Bible Text: John 17:1-19 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: John, The Lord’s Prayer

Recap of 2/24/13 (John 17:1-19):
1.  John 17 is the Holy of Holies of the New Testament. “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.  Yet distance makes no difference.  He is praying for me.” (Robert Murray McCheyne).
 
2.  Jesus’ willingness to go to the cross would bring glory to God the Father.  His “hour” had come, the hour of His death, burial, and resurrection. By His obedience God would be honored;sin, death and Satan would be vanquished.  Jesus chose the glory of God despite the suffering.
 
3.  “Every sorrow, every pain, every bit of suffering, every circumstance, every joy, everything that comes into your life is going to be for the glory of God.  Do you ever think of it that way?  There’s no place for self-sympathy, growling, and grumbling.  Why?  Because it is all going to ‘redound to the glory of God’ (2 Corinthians 4:15).”  “Whatever the past may have been between you and the Lord, dear reader—whether you see only failures and weaknesses in the years behind you—may I suggest something?  Get down before the Lord and say, ‘Lord, from here on I desire to live for the glory of Christ.’” (Mitchell)
 
4.  Eternal life is a personal, intimate relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  To know Him intimately is have eternal life, not just endless existence but abundant life here and life with God through all eternity.  Everyone will live forever, the only question is where and with whom; with God in His presence, or with Satan and his angels in the lake of fire.
 
5.  Believers are “set-apart” to God (sanctified), that is separated from the world and set-part for God’s special use.  We are set-apart by the Word of God which is truth.  As we read, study, and meditate upon the Word, God applies it to our lives and uses it to make us useful to Him, as well as productive in our spiritual life.
 
6.  Jesus completed the work God the Father had given Him to do.  All who make God’s glory and will central in their lives can say the same.  “How few of us feel, under the shadow of death, that life is complete, that its work is finished! What a pathetic series of beginnings and failures and imperfect endeavors it does seem to be.  Yet, if one does the will of God, the symbol of life need not be a broken column.” (Erdman)