Chapter 17: Part 2 Verses 20-26

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1 The Book of JOHN Chapter 1 Chapter 17: Part 2 Verses Jesus continues His incredible prayer in the garden the night before His death. We have separated this chapter into two lessons, because these last seven verses are so very important, so beautiful and rich, so comforting and promising to all believers that we must drill them into our hearts. These final requests of Jesus to the Father are for all believers of all time. We are given a wonderful glimpse into the heart of our Messiah, our substitutionary sacrifice, our Master. If you were not sure of His love for you before reading these verses, it is our sincere prayer that you will now. 20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 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, that the world may believe that You sent Me. These last seven verses are the third part of Jesus prayer in the garden. He first prays for Himself, not to be spared, but to be glorified, to be revealed in His glorious majesty. That will happen at His resurrection. Then Jesus prayed for His current disciples, those who believed His message, and believed He was from the Father, sent as atonement for the world s sins. Now Jesus prays for believers of all time....for those who will believe in Me through their word;... This implies everyone, from that moment on, who will believe the good news of Jesus, brought to the world first by His disciples, then through other disciples, and on down through the ages. Jesus was already thinking of us, each of us, at the moment of His death. that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You;... Once again, Jesus prays for a unity among believers, for us to be ONE. He prays for the same oneness that He has with the Father. This implies a kinship, a relationship that can t be broken by differences. We are commonly united in our belief in Him. Since this was important enough for Jesus to pray in His time of agony of soul and spirit, it should be important enough for us to truly hold His prayer in our behavior and thoughts toward one another. Can you imagine how we, as believers united, might impact the world if we were truly one, like He prayed? Our witness would be one that would defy opposition. The old motto united we stand, divided we fall is certainly true with believers, and should be in the forefront of our relationships with one another. We are the legs of Jesus message. We can t get very far with broken legs. RockofAges.org 1 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

2 He is the vine, we are the branches. Apart from Him we can do NOTHING. Believers must remember that we are branches of the same vine, with the same purpose, the same salvation, the same grace, the same Savior and the same destiny. Unfortunately, we are still living in a corrupt world, and often allow ourselves to be used more by the enemy than by God. We have divided ourselves into prideful clusters of grapes rather than one thriving vine....that they also may be one in Us,... Here is another of those references in scripture that point to the Godhead. The word used in Greek here is hemin, which implies a plurality. He is speaking of the triune nature of our God. (See Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7) Notice here that Jesus is not just praying for the unity of believers with one another, but with God as well. It is a continuation of the teaching in the previous chapters regarding remaining, abiding in Jesus. We are to cultivate a oneness with Jesus first, and then a oneness with other believers. This oneness in God is a strong tower for all believers. ( The name of the LORD [Yahweh] is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10)...that the world may believe that You sent Me. This is the purpose for Jesus prayer for the oneness of believers. When we think on this, it should cause us to be even more determined to preserve that oneness. The destiny of the entire world is affected by it. God desires that NONE perish. He doesn t want anyone lost. How are they saved? By hearing the word of God and believing it, accepting for themselves the atonement offered by Yeshua. That word is brought by the disciples of Jesus to the rest of the world. If our behavior does not confirm the word, the message is compromised. God acts in the hearts of all mankind to draw people to Himself. But first they must hear the uncompromised truth of what God wants to say to the world. It is truly a life and death message. The world won t likely believe a message that seems not to have any real power among those who deliver it. When we allow petty differences to cause division among the Body of Christ, we are compromising His good news. The enemy seeks to use any excuse to cause others not to accept that message. Oneness with Jesus will insure our lives, the behaviors others see, confirm His message of salvation and grace. Oneness with other believers will further confirm that message with His love. He is our strength, and we can be effective witnesses ONLY by staying with Him, and living in oneness, unified, with other believers. The oneness of believers is also a comforting sanctuary for us in this dark world. Each of us is an extension of our Master, and we often find solace and comfort in each other s arms, prayers, and inclusive family. In addition to the Holy Spirit, God has also gifted each believer within the Church with gifts to serve one another. When we practice and live the oneness He prayed for, and use the gifts as intended, the oneness of believers is like refreshing waters in a dry desert. Without that oneness, we can instead find ourselves wandering, sore and tired, in a vast wilderness. