Wednesday, June 26, 2024

John 17:25-26 - Making Known the Father's Name

John 17:25-26
25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”


Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: As Jesus is praying, I continue to see the words that he is saying and how he is praying to see whether or not I need to pattern my prayers after him. This prayer is for the disciples as in the last several chapters of John I believe Jesus has been all about encouraging them that while He is leaving they will be fine and they will be good and actually in the best place possible in their lives. This chapter has chronicled an interesting prayer. In less than 2 weeks I am going to teach on it in Sunday school. Got some work to do on it and putting it together still. 

This proclamation by Jesus here in these 2 verses seems rather simple. The gist of it that I see is He is proclaiming not necessarily interceding and stating that the Love will be present in us and Jesus will be present in us. May our lives be about love. And may Jesus be in us as we live. He voices truths about who we are and theology he proclaims as well, almost educating us a little through His words - that Jesus and His purpose is to bring the Father's love to them. And so that that love - the Love of the Father - may reside in us. May God's love be in us. 

How easily I could pray this for my kids but I don't. Lord, may your love always be present in my kid's lives. And Jesus may you be in my kids. May you live and act and breath through them so that their lives and our lives better represent You. 

The other interesting idea from this next is the fact that Jesus says that for His children He has made the name of God known to them. I am not sure we recognize completely the ramifications of this statement. We are so appalled often by the sinfulness of our society and yet should we really be that surprised and should we not first have such compassion and understanding toward people that do not know the name of God in their lives. We know the Father because of Christ's work. We have an understanding of God that others don't have. The reason we preach the gospel and speak it to people is they simply don't have this understanding. I see this clearly when we approach people at the mall. Sometimes they have such a distance from God and have conjured up so many other ideas of who God is to them. But we are His people, knowing His name and His very character. 

The other promise from Jesus is the name of God will continue to be made known. At times, it feels like the world is getting darker and less are knowing Him, but in reality Jesus as promised is continuing to make the name of God known. He says in this scripture that the world does not know Him. 

From Tabletalk, "Christ's goal is that we may way, in some mysterious way, having in our hearts a love for God that is like the very love that God has for us, and that on account of that love Christ would dwell among us." 

We know His name and we are strengthened in the process by knowing that name. Do we realize the significance of having the love of the Father in us? Our world has been changed and all we are has been changed. Our entire perspective on life has been changed. We see life differently from others. This can be hard because the difference between the two does seem to be increasing. But if anything what we have now is more clarity in the difference between the two. 

Summary: Contrary to the world, we who have been sent to Jesus by God, know Him and Jesus will continue to make God's name known so Christ will be in us and know God's love. 

Promise: From RC Sproul, "The knowledge of His everlasting love for us gives us the strength we need to fulfill the mission that He has given to us." 

Prayer: O God, you love me. I know this now. You have an extreme love for me that I don't think I grasp completely on a daily basis. So much of my life is me centered and wanting the best for me. I realize that often I am selfish and want people to stay here on this earth and so I pray for them to not suffer. That is not bad, but help my words to You be more focused on that Love that you desire for all men. That the most important thing for me and for everyone is to have the love of God in them. For my children, may the love of God be in them. May you be present in their lives and be in them. Work through them. May their lives be about You and making You known. 


Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Sunday, June 23, 2024

John 17:24 - Christ's Desire For Us

John 17:24
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.


Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus continues to address the Father in this prayer. I was wondering the other day "how is that we have this prayer?". In other words, how is that we get to read this? That God would have John know these words from Jesus and His prayer and that it would be related to us. I think the only explanation that makes sense is Jesus told the disciples about this incident. They spent much time together and He obviously wanted these words, this prayer, to be recorded and knew the recording of Scripture was going to happen - so we can see that these are words He wants us to know. He wants us to know that He has prayed for us, that He desires His children, His followers to Know God and to know God loves and cares for us. Therefore, these words must be important to Jesus - he must have wanted these words preserved. 

The instructions we receive from God
Remember, what we have in our Bible is not a play by play or a movie script. It is not everything that is going on, but what is mentioned I believe is what we need to know. It provides us with principles and I believe with the Holy Spirit as our guide and let's acknowledge today the Holy Spirit is present with us and guiding us into our understanding of truth. As we read the Bible we have direct instructions and we also have principles to apply to our lives. 

When I was finishing college, I would often ask the question - what does God want me to do with my life? It was like I wanted a writing on the wall experience or lightning bolt to come down and tell me what to do. I've always remembered a sermon message that Norm Boshoff gave about knowing the will of God and his point in that message was God gives us boundaries or parameters and tells us to stay within those parameters. Sometimes we don't get clear instructions, but sometimes we do. But we know we need to stay within those parameters. 

