Comments for October 22

16 v.12 - The idea of turning to God rather than to physicians is found elsewhere, and we do well to reflect on the implications for ourselves in a spiritual sense at least. Jer.8:22, Matt.9:12, Mark 5:26

16:9 'the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth' is drawn upon by the prophet Zechariah 1:10 1:11 4:10 6:7 Who relates it to the activity of Yahweh in seeking the welfare of His people.

17:3-6 The blessings which flowed upon the kingdom of Judah are presented as a direct result of the faithfulness of Jehoshaphat.
17:8-9 This spiritual state was established and maintained by public reading of Scripture. Levites went to where the people were rather than requiring them to make the effort to leave their home towns to hear the word of the Lord.

17 v.3,4 - It is rare for us not to be told at the same time as this description whether the high places were taken away. We learn from 1Kings 22:43 that they were not, but we are not told here

16:1 Baasha was the third king of the separate kingdom of Israel, and founder of its second dynasty 1 Kings 15:1- 1 Kings 16:1- and he was the son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar. The city of Tirzah he made the capital of his kingdom, and there he was buried, after an eventful reign of twenty-four years 1 Kings 15:33 On account of his idolatries his family was exterminated, according to the word of the prophet Jehu 1 Kings 16:3,4,10-13

17:1 Jehoshaphat was the son and successor of Asa, king of Judah. After fortifying his kingdom against Israel he set himself to cleanse the land of idolatry 1 Kings 22:43 In the third year of his reign he sent out priests and Levites over the land to instruct the people in the law 2 Chronicles 17:7-9

16:12 Asa's failure in seeking to physicians is not an indication that we should not make use of the medical facilities of the day. Asa's 'physicians' used idolatry to provide the 'cure'. Asa should have known better. He had a choice. He could accept the illness or pray to God. The course he took was a terrible failure especially as he had instituted such a reform.

17:5 That Jehoshaphat had riches and honour' because he was faithful is rather like what God promised to Solomon because he had asked for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:11-12)

16:7 The 'seer' is another name for prophet (1Sam 9:9) but here the record has reverted to the old name for some reason.

17:10 The Godly behaviour of Jehoshaphat brought peace because of a change in attitude of the surrounding nations. A fulfilment of the Proverb (16:7)

17:9 This is the first reference to the Book of the Law, since the days of Joshua. There are allusions to the Law in the words of David to Israel, and to Solomon, but the book itself seems to have been thoroughly neglected. This is certainly a lesson for all of us that we do not neglect the word of God that has been preserved for us.  

2Chron 16:9 records the prophet Hanani's words, that God's eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth.  There are several similar expressions elsewhere in Scripture, but this one occurs verbatim in Zech 4:10. Zechariah prophesied at the time of the return from Babylon, and this is very possibly when the books of Chronicles were written. 

16:2 Asa shows us the fickleness of human nature.  He had changed from putting his trust in Yahweh to shutting Yahweh out of his decision making.  His earlier success, gained through humility, had been blinded by arrogance which led to failure.  We must always consult Yahweh in all our doings and let Him guide our paths (Prov 3:5,6). 

16:12 This verse is not telling us to refuse medical help when needed.  But, as with anything else, we must always discuss matters with Yahweh before acting.

16:14 There was a custom in the Near East to honour dead kings who were deemed worthy.  That was to light a memorial fire.  Asa was honoured this way while, as we shall see later, Jehoram was not (2Chron 21:19).

16:10 We have in Asa an example of a man who had good intentions, without the will to follow them through. He was ready to rely on the Lord, if he could see no way of helping of helping himself. He was a man who wanted to make the best of both worlds. We look forward to that great day when we will not have to contend the lust of flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.

16:1 There had been a steady stream of Levites and then other people moving from the north to the kingdom of Judah. 2Chron 11:13-14 Baasha was seeking to stem this flow.

17:2  ‘Ephraim’ formed part of the kingdom of Israel in the north so we see that the boundary between the two kingdoms was not fixed through the time of the divided monarchy.