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 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. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them,... Glory seems to be a major theme of this prayer. And this word is one that really defies an exact definition. We all sort of understand what it means, but defining it with other words is a challenge. The dictionary says this about the word glory: 1. exaltation: the fame, admiration, and honor that is given to somebody who does something important RockofAges.org 2 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

3 2. achievement: something that brings or confers admiration, praise, honor, or fame 3. praise of deity: praise and thanksgiving offered as an act of worship to a deity Synonyms: magnificence, splendor, beauty, wonder, grandeur, brilliance, exaltation Okay, that helps a bit. We can certainly understand how the Father and the Son deserve this glory, and how they are able to manifest it, and how we are to give it to them. However, the startling thing here is the fact that Jesus says He has given US, believers, this glory. Now that s beyond our understanding. We certainly don t deserve it. We didn t do anything to gain it, and as far as we know, God is the only one deserving of it, due it, and able to live up to it. The disciples of Jesus day often displayed the flesh, rather than a spirit of unity, or anything else that was deserving of this glory. They argued among themselves about who would be the greatest in His Kingdom, have the greatest position, or garner the greatest glory. That certainly isn t deserving of any glory. And the disciples of Jesus today are in the same human boat. So what, exactly is Jesus referring to here? Most believe this is the glory that we will receive in the future, at the completion of our redemption. Remember that for Jesus, the earthly timeline is irrelevant. Just as Jesus work on the cross was already completed from the moment of its determination, so Jesus could speak of it as already finished, our glory is also already completed. It has been determined, therefore it is also already finished. It is difficult for us to understand this, as we are so very linear in our thinking and our timelines. But in the mind of God, it is done. Our glory is a certainty. We most likely will not receive the fame, admiration and honor that is associated in our thinking of glory while still on earth. But we certainly will receive it when we are reunited with God for all eternity. There is one other concept to consider here, however. Jesus said He has given His disciples, all of us, the glory which the Father gave Him. Perhaps this is an indication that He revealed Himself, and the Father, to them. And it is now our responsibility to reveal that same glory to others. We reveal the character and nature of God....that they may be one just as We are one:... Here is that statement about oneness again, but this time it applies to our oneness with Him in the future gathering. Jesus will return to the Father soon, never to be separated again. And we also, as believers, will return to Him one day, never to be separated again. Paul spoke of this: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) This is when our oneness will be both physical and spiritual. We will be with Him always. Paul goes on to say that we should comfort each other with these words. As we are one here on earth in the Name of Jesus, we will be one with Him for all eternity one day, perhaps very soon. And this is the true moment of our glory. I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,... While we can have an element of oneness with God here on earth, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and our allowing Him to guide us into all truth, this statement also speaks to our future oneness in eternity. The word perfect obviously does not apply to our earthly lives, where we are still sinners. It is interesting to note that the Greek word here is teleioo which literally means to complete, consummate, finish and fulfill. That is being made perfect. It is a daily process, and will not be finished until our redemption is complete and we are reunited with Him. For God, as we said before, this is already accomplished. For us, it is still in our future. RockofAges.org 3 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

