right with God so that we can rightly use and exercise all that he has given to us.
Remember, if God honors you or blesses you in any way, be sure to give it
back to God! Do not keep it for yourself. Herod failed to give God the glory and he
dropped dead (see Acts 12:21-23)!
There is one thing that frail, mortal, sinful men really need: E____________________ L_________ (John 17:2). Who is the One who is able to GIVE eternal life to men (John 17:2)? __________________________________ Apart from Jesus Christ there is absolutely no hope of eternal life! What wonderful GIFT does Jesus Christ give to His sheep (John 10:27-28)? ________________________________________
What is eternal life? Some people think that eternal life is simply “living forever” or “existing forever.” But this is not true. Those who are not saved will EXIST FOREVER in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10,15; 21:8). They will have ETERNAL EXISTENCE but they certainly will not have ETERNAL LIFE. All men will exist forever somewhere: either in heaven or hell.
What is eternal life? God has not left us in the dark concerning this. He has given us His own definition of eternal life and it is found In John 17:3: “And this is _________ _____________________, that they might ____________ thee (God the Father) the only true God, and ________________ _____________ whom thou hast sent.” Eternal life is KNOWING God and knowing _________________________________ (the One God sent). The person who rightly knows God and Christ is the person who possesses eternal life.
Christianity is not a religion, it is a RELATIONSHIP with God. It is not DOING SOMETHING but it is KNOWING SOMEONE. It is not a set of rules and regulations to follow but it is a wonderful PERSON to love and serve and follow and obey. Eternal life is a wonderful relationship with the only true God!
There are many people in the world that have religion but there are few people in the world that really have a real and a right relationship with the only true God. Do you have this kind of a relationship? Have you ever received this PERSON to be your God and your Saviour (John 1:12)? In light of John 17:3, can you say from your heart: “I know this Person as MY SAVIOUR, MY LORD, MY FRIEND, MY HELPER, MY SHEPHERD, MY KING, MY LOVER and MY EVER-PRESENT COMPANION AND COMFORTER!”? This is the kind of relationship God wants us to have both now and forever!
“It Is Finished!”
Did Jesus come into the world to do a work of judging men or saving men (John 3:17)? ______________________________________ Jesus came to earth and went to the cross and COMPLETED HIS MISSION. In John 17:4 Jesus said, “I have ___________________ (completed, accomplished) the work which thou gayest me to do.” After He had paid the full penalty for man’s sin on Calvary’s cross, what did Jesus cry out (see John 19:30)? __________________________________________ It is DONE! FINISHED! ACCOMPLISHED! FOREVER DONE!
When Jesus actually spoke these words in John 17:4 He had not yet gone to the cross and He had not yet died for sinful men. But Jesus was looking ahead. In less than 24 hours the work would be finished. Jesus was anticipating what was soon going to happen. He was so certain that He would go to the cross and die that He spoke of it as if it were already accomplished. In His mind it was as good as done! We will learn more about what Jesus did for us on the cross when we come to John Chapter 19.
In John 17:5 we learn something very important about the Saviour, Jesus
Christ. In this prayer Jesus said that He was with the Father “
_________________ the world __________.” This statement makes it very clear that
the life of Jesus Christ did not begin in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ existed long
before Bethlehem was ever a town! He existed long before there was even a world! Does John
17:24 teach the same truth? ______ The eternal Son of God (see John 1:1) became a man
(John 1:14) so that He could eventually go to the cross and accomplish the work of
salvation (John 17:4) so that the Father would be glorified (John 17:1; 12:28)!
Before Jesus prays for His disciples He first describes them in John 17:6-10. He tells us certain things that are true of those that belong to Him. In these verses we will learn that Jesus describes His disciples in six ways. These are six things that ought to be true of every believer. As we think about these verses we should ask ourselves this question: “DO I FIT THIS DESCRIPTION? DO I RESEMBLE ONE OF CHRIST’S DISCIPLES?” Let us consider this sixfold description:
1) They know the Father. In John 17:6 Jesus said, “I have manifested thy ____________ unto the men which thou gavest me.” The “NAME” of God refers to all that God is. Jesus revealed God to His disciples (Matthew 11:27). Jesus SHOWED THEM THE FATHER as we already studied in John 14:8-9. Those who belong to Christ know the Father and have a personal relationship with God. Do unsaved people know the Father (John 15:21; 16:3)? _____ Do you know the Father? Do you fit this description?