16:7 We see a weakness in the character of Asa here, instead of relying on the Lord, he took the gold and the silver out of both the Lord's house and his own house, and was able to purchase the assistance of the king of Syria with it, instead of relying on the God of Israel. For this the prophet Hanani rebuked him, reminding him of the deliverance he had received from the army of the Ethiopians, and the fact that God is always present (V.9). This he could not handle, and wound up casting Hanani into prison(V.10).

16:7  In relying on the king of Syria Asa lost his advantage. This seems to have been a slip in his otherwise good behaviour because God describes him as being ‘good’ 2Chron 14:2

17:10 Not only did the nations not make war with Jehosophat, but tribute was brought to him from both the Philistines and the Arabians. His army, at this point would have grown to about one million men. His riches and honour would have been increased to the point that the northern kingdom ceased to harass him by acts of war. As a matter of fact, we see that the northern kingdom saw in his increased strength, that in Judah there would be a possible alliance to hold off the Syrians.

WORDS OF A TRUE FRIEND

17:3-5 Notice how the record makes the point that Jehoshaphat was blessed because he followed in the ways of righteousness. It might seem such a natural thing but this is what God said he would do. He would bless faithfulness and punish disobedience. That is what Deuteronomy 28 is all about. Some could have easily reasoned that Jehoshaphat’s benefits came from his own wisdom though. It is always possible to rationalise God’s involvement in our lives.

There are those who start on a godly path, but lose their way. Solomon was an example of this. And, so too was Asa. He started off with godly zeal, but failed in his later years. He had defeated a Cushite invader, who had 1,000,000 men, while Asa had only 580,000 men at his disposal. Yahweh assisted him with the victory (2Chron 14:8,9).

Later, Asa, forgetting the value of that experience, called upon the king of Syria for help instead of Yahweh (16:2-4). The prophet Hanani notified Asa of his mistake (16:7,8). Unfortunately, Asa did not mend his ways but continued on his path of unfaithfulness (16:12). Asa died out of favour with Yahweh.

It is important for us to remember that if we end up out of favour with Yahweh, our initial righteousness does not count. However, like Hanani, we must point out to our brethren their faults, so that they might reform.

If we do, and they do not respond, then they will be subject to their own guilt. However, if we have the opportunity to point out their errors, and do not, the guilt falls on us (Eze 3:20).

17:1 Jehoshaphat means Yahweh has judged. The name is used to indicate judgment in the end times.

Israel will be invaded in a time soon to come (Eze 38). There will be much destruction and loss of life. However, Jesus, who will have returned from heaven, will attack and destroy the invaders. With the help of His immortalised brethren, He will liberate Israel.

The prophet Joel forecasts the destruction of the enemy (Joel 3:2,12). The valley of Jehoshaphat is not a real place. It is symbolic of the divine judgment that will be rendered on the enemy.

By contrast, Ezekiel forecasts a location for the same destruction of the invaders: Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel (Eze 39:4).  This area is where Jerusalem is situated.  Jerusalem will be liberated first, and then the enemy will be destroyed wherever he is found, throughout the land of Israel.

16:2 There was conflict between Israel and Judah – brethren were at variance with each other. Rather than resolve their problem Asa sought outside help – rather like seeking the support of unbelievers and their system of doing things rather than seeking to be reconciled to the brother.

17:1 Jehoshaphat began his reign in 914 BC when he was 35 years old. He reigned for 25 years, 3 years in the stead of his father Asa who was incapacitated because of diseased feet, and then 22 years alone. Jehoshaphat was one of the few good kings of Judah.

17:7 Obadiah and Zechariah were teachers of the Law and judges, and not the prophets whose books bear their names.

17:11 These Philistines could have been ones who had been subdued by David (2Sam 8:1). The Arabians could be referring to the Edomites whose territory was under the control of Judah (1Kin 22:47,48).