When I finished college, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and there was a Bible teacher I loved in Denton and I would listen to his messages. I was active at the time in sharing my faith and that teacher had gone to Dallas Theological. I had another close friend looking into Southwest Seminary in Fort Worth and also Golden Gate Seminary outside of San Francisco. I started the application process to DTS but as I did I prayed and waited on God because I wasn't sure. As I did my sense from God that He was saying to me - the peace that He was giving me at the time was - I don't want you to be paid full-time ministry - rather I want you to be an active lay person. So I think again often with scripture and our personal time with God what is important is that we are regularly going to God and talking to him about life and what is going on and asking His direction, waiting for His peace that surpasses all understanding. 

I desire/I want
Getting into this text, Jesus says, "Father, I desire." This is the reality of most of our prayers, our desire. When coming to pray, we desire to ask God for something, for Him to do something. And Jesus was no different in His prayer. When I look at prayer requests that are made in church, it seems the biggest desire people have is health related needs. Beyond that, it is job and work, and often children's decisions and jobs and work. And there is prayer for people to come to know Jesus as Lord. It is interesting to me that this is how we pray. I think there is an acknowledgement there that God is the one that takes care of our needs. But I think we are also acknowledging what is important to us. And what we want God to do in our life. And I wonder if this is what God believes is number one in life. 

I have seen that Jesus is also using this prayer to explain truths and to speak and tell God what He has done. And overall that has been a big reminder to me of the importance of praying in this way. Is what Jesus desires what we desire for one another? Is our desire for truth, for people to know God, foremost on our lips when we pray? Other versions of this verse state, "I will" or "I want" but it takes on the same meaning I believe for it expresses what Jesus wants for us.

I have been looking at Psalm 89 this week and its words and how it is a prayer of claiming the promises of God. The Psalm begins, "I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever." The Psalm mentions God's faithfulness, Thy wonders, no one is comparable, no one like the Lord, greatly feared, awesome, rules, stills the waves, scatters enemies, heavens are His, strong, mighty, exalted, righteous, just, blessed are those who know Him. This reminds me of the importance of acknowledging this. We do this in our singing each week - praising God. But this is more than thanking Him for how he has impacted us, we are also to praise Him simply for Who He Is and what He has done and continues to do. Chris Tomlin's song "Faithful" is a great song. 

We are His Gift
He speaks that his desire is for the benefactors of the gospel, "I desire that they also, whom You have given Me." Once again, we see the gift we are to Jesus. I believe God loves the world. Like John 3:16 says, I think we know that God loves the world clearly. Everything in scripture I believe points to this love He has. But I also believe within that world, there are gifts or called ones. Verse 20 is interesting for it transitions from his talk prior to verse 20 and Jesus says, "I do not ask in behalf of these alone (v. 6-19 was his disciples), but for those also who believe in Me through their word." So I think those that believe in Jesus are the gifts. He loves everyone but we who believe are His gifts. 

I get lost at times thinking about this, for maybe in my life that desire to be wanted has been a big one for me. I remember standing in the courtyard at school, elementary school, and having that need to be wanted, to be included, to not be chosen last when they are picking sides to play kickball. I wanted to be seen by my teacher. And for me, at least, it continued throughout growing up years. 

When I was in college and even beyond, I felt a need to fabricate the truth of me, to change stories of myself, to twist the truth. I couldn't believe that people would want me as I was. I had red hair which few had, I was skinny. I wasn't a good student and struggled. When I looked at me I often did not like what I saw. So I felt like I had to change something about myself, to make me sound more impressive, or unique or different. For me, it took going through a book called the Search for Significance to help me really believe I could be wanted and ultimately that it is God who accepts me. 

One of my favorite songs is by Benny Hester, "Nobody Knows Me Like You." The lyrics will say, "though some know me well, nobody knows me like you." 

We are valuable to Him
There is a beauty in scripture and in these words for Jesus is telling in many different ways the value we are to Him. But this value didn't start with Jesus. One thing Jesus is doing continually in His words is to point us back to God and to know to us the special relationship we have with God. These ideas have been expressed to us throughout scripture. God's desire for Adam and Eve. Abraham's extreme love for Isaac. Saul and David's commitment to one another. Job's love for God despite trials. Solomon's love for wisdom and his great love for the value of living. Even the minor prophets, often sent to a people that didn't want anything to do with them or God and yet they desired the best for them. And now Jesus and his extreme love for us that then gets passed to the disciples, Paul and throughout the ages in the church. 

