John 17: 20 - 26
 
The high priestly prayer of Jesus is remarkable for its entire focus on His followers (Jn 17:2). Having nearly completed His mission from His Father (Jn 17:3, 6), He proceeded to address His followers’ primary duties – “as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world“ (Jn 17:18), after explicitly modelling what His mission encompassed by putting Himself in their place, with a distinctive joy invested in the future glory of men and women that masked the horror of the cross (Jn 17:1-6, 13, 22; Heb 12:2). Hence, our joyful significance is found only in Christ, and through Him, as witnesses wherever we are, even to the remotest parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Soon after, the Apostle Paul was to describe believers as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), being the repository of the gospel in agape vulnerability as our incarnational Lord once did. 
 
Jesus’ prayer is ageless in that He is not just referring to His disciples of His day, but to all born-again believers through the ages (Jn 17:20, 24). In this context, our participation in the Lord’s evangelical mission is inextricably linked to our sanctification or holiness (cf., Jn 17: 17-19) and our glorification of Him (Jn 17:10). Let us delineate this critical issue in these final verses in His high priestly prayer in John’s Gospel (John 17: 20 – 26): Jesus’ mission was to clearly reveal (Jn 17:6; the Greek meaning ‘to manifest’ is to reveal to man’s minds and senses or to make visible) His Father, and following which, our task in glorifying Jesus is to reveal our Lord as the only way to His Father to those in the world. It is imperative that we appreciate the reality of what constitutes God’s eternal goal in terms of summing “up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and on the earth” (Eph 1:10), and since He is the timeless Alpha and the Omega (Rev 1:8), He is the most significant person in our lives, with this world becoming our mission field.
 
Then Jesus significantly revealed the dominant theme, the basis, for the witness of ‘His Body’ to the world – for unity and for divine glory: “the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one…” (John 17: 20 - 23). I am particularly intrigued by the Lord’s pronouncement of ‘oneness’ among believers. Any expression of unity, especially spiritual ‘oneness,’ is well beyond humanity’s reach, on its own. This ‘unity’ that our Lord addressed is only found within the Trinity (John 17: 23). The unity between the Father and the Son is irreplicable; the two are one, yet are distinct. The analogy is then applied with believers, where the latter’s identity remains intact in the Father and the Son (cf., John 15: 5).  The critical importance of this ‘oneness’ manifestation between the Father and the Son, with the born-again believer, being found in Him, is to result in a fuller experience of the Father and the Son (c.f., John 15:5; John 14: 10; John 17: 26): “and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.” The outcome of this ‘oneness’ with the Father and the Son results in the ‘unity’ among believers; consequently, the bond that unites us in Christ is as inseparable as is divine love (c.f., Matthew 12: 46 – 50). Having said that, we realise that ultimately language fails us in giving a comprehensive description of the spiritual dynamics of ' the living Christ in us', how much more the spirituality of expressing the 'oneness' that John addressed.  
 
The basis of the saints’ future glory is dependent on their receiving and trusting in the truth of Jesus as the logos of God and invariably His words or teachings (an interplay between ‘words’ as in ‘rhema’ and ‘the Word’ as in ‘logos’; Jn 17:6-8, 17). It is amazing how we would experiment and attempt to find our significance in every possible temporal craving as a surrogate to our physical, emotional, and spiritual deprivations rather than in the glory of God! But what sets a follower of Jesus apart is in our transformed attitude in heart, mind and will towards the dual truths anchored in the belief that He came from His Father, and the Father sent Him (Jn 17:6-8). The implications are that Jesus is not just a man whom we follow and pay lip service to, but is the Son of God, and His Father sent Him on this mission into time and space. He came to live a righteous life that is impossible for anyone to live, and in His death, His righteousness becomes ours, forming the basis of a holy reconciled relationship with His Father and our God (Rom 5:18-21). This dynamic rapport entails a daily following after Christ, which moves us away from spiritual passivity in our sanctification as we delve deep into the Word and ground ourselves in His truth. Paul phrased it this way, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12-13): the believer is called to self-activity in vigorous pursuit of the will of God and the advancement of his spiritual life, so that he would realize the virtues of the Christian life in love and oneness in Christ. Therefore, to walk in the way of God, to take up their cross to follow Him, is the true glory (c.f., 2 Cor 3: 18). This personal application of working out our salvation resulted from what God in His grace had achieved through Jesus Christ.

