The Gospel of John Lesson 76 (06-08-14) John 17:16-26

The Gospel of John Lesson 76 (06-08-14)

Lesson 76 – John 17:16-26

In v. 16 again Jesus identifies clearly with the Father saying the He is not part of this world and its system. Even though He is focused on connecting and identifying with those that the Father had given to Him, He does not try to fit into both worlds having a foot, so to speak, in each. His life was definitely not one of separation or isolationism, but at the same time He was no undercover agent.

In v. 17 He prays to the Father to redeem and establish His followers in other world principles, Kingdom principles, by the only sure and effective means available, truth. He asks the Father to bless His words of truth that He has shared with His followers that it may have the intended effect on them of sanctification.

The definition of sanctification is, ‘to be set apart’ by means of purification or being freed from sin, most often implying being set apart for a special or particular purpose. Even though those who the Father had given to Jesus were secure in the Father, they still had to be sanctified. Eph. 2:1-10 His followers were not redeemed only, but the Father had a plan and purpose for them. His intention was to show off His glory in and through them. Eph. 2:10 Sanctification through the use of truth was the process by which He would accomplish this.

v. 18 Now it was their turn. Jesus had completed His work, or it would very soon be completed, and now the baton, so to speak, would be handed off to them, but not without assistance and support. Jesus had promised them that even though He was leaving that He would not leave them alone. (Jn. 14:17-9) It tells us in Jn. 17:19 that Jesus had consecrated His life, offering and fully devoting His life to the Father and His will for the purpose of our redemption which included our sanctification. In v. 20 He tells us that His consecrated life was not just for those present at that time, but was for all who would believe throughout all history.

In v. 21 Jesus reminds us that Jesus entered into a world that did not know Him. Yes, it is true that the world had heard about and knew some things about God from God’s progressive revelation throughout history in the past, but as yet they had not known God through Jesus’ revelation and witness even though His coming had been clearly prophesied. In not knowing Jesus and His witness, as yet, they did not know God. Truly if they had known God they would have recognized Him when He, God, had showed up in Jesus. The fact that the world had rejected Him was proof that even though they had an opinion and view of who they thought god was, by their actions toward Jesus it was obvious that their view of the one and only true God was inaccurate. In v. 21 Jesus prays to the Father asking Him for the proof and witness that the world would not be able to refute. He asks for His followers to be one in purpose and direction with Him and the Father.

This was a tall request. For people to work together and get along happily and willingly in singleness of purpose as Jesus and the Father did would take more than an average miracle. But, that was what Jesus was asking for. He requested that this, being one with Jesus and the Father, be the witness to prove to a dark world that Jesus was God’s One and only representative.

If this were to be so what an obvious witness being one with Jesus and the Father would be in a world that is ruled with dominance, force and self-exaltation and self-promotion. However, for this to happen it would take a moving of God’s Spirit, causing His followers to give up their self and self-centeredness and join the Cause…the cause of Jesus and the Father.

However, still in the Church, even in our day, there is way too much self, self-promotion, dominance, self-centeredness and self-centered agenda. Throughout the history of the Church we can see episodes, however brief, of God’s moving inciting oneness with the Spirit of God where it could not be denied that Jesus was the One that God had sent.

However, the type of unity or oneness that Jesus had prayed for here has not been the common activity and perspective or practice in the Church throughout much of history. Boil down the motivation behind many of the Church’s programs and plans and we will find man’s plans and efforts behind his actions, not necessarily God’s. Yes, many of these works are performed with good intentions, but Jesus’ prayer asked the Father for something different.

In v. 21 Jesus asks not that we would be busy doing a lot of good things, but His request was that we would be found in Him and in the Father joining them in what they were doing and what they were about. This would be the undeniable witness, giving up of our self and our plans, often involving our programs, no matter how noble they are, and joining Jesus and the Father in their work and what they are doing.

Blackaby may have come the closest to seeing this oneness in concept in our current modern day setting by offering a formula or recipe so to speak to become one with Jesus and the Father. His formula was to look around and see where God was undeniably at work and join Him. Jesus in essence was teaching His disciples the same thing. In John chapter 15 He instructs His disciples to abide in Him, or join Him. In doing so Jesus told His followers in John 15 that the result would be that they would produce much fruit, fruit that would undeniably be credited to Jesus and His connection with God the Father. This would be radically different to the perspective so often found in the Church of offering our works to Jesus in our own name.