17:6 It is more common to read of the good kings of Judah that they did not take away the high places’ for example 2Chron 15:17

2Chron 16:1 - "Baasha" [(1201) means "to stink, wicked"].

2Chron 16:10 - "prison" [Heb. "mahpeketh" (4115) means "stocks, wrench, crooked posture, prison, house of stocks"] is where Asa put Hanani the seer and this is the first recorded ill treatment of a prophet; that Asa was afflicted in his feet was perhaps a reminder of the treatment meted out to Hanani (2Chron 16:12) and also the spiritual lesson that our walk should be unblemished.

2Chron 17:3-6,10-12 - Jehoshaphat's reign perhaps foreshadowed the kingdom Christ will establish on earth (Dan 2:44;Zech 14:9).

16:8   Good king Asa had his doubts as well as his faith.  Now he seeks to Syria for help.  So Asa is reminded of earlier events in his life which are recorded in  2Chro 14:9. The antidote to faithlessness is to remember the way that God has worked for us in the past.

17:12-13       So during the reign of Jehoshaphat the peace that ensued brought prosperity, rather like it had been in the days of Solomon .

17:11 As long as the children of Israel were established in the land the Philistines had been a thorn in the flesh, rising against Israel repeatedly. But now, when the nation have turned to God, the Philistines are actually paying tribute! Maybe this is the only time in the Divine record where we read of the Philistines actively paying tribute to Israel.

16:6 We learn in Jer 41:9 that Asa also built a pit. 1Kin 16:22-23 also describes what Asa did. 

Accepting uncomfortable truths

"And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand... Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this." 2Chron 16:7-10

The prophet Hanani told King Asa something he knew himself but didn't want to hear. It's hard to trust in God when you have means at your disposal to trust in your own way instead. Asa had failed to trust God, even though God had shown Himself strong on behalf of Asa before (see 14:9-12). Do we find a similar pattern in our own lives, where perhaps we used to be more ready to have faith in God, but now our faith has turned into nothing more than self reliance? Perhaps if this is the case, when something or someone comes along to tell us the truth, we can be more honest with ourselves and thank the messenger for the message we needed to hear?

16:6   Ramah was on the northern border of the inheritance of Benjamin – Josh 18:25 so we can see that Baasha was seeking to secure his border.

2 Chron 17

Jehoshaphat is an important character in the Bible for us to learn from because his life closely resembles the kind of challenges we are likely to have in our spiritual walk too. In this chapter we see him carry on his reforming measures, but notice what he does first:

"he strengthened himself against Israel" v1-2

He was at war with the ten tribes of Israel that had been severed from the two tribes of Judah at the time of Jeroboam and Rehoboam (see 1Kin 11:31-35). The reason for this war was that the ten tribes were sliding wholesale into a watered down form of worship that mingled Baal worship with that of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The overriding message of Jehoshaphat's life is that his early strengthening of the border was right in the sight of God, and when in later chapters he makes peace with Israel, it is the wrong thing to do:

"Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD." 2Chron 19:2

How about us? Do we in our zeal to be loving, end up loving those that hate the LORD? Paul says that we have no business judging those that are outside the faith, so this obviously applies only to those who have first loved God and then departed from Him:

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." (1Cor 5:11-13)

There is of course always a way back to God, but the message of Jehoshaphat is that this needs to be on God's own terms, not by watering down the principles God holds dear.

THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL (v.3)

If we truly long to be part of God's family - this is our goal - life eternal with God + Christ in the kingdom age to come. So how do we get life eternal? Jesus tells us clearly here - It is to "know" God + Jesus Christ whom God had sent. This word "Know" is a Greek word meaning to "know by experiential knowledge. That means making God + Christ real in our lives. It can't be just a matter of head knowledge - but living out the example of Christ in our lives. Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God in Christ Jesus. Let's commit ourselves to doing our best to live after this example.

16:2-3 Shouldn’t Asa have sought God’s help rather than asking the king of Syria to swap his allegiance?