4 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am,... Now we come to one of the most startling, thrilling, and yet baffling statements in all of scripture. Jesus says here that He wants us with Him. Exactly where He is. And where is He going? Back to heaven, to our eternal home. Can you imagine that Almighty God wants us to WITH Him, where He is? This is absolutely amazing! If we can possibly understand this, we can understand the heart of God, the entire purpose for the creation, and the plan of redemption. Believe it or not, understand it or not, GOD WANTS US WITH HIM! And He has gone to great lengths to insure that. WE NEED TO SEE THE HEART OF GOD THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES FOR HIS CREATION... It is worth taking a very brief detour from Jesus prayer to more fully understand God s heart for us. The entire Bible contains the heart and plan of God regarding His relationship with us. And it can be best understood by knowing this simple yet confounding statement by Jesus in His prayer for us. In this one single verse, we are told the heart of God toward us. He wants us with Him forever. And that is what the Bible is all about. The Bible contains God s plan initially for our fellowship with Him, and ultimately for our reunion, the history and execution of that plan, and the promises of our forever dwelling with Him. We were created to have fellowship, to be with God, as His companions for all eternity. This started in the first garden, in Paradise. But man sinned and broke this fellowship. God is holy, and cannot be in the presence of sin, so a huge crevasse, an uncrossable gulf, opened up between us and God. But God still desired to have us with Him. Throughout the scriptures God made a provision for us to be with Him, even while still here on earth. This is His heart s desire. He called one man, Abraham, to be the father of a nation of people through whom He desired to show His heart to the rest of the world. When He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He brought them into the wilderness, away from all distractions, to teach them how to be with Him. He told them to build a portable sanctuary, a place where He could dwell with them. This was called the Tabernacle. When they built it to His exact specifications, His glory (the Shekinah) filled the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle. God dwelled with His people. Every dimension, every piece of this Tabernacle was specified by God because it all pointed to His ultimate plan for our reunion through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. This portable dwelling place of God among His people went everywhere with them, even into the Promised Land. God gave the people a set of expectations, not a mindless strict list of rules and regulations, but the ways in which His children could flourish with Him. He was a parent teaching His children how best to live. The history of the Tabernacle and the Temple reveals the heart of God for fellowship with us, and is essentially parallel to the history of Israel. When the Tabernacle and Temple prospered and was the center of their worship and existence, the people were also prospering with God s blessings. RockofAges.org 4 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

5 When the Tabernacle and later the Temple were in disrepair, forgotten, or worse destroyed, the Israelites were at their lowest points in history. They were out of fellowship with God, and God sent prophets to warn them. When they did not listen, He disciplined, twice causing the Temple to be destroyed, and even removing the people from the land (always with promises, already partially fulfilled, of their restoration and return). Knowing the history of the Tabernacle and the Temple can help us understand God s heart, and what the Bible is truly all about. It is His plan for fellowship with man, from the very beginning, to our ultimate reunion with Him, where there is no longer any need of a Temple. The history of the Tabernacle/Temple, God s earthly dwelling place with man, actually begins in the Garden of Eden. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOD'S DESIRE TO DWELL WITH HIS CREATION. God walked with His creatures. He desired their fellowship. We were created for His pleasure, for fellowship with Him. BUT MAN BROKE THIS COMMUNION WITH GOD THROUGH DISOBEDIENCE. Man was banned from the garden, but God did not abandon them. He could not, however, dwell with them because God is perfection and holiness. He cannot tolerate, or be in the presence of, sin. The fellowship is broken, but as always, God has a plan. GOD STILL HAS A PLAN TO DWELL WITH HIS PEOPLE. God knew in advance about man's rebellion. He always had a plan, and has always faithfully executed that plan. God would make a provision that would still enable man to dwell with God. That plan is still in motion. GOD CHOOSES A PEOPLE TO USE AS AN EXAMPLE TO THE WHOLE WORLD