Tuesday: “For Those Who Will Believe in Me”
After Jesus prayed for His disciples, He broadened His prayer to include “those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20, NKJV).
Read John 17:20-26. What was Jesus’ greatest wish for those who would later believe in the Gospel message? Why is it so important that this prayer be fulfilled?
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As the Father and Son are one, Jesus prayed that future believers would also be one. In a few places in the Gospel of John, Jesus referred to the unity of the Father and Son. They never act independently of each other, but are always united in everything they do (John 5:20-23). They share a common love for fallen humanity to the extent that the Father was willing to give His Son for the world, and the Son was willing to give His life for it too (John 3:16, John 10:15).
The unity Jesus refers to in this prayer is a unity of love and purpose as it is between Father and Son. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35, NKJV). Manifesting this unity in love will give public confirmation, both of their relationship with Jesus and with the Father. “The display of their genuine unity ought to provide a compelling witness to the truth of the Gospel.” – Andreas J. Köstenberger, John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), p. 498. This is how the world will know that Jesus is the Savior. In other words, this unity Jesus prayed for cannot be invisible. How can the world be convinced of the truthfulness of the Gospel if it cannot see love and unity among God’s people?
“God is leading out a people to stand in perfect unity upon the platform of eternal truth. … God designs that His people should all come into the unity of the faith. The prayer of Christ just prior to His crucifixion was that His disciples might be one, even as He was one with the Father, that the world might believe that the Father had sent Him. This most touching and wonderful prayer reaches down the ages, even to our day; for His words were: ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.’”
“How earnestly should the professed followers of Christ seek to answer this prayer in their lives.” – Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 17.
| What are we doing in our lives and churches to help reach the kind of unity presented here? Why is a certain amount of death to self crucial for each of us if we want our church to be united as it should be? |
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Every one did whatever pleased his eyes. Contrast
The Love of God constrains me to live a life of sacrifice.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
If only this principle were followed, how different this world would be today.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
That they may all be one JUST as you.
Jesus looks beyond the cross to the reunification of us unto the father.
He himself is going to face separation from the Father, yet, He is praying for us.
His willingness to be separated from the Father, allowed us to be reunited with him.
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one
They may be with me
Christ prayed for me to be in heaven with me.
What does this require of me? Learning to get along with each other on this earth.
If I am unable to get along with someone down here on this earth.
How will I survive eternity in heaven where I have to get along with someone for eternity.
If I cannot sacrifice and compromise on this earth how will I ever survive heaven.
I can only repeat the question of the author from today's lesson.
What are we doing in our lives and churches to help reach the kind of unity presented here?
good words
Jesus said by this will all know they are My disciples that they love one another.
Who will we love?? others in my local church? in my conference? my union? general conference of SDA? all other denominations who love Jesus?
Did Jesus say you will all believe the same doctrines or that you will love one another?
What did Jesus really pray for us to be:
be not of the world
sanctified by the truth
sent into the World
they will be one
have the glory (character) of God
God's love be in them
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified in truth.
Joh 17:20 And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word,
Joh 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
Joh 17:22 And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one,
Joh 17:23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me, that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, indeed the world has not known You; but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent me.
Joh 17:26 And I made known to them Your name, and will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
SATAN'S DAY OFF
1. When believers start aiming guns at each other.
2. When instead of talking to one another, they start talking about each other.
3.when bullies seek power in the church with no-one to confront them.
4. When believers become self-serving.
5. When believers fear to confront sin and sweep the problem under the rug.
6. When in blogs and social media believers attack each other publicly.
7. When believers
Have no clear guidelines and use their time to gossip, criticize and tear down each other.
8. When there is no church discipline and everybody does as he or she likes.
9. When negativity becomes pervasive in the church and destroys church unity.
10. When the big givers are not confronted when they sin to avoid losing them.
11. When believers form power groups according to their education, tribe and class and make sure that under the cross the ground is not level.
12. When evil exists in the church and the majority of the believers are silent and fear to confront it.
What Jesus is praying for here is the renewal of the believing soul as partaker of the Divine Nature. Without this sanctifying experience, the blood of Jesus and grace of God avails nothing for the unbeliever. Justification only paves the way to a complete transformation of the former sinner into a perfect reflection of the character of God as seen in the life of Jesus on this earth as a man among men. This is the goal of salvation and is the very experience of being “saved” from sin. As the light of Truth increases in the life that seeks it, “the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”(Prov 4:18) Without this thorough cleansing from all sin, we cannot dwell in the presence of a Holy God and live. It is in this life that we can and must find this experience.
This “certain amount of death to self” is the crucifying the flesh and it's lusts. The natural heart is at enmity with God and cannot be subject to His law. If this doesn't die(as in: the dead know not anything), it will always be fighting for supremacy in the life, and there will be no rest from it. Taking Jesus' yoke will give us that rest, for He is “meek and lowly of heart”, which is to be always yielded to the will of God, and not our own will. If we are not subject to the law of God by this crucifying of the flesh, we cannot find unity with the Lord and those who follow Him.
Christians need to be light bearers to the world. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 " Let your light shine before men that they may see your good work and glorify your father in Heaven" This also mean that the Christian's "love" is like the "Flag" it must be held high above the world so that everyone can see it and come to Jesus.
"The unity Jesus refers to in this prayer is a unity of love and purpose as it is between Father and Son." God's love to us gives life a meaning and purpose. As long as we seek to accomplish this purpose through claiming His promises, we will stay united. Christ's love brings us together in Him. And I,if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me, John 12:32. This is the kind of love that is shared through humility, patience, peace, etc. It is also the same love that banishes selfishness from the heart.
With Christ's love in us our differences can only bring us closer to one another instead of bringing division. They provide us with opportunities to practice being doers of the word. Unfortunately this is not easy to us as we oftentimes we find ourselves envying others and inviting all sorts of temptations.