John 17:1 – 19:27
I just love reading the gospel of John but there is so much in the passages that I am feeling like I’m just wading on the top of the surface, especially at the lightning pace that the bible in a year is going! I was chatting to Matt this morning about what has been great in reading through John and it has been seeing the personal character of Jesus, that he was a aloof Saviour but a Saviour who loved, served, encouraged and comforted his followers as well as rebuking and correctly them (and others!).
John 17 is a pretty tops passage as it is the personal prayer and communication between Jesus and His Father. Something to think about is how Jesus prays for his disciples and all believers. Jesus is praying that God would be glorified through the lives of believers, that the world would see the Father and his love through the lives of the believers.
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22 – 23
How is the gospel to be evident to the world? Through the love and unity of the believers in CHRIST, in the gospel. This means people can be united all throughout the world through the truth of Jesus and what he was sent to do: to die on the cross for the sins of the world and to rise again to bring new life to God’s chosen people.
I read a pretty encouraging book this year, “The mark of a Christian” – this book discussed a lot about this idea and what “marks” us as followers of Jesus. The mark is how we love one another and how we are united in the gospel. This doesn’t mean disagreements won’t happen and we’re like the Brady bunch all the time. Instead, when disagreements arise, we remember the gospel and show grace and mercy to one another, we forgive each other. By doing this, we’ll be showing to the world the forgiveness that Christ has shown to us.
Something to think about…
How does the world see us loving and forgiving one another?
Hey Jasmine,
I was wondering what you mean by’ he was a aloof Saviour’.Is there a typing error in that it should say “he wasn’t a aloof Saviour”