Have you ever disappointed someone?
Have you ever let someone down?
I was a constant disappointment to my parents as I grew up.
I didn’t make the kind of grades they wanted me to make.
I didn’t excel in sports like my father wanted me to excel.
I wasn”t outgoing enough to please them.
I grew up believing that God was also disappointed in me.
The thing that changed that belief was how Jesus dealt with Peter’s failure.
Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him, Jesus, three times before the rooster crows. Peter basically says there is no way that is going to happen.
John 18:16-17
But Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. “You are not one of His disciples are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied , “I am not.”
That is one denial.
John 18:25
As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
That is two denials.
John 18:26-27
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the olive grove?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
That is thee denials.
All three denial came before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus said.
You would think that at this point Jesus would have been disappointed in Peter. You might think that Jesus would have given up on Peter and want nothing more to do with him.
Then you would be wrong.
In John 21 Peter and five other of Jesus’ disciples were at the Sea of Galilee and Jesus appears on the sea shore as the disciples are fishing. The disciples recognize it is Jesus and go to have breakfast with Him.
What an extraordinary time that was. It would have been so cool to sit and have breakfast with the risen Son of God.
After breakfast Jesus and Peter have a conversation. The conversation went like this
Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Peter: Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.
Jesus: Feed My lambs.
Jesus: Simon, son of John , do you love Me?
Peter: Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.
Jesus: Take care of My sheep.
Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me?
Peter: Lord, You know all things; you know that I love You.
Jesus: Feed My lambs.
Jesus takes the time to focus on Peter.
Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”
Peter says yes all three times.
Why did Jesus ask Peter three times if he loved Him? One time would have seemed to be sufficient.
Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus.
Each of Peter’s affirmations were followed by Jesus with a directive of something Peter could do to show that his affirmation of love was real.
Jesus knows that we as humans are weak, vulnerable, sinful.
Jesus knows in our own strength and resources we cannot obey the Father.
Jesus knows that we will fail at times in obeying Him.
Jesus knows that we will let Him down.
Jesus gives us the opportunity to repent, return, and reaffirm.
Repent: Acknowledge our sin and turn from it.
Return: Coming in humility back to Jesus, recognizing Him as our sole authority and ruler.
Reaffirm: Reestablishing our love for Him and our willingness to obey Him.
Why would Jesus give Peter the opportunity to do this?
Why would Jesus give you and me the opportunity to do this?
Jesus wants us to experience the fullness of His love.
Ephesians 3:18
[that you] May have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Jesus wants you to know that He loves you.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus loves you and experiencing all the dimensions of His love.
Was Jesus disappointed that Peter denied Him?
The denial did not surprise Jesus.
The denial did not anger Jesus.
The denial did not disappoint Jesus.
The denial hurt Jesus.
Our sin and failure do not anger or disappoint Jesus.
Our sin and failure does hurt Jesus.
Jesus is hurt because He knows that our sin hurts us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that Jesus is not angry at or disappointed with us.
We need to understand also who we are in Jesus.
We need to understand how the Father looks at us.
People who have yield themselves to Jesus as Lord are seen by the Father as:
Friends
Beloved
Children
I love the picture of God the Father in Luke 15, the parable of the Lost Son. The son had rebelled against his father’s authority and rejected his love. If there was ever a father who had every right to reject his son, it was this father. When the son finally comes to his senses and makes his way back home, the father sees the son and runs out to meet him and embraces him. Remember the son had been with pigs and had not bathed. He was dirty and smelly. The father still runs to him and hugs him, because how he looked or what his condition was had nothing to do with how the father saw the son.
This is an awesome picture of how God the Father sees us and wants us with Him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing who we are in Jesus and knowing how God the Father sees us.
Jesus loves you and is not mad at you.
Jesus is for you; He is on your side.
We have hope because of who Jesus is.
We have hope because of what Jesus has done for us.
We have hope because the Father sees us through Jesus.
Knowing Jesus Loves Us by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
The Light of Christmas
I am going to depart from the Gospel of John devotions and focus on the celebration of the Son of God coming into the world as a human.