I can't help but think in our world today that this is what people are struggling with often. That there is a need to change themselves - so that they will see themselves as valuable and others will also. Oh that people could see that they are a gift - that who they are, who God created them, is a gift and they have value and worth as they are and they don't need to change themselves. They don't need to make up a lie or make them out to be something they are not. 

To Be With Him
And His specific prayer is that they may "be with Me where I am." His desire is for us to be with Him. (1) He desires us; (2) we are a gift and (3) He wants us to be with Him. This is the creator of the world and He wants us to be with Him. There is always something special when someone reaches out to you. One of my favorite stories of this is when there is a huge crowd of people and Jesus says, "someone touched me."  Luke 8:42-46. "the multitudes were pressing against Him." "a woman touched the fringe of His cloak." "Who touched me?" 

He wants me to be beside him. To sit next to him. To be near him. 

I remember John 14:2-3 and Jesus says, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also." 

In several earlier instances of John, Jesus actually told people that where he was going or was, they could not come. John 7:34 - "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” John 13:33, "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’" The King James says, "‘Whither I go ye cannot come.’ But shortly after this is the statement in verse 36, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow later." So what we have here in these first statements are temporary words, but there will be a permanent state later of where He is, we are there. But in those words of verse 33 is something interesting - I think there is a sorrow that Jesus is communicating that He must leave, though temporarily. 

In Jesus, we know we have someone transformative and we see it often in people's reactions to Him, but we also see it in His reaction to us. And I think in these words from Jesus of not being able to with Him we have words of sorrow. Everything Jesus has done up to this point is showing us an extreme love for people. The thing about Jesus is no one has loved like Him and no one will love like Him. And this impacts us. 

In Psalm 23, we have those words, the Lord is My Shepherd. There is a closeness we have with Jesus that is different from anyone else. He is Mine. But, I want you to think also of something - His closeness and desire for us. 

One of the things I love about a church is seeing people experience God and I must tell you, I am a watcher. I'm impacted by people and how they experience God. Debra is one of those people I love to watch. I sit behind her in church. And to watch her worship is such a sweet joy. She puts all of herself into worshipping. There are several people, I love to watch their expressions (our neighbor up the street; there is another man, near her that attends at times). It is another reason I like a choir. I like to watch the choir and see people worshipping God directly. There is an encouragement I see here. I am not very expressive in my worship. Sometimes I can be, but I am more reserved, but that doesn't mean I am not impacted by those that are. That extreme love is just so awe inspiring to watch. Dave McKinney is one I've enjoyed watching. I was at his house and saw his desk - with His Bible in the center and commentaries to the side - and then to hear him speak on June 10th here in this class and simply share about the wonderful name of Jesus and that extreme love and impact in what Jesus has done for him. 

Have you gone through the love languages book. I love this book only because it validates maybe the people we already knew, but it gives a recognition. Look it's no secret that I like touch. Now, I'm not fond of anyone's touch, so please don't feel a need to come up and hug me, but I do desire touch. And I have this habit of touching people on the shoulder. My wife's love language is not touch. Her love language is me asking her to go out to eat. Her fondest memory is going to Dairy Queen Sunday afternoon or evening. 

So where is this closeness with Jesus?
John 1:12 - to them He gave the right to become children of God. - The closeness of your child. 
John 1:14 - Dwelt among us - He is near and with us. 
The disciples see Jesus and follow Him in Chapter 2.
No wine at the wedding and Jesus meets the need with the best wine ever. 
And we see His love for the Father in cleansing the temple of those using it to sell things. 
To Be born again; to use the language akin to a mother bearing a child - God sent Jesus to save us. 
To the woman at the well, he speaks of water given that will produce no thirst again - eternal life. Healing the son of the royal official. Healing the paralytic man at the pool, afflicted 38 years.
Walking on the water, with the storms and darkness all around you, He says, 'Don't be afraid. It is I." 

And yet in our Bible, there is a presence of God that is separate. Psalm 24:3, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?" There is a respect that God deserves. We cannot see Him, but His love lives in us. Jesus is in Us. We cannot go with Jesus as He goes to God, but we will be with Him and see His glory.  

Why? "so that they may see My glory" realizing that this glory "You have given Me." Why? "for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."

Glory continues to be mentioned by Jesus. The Glory of God is something Jesus wants to show us and deliver to us. This is glory given by God to Jesus. What kind of glory is this? 

John 17:5 - "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was."  and now here "Before the foundation of the world." This is the glory that existed before the world. 

