Day 4 The Love of the Father

The Love of the Father

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. 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” John 17:24-26

We’re coming to the end of Jesus’ prayer for Himself (17:1-5), His disciples (17:6-19) and for all future believers (17:20-24).

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” Jesus prays first of all that His disciples, (those the Father has given Him), might be with Him where He will be. In 14:2,3 He told His disciples that He would leave them to prepare places for them in the Father’s house and that He would return to take them to be with Him there.

Jesus then prays secondly that His disciples might see His glory, the glory He knew before becoming a human on earth. Earlier, Jesus had said the Father loved Him because of His obedience in laying down His life (10:17) but the Father loved the Son before the creation of the world, before time as we know it began. Even then the Father had bestowed glory on His Son. This is the glory Jesus prays His disciples might see. The ultimate goal of the disciples is more than continuing Jesus’ mission on earth. The ultimate goal is for them to see the glory of their exalted Redeemer in the presence of the Father.

In these final two verses Jesus concludes His prayer by focusing on His relationship with His Father. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you.” In 17:11 Jesus addressed God as “Holy Father” but now He addresses Him as “Righteous Father,” as the Judge of all the earth who will ultimately bring justice to the world, even though right now it rages against His own Son and His disciples. The world refuses to accept that Jesus was sent by God (8:42). Jesus does know God and referring to His disciples says, “and they know that you have sent me.” The disciples were not like the world; the disciples knew Jesus was sent by God.

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known.” Rendered literally, Jesus said “I have made your name known to them.” A person’s name stood for who they really were. Jesus had earlier asked “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name” (17:11). Jesus’ name for God here is “Holy Father.

In 17:6 Jesus had prayed “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.” Jesus had done this by His teaching and miracles (14:10,11) and by His very person (14:9). Jesus is saying He will continue to make the Father known to His disciples. Because this is all happening on the eve of His betrayal and crucifixion, this is probably a major focus of the continuing revelation.

A major purpose of this ongoing revelation was “in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” When Jesus reveals the Father to those who believe He is the Messiah, He introduces them to the love of the Father. Jesus had just a little earlier that night told the disciples that the Father Himself loved them and they could therefore pray directly to Him (16:26,27). He had also taught them that He Himself would dwell in those who believed His teaching and obeyed Him (14:23).

The more Jesus teaches us about the Father, the more we will know the love the Father has for us. “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.” The Father’s love for us is the same love the Father has for Jesus. That’s incredible! Jesus knew how much the Father loved Him and that’s how much the Father loves you. The Father doesn’t need to love you more. You need to know how much He loves you already. If you don’t know this love ask the Holy Spirit to heal you of hurts that hinder the Father’s love being felt in your life.

To listen to this message, download in MP3 here

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