The world calls this event Christmas and has basically turned it into a celebration of family, sentimentality, and “magical” moments.
I like the term The Incarnation. It is when the Son of God became the physical human being Jesus, God became flesh and bone, blood and muscle.
Matthew and Luke each give us a little different view of the coming of Jesus into the world. They both focus on the physical birth.
John gives us a view of the spiritual aspect of Jesus’ coming.
John 1:3-5
There came a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
John refers to Jesus as The Light.
In John 8:12 Jesus speaks of Himself as The Light of the World.
Jesus came into the world as The Light.
Jesus as The Light defeats the darkness.
Darkness is simply the absence of light. When light shows up, the darkness always disappears. Light always overcomes darkness.
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
The Incarnation means I don’t have to live in darkness. I don’t have to live separated from God. I can live in the light.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
The result of experiencing Jesus as The Light is:
Living in community with fellow followers of Jesus
Being purified from all sin by the blood of Jesus
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in The Light and experiencing the presence of Jesus, fellowship with other believers, and purification from sin.
Jesus as The Light illuminates.
Jesus shows us what is real.
Jesus shows us the reality of life.
Jesus shows us the reality of sin.
Jesus shows us the reality of His incarnation.
In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul tells us who Jesus, the Son of God is.
He is:
The Image of God
Creator of all things
The Focus of all creation
Before all things
The Sustainer of all things
The Head of the church
The Fullness of God
The Reconciler of all things to God
The Peacemaker of all things through His blood
In short Paul pictures Jesus as supreme over everything.
Then in Philippians 2:6-8 Paul shows us what Jesus did for us.
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Jesus gave up all of what Colossians 1:15-20 describes Him as being. He gave it up so that as the God/Man He could be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as The Light illuminate the truth about our lives, our sin and His sacrifice.
I pray that we will, as we celebrate Christmas, celebrate it as what it really is: the incarnation of the Son of God.
Then our focus will be on Jesus, the Son of God, who came to be our atoning sacrifice.
In the movie Talladega Nights, Will Farrell as Ricky Bobby prays at lunch to the baby Jesus. When his wife, Carley, reminds him that Jesus grew up, Ricky Bobby says that he likes the Christmas Jesus best. He says, “Look, I like the baby version best, do you hear me?”
Yes, I just used a Talladega Nights illustration because that is how the world views Jesus, as a cute baby. He is nice and sweet and safe. Baby Jesus is not going to challenge the world to change.
Baby Jesus will never be The Light to defeat darkness and illuminate the truth.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas because the One who loves you and me came to become our sin so we could become His righteousness.
I pray you have an awesome time as you celebrate The Incarnation of the Son Of God.
Celebrating Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The world calls this event Christmas and has basically turned it into a celebration of family, sentimentality, and “magical” moments.
I like the term The Incarnation. It is when the Son of God became the physical human being Jesus, God became flesh and bone, blood and muscle.
Matthew and Luke each give us a little different view of the coming of Jesus into the world. They both focus on the physical birth.
John gives us a view of the spiritual aspect of Jesus’ coming.
John 1:3-5
There came a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
John refers to Jesus as The Light.
In John 8:12 Jesus speaks of Himself as The Light of the World.
Jesus came into the world as The Light.
Jesus as The Light defeats the darkness.
Darkness is simply the absence of light. When light shows up, the darkness always disappears. Light always overcomes darkness.
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
The Incarnation means I don’t have to live in darkness. I don’t have to live separated from God. I can live in the light.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
The result of experiencing Jesus as The Light is:
Living in community with fellow followers of Jesus
Being purified from all sin by the blood of Jesus
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in The Light and experiencing the presence of Jesus, fellowship with other believers, and purification from sin.
Jesus as The Light illuminates.
Jesus shows us what is real.
Jesus shows us the reality of life.
Jesus shows us the reality of sin.
Jesus shows us the reality of His incarnation.
In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul tells us who Jesus, the Son of God is.
He is:
The Image of God
Creator of all things
The Focus of all creation
Before all things
The Sustainer of all things
The Head of the church
The Fullness of God
The Reconciler of all things to God
The Peacemaker of all things through His blood
In short Paul pictures Jesus as supreme over everything.
