Tuesday 24th June, 2008. John Ch 17 vs. 24-26

Father show them my Glory- John 17:24- 26

Verse 24 is filled with wonderful clauses
                and we must not limit these words to the eleven apostles only
                                but they include us also (see v. 20).

Father, I want
                I will, I desire, there is almost a demand here.
                A Son begging his Father, knowing how much the Father loves him
                and knowing that the Father wants the same as his Son.

Some commentators have seen this as Jesus outlining his last will and testament.

those you have given me
                The elect of God, convicted by God’s Spirit of sin,
                called to salvation and sonship in God,
                purchased by the blood of Christ, bought with a price.

to be with me where I am.
                Where is Christ?
                He is in the Father and the Father dwells in the heavenly realms.
                Christ wants that we should dwell with him in heaven,
                this is the purpose of his coming.
                That we should be forgiven, cleansed, sanctified
                and brought into his heavenly kingdom.

and to see my glory,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
 made his light shine in our hearts
 to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Christ.
2 Cor. 4:6 [NIV]

                There is a day coming when we will enter into the fullness of his glory,
                                we will no longer see him dimly through a mirror
                                but we shall see him face to face.
                We shall live in a city that has no need of sun or moon
                                because our Lord’s glory will shine out and be all the light that we need.

                The place we will be in is less important than the company we will keep
                                ands the glory we shall see.

the glory you have given me
                we note that the glory of the Son is not earned but given.
                He is the apple of his Father’s eye,
                                the Son in whom the Father is well pleased

because you loved me
                There is a closeness between the three members of the trinity
                                that we cannot fathom.
                They love each other with an everlasting love. For God is love.
                And he who loves his Son so deeply also loves us with an unwavering love.

before the creation of the world.
                This further describes the extent of the Father’s love-it is everlasting.
                                From eternality past to eternity future, unwavering and unchangeable.

The glory that our Lord wants us to see
                is the glory of the immutable, eternal and omnipotent God,
                                the Father of love and giver of life.

David wrote:

Thou wilt show me the path of life:
in thy presence is fullness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16:11 [KJV]

²⁵“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you,
I know you, and they know that you have sent me.
²⁶I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known
in order that the love you have for me may be in them
and that I myself may be in them.”  
[John 17:25- 26 NIV]

Five times in two verses Jesus uses the words “know” or “known”.
                                                See also verses 6-8

Why is it so important that we know Christ ?

I pray that out of his glorious riches
he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit
in your inner being,
¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 
Ephesians 3:16-17a [NIV]

 

Conclusion

In these verses
            our Lord prays for the protection,
                        sanctification,
                                    and unity of believers
and that they may see his glory in all its fullness in heaven.