North Grenville Community Church

In John 17, we find Jesus’s heartfelt prayer just before His crucifixion. This powerful passage reveals Jesus’s deepest concerns and His passionate love for His followers – both then and now.

While we may not physically glow like Moses coming down from Mount Sinai, reflecting God’s glory means that people can see Jesus in us through our actions, words, and passions. When we spend time with Jesus, it naturally flows out in our conversations and behavior.

As Jesus approached His crucifixion, His prayer revealed what mattered most to Him. Surprisingly, He wasn’t focused on His impending suffering – He was thinking about us. His passion wasn’t just about dying; it was about what His death would accomplish for those who would believe in Him.

Jesus prayed first for His own glorification, but not in a selfish way. His glory would come through His sacrificial death on the cross – something the world sees as foolishness but believers recognize as the ultimate display of God’s love and power.

Jesus prayed for two groups:

     *  His immediate disciples who had accepted His words
     *  Future believers who would come to faith through their message (including us today)

 

Jesus made several specific requests:

     * Protection from the evil one
     * Unity among believers
     * Sanctification through truth
     * That they would experience His full joy
     * That they would be with Him to see His glory

 

Jesus’s prayer reveals His desire for deep relationship with us. He wants us to:

     * Be one with Him as He is one with the Father
     * Experience His joy
     * Be made holy through His truth
     * Show His love to others
     * Be united with other believers

 

This week, consider how you can better reflect God’s glory in your daily life. Ask yourself:

     * Do people see Jesus in me through my words and actions?
     * What am I most passionate about, and does it reflect my relationship with Christ?
     * How can I better demonstrate God’s love to others this week?

 

Choose one person this week to intentionally show Christ’s love to, remembering that Jesus’s passion for us should fuel our passion for others. Let your life be a testimony that draws others to see Christ in you.