Continue With Prepaing The Apostles For His Departure-Concluding Prayer In The Upper Room

Concluding Prayer In The Upper Room

Moved by deep love for his apostles, Jesus has been preparing them for his imminent departure. Now, after admonishing and comforting them at length, he raises his eyes to heaven and petitions his Father: "Glorify your son, that your son may glorify you, according as you have given him authority over all flesh, that, as regards the whole number whom you have given him, he may give them everlasting life."

What a stirring theme Jesus introduces-everlasting life! Having been given "authority over all flesh," Jesus can impart the benefits of his ransom sacrifice to all dying humankind. Yet, he grants "everlasting life" only to those whom the Father approves. Building on this theme of everlasting life, Jesus continues his prayer: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." Yes, salvation is dependent upon your taking in knowledge of both God and his Son. But more is needed than just head knowledge.

A person must come to know them intimately, developing an understanding friendship with them. One must feel as they do about matters and see things through their eyes. And above all, a person must strive to imitate their matchless qualities in dealing with others. Jesus next prays: "I have glorified you on the earth, having finished the work you have given me to do." Having thus fulfilled his assignment up to this point and being confident of his future success, he petitions: "Father, glorify me alongside yourself with the glory that I had alongside you before the world was." yes, he now asks to be restored to his previous heavenly glory by means of a resurrection.

Summarizing his principal work on earth, Jesus says: "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have observed your word." Jesus used God's name; Jehovah, in his ministry and demonstrated a correct pronunciation of it, but he did more than that to make God's name manifest to his apostles. He also expanded their knowledge and appreciation of Jehovah, of his personality and of his purposes.

Crediting Jehovah as his Superior, the One under whom he serves, Jesus humbly acknowledges: "The sayings that you gave me I have given to them, and they have received them and have certainly come to know that I came out as your representative, and they have believed that you sent me."

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The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991