This not the Lord’s Prayer that we are accustomed to hearing – the one that starts “Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed by Thy name”. That was a prayer Jesus taught the disciples to pray when they asked Him to show them how to pray. The prayer we are going to look at over the next couple of days is the personal prayer of Jesus to His Father as He faced the cross. In this prayer, we see Jesus’ heart.
John 17: 1 – 5 (NLT)
“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
These five verses sum up Jesus’ purpose and life on earth. These verses clearly state that Jesus and God the Father have been together before the world was created. Jesus now states that His purpose here on earth is about to be finished – “the hour has come”. Jesus is very clear about why He came to earth – “this is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ the one you sent to earth”. And Jesus says He has completed the work He was given when He was sent to earth.
You’ll notice that nothing is said about us keeping any laws or religious rituals – or even doing good things to make ourselves right with God. This conversation between Jesus and God is all about them, and only them. The coming cross and resurrection will be the climax of God’s plan to bring people back to a relationship with Him. The “glory” is not about making God look better or greater, but rather it’s about the lengths to which God will go to show His love for us.
The opening of Jesus’ prayer to His Father brings wonderful assurance to me – and to you – that God is satisfied with Jesus’ life on earth and the penalty that will be paid for our sin. Even before Jesus says on the cross “It is finished”, we see that Jesus knew this plan was complete. We do not have to be uncertain about whether our faith in Jesus is enough. It is! This certainty is a foundation for my life – and for yours. Knowing that God will accept me because He has accepted what Jesus has done keeps me grounded. I’m not worried about doing enough or trying harder or becoming better so that God will love me. I am just as accepted as God’s child as I am with my earthly father. That relationship is the truth, not just a dream hoped for, or something to strive for.
So as you go about your day, soak in the truth that you are God’s son or daughter for sure. You are loved and worth so much to God. He was willing to die for you – and He did.
Our song for today is You Say by Lauren Daigle.