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1997-11-06 - Glory
and Authority
The Cross Series, Part 16
The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus
The Passover meal lays on the table half eaten. The men who came to be with
their Master have more answers and more questions now than they have ever
had ever before. Emotions have ebbed from sorrow to glory to confusion.
Jesus has spoken directly with them tonight. No parables or leading questions.
Their faith has taken its first steps into a time when Jesus would no longer
be with them physically. Everything the Lord can do to prepare His friends
for the trials of the hours ahead has been done. The Son now turns His attention
to the matter at hand.
John 17:1-3 These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven,
He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify
Thee, 2 even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom
Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 "And this is eternal life,
that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast
sent. (NAS)
The hour has come indeed. This hour has been on the heart and mind of the
Trinity since before the world was created from the power of the voice of
the Son saying, "Let their be...". God and Adam and Eve had an intimate
fellowship with God before the fall. It was the desire of God to have fellowship
with man.
Gen 3:8-9 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD
God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
Did God not know what had happened? Of course He did. He knew that Adam and
Eve would eat the apple. He knew it before He created the first thing.
Rev 13:8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose
name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of
life of the Lamb who has been slain.
Note, "whose name has not been written from the foundation of the
world". This also means that the ones who's names have been written
there, were there from the foundation of the world. Before Adam, before there
was light, before God said, "Let there be...", the names of every person
who would accept God's gift of salvation was scribed in The Book of
Life. Nothing we ever do surprises God. It may indeed grieve Him, but
He knew we would grieve Him.
Jesus speaks of authority given to Him by the Father. The Father relinquished
His right to control in this area to the Son. The Trinity is such
a difficult concept for our finite minds. One member of this Triune
Being willingly surrendered authority in an arena of control to another Member.
Luke 20:42-44 "For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord
said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 43 Until I make Thine enemies a footstool
for Thy feet."' 44 "David therefore calls Him 'Lord,' and how is He his
son?"
Acts 2:34-35 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself
says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Thine
enemies a footstool for Thy feet."'
Jesus came to break the power of darkness and the enemy of our souls. His
mission, which He requested of the Father here, was to submit the enemies
of the Father to the Father. And now, the moment of the final battle for
the souls of all men was at hand.
Eternal life has been sought after by adventurers and seekers down through
the ages. In the core of our being there is a chord that resonates with the
power of this force of life. We have an inborn desire to protect that life
and to struggle against things and circumstances that would harm that life.
Life is a spiritual force. It was given by God in the creation and will pulse
beyond the end of time. Physical life is the visible manifestation of life.
The physical ages, is damaged or otherwise falters and fails. But the power,
the force that is that person continues. They are simply released from the
shackles of this physical body and world.
John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all
who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; those
who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the
evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Rom 2:5-8 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are
storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7
to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and
immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and
do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
Eternal life, according to Jesus, is to know God. In knowing God personally,
His salvation is given to you. This is not a mental wisdom of acknowledging
the existence or even the power of God. It is to know Him as Savior and Lord.
In this knowledge there is a gratefulness beyond measure for the gift of
salvation and the chance to know Him. Through all eternity Jesus will be
revealing to us, facets of His infinite person. And, not unlike the parable
of the talents; to the ones who have, more will be given. And to the ones
who have not, even the small knowledge of God will be taken away from them.
They will live on through eternity separated from God knowing they have not
chance of returning to fellowship with Him. That alone will be agony enough
for all the ages to come.
Dear Jesus - The fellowship You offer us is so simple and so amazingly
deep and wide that it defies description. You know us so very well, better
than we know ourselves. You knew us ahead of time, and still willingly suffered
the death of the cross to break the power of sin and the enemy over us forever.
You cared enough to reclaim us when we had walked away from You. We walked
away, and You paved a path for us to return and called us. It is only for
us to respond to that call to avoid the destruction that we willfully march
toward. Thank You for Your grace and mercy that is given in bucket after
bucket. And thank You for the eternity we look forward to in getting to know
You more and more each day. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Mike
jmhoskins@gmail.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
All verses are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.
CFD | November 1997
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