John 17: 1 – 26
 
This rare conversational window between two members of the Trinity gives us some insight into their foundational relationship (John obviously did not hear it, he merely transmitted it, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to listen to the Father’s replies). One thing is clear - the Father and the Son mutually and eternally glorifies each other (Jn 17:1-5; together with the Holy Spirit too). This incomprehensible divine activity has its basis anchored in agape or selfless love (1 Jn 4:16), for without it, it would be impossible to positively acknowledge and esteem each other’s character, nature and attributes (i.e., to glorify each other). In fact, Jesus’ earthly life demonstrated this unbroken relationship with His Father (Jn 17:2). It is interesting that the blatant shame and ignominy of the cross was flipped over and referenced as the Father glorifying the Son and vice versa! (Jn 17:1). Perhaps, the way we can understand this is to conclude that as Jesus obediently sacrificed Himself at the cross to satisfy God’s holiness, He was glorifying His Father, and the latter glorified His Son’s submission by accepting His redemptive price. Jesus’ prayerful intent was to align His heart to His Father’s glory, an object lesson of intimacy for us in our Godward prayers, to focus away from our often self-centred requests. 
 
This process of perpetually exalting the other inevitably implies certain outcomes. There is an immense depth of loving joy when they seek to glorify not themselves but each other, and God being God, He was not about to keep His love and glory to Himself, as He shares it expansively and inclusively with His creation, specifically those imaged after Him (Jn 17:22). It seems crystal clear that the purpose of Jesus’ coming was to share what they enjoyed within the Trinity, and His redemptive ransom was the pathway to it (cf., Phil 2:7), exemplifying for us the heart of God. It is pertinent to remind ourselves that Jesus gave up His glory during His tenure on earth to glorify ‘the new man in Christ,’ the redeemed imago Dei (Jn 17:22; Col 1:27). And the reality of it is that we only discover who we are designed to be when unhindered servanthood towards God is part of our makeup.
 
The internal relationship within the Godhead reflects His outward approach to man. Does God really listen to everything? Well, yes, from every living thing in our world, inclusive of the universe. I am sure, being God, He does, simply because He is intensely and passionately relational, caring and loves His creation (cf., Rom 8:22-25). The human character, on the other hand, tend towards self and group polarization, where the tendency is to gravitate towards a partisan echo chamber, where they mostly hear more and louder echoes of their own voices (from others) that mirror their point of view - reinforcing their existing beliefs on a multitude of issues and making them prefer to be with those who are like themselves. To be like Jesus is never a simple matter, where our new ‘hearts of flesh’ require us to listen and weigh graciously and with lovingkindness the diversity of voices around us identifying us as children of our Lord and King (cf., 1 Cor 13:1; James 3:8). I cannot imagine what would become of us if Yahweh were a lesser god listening only within his own trinitarian echo chamber! 
 
Being on this side of the Fall and exacerbated by our constant frustrations with our temptations, there is a sense of yearning and impatience to be embraced by the perceptible glory of God. However, the reality of the fullness of His presence is future-oriented (Jn 17:24), but with the gift of eternal life, His Word and the presence of His Holy Spirit, we commence our timeless journey of knowing and relating experientially here and now (Jn 17:3; the Greek ‘to know’) with our holy and glorious God. Daily, He needs to remain our first love!

​John 17: 1 – 26
 
Reading a prayer from a printed page is quite unlike overhearing someone praying aloud, and in this instant, it was within the Trinity, between the Son and His Father, in a dialogue that transcended the heaven-earth divide, tagged as Christ’s High Priestly Prayer. What our Lord had to say on the day of His crucifixion is enduringly important, and the critical issues He raised concerned Divine-human issues around relationships, truth, mission, holiness, and unity. 
 
The sharpening of the Lord’s focus is understandable as it is His penultimate conversation with the Father (the last being on the cross), as His physical journey as the Lord and Giver of eternal life is coming to an end. It is pertinent to note that God presciently knew this rag-tag group of disciples (even Judas), teaching, training, and protecting them during His incarnation. Of course, we know that their lives were far from perfect, but the essential identity formation had been achieved: knowing God’s name and believing and keeping His word (Jn 17:6-12). With just the issue of sin to be resolved, Jesus was at the cusp of returning to His Father (Jn 17:1-5). 
 
It is also evident that His conversation with His Father was for our benefit, as one of His prime concerns was the holiness of His followers (Jn 17:19). The only approach where believers could be made holy was through Jesus’ death that very afternoon. The integrity of holiness in the relationship within the Godhead, revealed by the Lord (Jn 17:11), forms the unalterable basis for our relationship with Him. As followers of Jesus, we have been set apart to be wholly committed to Yahweh, by the Son’s sanctification on our behalf, and yet the work of being sanctified remains ongoing as long as we live in this world (Jn 17:6-12). 
 