2) They keep (obey) God’s Word. At the end of verse 6 Jesus said, “they have ___________ thy _____________.” Those who belong to Christ are obedient to God’s Word. This does not mean that Christ’s followers never fail or never fall. In fact on this very night Peter would deny his Lord three times (John 13:38) and the other disciples would scatter like frightened rabbits (John 16:32 and Matthew 26:56)! And yet, Jesus in speaking of these same men says “THEY HAVE ___________ MY WORD” (John 17:6)! Jesus understood that there would be times when they would fail, but as the Lord looked over their entire life, He knew that these were men who would honor God’s Word and obey it. Do you desire to obey God’s Word (compare 1 John 2:3-5) or do you care nothing about doing what God says? Do you fit the description of one who has “kept His Word”?
3) They receive God’s Word. Jesus gave His disciples God’s Words (John 17:8). Did they receive these words or did they reject these words (John 17:8)? _________________________ It is a dangerous thing to REJECT God’s words: "He that ______________________ me, and receiveth _______ my __________________, hath one that judgeth him” (John 12:48). If a person rejects God’s Words and refuses to hear them, does that person belong to God (John 8:47)? ______ True believers are those who have “gladly _____________________ his word” (Acts 2:41). What a person does with the Bible is very important. Have you believed and received God’s Word in your heart? Do you fit this description?
4) They believe the right thing about Jesus Christ. Jesus said that His disciples “have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have ________________________ that thou didst send me” (John 17:8). It is very important what a person believes about Christ--who He is and where He came from. Did the Jews mentioned in John 6:41-42 believe the right thing about Jesus? ______ Do you believe that Jesus came down from heaven and was sent by God into this world to be our Saviour? ______ Do you fit this description?
5) They belong to God. Read John 17:9-10. How many times do you find the word “thine”? _____ How many times do you find the word “mine”? _____ The word “thine” refers to God the Father and it means that the disciples belong to God the Father. The word “mine” refers to Jesus Christ and it means that the disciples belong to Jesus Christ! When a person is saved he belongs totally to God! The Bible says “ye are not your ________” (1 Corinthians 6:19)! You do not belong to yourself, you belong to God! Have you given your heart and your life to God? Do you belong to Him? Do you fit this description?
6) They glorify Jesus Christ. In John 17:10 Jesus said, “I am
________________________ in them.” This means that the disciples glorified Jesus
Christ! Instead of living for themselves, they wanted to live for the glory of the One who
saved them! Who did the Apostle Paul want to magnify and glorify (Philippians 1:20)?
_______________ Who did he want to live for (Philippians 1:21)?
_______________________ Can you say the same
thing Paul said? Do you want your life to honor Jesus Christ? Do you fit the description?
Jesus knew that He would soon return to heaven (John
17:11). He also knew that His disciples would remain “in the W_______________”
(John 17:11). This means that the disciples would be right in the middle of Satan’s
territory in a very unfriendly environment. Jesus knew that these disciples would need to
be protected. Therefore Jesus prayed that God would . . .
(see John 17:11, 12,15
and circle the correct answer):
a. . . . make them rich
b. . . . make them popular and famous
c. . . . keep them (watch over them, keep them from harm, keep them safe)
d. . . . take them out of the world
God is the only One who can keep His believers safe in this world. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:5 that we are “___________ by the ________________ of God.” If you are a believer, your safety and protection does not depend on you, it depends on God! If your safety depended on you, would you be very, safe? _____ God not only saves a person, but He also KEEPS A PERSON SAVED!
CAN A SAVED PERSON EVER BE LOST? This is an important question and Jesus gives the answer in John 17:12--“none of them is __________”(NOT ONE!). Did Jesus say the same thing in John 18:9 and John 6:39? _______ God is able to keep His own! The Great Shepherd knows how to protect and keep His sheep!
There was only one disciple who was lost. His name is Judas Iscariot and in John 17:12 he is called “the son of perdition” (this means “the son of destruction”, the man who was utterly lost and who would perish in the lake of fire). But we must remember that Judas never lost his salvation because Judas never had salvation! You cannot lose something that you never possessed! When we studied John 13:10-11 we learned that Judas was the one disciple who was UNCLEAN and UNSAVED (he had never had his salvation bath).