17:3   Reflecting on the fact that Jehoshapphat Walked in the first ways of David should cause us to wonder whether our lives are worthy of emulation.

AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

When Asa began his reign "He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles." (2Chron 14:3). Then after his war with the Cushites, he did it again. "He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin." (2Chron 15:8). Then, when Asa's son, Jehosophat, became king, he also "removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah." (2Chron 17:6).

In the reign of only two kings the land was cleansed from idols and false worship three times. It seems it didn't take the people of Judah long to forget the cleansing they had been through and to reinstate their gods and high places again. Little by little they crept back to their old ways.

Where are we at? Have we recently cleansed our lives from idols to serve the Living God? Or are we a little way on there? Is it time for us to submit to another purging of idols in our lives?

16:1     Persecution brings out, often, the best in people. Clearly the faithful in the north, opposed by those who supported Baasha, stove to leave and move to the more faithful kingdom of Judah. Hence the strengthening of Ramah. One presumes that Ramah was on a route that was easy to take from the north to the south, right close by the border with Judah.

17:9  Notice that when the Levites went around the country teaching they carried their own copy of the Law of Moses, and possibly other books that had been inspired to be written.

17:16   Of Jehoshaphat’s servants we note that “Zichri” offered himself willingly.  We are all God’s servants. He has bought us with the death of His son. The question we need to ask ourselves is “How willing are we to be His servants”?

17:12 In building store cities Jehoshaphat was like Solomon – 2Chron 8:6.

16:2 Baasha was trying to prevent the faithful to migrate from the north to the southern kingdom where there was faithful worship of Yahweh. It does not seem that Baasha was actually fighting against Judah. Asa’s response to seek help from the Syrians might have had good motives. He wanted the faithful from the north to be able to come to Jerusalem. However his method was wrong. The end does not justify the means in this case. Rather committing the problem to Yahweh in prayer and leaving him to provide a solution would have been better. How often do we use doubtful motives to achieve godly aims?

16:1  Ramah was on the border of Benjamin – Josh 18:25 – so military might was being used to prevent migration from the north to the south. Actually the most effective way to ensure that the faithful would remain in the north would have been to re-instate faithful worship of Yahweh.

16:14 There is a certain irony in the burying of Asa – a decaying corpse – alongside “sweet odours”. No spices could offset the corruption that would happen to his body.

16:7 God, through the prophet was reminding Asa how that he had changed allegiance. In 2Chron 14:11 Asa, using the same word in his prayer, says we “rest” on thee.

If nothing else, this chapter shows us the way that Israel are very much still part of God's purpose in the time of the end.

48:35 the name of the city Revelation 3:12
The listing of the tribes and their inheritance here may seem difficult to understand. However that Ezekiel has listed them marks the literal fulfilment of this prophecy can be expected. Israel will return to the land, be converted and be encompassed into the 'New covenant' of Jeremiah 31 and a temple will be built.
Pray God that we will be there in that day.

v.9 - As in ch. 45:4,5

48:35 In saying 'the Lord is there' we have an echo of 1 Kings 8:29 when Solomon dedicated the temple that he had built. The glory cloud never entered the temple built by Herod to his own aggrandisement. The temple that Ezekiel saw in vision will be built in the future.

48:10 In providing an area for the priests around the temple we see a return to the way that things were ordained in the wilderness around the tabernacle. The priests were situated next to the tabernacle with the tribes outside the inner ring of priests. This contrasts with the time of the kings when the land was divided up and the priests were given various cities dispersed throughout the land as outlined in Joshua.

48:17 In describing the priests suburbs as being round the city we are presented with a situation which was like the nation in the wilderness.  During that time the priests had their tents round the tabernacle.

V.35 Does this mean the name of the city will be "Jehovah Sammah" (The LORD is there), or that the reality will be best expressed by this descriptive title. Zech 2:10,  Rev 21:3, Rev 22:3 ?

