Slideshow image

In John 17
● notice the prayer beginning with John’s report that Jesus “lifted up his eyes” (1) and “said, Father” (1),
● register once again the timeliness: “the hour has come” (1),
● marvel that Jesus addresses glory as the motive for the occasion, glory compounded as the Son’s glory enables him to bring glory to the Father,
● see the progression: Jesus’ authority enables him to bestow eternal life and this eternal life is knowing God and Jesus which enables those who possess this knowledge to further bring glory to the God and Jesus (2-3),
● keep piling on the references to glory (4, 5, 5, 10, 22, 24),
● hear Jesus’ earnest plea that God the Father “keep” (10, 15) his disciples “in your name” (10) and “from the evil one” (15),
● notice how much of Jesus’ bold calling out to God rests on Jesus having given to his disciples the words that God had given him (8, 14), suggesting that receiving, knowing, understanding, and bearing those words are a considerable part of the oneness Jesus seeks,
● notice the repetition of “one” (21, 22, 23) and its intriguing connection with Jesus’ description of his relationship with the Father- “you, Father, in me and I in you” (21)- a kind of reciprocal bonding that is extended with “I in them and you in me” (23), and
● rejoice that, as we were so ably reminded Wednesday evening, we are included (20) among those whose belief in the words the disciples brought has made them able to know God, to be kept by God, and to be one in Jesus and in God.
Thank you,

Randy Tumlinson