Then in Philippians 2:6-8 Paul shows us what Jesus did for us.
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Jesus gave up all of what Colossians 1:15-20 describes Him as being. He gave it up so that as the God/Man He could be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as The Light illuminate the truth about our lives, our sin and His sacrifice.
I pray that we will, as we celebrate Christmas, celebrate it as what it really is: the incarnation of the Son of God.
Then our focus will be on Jesus, the Son of God, who came to be our atoning sacrifice.
In the movie Talladega Nights, Will Farrell as Ricky Bobby prays at lunch to the baby Jesus. When his wife, Carley, reminds him that Jesus grew up, Ricky Bobby says that he likes the Christmas Jesus best. He says, “Look, I like the baby version best, do you hear me?”
Yes, I just used a Talladega Nights illustration because that is how the world views Jesus, as a cute baby. He is nice and sweet and safe. Baby Jesus is not going to challenge the world to change.
Baby Jesus will never be The Light to defeat darkness and illuminate the truth.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas.
I love The Incarnation/Christmas because the One who loves you and me came to become our sin so we could become His righteousness.
I pray you have an awesome time as you celebrate The Incarnation of the Son Of God.
Celebrating Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 13, 2015
What Comes Out When You Are Squeezed?
The true character of a person is most clearly seen when that person faces a difficult time. When a person is “squeezed”, what comes out shows what is on the inside.
In John 18 we see Jesus being squeezed. Jesus and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to spend their last time together. It is in this setting that we see five attributes of Jesus that set Him apart from ordinary people.
Jesus is not only arrested, but the person leading the group is one of the Twelve - Judas.
The fact that Jesus is arrested is stressful enough, but the personal pain of being betrayed by one so close to Him had to really hurt.
This leads to the first attribute of Jesus displayed in this situation.
John 18:4
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, “Who do you want?”
Jesus is courageous.
Jesus knew that He was going to be arrested.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him.
Jesus knew the betrayal and arrest would lead to the cross.
Jesus, knowing all this, did nothing to prevent it. Jesus, in fact, went exactly to the place where He knew that Judas would bring the men who would arrest Him.
Jesus even initiated the confrontation with the posse.
There were so many ways that Jesus could have avoided being arrested, but He didn’t.
He is courageous.
Jesus being courageous means that, as I yield my life to His power and authority, He will live out His courage in me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus live out His courage in me.
John 18:5
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)
Jesus is honest.
Jesus could have lied.
Jesus could have tried to convince them that He wasn’t the one they were looking for.
Jesus acknowledged He was the one they were looking for.
Jesus knew why they had come.
Jesus knew what the results of being arrested would be.
Even knowing all of this, Jesus shows that He is Truth by being honest.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as the Truth manifest Himself through us.
John 18:6
When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Jesus is in control.
Judas was not in control.
The Romans soldiers were not in control.
The Jewish religious leaders were not in control.
The Jewish temple guards were not in control.
Jesus was not panicking.
Jesus was not fearful.
Jesus was not at a loss of what to do.
Jesus, at a time when He should have been fearful and confused, was in total control of the situation.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus have total control of your life.
Jesus then again asked who they were looking for and they said “Jesus of Nazareth,” and Jesus tells them that He is Jesus.
John 18:8
“I told you that I am He,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for Me, then let these men go.”
Jesus is focused on and concerned for others.
Most people when being arrested are concerned about one thing: how I can get out of this situation.
Jesus was concerned about these eleven men.
These were men that Jesus loved.
These men that had spent the last three years of their lives with Jesus.
These men would be used to change the world.
Jesus was not only the Savior.
Jesus was not only the Lord.
Jesus was not only the Messiah.
Jesus was the Friend of these men.
Jesus, as the Friend of these eleven men, loved them and was concerned about them even when He was being arrested.
Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is being other-focused and not self-focused.
Peter, being Peter, decided that he would save Jesus and attacked one of the people there to arrest Jesus. Peter struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear.
John 18:11
Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me.?”