Ezekiel 48: Israel's Inheritance
It is interesting when looking at the Tribes and their settling in the land. The tribes closest to the Holy Oblation(Eze 45:1-6, Eze 48:8-12) came from Leah and Rachel, whereas the tribes furthest away from the oblation came from the handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah. In the Age to come, everyone will realize the truth that the promises are through Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.
There are Seven tribes listed above the Oblation(vs 1-7). Seven(7) is the covenant number. At the time of divine "judgement{DAN}" there shall be a "blessing{ASHER}" for those who by "wrestling{NAPHTALI}}" and "forgetting{MANASSEH}" the old way bear "double fruit{EPHRAIM}" and live to "see a son{REUBEN}" and receive "praise{JUDAH}".
There are Five tribes listed below the Oblation(vs 23-28). Five(5) is the number of grace. These tribes having become related to the "son of the right hand{BENJAMIN}" by "hearing{SIMEON}" receive a "reward{ISSACHAR}" and "dwell{ZEBULUN}" in the "company{GAD}" of Israel redeemed.

PEER PRESSURE
 
It's easy to join in when everyone else is doing it.  Peer pressure on teenagers is particularly intense.  This is shown by the fact that a large proportion of drug taking and early sex is due to pressure because teens have the impression that "everyone is doing it."  It's hard to stand alone when the rest of the crowd is going the other way.
 
However hard it may be, it is never impossible.  The descendants of Zadok were a great example of this.  Even though the Levites and the priests went astray, the descendants of Zadok stayed faithful to God all the way through.  For that reason they have been promised a special reward.
 
As God told Ezekiel the future layout of the land of Israel, he described a special part  of it, saying, "This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites, who were faithful in serving me and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.  It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites." (Eze 48:11-12)
 
Let's not let ourselves be carried away by the crowd, or even what we think the crowd is doing.  Instead let us stand up for what we believe and constantly live our lives in a way that will be acceptable to God.

“The name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The Lord is there’.” (Eze 48:35)  The prophet Ezekiel concludes his long and sad book with a profound and positive statement. While Ezekiel has been writing, Jerusalem has been destroyed and the Jews either killed or taken captive. But his last nine chapters have been about the Jews’ return; about Jerusalem’s reinstatement as not only their capital, but as the capital of the world; and Jesus Christ established as the new world king. “The Lord is there”.

48:1-8 The listing of the tribes and their inheritance demonstrates that natural Israel will exist in the kingdom age. Along with the description of temple worship we are able to develop a picture of natural Israel with a system of worship in the millennium. This accords with nations going up to Jerusalem to keep the feast of tabernacles – Zech 14:16  and the law going forth from Jerusalem – Mic 4:2

48:11 Again the sons of Zadok are mentioned, and their portion. Marking the fact that the sons of Zadok are amongst the mortal population.

48:21 That the ‘residue’ is for the prince indicates, it seems to me, that there is a mortal prince. Jesus inherited the world. Psa 2:8 speaks of Jesus’ inheritance.

V.35 The ESV says that: The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. But, given the other dimensions, such as the Holy Portion being 25,000 cubits long by 20,000 cubits wide, for example, the circumference is too small.

v8 tells us the size of the sanctuary and that it is centred on Jerusalem. If we assume the 25,000 x 25,000 portion extends as far as it can, namely to the dead sea shores, we get an interesting outcome. The square is shown here with Jerusalem in the middle:

http://s8.postimage.org/4co5xd08l/Eze48_jerusalem.jpg

If we then take this width and offset it for each of the tribal portions, we get the following image (see the dotted lines). You will notice that it fits almost exactly to the Northern and Southern borders: Tyre at the North and the Great Sea at the South:

http://s15.postimage.org/tc1199faj/Eze48_tribes.jpg

So we can see once again that the Bible is accurate and authoritative. This city can actually be physically built. When we take the time to work out seemingly irrelevant details like this, we can see that everything God tells us fits down to the last detail. Ezekiel didn't have access to Google Maps to be able to make up this prophecy; He was given it by God who measures the earth from above.