You know I don't know what this is completely, but one thing I know is Jesus wants to share with me. I love sharing. I am a fan of potluck. We have a mini potluck every morning in the form of goodies that get shared with us. the "Yum Yum" of the morning. I grew up at Heights Baptist Church and my memory is every Sunday night we had a potluck. My guess is we had a Sunday night service. Maybe. I don't know, but what I do know is we had a potluck. And I loved them. Coming together as a group and sharing food made by one another was a thrill for me. It was that sharing. And going to share food with internationals. Each one bringing food from their own country. 

And all I really know for sure here is Jesus wants to share something extremely valuable with me. 

Summary: Jesus desires through this prayer for us to be with Him, where He is at and to experience His glory, given by the Father to Him. 

Promise: God wants His people in His Presence, where we will be blessed forever.

Prayer: Lord, it has taken me weeks to get through this message, though you and I know my faithfulness in getting through this lesson has not been consistent each day. Traveling some as well as other days recovering from that travel and then also Lord, I admit, just a struggle at times to stay with this. But, I think now this is a lesson that may be a center point for the lesson I will teach on July 9 at Sunday School. Lord God, I thank you for your son Jesus and His prayer here and what it continues to teach me about your love for me, and your desire for me to be with you always but also how great You are and how you are to be praised in my life. Thank you for your love for me and wanting me as your child and desiring me to be with You. And to experience your glory. I don't really know what that means completely, but what I do know is you have a desire for me. You want me. Help me to know this always. 


Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

John 17:22-23 - Loved by the Father in the Son

John 17:22-23
22 And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; they they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity; that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. 


Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: From Tabletalk, today's lesson hones in on the idea of Unity - with the idea that this is the meaning of the High Priestly Prayer. So far what has stood out to me about these verses is how there isn't much intercession in the prayer and instead Jesus is often declaring truths - and how I don't often see this as a focus when we pray. We are all about God rescuing us from whatever ails us at any one time. In our Sunday School class, with so many at the end of life, it is the pains of living and the struggles of things hitting people now at this stage of life which brings about most of the prayer requests and yet I notice this has been a point of emphasis even when we were in classes of younger families. I often think this is also a symptom of how we live - with all of the creature comforts of life and health is the only thing that bothers us. 

As Jesus prays for the disciples or the world, the prayers are often about keeping the disciples united in God, have joy, sanctify them in truth and now today, perfected in unity. Why don't we pray like this? Rather than these things being a given in our life, Jesus is showing us we need to pray for these things. Jesus here recognizes the need for us to be in unity. 

The previous lesson made mention of the importance of unity. Of being one; that the crux of the disciples witness to everyone and believing in Jesus is to be One. But Jesus also says that Truth is important (v. 17) as He asks us to be sanctified in Truth. Jesus has been speaking about Himself often and the relationship the Father has with Him.  

I have mentioned previously, in the attempt to keep the Main thing the Main thing - this is difficult as what I call non-essential others called essential.

But this passage in verse 22 starts with a proclamation that Jesus  begins with a strange request or hard to understand request by Jesus and that is - "I have given to them the glory which Thou hast given Me."

Going back to John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." In this verse, glory is something we behold and is a culmination of the God becoming man - there is a purpose in Jesus being here and it is for us to see the Glory of God, passed on by God to Jesus, but in the form of Jesus. It is to see God for who He is. It is proclaiming God to us. It is to really see God as God. If we behold God as He is, doesn't our life then look different? Don't we approach life differently once we understand God? Perhaps that is what Jesus is trying to get across when He prays for us - that the truth of Him of God is what is important and that we need to behold this. 
 
And so when Jesus says, "I have given to them the glory which Thou hast given Me," it seems that Jesus is saying He has delivered God to man. The truth of God has been given to Man. And in that truth resides our oneness. Unity is grounded in God in us and His glory in us. 
 
It does seem we are not united because of truth - of how we define our lives, ourselves. We are too focused on differences and Jesus is saying He wants us to be defined by God's truth as He has been revealing it through these many messages. 
 
And we are to be One, to be united with what purpose? "that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them." That everyone would know God loves them. God loves you. That is the crux of our message and who we are and what we are to know and what everyone is to know. God loves us. 

Summary: Jesus has come to declare God's glory - the truth of Who He Is and we are to be united, One, so that all we know God loves them.

Promise: God's love for us cannot end.

Prayer: Lord, to know Your Glory is what I am seeking. And for everyone to know Your love is what everyone needs. It is really that simple. 


Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.