Jesus was surrendered to the Father’s will.
Jesus could have avoided being arrested.
Jesus could have avoided going to the cross.
Jesus didn’t because He was fully surrender to do what the Father wanted Him to do.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross just because of His love for us. Jesus went to the cross because that was the Father’s will.
In the last phrase of Philippians 3:10 Paul says, “Becoming like Him in His death.”
Paul’s desire was to be like Jesus as He died on the cross.
How was Jesus as He died on the cross? He was completely obedient to God the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being fully surrendered to God’s will.
Jesus is:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrendered to the Father’s Will
We can be:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrender to the Father’s will
Colossians 1:27 says that God has revealed a mystery to us that Christ is in us.
As Jesus lives His life in and through us we will become like Him and display His attributes.
Displaying the Attributes Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing The Walls
Joe
In John 18 we see Jesus being squeezed. Jesus and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to spend their last time together. It is in this setting that we see five attributes of Jesus that set Him apart from ordinary people.
Jesus is not only arrested, but the person leading the group is one of the Twelve - Judas.
The fact that Jesus is arrested is stressful enough, but the personal pain of being betrayed by one so close to Him had to really hurt.
This leads to the first attribute of Jesus displayed in this situation.
John 18:4
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, “Who do you want?”
Jesus is courageous.
Jesus knew that He was going to be arrested.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him.
Jesus knew the betrayal and arrest would lead to the cross.
Jesus, knowing all this, did nothing to prevent it. Jesus, in fact, went exactly to the place where He knew that Judas would bring the men who would arrest Him.
Jesus even initiated the confrontation with the posse.
There were so many ways that Jesus could have avoided being arrested, but He didn’t.
He is courageous.
Jesus being courageous means that, as I yield my life to His power and authority, He will live out His courage in me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus live out His courage in me.
John 18:5
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)
Jesus is honest.
Jesus could have lied.
Jesus could have tried to convince them that He wasn’t the one they were looking for.
Jesus acknowledged He was the one they were looking for.
Jesus knew why they had come.
Jesus knew what the results of being arrested would be.
Even knowing all of this, Jesus shows that He is Truth by being honest.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus as the Truth manifest Himself through us.
John 18:6
When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Jesus is in control.
Judas was not in control.
The Romans soldiers were not in control.
The Jewish religious leaders were not in control.
The Jewish temple guards were not in control.
Jesus was not panicking.
Jesus was not fearful.
Jesus was not at a loss of what to do.
Jesus, at a time when He should have been fearful and confused, was in total control of the situation.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus have total control of your life.
Jesus then again asked who they were looking for and they said “Jesus of Nazareth,” and Jesus tells them that He is Jesus.
John 18:8
“I told you that I am He,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for Me, then let these men go.”
Jesus is focused on and concerned for others.
Most people when being arrested are concerned about one thing: how I can get out of this situation.
Jesus was concerned about these eleven men.
These were men that Jesus loved.
These men that had spent the last three years of their lives with Jesus.
These men would be used to change the world.
Jesus was not only the Savior.
Jesus was not only the Lord.
Jesus was not only the Messiah.
Jesus was the Friend of these men.
Jesus, as the Friend of these eleven men, loved them and was concerned about them even when He was being arrested.
Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is being other-focused and not self-focused.
Peter, being Peter, decided that he would save Jesus and attacked one of the people there to arrest Jesus. Peter struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear.
John 18:11
Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me.?”
Jesus was surrendered to the Father’s will.
Jesus could have avoided being arrested.
Jesus could have avoided going to the cross.
Jesus didn’t because He was fully surrender to do what the Father wanted Him to do.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross just because of His love for us. Jesus went to the cross because that was the Father’s will.
In the last phrase of Philippians 3:10 Paul says, “Becoming like Him in His death.”
Paul’s desire was to be like Jesus as He died on the cross.
How was Jesus as He died on the cross? He was completely obedient to God the Father.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being fully surrendered to God’s will.
Jesus is:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrendered to the Father’s Will
We can be:
Courageous
Honest
In Control
Concerned for Others
Surrender to the Father’s will
Colossians 1:27 says that God has revealed a mystery to us that Christ is in us.
