The Hour Will Come | John 17
John 17
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What are your overall thoughts about the chapter?
What part of this chapter did you most resonate with?
What is your prayer to God brought on by this chapter?
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Chapter Notables:
Jesus declares in prayer the “the hour has come” - verses 1-5
Jesus prays for His disciples - verses 6-19
Jesus prays for those that would believe - verses 20-26
The Right Time | Lemuel Ayudtud
Waiting for the time to come when everything you waited for arrives is a beautiful thing. Whether reaching one’s potential or actualizing one’s spiritual gifting, arriving at your “hour” is not instantaneously; it’s a process, one day at a time building and awaiting that point when calling arrives at full expression.
God has sent us into the world. He is in us to give us the power and the presentation so that the world will know Him through us. Our oneness with God is to bring His love to the world. We dwell in Him and He in us so that we can accomplish what we’ve been sent to do—as Jesus. And what is that? To declare the Name of God to the world! His Name is what we declare. His glorification throughout the world is our task, our opportunity and His gift to us.
Being given the opportunity or responsibility to showcase Jesus to the world is an incredible gift. How? Because we cannot present Him to the world without Him being in us! We can only be effective if He effects from us and in so do affects us.
Jesus, prayer, prayed for us to be one with Him. When we read the chapter we realize it is about being one in mission and connection. The mission is to do what Jesus did while on earth, that is to bring the message of God’s love and desire for reconciliation. The connection is to have relationship with God by knowing and sharing His word, by walking in the truth—the truth being the Word of God.
Jesus said that He prays for us and not the world. Why is? Because we are being sent to the world to proclaim the love of the Father to the world. The world may hate us, but that’s the very reason why we are sent: to turn those who reject the Lord to believe in Him. His Spirit we are given that power and authority and ability. And not us only, but those who we lead to Christ also.
Yes, we are part of the ever growing body of disciples who are disciple makers. People will believe in Jesus through our word. Through our word, they will hear God’s word. Therefore Jesus prayed for us to be one with Him as He is with the Father. Why? So that we will not declare our own words but His!
What do we bring to the world?
We carry His Name.
We understand that the Name of Jesus is the Name of the Father. When we speak about Jesus, we walk with the authority of God. Jesus said, “I come in my Father’s Name,” and so we also. We glorify the Father as we declare the Name of Jesus for He and the Father are one. The fact is, the Name of Jesus is the saving Name of God. There’s no name among men under heaven whereby man shall be saved. Every knee will bow and tongues will confess the Name of Jesus!We carry His word!
God has placed the word in our hearts! Understand that as we study the Bible, God quickens our spirit to the life in God’s Word. Intentionally memorizing verses of Scriptures tell our hearts about the importance of God’s word. This is the word we deliver to the world: the word of faith! It’s the word of our salvation. The word that we declare is the need for submission of man to God; the Gospel of Jesus, the grace of God that leads man to repent.The hope of oneness.
Jesus prayed for our oneness. We are called to be one with God—our hearts and our minds seeking to glorify God through the Name of Jesus. This oneness with God will bring unity among us. And that unity will express to the world that Jesus was the one sent by God who loves us. This love was the love that had Him die on the cross for our sins. Our unity glorifies God and reveals to the world that God loves us and that He loves them, too, by our love for each other and them.The gift of sanctification.
The word of God is the truth and that truth sanctifies or separates us or makes us holy. We are sent to the world not to be like the world, but to lead them to Jesus. Jesus prayed that we maybe protected from the evil one because of the work he’s called us to do in the world. Through the sanctifying work of God’s word, we can extend to others the gift of separation and reconciliation.
None of the things listed will happen right away. These just don’t come over night. Jesus at the opening verses of this chapter said in prayer, “My hour has come.” Whatever our potential is when it comes to the work of God, it will take its full course. Don’t get frustrated when you haven’t gotten it yet. Jesus took the time Hewas allotted. He didn’t force anything. He followed God’s voice and served according to God’s timing.
As Jesus had His “hour”, likewise my character, humility, oneness with the Father, expression of love towards one another and outwardly to the world. It took Jesus 33 years before it was His hour. How many years for you and me? Who knows? I know we’re not the Lord Jesus, but one thing is for sure, since God has called us, our time will come.
Lord, thank You for Your anointing and appointment. Thank You for giving me the ears to hear You call me. Lord, give me the grace to daily pursue Your purpose in my life. Help me to daily submit to Your Word and Your prodding. Help me to yield to Your guidance and give me a heart to obey. Help me to know that Your purpose in my life will be actualized, that one of these days or even years, what you’ve intended for me will happen. So while I wait on You, teach me to love people—love them enough that I study Your word so that I’d be ready. Love them enough that I am constantly seeking for moments when I can declare Your Name and glorify You. In Your Name, Jesus, amen.