In John 17, we find Jesus with the Disciples in the Garden, where He prays for them and us.  Several points are brought out repeatedly,  I would like to look at what He prayed for all who belong to Him.

First:
Who is He praying for:
John 17:
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”

What does He pray for:
“that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,”
“they have believed that thou didst send me.”

“that they may be one, as we are.”
“that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
“that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
” I also sent them into the world.”
“that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”
“the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; “
“that they may behold my glory, “
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”

Jesus repeatedly told us He and the Father were one, the Words, signs, wonders and miracles were the Fathers will.  All He did was the will of the Father,  by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

He prays that we might know Him, know that He was sent by the Father and we would  be one with Them.   Not once but multiple times.
 
   》~“That they all may be one;  as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:”
   》~“that they may be one, even as we are one:”
   》~“that they may be made perfect in one; “
   》~“the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

For us to be One in Him, we must totally submit to His will, His way, allow His love to shine forth.

He would have us to have His joy:
“now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Joy is mentioned 187 times in the Bible.   In the New Testament the first mention is when they see the Star in the East.  We find Joy in people discovering the Truth of Gods Word.

Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit, something we should be exhibiting.   Psalm 100, “Make a joyful noice unto the Lord.  Serve the Lord with Gladness. Enter into His gate with Thanksgiving and into His courts with Praise.

Serving the Lord gives us that Joy, Gladness,  Thanksgiving and Praise. “Joy unspeakable and full of glory,” Inner Peace and Joy should be our natural state.
Joy is not happiness,  happy is because of what is happening. Events from our surroundings.  Joy flows up from within, it is in our DNA as children of the King.

“that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

We find this sentiment in the “Lords Prayer”, the “Prayer of Jabez”, here in John 17,   Lord, keep us from evil.

The evil that would cause us to sin and fall away,  the evil that would hurt us or our families physically, emotionally,  financialy.  Evil comes in many forms, it is that which is not of God.

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
“that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”

Sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit.  It begins when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.  We must “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

As we become one with the Lord something happens:

“The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and the more sensitive to every sin he becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ.

The moral imperfections which cling to him he feels to be sins, which he laments and strives to overcome. Believers find that their life is a constant warfare, and they need to take the kingdom of heaven by storm, and watch while they pray.

They are always subject to the constant chastisement of their Father’s loving hand, which can only be designed to correct their imperfections and to confirm their graces.

And it has been notoriously the fact that the best Christians have been those who have been the least prone to claim the attainment of perfection for themselves.”, Hodge’s Outlines.

Sanctification only comes in surrender to the Holy Spirits presence, guiding and direction.

“I also sent them into the world.”

As the Father sent the Son to proclaim the acceptable day of the Lord. So we must go forth and do the same.  Our command is to love one another and spread the Gospel of the “Kingdom of God is at hand”,  that the gift of Salvation, Forgiveness, Grace is for today, today is the acceptable day to accept Christ as Lord.

“the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; “
“that they may behold my glory, “

That we might see and receive His Glory.  What is Glory?  It is described in the Bible as:
   》Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour
   》Honour, dignity
   》Splendour, brightness, majesty
   》The glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God
   》The bliss of heaven
Do we even recognize the above?  Are they in our vocabulary, real in our walks, a part of our being?

Not so much, speaking for myself.

  “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”

If you believe on Jesus it usually means you have heard their word.  He was praying for us then and is true for us today.

Are you one with Him?
Are you full of His Joy?
Are you reflecting His Glory?
Sharing His Word of Promise?
Are you set apart,  Sanctified by His Word of Truth and The Holy Spirit?
Do you believe on Him and that The Father sent Him?

Glory to God and Amen.  If I don’t see you here, let’s look each other up in heaven.
Blessings.

Thanks for visiting, come back soon.
bill theunfetteredpreacher cote
know you are loved