John 17:1-5 A Life With No Regrets

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:1-5

Background

Jesus knowing that His ministry on earth was coming to an end, reflected upon His work. His prayer expressed His indescribable joy of having lived a life with no regrets, and having accomplished all that the Father had sent Him to do. Jesus’ prayer is an inspiration and model for all Christians who seek the same end and glory. Hence, we have to be conscientious of the time we spend, the decisions that we make, and the pleasures that may detract us from our calling.

Jesus’ life goal is to glorify the Father by extending His righteous rule on the earth. Jesus’ work involved calling the people to repentance, raising up a handful of disciples to continue His work and ultimately to give His life as a sacrifice on the cross. Put in a nutshell, Jesus’ work involves: establishing the Kingdom’s value system on earth, discipleship, and redeeming the world through His sacrifice. Future believers need to continue to establish the Kingdom’s value system through discipleship. By setting our life goals according to Christ’s we will likewise live a life with no regrets.

Observation

1.  “Father… glorify Your Son”. Jesus asked the Father to raise Him from death and to reveal His identity as the Son to the world. It is through Jesus’ resurrection, that His righteousness could be manifested to the world. It is only through His resurrection can God’s reign over creation be restored.

2.   “…. that the Son may glorify You.” The resurrection of Jesus resulted in the glorification of the Father. Here lies the ultimate resolve of the Son: to reveal the Father’s love and power and to restore His righteous rule over all creation. The Father is glorified when all creation recognize Jesus as the One coming back from the dead in glory. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9.

 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” The work that Jesus did on the earth is as follows:

a.  To call all men to repentance and to enter the Kingdom of God.

b.  To shepherd those the Father has given Him so that they might be saved.

c.  To be the sacrificial Lamb for the forgiveness of humanity.

It is through Jesus’ works that the Father’s rule of love and righteousness is restored in the earth.

4.  “This is eternal life, that they may know You”. Eternal life or abundant living is possible only when one remains connected with God. Eternal life is the by-product of one’s relationship with God. Hence, one should not seek eternal life and happiness, but to seek God who is the source of peace, joy, wisdom, health and confidence to overcome life’s problems.

Truth

1.  It is the Father’s desire to glorify His sons. The Father is actively looking for opportunities to promote and glorify His sons. James 4:10 and 1 Peter 5:6 say that when we humble ourselves, God will lift us up. Hence, we do not have to parade ourselves and draw attention to our achievements. But when we humble ourselves and acknowledge our weaknesses, focusing on doing God’s will, He will promote us in due time. An obedient and righteous person easily finds himself on the route of enduring glory. However, one who promotes himself may get some attention for a while, but like a flower he will soon fade away. Be patient and do what is right and beneficial for all, you will be respected and honored by all. Indeed, God will glorify those who seek to glorify God in all that they do.

2.  Inner peace is the sign that breakthrough is near. Eternal life starts from inner peace. The key is to obtain the peace that only God can give. Many who were rich and famous did not possess this inner peace. The illusion is that fame and fortune leads to eternal life. Heavenly peace is the seed and foundation of all good things in life.

3.  Salvation is gained through a covenant with God. Glory is gained through obedience to that covenant. There may be many who will be saved because of their covenant with God. However, only those who forsake their earthly comfort and self centred goals for the sake of the Kingdom will receive the greater glory of God.

Application

1.  Be faithful to the tasks at hand and God will promote you in due time. Do not fret if unworthy people were sometimes promoted. If their promotion is not build on righteousness, it will not last.

2.  How do we glorify God?

Put in a nutshell, it is to be an instrument to extend God’s righteous onto the earth. Hence, we glorify God by actively being His mouthpiece and bringing His salvation and value system to the world around us.

a.  By speaking the truth in an attitude humility and candidness. People may not agree with you, but they will respect you because of your righteous principles. God is glorified and the community is warned of the consequences of bad decisions. When Jesus in His days on earth spoke the truth, He was respected by many but hated by the Jewish leadership.

b.  By being more generous with our appreciation and praises. People need encouragement on a daily basis. They need to feel treasured and appreciated for the work they have done. A little encouragement will go along way. Something that is more important than monetary reward.

c.  By being a listening ear to those around you. The world has no lack of talkers, but listeners are few to come by. Giving full attention to the person talking communicates genuine concern and empathy. Empathy requires silent contemplation of the words spoken. The Holy Spirit rarely speaks because He is contemplating the thoughts of our heart. Empathy is the currency for change, it give us the permission to speak freely into another person’s life.

3.  Make a list of the possible distractions in your life that could detract you from fulfilling the goal that God has placed in your life.

Dear Lord, I thank you that all my good deeds are being written in heaven. I will remain faithful to the tasks given to me for I seek the heavenly reward. Use me to as a listening ear, and as an instrument to encourage and lift up those who need help. Give me wisdom to speak truths so that the community and organization may walk in righteousness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.