“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:1-5, NIV).
Last month, I told my daughter to watch the movie in You Tube that was presented by Hallmark, entitled “Secret Millionaire.” The movie had some good lessons. And one of the lessons was that the lady in the story was busy not just in her job, but also in a certain cause or movement. She was not looking for a boy friend or life partner, yet ended triumphant in the cause she was fighting for and was able to have a potential life partner, who was a millionaire!
We could get learn some lessons in good movies, in the autobiography of famous men, or in other books we read. We could also learn lessons from our own experiences.
And, surely, if we could learn valuable lessons from the stories we read in the Word of God – the Bible, we could learn much from what God Himself is telling us, especially in the prayer of the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, this time, we will delve in the early portion of His prayer recorded in John 17 and try to uncover some LESSONS IN THE PRAYER OF JESUS, which is my topic, as we study verses 1-5 of John 17.
So, what could we learn in the prayer of Jesus? Is there any significant thing that we could find in the inner thought of our Savior?
Before we proceed, let’s realize that the text was part of the prayer of Jesus in the whole chapter of John 17. It was recorded by the Apostle John, who described himself five times in his writing as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7 & 20). Jesus prayed it in the hearing of His disciples, so John was able really to take note of it.
He prayed it after He and His disciples partook the last supper during the Passover. And before they arrived at the garden across the Kidron Valley, wherein Jesus again prayed, but privately and with such well known line, “…not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
And as Jesus prayed in John 17, Judas was no longer with them for he already went on his way to betray Jesus.
So, what could we learn in that portion of His prayer? Actually, the passage is jam-packed of various significant lessons, but this time we will just limit ourselves with at least two.
First, WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (verse 2).
We read in verse 2, “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
John pointed out that the Father gave Jesus the authority over all people – whether Jew or not. Thus, Jesus could do whatever He wanted to happen to them. And so, He has the authority to give eternal life to anyone, if He wants to.
But, He will give it to all, no matter what is his nationality – to all those the Father “have given to Him.”
John did not mean that because Jesus has authority over all people, He will give eternal life to everyone. The Apostle did not fail to include the qualifying words of Jesus, “…all those you have given him.” In other words, Jesus said that eternal life will be for all those people the Father gave to Him.
Now, who are these special people given by the Father to Jesus?
In the larger context of John 17, the Apostle John wrote these words of Jesus in verses 6 and 8 (let’s read them in ESV):
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word… For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”
Jesus described the people whom the Father gave to Him in those words.
First, they were “out of the world.” They were not literally “out of the world” and were somewhere else. But, they were given to Jesus out of the rest of people of the world. Or, we could also consider the qualifying words of Jesus, recorded by John in verse 16, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (ESV).
Second, they belonged to God the Father. Jesus told His Father, “Yours they were…” Of course, all things belong to God, because He created all things. But, in this case, the ownership has special meaning. It’s, as if, someone baked some cookies and so all those cookies belonged to him. Yet, he pointed to two or three cookies and said, “These are mine!” Anyone can dispose or eat the remaining cookies, but you cannot do anything you want or eat those cookies claimed by the baker that are his.
Third, they received God’s Word. Jesus specifically gave the Words to them and they received them.
Fourth, they realized the Truth. If the words of God is intended for a particular person, after he received them, sooner or later he will realized the Truth.
And fifth, they believed. John quoted the words of Jesus, “…and they have believed that you sent me.”
So, who were these people given by the Father to the Son?
They were those who were “out of this world,” who belonged to the Father, who received God’s Word, who realized the Truth, and, finally, who believed. And these people, according to Jesus, will all received eternal life.
The usual understanding is we have to believe or have faith in Jesus, so we can have eternal life. What is usually quoted is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).
Of course, that is very true. Whoever believes in Jesus shall have eternal life. But many focused on that truth that other passages also from the Book of Truth are neglected, like John 17:2 which we have just discussed. And also Acts 13:48B, which declares: “…and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
Without considering others passages and just concentrate on John 3:16, it’s easy for us to think that we could have eternal life by our own decision alone, or we could entertain the idea that we have some contribution to the “requirements” of God.
The way to understand the word “whoever” in John 3:16 is “whoever given by the Father to the Son,” or “all whoever were appointed to life” will believe.
True believers have eternal life. But, we believe not because we are less stubborn than the rest, or not because we have a greater grasp of the truth than others, or not because we just choose to believe. Actually, our eternal life does come on our own decision or doing. Just like our faith, it comes from the One who has given us to Jesus, from the One who appointed us for eternal life.
Saints , this is the Jesus we ought to know. This is the Jesus we ought to have faith. The One who gave us eternal life, not necessarily out of our own belief. But, He gave us life, because God the Father has given us to Him.
We need to realize that on our own – no matter how powerful is the so-called human free will, as others would like us to believe, it is impotent that it cannot choose to come to or have faith in Jesus. Jesus said in John 6:44A, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,..”
Even before we believe, we depend on God the Father to draw us or give us to the Son. Again, Jesus said in John 6:65B, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
Saints, if we really know and believe this Jesus, we have nothing to boast of our spiritual salvation. We will realize that on our own, we are so helpless.
