Greetings Everyone,
I write this as my first post from California and on the eve of one of the most tragic events to ever take place in Christian History. Tomorrow, many of us will get into our cars, drive 5, 10, 15 minutes or more to attend a Good Friday service in honor of Easter. I thought this would be a great time to share Part 2 of the Father Revealed, which I posted about 3 months ago. Our Savior Revealed highlights the man behind everything we as Christians hold dear and I hope and pray that as we all embark on our Good Friday Journeys over the next 24 hours or so that you will be reminded of this...
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John 17 in my opinion is of most important moments for us to see in the Character of Jesus. It begins with Jesus Looking up to heaven and praying. Through this prayer Jesus' heart is revealed to us in a mighty way, it is shared with us at a point in which He is accepting Gods plan for Him and those he has spent the last three years pouring into.
“After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. Having finished the work you gave me to do, I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.” (Jn 17:1-5 NCV)
Once he has accepted what the future holds, Jesus surrenders everything to The Father. This surrender in many ways gives us a great example to live our stories by. It is the "offering" we have all been called to give. Jesus “offered” himself in love completely so that His life could bring even more Glory to The Father.
“All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And my glory is shown through them. 11 I am coming to you; I will not stay in the world any longer. But they are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be one, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and only one of them, the one worthy of destruction, was lost so that the Scripture would come true. I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still in the world so that these followers can have all of my joy in them.” (Jn 17:10-14 NCV)
The heart of Jesus as a man is not something I have really seen shared when it comes to this time of the year and I believe it is important for us to think about this Easter Weekend. John Chapter 17 has really opened my eyes up to His heart and given me insight into whom Jesus was as a Man. Yes, He is and always will be Our Savior, The Messiah, and The Son of God but He was also a man. As John 17 is laid out we are shown this man in an entirely new light. Think about this for a moment. Knowing what Jesus knew was going to happen next would terrify most and He handled it in the most profound way possible, through prayer.
Jesus' last words in this heartfelt prayer were words of love for The Father and for His disciples. I believe they were given to us so that we would be reminded that this Love is for all of us and that all we have to do is accept this love and repent from the sinfulness we have partaken of in this life. Each and every one of us can know the same love from The Father that Jesus knows and we have been given the chance to ‘remain in HIS love’ in everything in our lives. These words give us that chance. My challenge for you on this sad day in Christian History is to take these words and all of John 17 to heart and embrace them with all that you are...
“Father, I want these people that you gave me to be with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the world was made. Father, you are the One who is good. The world does not know you, but I know you, and these people know you sent me. I showed them what you are like, and I will show them again. Then they will have the same love that you have for me, and I will live in them.” (Jn 17:24-26 NCV)
Thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"
Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),
M.E.
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