We need to learn a lesson from this man, Judas. This man was taught by the best Bible Teacher that the world has ever known. This man saw the most amazing miracles that the world has ever seen. This man had every opportunity to put his trust in Jesus Christ but he never did. This man was so near to the Lord and yet he was so lost!
What about you? Do you go to a good Bible teaching church? Do you have a Pastor and teachers and parents who have taught you the way of salvation as revealed on the pages of the Holy Bible? Remember, going to church and hearing the message does not save anyone! It is possible for a person to attend a good Bible Church and hear the message of salvation for years but NEVER BE SAVED! Don’t be a Judas! Turn to the Saviour and come to Christ today! Being near to the truth doesn't save anyone.
What has Jesus given to His disciples to help them as they are in this world (John 17:14)? _____________________ The Bible is the believer’s GUIDE TO SURVIVAL! If we were in the world without the Bible we would be in trouble! This would be like a traveler trying to find his way without a map or a compass! One person has given the following amazing tribute to the Bible:
The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.
It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end.
It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.
--Author Unknown
According to John 17:14 and 16 there are two groups of people in the
world:
|
1) |
The |
Majority Group (the crowd) |
|
2) |
The |
Minority Group (the courageous few) |
Christ’s disciples are IN THE WORLD but they are not OF THE WORLD (they are OF GOD). Unsaved people are IN THE WORLD but they are also OF THE WORLD (they belong to the devil’s system--see Ephesians 2:1-3).
A believer might think: “Why doesn’t God take me out of this world? Why doesn’t God save people and then take them immediately to heaven?” This is not what God wants! God has a purpose for leaving His believers IN THE WORLD!
According to John 17:15 what does Jesus not pray? _____________________________________________________________________ But He does pray that God will “keep them from the _________________” (John 17:15). The word “evil” in John 17:15 actually means “the evil one, the wicked one” and it is referring to the devil himself. God wants us in the world but He does not want us in the clutches of the evil one. God wants us right in the middle of the battlefield, but God will keep us out of the clutches of the enemy. Because God does such a good job of protecting us from Satan, HE CANNOT TOUCH US (see 1 John 5:18)!
Yes, believers are in the world. What does God want His believers to do
in the world (see the end of Philippians 2:15)? _______________________ It may not always
be easy at school or in the neighborhood or at work, but if that is where God wants you to
be, then that is where God wants you to shine! The darker the night the brighter the stars
shine! Joseph was in pagan Egypt. He was right in the middle of idolatry and false religion. Was
God able to keep him there? ______ Daniel was in pagan Babylon. He was right in the middle of a
sinful society. Was God able to keep him there? _____ We need to do the shining,
God will do the keeping!
When Jesus prayed for His disciples the first thing He prayed for was that God would “KEEP THEM!” (John 17:11-15). His second prayer request is found in John 17:17-- "S_________________________ them!” What do the words “sanctify them” really mean? They mean “set them apart, make them holy, make them saintly.” What does God want for His believers as they are in the world? He wants them to be HOLY! Jesus was praying that the Father would make His people more holy and more pure and more saintly in thought, word and deed (more Christ-like). Jesus wanted His disciples protected (“KEEP THEM”) and He also wanted His disciples to live holy lives (“SANCTIFY THEM”). Christ was concerned for the holiness of His people.
The KEEPING of believers and the SANCTIFYING of believers are both needed. A believer who is kept in the world but who does not live a holy life is like a burnt out light bulb in a dark room. The light bulb is there but it is not doing what it is supposed to be doing!
How does God make His people SAINTLY and HOLY? He does this through the Bible: “Sanctify them through thy ____________ thy ____________ is truth” (John 17:17). Those who love God’s Word, read it, obey it and live by it are those whose lives are holy. The “saintly” person is the person who puts God’s Word into action in his life. THE HOLY BIBLE PRODUCES A HOLY LIFE.
Many people today do not really believe the Bible. They believe that the Bible is filled with many errors and mistakes and that many of the things written in the Bible are not really true. But we must always remember that the Son of God said, “THY WORD IS _______________” (John 17:17)! God’s Word is truth! Jesus said it and that settles it! And certainly no one knows more about the Bible than Jesus Christ! How can you prove to someone that the Bible is true? The best proof is to show them how the Bible has changed your life! Show them how God’s Word has made you a different person! How can anyone argue with a changed life? This is illustrated in the following story:
The Infidel and the Miner
Everyone admitted that the infidel lecturer was a smart man. In debate, he could generally make his opponent, however clever, trip himself and look utterly ridiculous.