ABOUT HIS DESIRE FOR FELLOWSHIP WITH US. The history of man from the garden to the flood is pretty dismal! We can only imagine how sad God was to see His creation stray so far from Him. After the fall, man got farther and farther away from any reconciliation with God. But God has a plan, and He chose a people through which to show us that plan. From Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the 12 Tribes of Israel are born. Through Israel, God reveals the grand scheme of things His Master Plan. GOD BRINGS HIS PEOPLE INTO THE WILDERNESS TO LEARN ABOUT HIM God delivers the Israelites from Egypt, and bondage to slavery. God made a covenant with them at Mt. Sinai to be their God, and they to be His People. The only problem is they didn't have a clue what this meant. They had forgotten the covenants given to their ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). But God had a plan, as always, and set about teaching them again about Himself. Early on, God revealed His Presence with them in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. RockofAges.org 5 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

6 GOD STILL WANTED TO BE WITH HIS PEOPLE. HE TELLS THEM TO BUILD HIM A TENT. After guiding the people to Mt. Sinai, He made a covenant agreement with them, gave them the Law, and plans to build Him a tent to dwell with them, in their midst. After all of man's rebellion and sin, God still loved them enough to dwell among them. Obviously the idea of confining God to a tent is ludicrous, and everybody knew that. But it was symbolic of His Presence with them. No other people could make this claim. It was a visual aid for the people. This was not an ordinary tent. God gave them specific instructions and they built it in strict accordance to those instructions. The tent was large with an even larger enclosure, made from specified materials in specified dimension and with specified furnishings and specified actions to be conducted within this tent. There was a good reason for such precision. In Hebrews 8:5 we are told: "The work they do as priests is only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. This is why God warned Moses when he was ready to build the Holy Tent: "Be very careful to make everything by the plan I showed you on the mountain." This tent was only a pattern, a representation, of the true Tabernacle in heaven - the ultimate place of God's dwelling among His people. Absolutely EVERYTHING in this tabernacle points to God s plan of redemption, and the One who would pay the price. It also points to your ultimate reunion with Him, to be ONE WITH HIM, TOGETHER WITH HIM. "IF YOU BUILD IT, I WILL COME." GOD'S GLORY FILLED THE TABERNACLE. The people did exactly as God had commanded, and God's glory filled the Holy of Holies. It was a visible sign of His Presence among the people. God had provided the plans, the materials, and the workforce. God was WITH THEM. Because of their disobedience in the wilderness, however, God caused them to wander there for 40 years before bringing an entirely new generation into the land promised to them. During this time the entire Tabernacle structure was taken down, packed up and moved whenever the cloud or pillar signaled. When the cloud stopped, the people stopped, and the Tabernacle was set up again, right in the center of the encampment. GOD WAS IN THEIR MIDST. THE PEOPLE BUILT PERMANENT HOUSES IN THE LAND AND THEY WANTED GOD'S HOUSE TO BE PERMANENT AS WELL. As the people conquered most of Canaan, they settled in and began building houses instead of tents. After the period of the Judges, Israel began a monarchy with kings, beginning with Saul, then David, then Solomon. David wanted to build a permanent house for God's Presence, called the Temple, but he was told he could not do this, because he had too much blood on his hands. His son Solomon would eventually build the Temple, but God allowed David to begin preparations by collecting the materials needed. Even through this seemingly innocuous turn of events, God was showing His plan namely to have a Son of David build His Temple, His dwelling place. There is great spiritual significance here. Solomon was the natural born son of David. He built the physical Temple. Jesus is the spiritual Son of David, who built the Temple of God, the Body of Messiah, today's dwelling place of the spirit of God. GOD STILL WANTS TO BE WITH US. The Temple is the same as the Tabernacle, only it is a permanent building. The word Tabernacle means portable tent, the word for Temple is HEYKAL, which meant a large public building, like a palace. This was God's palace, His dwelling place among the people. RockofAges.org 6 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