As Jesus lives His life in and through us we will become like Him and display His attributes.
Displaying the Attributes Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing The Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Jesus Prays
I love it when people come to me and tell me they are praying for me. I can assure you I need people praying for me.
The thought of Jesus, the Son of God and my Savior and Lord, praying for me is beyond awesome, it is pure grace. It is grace because I don’t deserve Jesus praying for me.
We are told in 1 John 2:1 that we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus.
We are told in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus as our High Priest makes intercession for us.
Based on those two passages it is very clear that Jesus prays for us.
In John 17 we are given a glimpse of Jesus as He prays. This is a picture of the heart of the Father and of the heart of the Son. It shows the intimate relationship between the Father and Jesus.
This prayer occurs on the last night of Jesus’ earthly life. It shows the heart and mind of Jesus as He approached the cross.
In John 17:1-5 Jesus prays for Himself.
The key word in Jesus’ prayer for Himself is GLORY.
The purpose of the prayer is for Jesus’ former glory.
When Jesus is glorified it brings glory to the Father and salvation to those who surrender their lives to Jesus.
Jesus gives us four reasons for Him be gloried.
John 17:2
Since you have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.
First, Jesus has power over all mankind.
Jesus is not just Lord over those who have become His followers, Jesus is Lord over everything and everyone.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Second, Jesus is eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is The Life.
Eternal life is not found in:
A Belief System
A Way of Life
A Religious Viewpoint
Eternal life is found in the person who is life - Jesus.
John 17:4
I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.
Third, because Jesus finished all the work that the Father gave Him to do.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus tells is that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and He did.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do when the Father told Him to do it.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do the way the Father told Him to do it.
John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
Fourth, Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was created.
John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus was with God in the beginning, that Jesus was God and everything that was created was created through Jesus. In John 1:14 we are told that when Jesus became flesh His glory was evident. The glory that was evident was the glory Jesus has had for eternity as the Son of God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is glorifying Jesus above everything.
In John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the Eleven.
The key word is KEEP.
The purpose is for His disciples to have unity and experience joy.
Jesus gives us two reason for the unity and joy of His disciples.
John 17:6-7
I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You.
John 17:10
All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
First, that Jesus owns all those who have surrendered their lives to Him. We who call ourselves Christians belong to Jesus.
In both 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & 7:23 we are told that we were bought with a price and that we don’t belong to ourselves.
I know to some, belonging to Jesus and not belonging to ourselves means that Jesus is in control and not us, and that is “bad” news.
But the fact that I as a follower of Jesus belong to Him takes all the pressure off me.
Life is not about me, life is about Jesus.
I do not have to depend on me, I can depend on Jesus.
I don’t have just my human resources, I have the resources of Jesus.
Belonging to Jesus means He has my back and I have nothing to worry about.
John 17:8
For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know the truth that I came from You, and they have believed that You sent Me.
Second, Jesus gives His disciples the truth of God’s Word and that leads to His disciples knowing who Jesus is and who they are.
The Word of God reveals:
Who God is.
That God can and will do what He says.
That we are who God says we are.
That we can do what God says we can do.
Knowing we belong to Jesus and that we have His word of truth brings unity and joy.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing unity and joy in Jesus through the truth of His Word.
In John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for all believers
John 17:20
I don’t ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.
This is the part of Jesus’ prayer where He prays for you and me.
The key word is ONE.
The purpose of Jesus wanting us as His followers to be one is twofold.
John 17:21
That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
John 17:26
I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus desires unity in His followers in the 21st century so that the world may:
Believe
And
See God’s Love.
When we fight over trivial things in the church we diminish the glory and truth of God.
When we have a unity, one in Jesus and one with each other, we show the world God’s glory and the truth of who He is.
The reason we can have unity is found in John 17:23.
I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You love Me.
We can be in unity because the Father and Son are in perfect unity.
We can be in unity because the Son is in us as His followers.
We can be in unity because The Father and Son love us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being one with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus is praying for you and me as His followers.