48:8 Whilst ‘the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it’ is an actual description it speaks of a spiritual principle. God is at the centre of one’s life – or at least he should be.

48:8   God ‘hath chosen Zion’ Psa 132:13 which was in Judah. God’s plan to ‘choose a place’ Deut 12:11 has now been completed.

1. the boundary locations of the tribes in Ezekiel's vision differ from the original locations (see Joshua 13-17) with Ezekiel having 7 tribes to the north (Eze 48:1-7) and 5 tribes to the south (Eze 48:23-29); the original Ephraim and Manasseh tribes replaced with Joseph and Levi (Num 2:1-34;Eze 48:31-34).

2. mention of the tribe of Dan is omitted in Revelation (Eze 48:1,32;Rev 7:4-9).

3. Eze 45:1-8;48:20 - the foursquare "oblation"<8641> comprised of the holy district of land plus the property of the city belonging to the whole house of Israel would have each of the four sides 25,000 cubits or reeds, if measured in reeds each side would be approx 262,000 feet (49.7 miles), if measured in cubits each side would be approx 43,750 feet (8.3 miles).

4. Eze 48:30-35 - the plan for the city of  "Jehovah<3068>-Shannah<8033>" was/is to have 12 gates and be surrounded by a foursquare wall with each of the four sides 4,500 cubits or reeds (the four sides totalling 18,000 cubits or reeds), if measured in reeds each side would be approx 47,250  feet (nearly 9 miles), if measured in cubits each side would be approx 7,875 feet (nearly 1.5 miles); compare Ezekiel's city with the description in Rev 21:12-13 and note the differences in measurements with Ezekiel's city and Rev 21:16 which mention each of four sides being 12,000 furlongs (each side approx 1,400 miles); even if the measurements are symbolic should they differ unless they are for different eras?

48:11    The key point is that the sons of Zadok “kept my charge”. The blessings of the kingdom are only for those who, in this life, are faithful to God.

48:35   God walked in the camp of Israel – Deut 23:14 -  therefore the people had to keep the camp “clean”. But now it is different. Nothing “unclean” is there as God’s plan is now completed.

PERFECTION, GRACE, GOD CENTER

As the land was divided for the twelve tribes of Israel, God gave each tribe a strip running from east to west. There were seven tribes in the north, the tribe of Levi, the priests and the holy portion with the temple and city in the center, and five tribes in the south.

The portion of land that draws our attention to God is right in the middle. The temple is right in the middle of that tract of land, and the holy city called, "The LORD is There," (Eze 48:35) is right in the middle as well. The further into Israel you go from any direction, north, south, east or west, the closer to God you get.

It is also interesting that with Joseph given two portions of land in Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh, there are now thirteen tribes instead of twelve. But the way they are arranged in this layout means that there are seven to the north (the number of perfection), and five to the south (the number of grace), with Levi in the middle in the portion that God has kept for himself.

As we establish routines and even places to live in our lives, let's make sure we keep God at the center. That's where he will be when Jesus returns, so let's make sure He is there for us right now.
 

48:22 Whilst under the Law of Moses the priests had no inheritance –Num 18:23  - the possession here is not necessarily territory they own but rather are area where they work as we might conclude from  45:4.

48:24 We know the layout of the inheritance for each tribe is different from how it was when Joshua divided the land. On that occasion Simeon had a parcel of land within the territory of Judah – Josh 19:9

48:35 Solomon had prayed, when he finished the temple he was instructed to build. He prayed that God would dwell there – 1Kin 8:29. Ezekiel now sees the fulfilment of that request. God did dwell in the temple Solomon built. However that dwelling was short lived. But Ezekiel sees the eternal nature of that dwelling when the temple he was shown will be built. Those who are faithful will receive the same name – Rev 3:12. Something to strive for?

48:35 We might have had difficulty grasping all the details of the temple that Ezekiel was shown. However our limited understanding of it does not mean that it will be built. God had a desire to place his name in a place of His choosing. There have been building where His name dwelt.