The Biblical human encounter with Divine holiness has one consistent outcome – an overpowering sense of conviction, shame, foolishness, our own infinitesimalness, and a realization that there is only one God, who remains the Master of our lives (Ex 3:1-6; Job 40:3-5; Is 6:1-7). This goes against the very grain of our self-righteous human intellect and natural capacity in attempting totally to control our circumstances, if not the world around us, usurping God’s holy authority (Is 40:21-31). Jesus’ prayer encapsulates the essence of what is representative within the family of a holy God. Those who are obedient to God’s Word are not overly anxious nor particularly critical of events and people, neither are they insecurely defensive as they know their position in life and are confident in Christ (Jn 17: 6-12). In fact, they are worshipful and joyful individuals, approachable, grateful and humble. 
 
As a people belonging to God, we are holy, where the principal distinctive ethnicity or origin is Divine holiness (1 Pet 2:9-10); where every area of life is brought under His sovereignty as a new ‘society’ in Christ. The principle of reciprocity in Jesus’ sanctification for our sake works both ways; because of His example, He fully expects us to obediently embrace the sanctification process. That is the foundation of our growing confidence in God as we submit progressively to the work of His Holy Spirit. “You shall be holy for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:13-16).

​We often see him walk past our grass-roofed home overseas during the early mornings and evenings. I would smile and nod my head in acknowledgement, and this good-looking and apparently amiable young man, in his 30s, would respond similarly, but he never stopped by, unlike many others whom we got to know better along the way. 
 
One late afternoon, while we were serving local coffee to a few of our neighbours, who had gathered at our porch (our way of chit-chatting to improve our language acquisition and learn about the culture, apart from picking-up on the local gossip), he walked past. A voice said to me, “Pray for him. He’s only got a very short time left.” I turned to one of our closest friends and pointed the young man out as he walked past us. She whispered softly, “He’s the local assassin. Stay away from him!”  
 
A couple of days later, when he passed by a little closer to our home, we exchanged pleasantries and had a brief conversation. Then a week passed, at around midnight, we heard several gunshot rounds being discharged near our home. The next morning, we were told that the young man in question was killed in a gun fight. He left behind a wife and several kids.
 
God’s grace and love for His creation is never doubted, but I am always surprised by His perseverance in attempting to reach out to fallen man (viz., even though many of us do not possess the slightest spiritual interest in maintaining a relationship with Him, or at best a nominal association). Is this the face and behaviour of unconditional love? (c.f., 2 Peter 3:9). When we do catch a transformative perspective of our Divine Seeker on the cross, then perhaps it makes perfect sense for us to die to self. The outpouring of Christ’s unconditional love for anyone, irrespective of relational ties, is contingent on the Christ in us expressing Himself through us. Perhaps it is in this context that our Father always exercise His compassion and mercy towards survivors resulting from His judgments. 

*****
 
He was a fellow colleague at a local church and we were attending an inter-church event one afternoon, seated together at the back of the hall. Out of the blue, a voice prompted, “Speak to Able about his sexual liaison with one of your church’s members.” I was stunned and thought I was mishearing! If there was some error in my 'presumption,' I would probably lose a friend in pursuing the subject. Able is married with two young kids. The repercussions of confronting him on his adultery exploded in my mind as I lost focus on the subsequent sessional proceedings for the rest of the day.
 
At the conclusion of the day's events, while everyone else around us was moving away, the same voice spoke emphatically, “You have a narrow window of opportunity now. Do it!” I plucked up sufficient courage and leant over to Able, whispering into his ear on the issue:
"Able, a little voice told me that you have got to put an end to your sinful relationship." Without acknowledging what I had just said, and not looking in my direction, Able got up and immediately walked away. I was devastated, “Why did You do that, Lord?”
 
“It’s because I love Able and care about his future. Besides, his sin against me, his wife and children, and My sheep, needs attention.”
 
Two weeks went by and Able was obviously avoiding me. Then one late afternoon, as the office was emptying, he walked over to my desk and said he would like to have a private chat with me. We found an empty meeting room. He confessed his liaison of over a year with one of the members under his care. There were lots of tears and regrets.

Apart from us, no one else knew of his misdemeanour. ​Thus began a two years’ journey of accountability, recovery and restoration.