But "God is not mocked," and He was holding in reserve one of His own to confound this emissary of Satan.
One night during one of the infidel's lectures in a rich mining town, he observed the presence of a most intent listener. The man was still wearing his rough, grimy miner's garments, and the massive frame and scarcely concealed muscles bespoke a man of unusual physical strength. He ended his address by saying, "Now I'm sure that I have succeeded in accounting to you for the myth that is called the religion of Jesus Christ."
The atheist had hardly finished speaking when the miner rose slowly to his feet. "Sir," he said, "I'm only a working man and I don't know your fancy word 'myth.' But these people know me! They know that until three years ago I was the toughest man in town. I had a miserable home. I neglected my wife and children. I cursed, swore, drank all my wages and whoever withstood me soon felt my fist. Then someone came along and told me of the love of God to poor sinners. He gave me a glimpse of Christ Jesus dying on Calvary's Cross for lost wretches like me. I believed those things that you now deny, and through my new-found trust in the cleansing power of the Saviour's blood, my life was changed. These folks can tell you that all is different now. The Bible is still the Word of the living God. Jesus Christ is anything but a myth. And the gospel is still "the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth" (Romans 1:16).
Who sent Christ into the world (John 17:18)? ___________________ Who sent the disciples into the world (John 17:18)? __________________Christ sends His own disciples right into the battlefield (enemy territory)! But His disciples need not fear because the victory is His!
In John 17:19 Jesus said, “I ____________________ Myself.”
This means “I set myself apart.” Jesus was referring to the work that He would
do for us on the cross. He would be set apart as a sacrifice or as an offering for sin. He
was SANCTIFIED so that we could be SANCTIFIED (John 17:19). He died to make men HOLY (compare Titus 2:14).
When Jesus prayed this great prayer in John 17, He did not just have His little band of disciples in mind. He knew that there would be thousands of people in the future that would believe on Him also. In John 17:20 Jesus said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall ________________________ on Me through their (the disciples’) word.”
The early disciples (such as Peter and John and later Paul) went forth after the resurrection of Christ and they preached the message of salvation everywhere (Mark 16:15,20). Many people believed on Christ because of their word and their preaching. Later God used these men to write the books of the New Testament. Since the New Testament was written thousands of people have read these books and have also believed on Christ. Jesus knew that these people would someday believe on Him and He wanted to include them in His prayer (John 17:20). Have you believed on Jesus Christ? Have you believed the message of salvation as presented on the pages of the New Testament? If you have, then it is encouraging to know that when Jesus prayed this prayer in John 17, He had YOU in mind!
Jesus prayed that His believers might be ONE (John 17:21-23). Read Ephesians 4:3-7 (Do you see the SEVEN ONE’S?). Was Jesus’ prayer answered? _____ Today when people believe in Christ they are all “baptized into ________ body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This means that every believer is placed into the body of Christ, which is the CHURCH. Every believer becomes a member of the Church! As believers we all share a common ONENESS and UNITY. Every believer is able to say this:
|
The Holy Spirit lives in me. |
Those who are not saved cannot say these things and we are not ONE with them.
Does Jesus desire that His believers be in heaven with Him someday (John 17:24)? _____ Will He come again to take us there (John 14:3)? ______ What does Jesus want us to behold (John 17:24)? ____________________________ In heaven Jesus will be the very center of attention! Do believers rejoice today even though they do not see Christ (1 Peter 1:8)? _____ If believers rejoice today not seeing Him, just think how much they will rejoice in the future when they see Him face to face! Think of a girl who has a fiancé who lives far away. Would she rejoice to get a letter from him? ______ Would she rejoice to get a phone call from him? _____ What if he actually came to see her face to face! Would this be even better than the letter or the phone call?
Our Lord’s prayer ends at the end of verse 26. But actually His prayer for believers never ends! The Bible tells us that “He ever liveth to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25). He never stops praying for us! God lets us “listen in” to this prayer in John Chapter 17 so that we would know how much our Saviour loves and cares for His believers!
WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOUR!
WHAT A GREAT HIGH PRIEST!
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