The meal is finished, the lesson has been taught and the example set. Jesus now sets his eyes upon his final task. He slowly stands up from the table and moves towards the door.
His remaining disciples look at his countenance and see sadness washed across his face instead of love and compassion. His eyes are full of sorrow and lack the brightness and joy that was always present before. His broad shoulders that were always held up with strength now appeared weighted and weakened by inner pain.
The disciples looked at each other than at their Master. Concern was etched across the disciples faces. They called out to Jesus their voices tripping over each other. “What is wrong?” they asked. “Have we done something to displease you?” “Are you sick?” Eleven different questions, but all wanting to know the same thing, why is Jesus so sad?
Peter then asked, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus responded, “Where I am going you cannot follow.”
Even so, Jesus invited the disciples to walk with him. As they left the upper room, Jesus began to speak. He told the disciples of the grandeur of heaven. He spoke of the mansions that were being prepared for them. He told them that one day they will join Jesus at his father’s house. He told them they will even know how to get there.
Some of the disciples were confused. They thought Jesus was talking in riddles. They asked more questions seeking clarification. “How will we know how to get there if we don’t even know where you are going?” they asked. Jesus answered by telling them that to get to the Father’s house they had to go through him, Jesus. Because He was the way He will light the path they must travel. All they needed to do was believe in him and trust him.
Well, of course they trusted him they replied. Yet, questions could still be seen in their eyes. Confusion still reigned in their minds. Uncertainty still led to hesitant steps on their part.
Jesus could see it. He knew they needed more guidance, more time and more training. He also knew that time was rapidly slipping away. The path he now walked was quickly coming to an end. His journey was almost completed.
Philip then boldly asked, “Show us the Father that we may see him.”
After three and a half years, they still didn’t know. Yet, these same men would be the nucleus of a new church. These men would be the spark that shines the light on the Savior. But, Jesus could see they weren’t quite ready and time was short. Yet, he also can hear their concern for him. He could see they were troubled by his comment that he was leaving. More importantly they could see his sorrow and his sorrow was deeply felt by them. Yes, they may think they are not ready for the troubles to come. Perhaps, they are correct because it is doubtful they were prepared to see their master whipped, beaten and spreadeagled on a cross. They still could not understand what Jesus was alluding to about what he would suffer. Yet, emotionally they were more ready than they knew. They had compassion. They had love and concern for their brother. Though they may not be willing to take his place they were willing to share his pain.
He began to tell his disciples about the assistance and guidance that would be available to them. All they had to do was ask and believe. He told them about a Comforter, a Guide, a Spirit of truth. This Helper will finish the job of training them. He will make certain they understood what it is they must do. He will ensure they are properly equipped and have all the tools. Indeed, He told them that everything He, Jesus had done on Earth, they too will be able to do. All this so the Glory of the Father will shine forth. Look at John 14:12 and John 15:7. If they abide in Him and He in them they will do even greater works than He.
Can you imagine what must be going through the disciples minds by now? First Jesus tells Judas to go do what he must after Jesus announced that someone would betray Him.
Then He gets down on His knees and washes their feet.
Then He tells them He is leaving.
Then He tells them His Father is preparing mansions for all of them. And where Jesus goes they must follow, eventually.
When they ask how do they get there when they don’t even know where there is, He tells them He is the way.
Then He tells them when He leaves another will come to finish their training. But, the Helper is a spirit. Not a problem He says, as long as they believe in Him, Jesus. He tells them obey His commandments and allow the spirit to dwell in them, they will do even greater works than he did.
All this is being told to them as they take a short walk from the upper room to the garden at Gethsamane.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had “information overload?” Sometimes, you can tell when people have reached the stage of information overload. That is when they develop the stare! You know, a glassy eyed look in their eyes. They stare without blinking. They hardly breathe. They don’t even move or acknowledge that anyone is talking to them. They just stare. . . . at nothing!
I can imagine the disciples, all eleven, with that stare just about now. Oh, sure they are walking with Jesus, but I think they were just on auto-pilot. They probably didn’t even know they were still walking.
Perhaps, about now the disciples are beginning to understand that their life was going to be a bit more adventurous. Oh sure, Jesus had sent them on brief missionary forays in the past. Sort of got their feet wet. Now, he is telling them that longer trips were in their future. The trips they will be taking will require much more work on their part. These journeys will require more knowledge. The work will consist of more than a few sermons and a blessing here and there. In fact, it sounds like there may be danger involved. But, Jesus says, they will not go alone. Their heavenly Father will send a Helper to make sure they have the knowledge, the tools and all the assistance they need for whatever they encounter.
I have been told by some people that I have led an adventurous life. I really don’t think that I have. It is true I have done many things in my life so far. Some I wanted to do, others just kind of fell in my lap. I have been a fireman, a security guard, a paramedic, a scuba diver, a medic. I have repelled down mountains, back packed the Sierra Nevada mountains, and hiked down into the Grand Canyon. I have seen many wonderful places and done much that is true.
In most of these situations I practiced and prepared myself. I received training so that I knew what to do if danger was encountered or a situation developed that I needed to safely handle. A few times during these adventures I came within a whisper of death, yet for some reason my Guardian Angel pulled my fat out of the fire.
Unlike me, the disciples didn’t know what lay in their future. They didn’t know what dangers would be encountered. They didn’t know that on many occasions they would come within a whisper of death.
