.jpg)
What in the World (3 of 4)
Series: High Priestly Prayer
Marion Clark
John 17:11-19
Introduction
Have you ever been somewhere where you felt you didn't belong? Maybe it was a place that felt strange, unwelcoming. Maybe it was the people you were with that made you feel out of place. There you were in a place, among people that you were not really a part of. You were the odd man out. That is what concerned Jesus about his disciples-the men he was soon to leave in a world of which they did not fit. Let's continue listening to his prayer for them.
Text
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Jesus is leaving his disciples. And he is leaving them in a tough place-the world. He is going back to heaven, to his home in glory where only holiness, righteousness, and love exist. His disciples remain in this earthly world where impurity, sins, and hatred infiltrate everywhere. He makes one specific request of the Father on their behalf-to keep them.
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
To keep is to watch over and to protect. That is a good prayer to make. The disciples will need God the Father watching over them as the Good Shepherd watches over his flock to protect them from danger. Interestingly enough, though, Jesus doesn't say ''that they may be safe'' but ''that they may be one.'' Why does he take that turn and what does he mean?
We are going to look at this phrase more closely next week, as it will appear three times in the next passage. For now, we are interested in how it relates to Jesus' prayer that the Father keeps them.
I suggest that Jesus is referring to a oneness of purpose. In the gospel of John, Jesus speaks of himself as having a single mindset of doing the will of his Father. Here are examples:
My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 4:34
For I have come down from heaven, no ...
Series: High Priestly Prayer
Marion Clark
John 17:11-19
Introduction
Have you ever been somewhere where you felt you didn't belong? Maybe it was a place that felt strange, unwelcoming. Maybe it was the people you were with that made you feel out of place. There you were in a place, among people that you were not really a part of. You were the odd man out. That is what concerned Jesus about his disciples-the men he was soon to leave in a world of which they did not fit. Let's continue listening to his prayer for them.
Text
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Jesus is leaving his disciples. And he is leaving them in a tough place-the world. He is going back to heaven, to his home in glory where only holiness, righteousness, and love exist. His disciples remain in this earthly world where impurity, sins, and hatred infiltrate everywhere. He makes one specific request of the Father on their behalf-to keep them.
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
To keep is to watch over and to protect. That is a good prayer to make. The disciples will need God the Father watching over them as the Good Shepherd watches over his flock to protect them from danger. Interestingly enough, though, Jesus doesn't say ''that they may be safe'' but ''that they may be one.'' Why does he take that turn and what does he mean?
We are going to look at this phrase more closely next week, as it will appear three times in the next passage. For now, we are interested in how it relates to Jesus' prayer that the Father keeps them.
I suggest that Jesus is referring to a oneness of purpose. In the gospel of John, Jesus speaks of himself as having a single mindset of doing the will of his Father. Here are examples:
My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 4:34
For I have come down from heaven, no ...
There are 13605 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