7 THE GLORY DAYS OF ISRAEL AND THE TEMPLE DON'T LAST LONG. The United Kingdom of Israel lasted only through Solomon's reign. Under his son, Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided into the 10 tribes of the North (northern Kingdom of Israel, often called Ephraim in scripture), and the 2 tribes in the South (southern Kingdom of Judah). The northern kingdom of Israel almost immediately turned to pagan gods and set up their own pagan temples. A progression of evil kings in the north led to God s judgment and their destruction by Assyria around 722 BC. They were scattered to the nations. In the south, there were many evil kings and a few good ones, but they too were disobedient and strayed from God. Even before its destruction, the Temple was plundered. The Temple was in very bad shape even then, just as God s people were. THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH FALLS, THE TEMPLE IS DESTROYED Assyria (the northern Kingdom of Israel's enemy and conqueror) was conquered and dominated by a new rising world power Babylon. As the people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah continued their descent into wickedness, God raised up a Babylonian king named Nebuchadnezzar, whom God used to bring judgment on the Jews. Ultimately, in 586/587 BC Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple. Shortly before the destruction of this Temple, the prophet Ezekiel (who had been taken as a captive to Babylon) was given a disturbing vision by God. He was shown the glory of God (the Skekinah) departing from the Temple and returning to heaven. The grand and glorious Temple of Solomon, known as the 1 st Temple, lay in ruins. We are told this was a result of God's anger, and that he "thrust" the people from His presence. THE TEMPLE IS GONE, THE PEOPLE ARE GONE The people of Judah are removed from their land and taken into 70 years of captivity in Babylon. No Temple meant they could not worship or offer sacrifices to God. This is where the concept of synagogues, local places of worship, teaching and assembly, originated. But the office and duties of the priests were no more, including all sacrifices. THE PEOPLE RETURN AND THE TEMPLE IS REBUILT (THE SECOND TEMPLE) After the prescribed 70 years was over, God raised up a Persian King (Cyrus) and convinced him to not only let the people go, but finance their trip as well. Only a remnant of the Jews returned to Israel and Jerusalem. It took them awhile, but they finally managed to rebuild the Temple much smaller and quite a bit less ornate than Solomon's, but at least it was a Temple. HEROD ENHANCES THE SECOND TEMPLE About 500 years later King Herod wanted to "leave a legacy" by renovating the Temple (called the 2 nd Temple). This was a massive project and Jesus had plenty to say about it. He used the Temple as an object lesson about His resurrection. But now the Messiah had come, and He was the dwelling place of God in their midst. The Shekinah Glory dwelled in the Body of Jesus. And the Jews rejected this Temple of God. THE SECOND TEMPLE IS DESTROYED The Jews were not "quiet" under Roman rule. Continued uprisings caused Roman emperors to bring a complete end to Jewish rebellion. In 70 AD, only a few years after the Temple s remodeling completion, Titus and the Roman army rolled into Jerusalem after a long siege. In a so-called "accident" the Temple was completely destroyed and burned to the ground. RockofAges.org 7 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

8 Just as Jesus predicted, no stone was left upon another (the soldiers removed the stones to get to the gold that had melted down in the fire). Not so coincidentally, the calendar day of this destruction is the same as the first temple s demise (9 th of Av). This destruction and subsequent scattering of God s people was a fulfillment of prophecy from Deuteronomy 28. God did just as He said He would. NO PEOPLE, NO TEMPLE Later, in 132 AD, after yet another Jewish rebellion, the Romans came in and plowed the entire city of Jerusalem under. To the rest of the world Israel and the Jews did not exist anymore. Neither did their Temple. The timing of all of this is very interesting, and again, not coincidental. The Messiah had come some knew this, some rejected this. He fulfilled all of the intended promises that the Temple signified the priestly system, the access to God, the sacrifices, everything. Spiritually, in God's plan, there was no more need of this Temple. The ultimate sacrifice was given. God had a new Temple, in the hearts of all believers, and He allowed the 2 nd Temple to be destroyed and the people to be scattered, as He said He would, in light of their disobedience and hardened hearts. A NEW TEMPLE, NOT MADE OF STONE About 40 years before the Second Temple was destroyed, a new Temple was created. This Temple, however, was not built with the hands of men. After Jesus died and rose again, He returned to heaven. But the plan for our reunion with God was not yet complete, and once again He still desired to dwell with His people. So shortly after He left this earth, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in all believers. Once again, God made provision to dwell with His people. It would not be in a tent or a house built with stone, it would be in our hearts. On