The instruction concerning this oneness with Jesus and the Father is found in John chapter 15 in Jesus instructing His followers to abide in Him. However, on their own they lacked the power to do so. The power to make it so is found here in Jesus’ prayer in chapter 17 in Jesus asking the Father to move His followers to join them. It was this prayer that would give His followers the ability and the power to abide in Him becoming one with Him and the Father. The practical application of this prayer is found in the coming of God’s Spirit giving the ability to make this prayer so. Remember that Jesus always prayed according to the Father’s will so all of His prayers will be answered as He had asked them.

It is important to note that Jesus’ prayer of being one was not just for those present at that time. In v. 20 He prays for all believers including those yet to come who would believe on Jesus due to the work of those that had preceded them. In v. 21 Jesus makes it clear Hithat they all are included in this oneness asking the Father that they ‘all’ be one! It will be a witness that the world will not be able to deny. Jesus may be physically gone or not present at the moment, but the world cannot deny His mark on this present world continuing through His followers. This witness will become so obvious that it tells us here in John 17 that all will know that Jesus is the One that God had sent and all will willingly bow before Him, Phil. 2:9-11.9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In v. 22 we see where our identity lies. In abiding and being one with Him we take on His identity and not ours. In doing so it says that we receive His Glory and not the short lived glory of our own self exaltation and efforts. Jesus in taking on the identity of the Father also received the Father’s Glory willingly taking on the Father’s identity, and now, Jesus after receiving the Father’s Glory passes it onto His followers which are abiding in Him. This is a great mystery.

If there is any doubt as to where Jesus is going with this, in v. 23 He uses the word ‘perfect’ making it clear as to what He is requesting of the Father. This word perfect has the meaning of being complete or fully matured as to lacking nothing.

He goes on in v. 23 with one of the most important messages in the Bible, God’s love. When taking an aerial view of these passages there are several things that go together and cannot be divided or are not found as stand-alone entities. Wrapped up in this oneness that Jesus is talking about are His love and His glory. The oneness that Jesus has asked of the Father is not just being part of a tightly managed and run organization or the example of an ultra-united sports team that is unstoppable. But, this unit as a whole includes and contains God’s Glory, which includes His righteousness and holiness, and as a group, they are the object and recipients of His love. Our redemption to Christ was not mere duty. It was fully motivated by His love. (Jn. 3:16)

The Church’s organizational skills and programs by them self will not be enough to prove that Jesus is the One and only. Others have come on the earth and have received the world’s attention having a sizable following and some organizational skills. But, Jesus says that this will be different. This organization or union will be undeniably His. This group of followers, the Church, will have some qualities that the others could not imitate or materialize. The Church will have the undeniable mark of His Glory on it in the taking on of His character and will be the recipient of acts of love given and performed by God.

We see an example of this dynamic when Israel was in Egypt while Israel was in Goshen during the plagues of Egypt. While the world suffered the consequences of their unbelief, Israel was the object of God’s love and protection.

v. 24 …the keys to heaven. In v. 24 Jesus asks the Father to unite us with Him wherever He is. In doing so He does not redeem us just to place us off somewhere in His creation. Instead He asks the Father that we could be with Him. This would include the Heavenlies or Heavenly realm. Up until this time most of Jesus’ followers had not seen His Glory that He had shared with the Father in the past. Even though His followers had seen many undeniable acts and works of God, only Peter, James and John had experienced a glimpse of this Glory at the Transfiguration.

Vs. 25 and 26 again makes it evident that the world that thinks it has a right to its opinion of God and who He is in reality did not and does not know Him. However, Jesus knew the Father, and now His followers also knew that God had sent Him. In v. 26 Jesus says that He had plainly shown the Father to them. He goes on to say that He also will continue to declare the Father and His Name to a world that does not know Him.

At the end of His prayer Jesus say something pretty incredible. Jesus is just hours from the Cross and He speaks of the Father’s love even though He is fully aware that within hours he will bear the Father’s wrath for our sins. He ends His prayer with the request of giving to His followers the same love that He had experienced. It was the love and oneness with the Father that made an impression on those near Jesus that He was indeed connected to the Father. In this prayer He passes these same tools off to His followers, the Church. Jn. 13:34-5

Jesus ends this prayer with I, Jesus, in us, being one with Him, doing His will and not ours. In this the world will not be able to deny that Jesus is indeed God’s one and only true representative.