13 Apr April 12th Weekly Devotional
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He shall give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. John 17:1-3
Jesus is praying to His Father. He has been speaking to His disciples. He has just comforted them with so many words. His Words. He has told them that He is going away, and they will have sorrow, but their sorrow will be turned to joy. That it will be likened to a woman giving birth, who was in anguish, but remembers it no longer for the joy of life brought into the world.
He has told them that the things which He has told them, taught them, He has told them so they may have peace, that they will have tribulation in this world, but to be of good cheer, He has overcome the world. Jn. 16:33
Now He prays. He prays first for Himself, that Himself be glorified, and in so doing, the Father is glorified. He prays for Their eternal purpose and plan, that the whole world might be saved, for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved. John 3:17
He prays that He will soon be together again with His Father, just like the old days, before the world began.
Next, He prays for His disciples that God has given Him out of the world. He prays for the words that God has given Him, and that He has now given to the disciples. He prays for the followers that are His, and since they are His, they are the Fathers also. He prays for them to be Him to the world, because He is no longer in the world. He says that only one was lost, the son of perdition, according to the Scripture. He prays for their souls, that they are kept from the evil one, that they are now in the world, and that they be sanctified by the word of truth.
Then, He prays for those who have not yet believed, but those who will believe in Him, through their (the disciples) word, and that we all be one, that we be with Him, that we be with the Father, all together, that the world would see us, and they too might believe.
He prays: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word; 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. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 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. John 17:20-23
Evangelism. If we are truly His disciples, we are to go out and be His word to the world. This is where we fellow disciples now come in, that we BE His Word, so that the world might hear it from us, and come to salvation through Him.
If you are not yet saved through the precious blood of Christ, please let us know, and we can help you. If you do not yet know where to even start, we can study it together so that you too may become a disciple, a disciple that the Son of God was praying for so many years ago, and you may become one of His, and then you can also be that Holy word to the world.
So during a busy week, be worthy of the prayer that Jesus offered to His Father, just before He would go to the cross, because He loved us, and gave Himself for us.