Because they needed to know, Jesus tells them what the future holds for them. They would be tossed out of the synagogues. People will hunt them down and try to kill them. You can read about it in John 16. For the disciples this information was disheartening, even frightening. Jesus knew they need to be assured that they will not face these trials alone. The Holy Spirit would be there to protect them.
Many people say that it would be nice to know what the future holds for them. If there is danger ahead, well then they could avoid it. If it is a joyful situation then maybe they could hasten its coming. Sounds nice but it is probably impractical.
I think most of us would like a surprise every once in awhile. If we always know what is going to happen then I think we would become bored. Life would be a drudgery. You know the old saying,”same old thing, different day?” Why would you want to get out of bed if we knew that what would happen would be the same as yesterday. The same as last week, last month, last year.
Jesus was telling the disciples what lay in their future, but he was not specific other than in saying they would not face the journey alone.
At some point during this walk, the men around Jesus began to see Him in a different light. They truly began to believe that He was the Son of God. That He did come from the Father. They were still a little shaky on the theology. They still could not grasp the complete significance of what Jesus was doing on earth, but they believed in Him.
At this point, Jesus did something unusual.
He prayed.
Out loud.
While walking.
We read this wonderful prayer in John 17.
He starts his prayer by saying the hour has come for His death. You know, I spent thirty years in the medical field. Naturally, I saw many people die. The way people faced death ran the gamut from peacefully to angrily. Some welcomed death, some fought it and some were surprised. Jesus announces His death and by doing so states that He is ready.
Jesus then reviews His lineage and He recognizes His Father. He then reviews His mission to earth and proclaims that He did all He could to bring glory to His Father. He also states He did all He could to prepare those that follow to also bring glory to God.
He then asks that God take special care of his disciples, to watch over them and protect them. He also says “you gave them to me and now I return them to you.” In essence He recognizes that his job was to train the disciples and that now he has completed that task and they are ready to go forth and spread the Gospel.
But, Jesus doesn’t stop there. He then states there will be others to come that will also spread the gospel. They too, will need God’s protection. Turn with me to John 17:20
John 17:20-23 ( NKJV )
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
In this prayer, basically His last prayer, He spent the majority of time not on himself but on His followers. This last prayer was for us! Not for His deliverance. Not asking why He was in the situation He was in. He did not strike out in anger. Instead, He asked for unity amongst his followers. Not just for his disciples.
Not just for His small core of believers nearby.
Not just for His church in Judea.
Instead, He asked for unity for His church not just at that time in history, but also in the future. A prayer for the remnant church. A prayer for all that believe in him then and in the future. He prayed not just for John, Luke, Paul, Mary and Martha. He also prayed for you and I.
He asked for unity of purpose. He asked for unity of thought. He asked for us to be united with Him and with our Father.
All those years ago, two millennium ago when Christ had the opportunity to utter his last prayer it wasn’t for Himself, but for His church. How special is that? We were the focus of His last prayer on earth.
Before this church was built. Before you or I were even born. Before Ellen G White or Uriah Smith were born. We were the focus of His prayer. He was concerned about us, not about His impending death on the Cross. In the face of death, Jesus prayed a prayer of selflessness.
He asked His Father that His people be united in purpose, be united in faith and be united in spirit. Why?
Disunity leads to disharmony,
disagreement,
discord,
disruption,
despair,
destruction,
depression,
And perhaps eventually death. Death of the church and maybe even death of individual members.
As Paul tells us in Romans 12 the church and its individual members are all a part of the body of Christ. Each of us has an important function. Each of us is important to God.
Consider, what happens if you get an infection in your lungs? You begin to cough. You begin to have difficulty breathing. You begin to have a fever.
Because of the difficulty breathing and the fever, you become tired. You have a lack of energy. You may even become grouchy.
All this because of an infection in one part of your body. This disunity spreads and begins to affect other parts of your body. Soon the body does not want to do anything.
Similarly, disunity in the body of Christ, His church, will cause significant disruption in its purpose. The members will not want to spread the Gospel. They will not want to bring glory to God. The church will begin a long lingering death. Membership will drop and eventually the doors will be closed.
Back in the 18th Century a Frenchman by the name of Alexandre Dumas, wrote a book that has become a classic. At least 5 movies have been produced based on this book. It’s name? The Three Musketeers. It is a story about a group of soldiers that bond like brothers. They have a motto that they live by, “All for one and one for all.”
That is the same motto that Christ wants for us. It signifies trust and faith in each other. It signifies brotherly love. It signifies unity of purpose.
Please remember that the first act of disunity began with Lucifer. His act led to a separation between the angels and God. The next act of disunity was conducted in the Garden of Eden. This led to a disunity between man and God. This in turn led to Christ coming to earth to re-unite us with God. Let us not try to reinvent the wheel.
This coming week we will begin an Evangelistic Series. People from all over will be coming to hear Elder Earnhardt. They will come to hear the Gospel Message. To learn about the Love of God and His Mercy. To know about His desire for a reunification with His people.
It will be our responsibility to show this unity in action. A unity of purpose.
Each of us should be praying for the success of the evangelistic series. We should pray that the message gets out and God will be glorified.
We will need people to be sponsors for all that attend the meetings. We will need people to mentor those that become baptized. We will need people to give Bible Studies for those that want more information. We all need to work together to spread the message not just during the meetings but always. Brothers and Sisters, let us be united just as Jesus prayed in John 17. Unified in our Love for God, unified in our purpose to spread the Gospel, unified as a family and as a church.
