He was on His way to the cross, the most brutal death a man can suffer. He knew of the excruciating pain and agony that was to come, not only from the physical torture that was the cross, but from the unimaginable spiritual sepration from His Father. He was hours from bleeding tears of blood, imploring His Father to take this cup away from Him.
He had spent three patient years training twelve ordinary men with their eclectic backgrounds, their doubts, their fears, their qualities and their faults. He knew them intimately and His omniscience forsaw the trials eleven of them would face in a harsh world that hated them and their Gospel message. He knew that hours later, one would betray him, another would deny him and the rest would be in hiding.
That was Christ's context when He 'spoke these words and lifted up His eyes to heaven' (John 17:1). In this prayer, He prays for Himself (v1-5), His disciples (v6-19) and then the all the future elect (v20-26).
And yet, amidst the burdened-heavy words, He explains a majestic model of Grace throughout redemptive history. Thirty-nine (39) times, He mentions or implies the word 'gave' or 'given' in just twenty-six (26) verses. When we follow the thread, He clearly shows us that the process of the gifts of Grace came from the Father, through Him, to us.
It is mind-boggling to me that, bearing the aforementioned context, He takes the time to detail thirty-nine times the graceful 'transactions' going from the Father to Christ to the disciples and us. This, to me, is a detailed description of the Gospel: God giving us what we need through Christ by Grace.
I have made a model of the 'graceful giving transactions' in John 17. This inspires me to appreciate the vastness of Grace, to be thankful for the depth of His sacrifice, to live out a life worthy of the gifts. It brings me to glorify Him through which all was (and still is) given to me.
May it be the same for you.
He had spent three patient years training twelve ordinary men with their eclectic backgrounds, their doubts, their fears, their qualities and their faults. He knew them intimately and His omniscience forsaw the trials eleven of them would face in a harsh world that hated them and their Gospel message. He knew that hours later, one would betray him, another would deny him and the rest would be in hiding.
That was Christ's context when He 'spoke these words and lifted up His eyes to heaven' (John 17:1). In this prayer, He prays for Himself (v1-5), His disciples (v6-19) and then the all the future elect (v20-26).
And yet, amidst the burdened-heavy words, He explains a majestic model of Grace throughout redemptive history. Thirty-nine (39) times, He mentions or implies the word 'gave' or 'given' in just twenty-six (26) verses. When we follow the thread, He clearly shows us that the process of the gifts of Grace came from the Father, through Him, to us.
It is mind-boggling to me that, bearing the aforementioned context, He takes the time to detail thirty-nine times the graceful 'transactions' going from the Father to Christ to the disciples and us. This, to me, is a detailed description of the Gospel: God giving us what we need through Christ by Grace.
I have made a model of the 'graceful giving transactions' in John 17. This inspires me to appreciate the vastness of Grace, to be thankful for the depth of His sacrifice, to live out a life worthy of the gifts. It brings me to glorify Him through which all was (and still is) given to me.
May it be the same for you.