But now, even though there will be a physical temple in Jerusalem we should be so grateful that |he has chosen to place His name in humans – you and I.

Such a realisation will motivate us to be more like Him in our thoughts and behaviour.

48:16-17 Notice the ordering of the points of the compass – N S E W starting with the north. Not infrequently in the Old Testament in the context of the tabernacle the tribes are ordered stating in the east and going round the tabernacle in a clockwise direction – Num 2:23-32

18 v.38 - Truth is a 'John' word. Around half of the occurrences of the various forms of the Greek 'aletheia' are in John's writings. A study of the word truth would home in on his words. It seems that God used John to bring out a great reverence and respect for the idea of truth, and so it is here that these words of Pilate are recorded. We do well to dwell on the words of Jesus in v.37 which brought about this retort. These words are excellent meditation for us in considering the great act of love that Jesus performed for us.

John 17 These  words, which actually are a prayer, were spoken by Jesus after he had left the upper room John 14:31 and before he arrived in the Kedron valley John 18:1.
A major focus Jesus has in this prayer is that the disciples would be united John 17:11,21,22,23. His words take on a really powerful sense of urgency against the background of the strife that there had been in the upper room only a short while earlier in the evening. Luke 22:24.
 

18:6 In saying that those who came to take Jesus ' went backwards' the writer, by the spirit, is quoting Psalm 27:2 which speaks of the way in which the wicked behave before the righteous.

Disunity is probably the biggest problem that we ever have to deal with in our ecclesial life. It crops up time and time again and saps at our strength. But it is the most important thing to get right about our relationship with our brethren and sisters. Ephesians 4:13

17:17 It is most appropriate that the 'son of David' whilst praying here for the well being of the disciples - those who would make up the embryo of the 'house of David' - uses the words of David 'thy word is truth' (2 Samuel 7:28) from the narrative of the promise of the son who would have God as his father.

18:36 If only we could truly share Jesus' conviction that this world is not our home we would find life far easier. So often we compromise ourselves because we do not truly realise that we are strangers and pilgrims.

One of the strongest themes that comes out of this prayer is the message of unity - God and Jesus are one. Jesus prays that his disciples will be one, and he prays that all believers will be one just as he an his father are one.
As believers, though, we are all different. We are as different as they come, and as humans we can be guaranteed to have serious differences of personality and ideas that throw us apart. So how can we be one? There is only one way and it comes from the fact that we have been grafted in to the family of God. The way I see it is that we are like the spokes on a wheel. God is at the center of our lives and we all revolve around him. Each spoke is different because it points in a different direction - but each spoke is also united by the fact that they all revolve around the center - God. Like the spokes of a wheel, we move around God in united vision and purpose. But if the center of our life is not God we will fall from the wheel of oneness and revolve around something else to travel in the wrong direction.
Make God the center of your life and be one with God, Jesus and all the believers throughout time.

17:9, 11 'whom thou hast given me' quotes Isaiah 8:18 which is also, in a more extended way, quoted in Hebrews 2:13.

18:36 In saying 'my kingdom is not of this world' Jesus is only presenting what he has said earlier in John 8:23. If we had to defend our position as consciences objectors would our life up to that point be consistent with the position we claim?

17:12 The word 'perdition' is the same as the word translated 'waste' (Matt 26:8) where Judas complained about the 'waste' of the ointment used in anointing Jesus. So it was Judas, and not the ointment, that was wasted. Judas was 'wasted' because his heart was not right. Just like the unbelieving children of Israel whose carcasses were wasted in the wilderness  (Num 14:33)

18:2 We may wonder how Judas knew where to go from the upper room to find Jesus. We might think that Jesus told him that they would be going to Gethsemane but here the indication is that Judas worked it out for himself. 

18:5 I am he We  notice that John does not record the kissing episode with Judas, John shows that the kisses were unnecessary. What he shows is Jesus as the Prophet making himself known. In V.6 we see him as King of Kings and in V.7-8 as the sympathetic High Priest, who lovingly provides for his own. As a result we have Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King.