the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) after Jesus' resurrection, the Holy Spirit came to not just dwell WITH men, but to dwell IN believers. The apostle Paul tells us that WE are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. God still dwells in the midst of His people. ALL BELIEVERS are the spiritual Temple of God today, as we continue to wait for the completion of our redemption. THE PEOPLE RETURN...AND ANOTHER TEMPLE? Today God is fulfilling prophecies of restoration of Israel. He has gathered those that were scattered. He has restored the nation (May 14, 1948) and restored Jerusalem to Jewish control (June 6, 1967). Bible scholars who hold a literal interpretation of scripture believe that another physical Temple will be constructed in Jerusalem in order to fulfill many end times prophecies about such a Temple. Today there are intense preparations for the coming "Third Temple." Craftsmen have already made the instruments and furnishings, including all priest's vestments, etc. Priests are currently in training, and there is a serious hunt going on for the perfect red heifer for Temple dedication. The "Temple Institute" is in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. A group called the "Temple Mount Faithful," works diligently to rebuild the Temple and restore Temple sacrifices and worship. The Israeli army went onto the Temple Mount in 1967 when Israel reclaimed Jerusalem. However, due to political pressure, Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan gave back control of the Temple Mount to the Muslims. This blocked construction of a new Temple at this point. Many people questioned this. Why didn t the Jews keep control of this area? One simple reason, it wasn t the right time in God s plan. RockofAges.org 8 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

9 CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT The area where the original Temples were constructed is known as the Temple Mount. It has been reduced to rubble over the years, and was desecrated by Christians in the 4th century. It is the site of Mt. Moriah, where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, but was spared when God provided the sacrifice (Yahweh Jireh God will provide!) Unfortunately it is also the place where Muslims believe the prophet Mohammed ascended to God, and they have built a shrine there, called the Al Aksa Mosque, or the Dome of the Rock. It has stood here 1300 years. This is a problem, obviously, for rebuilding the Temple which Jews believe must stand in the exact place it once did under Solomon. However, even the most learned scholars are now disagreeing about where the original Temple once stood. It is quite possible that the current Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock stands is not the original site. This would provide some options to rebuild the Temple in a slightly altered location without disturbing the mosque. This would fit with what we read in Revelation 11. We can be sure that when it is time to rebuild this Third Temple, that God will pave the way. It will happen as He has planned, in His time, in His place, in His way. This Temple will also eventually be destroyed. THE FOURTH TEMPLE In the book of Ezekiel we find some very detailed information about a Temple that to date has never been built. It is a very comprehensive, very lengthy passage. Most think it will be built during the Millennium, and thus will be called the Millennial Temple, on earth during the reign of Jesus. These passages describe the Temple, but make no mention of the Ark of the Covenant, or the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the outer area known as the Holy Place. Why not? The answer is simple. We don't need either one anymore. The veil was torn from top to bottom at the death of Jesus, signifying the barrier torn away between us and God. We now have access to God through Jesus. The Ark of the Covenant is where God appeared to the High Priest (as intercessor for the people). It was the strongest symbol of God's Presence. Today, we can boldly approach the throne of God, and Jesus Himself is our Intercessor, our high Priest and our acceptable sacrifice. During the Millennium, Jesus Himself will reign from Jerusalem. Jesus IS the Ark of the Covenant, God's Presence and the fulfillment of God's Promises. THE REAL TEMPLE These tabernacles and temples so far are only a pattern, only visual aids, only object lessons built to illustrate the one true Temple. Both the books of Hebrews and Revelation provide many references to the Temple in heaven. The Temple in heaven is the home of our God, His dwelling place. Revelation gives us a glimpse about what this heavenly Temple is like. Once again, it is God's dwelling place among His people, His creation. GOD WANTS US WITH HIM. NO MORE TEMPLE. IT'S NOT NEEDED ANYMORE. The last two chapters of Revelation give us a brief description of the PLACE where we will be together. This place is amazing, and includes the Tree of Life seen first in the original Garden of Eden, or Paradise. God will have returned His people to that place, to dwell forever with Him. Now God WILL BE WITH US, face-to-face. Sin will not exist. No longer must we dwell separate from God, no longer do we need a Temple to approach God. Revelation 21:22 tells us: "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The new city, the New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of God and Lamb, among His people." We are finally together again, after the long separation from the Garden of His Presence. And we will never be separated again. RockofAges.org 9 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

