1495. The Requests for His Own
The Requests for His Own
"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only True God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent" (Joh_17:3).
There are, in this prayer of Christ's, six distinct desires in behalf of His own, with one desire repeated four times. Let us observe these.
1. "That they might know Thee the only True God, and Jesus Christ" (Joh_17:3). This request goes far beyond knowing about the True God, and about Jesus Christ. It carries with it the knowledge that begets life. "I know Whom I have believed," said Paul. This is an example of the fulfillment of Christ's prayer.
2. "That they may be one" (Joh_17:11). This is the request repeated four times.
"That they may be one as We are" (Joh_17:11).
"That they also may be one in Us" (Joh_17:21).
"That they may be one, even as We are one" (Joh_17:22).
"That they may be made perfect in one" (Joh_17:23).
How the schism of denominationalism must grieve the Lord! "I am of Paul;" "I am of Apollos;" "I am of Cephas;" "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided?
By one Spirit we have all been baptized into one Body. Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace. We do not mean, that any believer should fellowship error; this we cannot do, but all believers may walk in Him, Who is the Head, and then the whole Body will walk and work together in love.
3. "That they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves" (Joh_17:13). What a blessed joy was Christ's! A joy that was not lost as He faced the Cross. He, Who was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows, desires us to have His joy. And when we walk in Him and know how to obtain this "fruit of the Spirit," our joy will be full.
4. "That they also might be sanctified through the Truth" (Joh_17:19). Christ sanctified Himself–through the eternal Spirit He offered Himself, once for all. In this act Christ was made unto us sanctification. Our place is there on the Cross with Him. Thus, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ.
What Christ meant as He prayed, was evidently that we might first of all recognize our sanctification in Him, that we might, secondly, become, in our daily walk, separated from sinners and dedicated unto His service.
"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, * * that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour" (1Th_4:3-4).
5. "That they * * be with Me where I am" (Joh_17:24). Precious words! Blessed request! Where is the believer whose heart does not say a loud "Amen!" to these words?
Paul wrote: "Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ." Christ said to the thief, "To day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise."
What union and communion lie hidden in those words, "with Me"!
6. "That they may behold My glory" (Joh_17:24). We imagine that when we see the heavens on some starlit night, that we have beheld about the one chief view of His glory; however, when we are over yonder, and are with Him, the "glory" we shall see, will eclipse any earth view of glory. That glory will outreach our most farseeing, earth-bound dreams.
Best of all, we are not alone to see His glory, but we are to share it, for the Lord continued, "The glory Thou hast given Me I have given them." The keynote in Heaven will be "One with Christ." We are "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ."
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR