- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 17,520
27 February 2008
Word on the Web
John 17 v 1-5
After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, "Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. Having finished the work you gave me to do, I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.
This is the start of Jesus' longest recorded prayer. Notice how it begins with "Father" and goes on to ask that God receive glory. It echoes the Lord's Prayer, which begins "Our Father in heaven, hallowed (glorified) be your name". It's not just that Jesus taught us to pray like that: it's how he prayed. In praying the Lord's Prayer we share the prayer life of Jesus. How well do you know the Lord's Prayer? Make it your job to find it and pray it today.
What is all this about glory, though? Are Jesus and God on an ego-trip, that they need us to tell them how wonderful they are?
The Christian life starts by recognising that I am not the most important person in the universe. There's more: all I have came from God and all I can be will come from him, too. I am dependent upon God. I need God. To admit this is the end of what's sometimes a long battle between pride and humility.
True life, eternal life, is to know God and Jesus. It is what we were created for. But we cannot find it on our own. We need God's help: we cannot help ourselves. When we know this, deep in our hearts, and cry out in faith, we give God glory.
Dear God, thank you that Jesus prayed and taught us to pray too. Help me to overcome my proud independence, and to admit that I need you to give me eternal life. Here and now I cry out to you, in faith that you are right. May your name be hallowed! Amen.
Written by Richard Martin
Word on the Web
John 17 v 1-5
After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, "Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. Having finished the work you gave me to do, I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.
This is the start of Jesus' longest recorded prayer. Notice how it begins with "Father" and goes on to ask that God receive glory. It echoes the Lord's Prayer, which begins "Our Father in heaven, hallowed (glorified) be your name". It's not just that Jesus taught us to pray like that: it's how he prayed. In praying the Lord's Prayer we share the prayer life of Jesus. How well do you know the Lord's Prayer? Make it your job to find it and pray it today.
What is all this about glory, though? Are Jesus and God on an ego-trip, that they need us to tell them how wonderful they are?
The Christian life starts by recognising that I am not the most important person in the universe. There's more: all I have came from God and all I can be will come from him, too. I am dependent upon God. I need God. To admit this is the end of what's sometimes a long battle between pride and humility.
True life, eternal life, is to know God and Jesus. It is what we were created for. But we cannot find it on our own. We need God's help: we cannot help ourselves. When we know this, deep in our hearts, and cry out in faith, we give God glory.
Dear God, thank you that Jesus prayed and taught us to pray too. Help me to overcome my proud independence, and to admit that I need you to give me eternal life. Here and now I cry out to you, in faith that you are right. May your name be hallowed! Amen.
Written by Richard Martin
