Our Father’s Love is Revealed {John 17}
11:00 PM
By Mari Sandoval
Today we close an amazing week as we’ve become closer
to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Ministry. On and on through this book (and
this week) we’ve studied how Jesus taught His disciples with a living and loving
example, and even at almost the very end of His Ministry, at the last Supper we
read: “Now before the Passover
Feast, Jesus knew that His hour had come [and it was time] for Him to leave
this world and return to the Father. Having [greatly]
loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [and continuously loves them
with His perfect love] to the end (eternally)” (13:1); “5 Then
He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping
them with the towel which was tied around His waist.” (13:5); “14 So
if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you ought to wash one
another’s feet as well. 15 For I gave you [this as] an example, so that
you should do [in turn] as I did to you.” (13:14-15)
Imagine the impact of these last words to His disciples as a command to them…
and to us, too! But there is also a wonderful promise in doing so: “If you know these things, you are blessed [happy and favored by God] if you put them into
practice [and faithfully
do them].” (13:17)
I can imagine these men
felt as if this was their “Graduation Day”! There were so many challenges to be
met out there, but were they really prepared to conquer them on their own,
without their Teacher and Lord? Then
Jesus continues encouraging them giving them words of HOPE and a FUTURE: “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on
to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling
places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to
prepare a place for you.” (14:1-4) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate,
Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world
cannot receive [and
take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy
Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.”
Over and over we find
Jesus, encouraging as He teaches His disciples to be in UNITY, through His Love
in them: “7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in
you [that
is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be
done for you. 8 My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much
fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples. 9 I have loved you just as the Father
has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you]. 10 If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in
My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have told you these things so that
My joy and delight
may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.” (15:7-11) Hearing these
promises from Jesus must have been like fresh ointment to their weary heart!
“In that day you will not [need to] ask Me about anything. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever
you ask the Father in My name [as My representative], He will give you.” … “27 for the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you, because you have loved Me
and have believed that I came from the Father.” (16:23, 27)
As Jesus finished this discourse,
He raised His eyes to heaven and prayed out loud to His Father: this is His
last teaching in the form of a prayer. Jesus begins with a petition for the
glorification of the Father and the Son (vs. 1-5), after which He prays for the
disciples gathered around Him, first describing their situation (vs. 6-11) and
then praying that they be protected and sanctified by the Father (vs. 11-19). Jesus
then prays for all who will become believers through the witness of the eleven,
that they may share in the UNITY of the Father and the Son: “I
do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through
their message, 21 that they all may be one; just as You,
Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the
world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me.” (vs.20-24).
In the last verses Jesus prays for a UNITY founded in
love. ” 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world
may know [without
any doubt] that
You sent Me, and [that
You] have loved
them, just as You have loved Me”, “and these [believers] know [without any doubt] that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to
them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in
them [overwhelming
their heart], and I [may be] in them.” (vs. 23, 25-26).
Jesus revealed the Love of the Father to us, through His love and
obedience to Him (Heb. 5:7-12) The
love the Father has for Jesus is the same love He has for us believers, indeed
for the whole world (3:16)! “For "God is love" (1Jn 4:8, 16), and
"there is only one love of God" The believers are to embody this love
and thereby provide living proof of God's gracious character, which is his
mercy, love and truth. They will be an advertisement, inviting people to join
in this union with God. The love of God evident in the church is a revelation
that there is a welcome awaiting those who will quit the rebellion and return
home. Here is the missionary strategy of this Gospel--the community of
disciples, indwelt with God's life and light and love, witnessing to the Father
in the Son by the Spirit by word and deed, continuing to bear witness as the
Son has done.“ (Brown 1970:772 – Bible Gateway)
May this become a reality in our life, I pray
in Jesus’s Name. Amen
Blessings!
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