10 The history of the Tabernacle and Temple are a history of God's plan of redemption and His ultimate desire and plan of being with the people He loves. It began in the garden, and will end in the garden, in Paradise. It has always been God s desire to be with us, to have fellowship with us, for us to be His companions. But there is only one way to do that to be sinless, because a holy God cannot dwell with sin. We are not sinless, but God sent His Son to shed his pure innocent blood to cover our sins and make us sinless again before God. Without this covering, however, we cannot be with God. This is the only acceptable way to dwell with God, and man cannot do this for himself. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) God devised the plan, and it is His desire, for us to be with Him always. It is a free gift to all who chose it, but the choice is ours. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) If we do not accept His gift, we will be separate from God for all eternity. He does not want this. That is not His desire. Ultimately all believers will be with Him, permanently and forever, in a place created just for our fellowship together. That s how it all began, and that s how it will all end. God desires us to be with Him. He desires ALL of us to be with Him (He desires that NONE perish, or be separate from Him), but we have to want the same thing. We have to accept the gift He offers our ticket to permanent fellowship with Him. When we do, we are assured that we will dwell with Him, and He with us, for eternity. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24) THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT. This is what Jesus is all about. This is what the Father is all about. When Jesus prayed these words to His Father before His death, He was essentially capturing the entire heart and plan of God for all those ever born into this world. He wants us to be WITH HIM, where He is. Right now He is with us through the Holy Spirit s indwelling. Ultimately, we will be with Him for all eternity in His glorious presence. To understand the words of Jesus here in this prayer is to understand the heart of God, and be filled with unending joy. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. O righteous Father! This is the only time Jesus uses this address for God the Father. The Greek word for righteous here is only used a few times in this Gospel, and is the word dikaios, which literally means equitable, just, meet, right, innocent and holy. God is the only one to whom this address applies. Used here, it seems that Jesus is praising His Father for being so just and fair in His impartiality to all mankind. RockofAges.org 10 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

11 The world has not known You... This indicates that the world (the system in opposition to God) has not known God, and further, has no desire to know Him, or they would have recognized Jesus. This relates to the rejection of Jesus by the world, because they have not known the Father. God says if we seek Him, we will find Him. And if we find God, we recognize His Son....but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me... The entire theme of Jesus prayer is for those who know Him and believe Him and find their salvation in Him. He is referencing His current followers, who now understand that the Father has sent Jesus into the world to reveal Himself and His wonderful plan. Throughout Jesus ministry He emphasized the fact that if people seek, find, and know the Father, they would know that Jesus was sent by Him, would know Him, and therefore would know the Father, as Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father ( I have known You... ). The fact that the disciples finally understand Jesus is sent by the Father is huge. They are beginning to understand the way of salvation. Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God. (John 16:30) And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,... Jesus is the only One who completely knows the Father, and can reveal Him to mankind. He has shared this knowledge with His disciples, and He says He will continue to declare Your name to them. The Greek here implies not only His name, but His character and authority. How will He do that if He is leaving the world, and leaving His disciples? Through His Holy Spirit who will dwell with and in them forever. It is the Holy Spirit s job to declare the Name of God, and His son Yeshua....that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. And here is the reason Yeshua will continue to declare God s name, character and authority to His disciples so that the Father s love for Jesus may be in us, and Jesus Himself will be in us. Once again, in His final words of prayer to the Father, He shows His heart for us. He wants us to have the Father s love in us, and that love is to help us understand and love the Father and the Son in return, but also for us to love one another. It breaks God s heart when fellow believers do not show that love to each other. Jesus heartfelt prayer is for our unity in Him. John Milton, the 17 th century English poet said: The end of all knowledge is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him. Indeed. Those words could put Jesus prayer in a nutshell, capturing the essence of His heart. Whenever we are at odds with each other, with fellow believers and members of the Body of Christ, we break His heart. Thomas Brooks, another 17 th century fellow, a Puritan preacher, said this: Discord and division become no Christian. For wolves to worry the lambs is no wonder, but for one lamb to worry another, this is unnatural and monstrous. As we seek to understand and apply the prayer of Jesus to His Father before His death, we need to remember the lessons Jesus taught His disciples that evening. They are all captured and incorporated into His prayer in this chapter, and as we listed them before, they are five non-optional directives: 1. Abide in Jesus. Stay close to Him always. Don t wander away. 2. Obey His Words. Live a life of obedience to His commands and do His will, not our own. 3. Receive and rely on the Holy Spirit. He will guide us into all truth. 4. Pray in Jesus Name. Stand in His stead as His ambassador, empowered to do His will, and ask as He would ask. Obedience is a prerequisite. 5. Love one another. Love fellow believers as Jesus has loved us. These five simple yet life-changing directives are what will equip any believer to live a life for God, in His service. It is worth repeating them here from prior lessons. RockofAges.org 11 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26

12 IM SUMMARY... In this prayer Jesus prayed in the garden the night before He died to cover the sins of all mankind, He first prayed for Himself, that both He and His Father would be glorified (17:1-5). His work on earth is finished and He is ready to go Home to be with the Father. He next prayed for His current disciples, for all those who believed that He came from the Father and was the promised Messiah. He prayed for them to be protected and sanctified (17:6-19). Then Jesus prayed for all believers of all time, right down to you and I today. He prayed for the same protection, sanctification AND unification, that we might be ONE body of believers united and together in Him (17:20-26). Of all the things our Salvation (literally,yeshua) could have prayed for that evening, He asked the Father for our deliverance and preservation from the evil one, for our continued sanctification and guidance into His truth and our set apart status out of the world, for our joy and fullness of the Spirit, for our completion, fellowship and unity as His Body. This is a most remarkable prayer which reveals to us the heart of God for His people. We should note also, that as Jesus prayed for us, He was acting as our High Priest. It is one of those miraculous God things that Jesus is both the sacrifice and the High Priest. He is both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God. Essentially, Yeshua is everything to us. And He is still acting as our High Priest. The writer of Hebrews states: Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (Hebrews 7:25-27) The High Priest wore an outer garment called an ephod which was joined at the shoulder by stones with the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them. He also wore a breastplate with 12 precious stones in rows across his chest. These were worn each time the High Priest went into God s presence. He was carrying all 12 tribes of God with him as he went before God. As he did this, he was foretelling of another High Priest who would be the perfect intercessor for His people. As our Good Shepherd Yeshua carries us on His shoulders, and on His breast or in His heart. This speaks of His huge love for us, and His intercession. He is now fulfilling His predicted role as our High Priest, coming before the Father to intercede for us. He did it that night in the garden, and He is doing this NOW! And He will continue to do it. What a comfort to know that He is with the Father, and He is interceding with Him on our behalf. You have a personal High Priest who lives today to carry you into the Father s Presence, and His grace and mercy. We find incredible joy and hope in His arms! RockofAges.org 12 The Book of John, Chapter 17, Part 2: Verses 20-26