Once His disciples asked each other, “Who then can be saved?” as we read in Mark 10:26. And in the next verse we read: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God’” (verse 27).
Yes, it is only possible for us to be saved, to have eternal life, because of God. Because of Jesus. Because of His grace.
This is the Biblical Jesus we ought to make known. And this should also motivate us to bombard Heaven with our prayers, as we share His Word with others. For we know that it does not depend on what we do why others could come to Jesus. It depends on God. Whoever He will give or draw to His Son will believe and have eternal life.
What another thing that we could learn in the prayer of Jesus?
Second, WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE GOD (verse 3).
We read in verse 3, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
As Jesus was praying this, He knew that his death was drawing near. He knew the impact that it would cause to His faithful disciples, when they would see that His breath would cease. So, as He prayed in their hearing, He gave them a lesson on the “heavenly” definition of “life.” Thus, they would have at least an idea that His “life” didn’t depend on the air He could breathe.
And the Apostle John faithfully noted it: “…this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Just like us, the disciples then understood that we have life when we are just breathing. But, according to Jesus, it’s about knowing – knowing the only true God. We have eternal life when we have the knowledge of the true God.
As He gave eternal life to all those whom the Father had given to Him, Jesus made known His Father to them. In verse 6A, Jesus said: “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world…”
And in the last verse of John 17, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (verse 26).
Jesus did not intend to make His Father known to His followers in just one sitting. He will continue to Him known. Eternity is needed to really know God, as Jesus implied in the last verse of His prayer.
Eternal life is not only eternal consciousness, but eternal knowing of the true God.
Anyone could have an idea of God. But, true believers are blessed with the privilege to know the only true God. Just like any other spiritual blessings, they have this knowledge not just by their own desire or doing. In Matthew 11:27, we read in part:
“…No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
We could find today many versions of God and others are believing them.
For some, God is only Love. And they are contented and comfortable to have that kind of God, who would not allow a wicked person to suffer for eternity in hell.
Others believed a God who has chosen everyone to be saved, but He is limited by man’s choice. So, those who don’t want to be saved, He would respect their decision and would just send them to hell, though they don’t want also to be there. In that case, He would not respect their choice and would force them to suffer there.
And we could also find those who believed a God who will save everyone, all are His children, all are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Truly, as Jesus said, “…and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
As there are many versions of God, there are also various kinds of Jesus out there. Actually, even during the time of Paul, another or different Jesus was already being preached. Let’s read the writing of Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 in the paraphrase of the Good News Translation:
“I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and that you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ - in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake's clever lies. For you gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus, not the one we preached; and you accept a spirit and a gospel completely different from the Spirit and the gospel you received from us!”
Notice that Paul warned the believers in his time that their minds will be corrupted and that they will abandon their full and pure devotion to Christ. Why? Because, according to Paul, they gladly tolerate anyone who comes to them and preaches a different Jesus, not the one preached by the apostles!
So, not everyone who mentioned God or Jesus is worth listening to. Some could have a sugar-coated message as they preach God or Jesus, let us avoid the mistake of gladly listening to them.
How about us saints in the church? Do we entertain the idea that we already know about God or Jesus? Or, are we excited to know more about “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom… (He has) sent”?
Let us not busy ourselves striving just to know how to solve our problems.
Let’s not consume our time trying to know how to increase our income, to increase our grade, to improve our standard of living. Or to know how to multiply our friends, how to live 100 years old. Or to know how to win a friend, a life partner, or know how to earn a million, or even how to make a convert!
Through His Book, let’s also invest our time to know our Heavenly Father more. For the more we know God, the more we will love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we rejoice in obeying Him – yes, the more we are willing to serve Him even if we are in pain.
So, young ones and once young in the Church, do not be content about your present knowledge about God. Become more and more acquainted with Him as you study His Word.
When my father died at the age of 56, I thought I already knew all about Him. However, after almost 30 years after his death, I met and was able to talk with my aunt, the younger sister of my father. She was then more than 80 years old and related many good things about my father. Because of the new things I learn about him, my appreciation, admiration, respect for him truly soared! At that point, I could experience the feeling of a son, who was greatly proud of his father!
So, brothers and sisters, do you think you know more about the Everlasting God? Try to find out more about Him in His Book. Know that He exceeds in Excellence all the combined good fathers in this world! Not only you can be proud of Him. You will truly worship Him.
CONCLUSION:
In 2016, I was given the privilege by God to approach Gen. “Bato” (a Tagalog word for "Rock") dela Rosa (former Chief of the Philippine National Police), when he came to Camp Simeon Ola (a military camp in our place). I handed to him a copy of the Gospel of John.
He asked, “What’s this?” My quick reply was, “You’lI find in there the ‘original Rock (Jesus).’” Then, I added: “Read chapter 17, He was praying for us!”
I hope he is really included in the prayer of Jesus. Study further John 17 and you would learn what I mean.
Truly, brothers and sisters, you could learn many things in His prayer. Meanwhile, remember the two things we have discussed: WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, BECAUSE THE FATHER HAS GIVEN US TO JESUS and WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, WHEN WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE GOD.
