Burke County
Anyone who reads through the Gospel of John will, by faith, hear, see, and acknowledge that Jesus is God incarnate, the Eternal and Living God revealed in the flesh of humanity. John’s testimony is clear, simple, and powerful. And just like Jesus called twelve men from different walks of life to follow Him as disciples, John insists that Jesus continues to call us to follow Him. What I would like to bring to your attention this month is beginning in John, Chapter 14 and continuing through Chapter 17, the Son of God sought to prepare His followers for what was ahead. Not only was He preparing them for the agonizing and devastating events that would take Him to a cross, but He also used the moment of a Passover meal to deliver one of the most powerful monologues that would seek to prepare them to: (1) receive the “Great Commission;” (2) establish His church, and (3) take His message to the far corners of the world. Jesus was saying to His disciples—You are to take My message and make it your mission!
Jesus declared, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). In John 14:27, the Lord promised, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” In John 15:4, Jesus commands, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” In John 14:12, Jesus laid down a new commandment: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” And in John 15:26-27 the Lord promised, “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father.” And because He will be with you, “He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
These were marching orders! The King of glory and the Incarnate God in flesh had assembled the spiritual troops, laid out the battle plan, and was now commissioning them to accomplish the Father’s greatest desire—that all may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God’s Messiah. And that believing, they would have everlasting life in His name (John 20:31).
Immediately after Jesus delivered His final message to His disciples and just before He departed that “upper room” to finish the work that the Father had sent Him to do, He prayed! Jesus, the Lamb of God, lifted His human eyes to heaven and prayed. For whom did He pray? He prayed for Himself, for His disciples, and for all believers. Only Jesus could pray such a prayer, for only He could intercede between man and God. The last thing that Jesus determined that His disciples needed to learn before He faced the cross was that the terror of sin, death, and the cross could and would be conquered. How? Because the Son of God would give Himself a ransom for our sins and would rise victoriously over sin and death. He would return to the Father and continuously be our intercessor.
What did Jesus pray? First, He prayed concerning Himself. “Father, Thy will be done! Be glorified in My obedient, sacrificial death!” (John 17:1-5) Jesus committed Himself to go the distance; to complete the redemptive plans of the Father. He offered Himself completely and submitted to the Father’s plans. In doing so, He became our Savior and Lord!
Secondly, Jesus prayed for both the disciples who had followed Him as well as those who would follow Him. With regards to both “those You have given Me” (John 17:6-19) and also “all who believe in Me”—Jesus asked five things of the Father. Let me boil those five requests down to five simple, yet profound things which the Holy Spirit would be tasked with accomplishing in the lives of His disciples and followers. Jesus asked the Father,
- Keep them in Your name and make them one together!—guide and direct them
- Keep them from the evil one as they live in this world!—guard and protect them
- Sanctify them in the truth! Keep them holy as I am holy!—fill and empower them
- Make them one and perfect their unity!—grow and mature them
- Let them be with Me where I am!—bring them home!
As the Lord Jesus prays for you, would you allow His Spirit to guide and direct you? Would you allow Him to guard and protect you? Would you allow Him to fill and empower you? And would you surrender to the redemptive and saving plans of God so that He may grow and mature you? And finally, brothers and sisters, watch and wait for our glorified Savior to bring us home!
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Dr. Jack Hodges is the Senior Pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Morganton, NC. He has served as a pastor, a biblical counselor, and an International Mission Board missionary.
Read more from Dr. Hodges here.
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