We as followers of Jesus can:
Glorify Jesus
Experience Unity and Love Through His Word
Be One with Jesus and His People - The Church
With Unity and Love Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The thought of Jesus, the Son of God and my Savior and Lord, praying for me is beyond awesome, it is pure grace. It is grace because I don’t deserve Jesus praying for me.
We are told in 1 John 2:1 that we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus.
We are told in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus as our High Priest makes intercession for us.
Based on those two passages it is very clear that Jesus prays for us.
In John 17 we are given a glimpse of Jesus as He prays. This is a picture of the heart of the Father and of the heart of the Son. It shows the intimate relationship between the Father and Jesus.
This prayer occurs on the last night of Jesus’ earthly life. It shows the heart and mind of Jesus as He approached the cross.
In John 17:1-5 Jesus prays for Himself.
The key word in Jesus’ prayer for Himself is GLORY.
The purpose of the prayer is for Jesus’ former glory.
When Jesus is glorified it brings glory to the Father and salvation to those who surrender their lives to Jesus.
Jesus gives us four reasons for Him be gloried.
John 17:2
Since you have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.
First, Jesus has power over all mankind.
Jesus is not just Lord over those who have become His followers, Jesus is Lord over everything and everyone.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Second, Jesus is eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is The Life.
Eternal life is not found in:
A Belief System
A Way of Life
A Religious Viewpoint
Eternal life is found in the person who is life - Jesus.
John 17:4
I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.
Third, because Jesus finished all the work that the Father gave Him to do.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus tells is that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and He did.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do when the Father told Him to do it.
Jesus did everything the Father gave Him to do the way the Father told Him to do it.
John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
Fourth, Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was created.
John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus was with God in the beginning, that Jesus was God and everything that was created was created through Jesus. In John 1:14 we are told that when Jesus became flesh His glory was evident. The glory that was evident was the glory Jesus has had for eternity as the Son of God.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is glorifying Jesus above everything.
In John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the Eleven.
The key word is KEEP.
The purpose is for His disciples to have unity and experience joy.
Jesus gives us two reason for the unity and joy of His disciples.
John 17:6-7
I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You.
John 17:10
All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
First, that Jesus owns all those who have surrendered their lives to Him. We who call ourselves Christians belong to Jesus.
In both 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & 7:23 we are told that we were bought with a price and that we don’t belong to ourselves.
I know to some, belonging to Jesus and not belonging to ourselves means that Jesus is in control and not us, and that is “bad” news.
But the fact that I as a follower of Jesus belong to Him takes all the pressure off me.
Life is not about me, life is about Jesus.
I do not have to depend on me, I can depend on Jesus.
I don’t have just my human resources, I have the resources of Jesus.
Belonging to Jesus means He has my back and I have nothing to worry about.
John 17:8
For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know the truth that I came from You, and they have believed that You sent Me.
Second, Jesus gives His disciples the truth of God’s Word and that leads to His disciples knowing who Jesus is and who they are.
The Word of God reveals:
Who God is.
That God can and will do what He says.
That we are who God says we are.
That we can do what God says we can do.
Knowing we belong to Jesus and that we have His word of truth brings unity and joy.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing unity and joy in Jesus through the truth of His Word.
In John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for all believers
John 17:20
I don’t ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.
This is the part of Jesus’ prayer where He prays for you and me.
The key word is ONE.
The purpose of Jesus wanting us as His followers to be one is twofold.
John 17:21
That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
John 17:26
I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus desires unity in His followers in the 21st century so that the world may:
Believe
And
See God’s Love.
When we fight over trivial things in the church we diminish the glory and truth of God.
When we have a unity, one in Jesus and one with each other, we show the world God’s glory and the truth of who He is.
The reason we can have unity is found in John 17:23.
I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You love Me.
We can be in unity because the Father and Son are in perfect unity.
We can be in unity because the Son is in us as His followers.
We can be in unity because The Father and Son love us.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being one with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus is praying for you and me as His followers.
We as followers of Jesus can:
Glorify Jesus
Experience Unity and Love Through His Word
Be One with Jesus and His People - The Church
With Unity and Love Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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