THE POWER OF LOVE
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Opening Prayer
Loving Savior, thank you for coming to seek me, for dying to redeem me, and for continuing to work on my behalf each day.
Read JOHN 17:1–5
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Jesus Prays to Be Glorified
17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Reflect
‘I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’1
What do you think of when you hear of someone having ‘authority’? I think of someone who has power to control and command others. Sometimes, this can be exercised positively, as in a well-run company. Sometimes, it is negative (I think of my tyrannical primary school headteacher).
In this opening part of a prayer that extends throughout this chapter, Jesus acknowledges that the Father has ‘granted him authority over all people’ (v. 2)—but he doesn’t talk about controlling or commanding anyone. Instead, this authority’s purpose is to give eternal life to those given to him. Jesus challenges our worldly conceptions, as he does so often. Where we think of authority as having to do with sovereign rule, Jesus invites us to think of giving life.2 Throughout his ministry, Jesus has indeed demonstrated his authority in life-giving ways: in healing, listening, challenging, and self-giving. Does this prompt you to reassess the purpose of whatever authority you may possess?
Jesus similarly challenges us in his use of the term ‘glory.’ We might visualize glory as some sort of radiance surrounding someone to emphasize how special and worthy of honor they are compared with others in the room. Jesus talks of the glory he had ‘before the world began’ (v. 5), reminding us that the Son of God did not come to life when he was born incarnate but pre-existed (see also v. 24). There are some aspects to the glory Jesus describes that might undermine our assumptions. First, his glory is not something that detracts from the Father. Instead, each enhances the other: ‘Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you’ (v. 1). Second, Jesus’ path to glory does not lie in acquiring fame and prestige but through the dishonor and unworthiness of the cross.
Apply
How can you thank God for the gift of eternal life: that we may know ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’ (v. 3)?
Closing prayer
King of Kings, your rule embodies a generosity that meets every need of those you love. Please help me to bring you glory in ways that others can see and come to know you.
1 Phil 3:8. 2 Morris, 636.
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