18:3,4 Jesus' self-control was remarkable considering that He knew in advance what was going to happen to Him.  He knew the scriptures pertaining to events surrounding Him.  For example, the confrontation of Judas with the band of men had been described in Isa 50:11.  It is a good thing that we do not know the future events concerning ourselves.  Unlike Jesus, we do not have the character to handle it. 

17:21 Isn’t it amazing! Jesus is telling us that unity amongst the believers will cause unbelievers to recognise that Jesus is the Messiah! We should remember this when we squabble about things

18:20 In saying that ‘in secret have I said nothing’ Jesus is continuing the way his Father worked – Isa 48:16. We might ask ourselves how often we do things in secret because we do not want people to know what we are doing.

WORK TO GLORIFY GOD
 
In his prayer, Jesus said to his Father, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." (John 17:4) If we are people who want to give glory to God in our own lives, then this is a marvellous example of how to do it. Jesus, above everyone else before and since, has given glory to God more perfectly and completely in his life of total obedience, when he completed the work that God gave him to do. He was given a work to do by God and he did it perfectly. But, we may wonder, what work have we been given?
 
Each of us has been given special talents appropriate for the work God has prepared for us to do. So one way of knowing what our work should be is by looking at the skills we have and using them to the glory of God. Another work we should be doing is to spread the word of God and the message of hope in Jesus Christ. We should also be loving God and our neighbours in practical ways that not only say love, but show it in our actions.
 
Whatever the work God has given us to do, let us, like Jesus, do it with all our heart and make sure we continue at it until our work is completed. In doing this we too will give glory to God.

17:3 The blessing that will come to those who ‘know’ God contrasts starkly with the end of those who do not know Him – 2Thess 1:8

18:9 The ‘saying’ was one which Jesus had spoken earlier that same evening –John 17:12

17:9,17,20 Jesus prays only for His disciples, and for subsequent believers of the true gospel. Those who have been called to the household of Jesus, are purified by the word of Yahweh (2Pet 1:10).

Yahweh has caused His Word to be written down as scripture, so that everyone can read it. If one claims to be a Christian, but has not followed the instructions found in the Word, then s/he is in delusion.

Jesus cares only for His own, and not for apostate Christians. There will be a shock, for some at the judgment when they are turned away (Matt 7:22,23).

And so, now is the time to be put right with Yahweh. The true gospel is the one taught by the apostles (Gal 1:9). The only source of its understanding is the Bible.

18:6 Jesus shows that a true follower of His should be a peaceful person. Jesus had the fullness of the Holy Spirit (John 3:34). And yet, He did not use His power to defend Himself (Isa 53:7). He did, however, give a demonstration of His power when He moved His confronters back.

This display was designed for the disciples accompanying Him. Earlier, Jesus had requested that His disciples procure a sword (Luke 22:36-38). Obviously, Jesus did not need a sword to defend Him, seeing that He had divine power at His disposal.

Again, He was giving His disciples a lesson on how to behave as His non-violent followers. Jesus knew that Peter would try to defend Him. As predicted, Peter struck Malchus and cut off his ear. Divine guidance of the sword would not allow Peter to cave in the skull of Malchus. After the incident, Jesus healed the ear of Malchus (Luke 22:51).

Jesus demonstrated that He and His followers must be people of peace, and leave any retribution to Yahweh (Luke 22:36; Rom 12:19; Heb 12:14).

17:15 Jacob, at the end of a life of difficulty, blessed the sons of Joseph with the words ‘ the angel which redeemed me from evil ...’ – Gen 48:16 – this is exactly what Jesus is praying for on behalf of his disciples. Not that they would not have problems but that they would be saved through those problems as was Jacob.

God (lesson 7 of 20 from "Outline of Basic Bible Teachings" by Wes Booker)

I. Is it important to know God? John 17:3

II. One God - Deut 6:4;Isa 45:5

III. Immortal and unchanging - 1Tim 6:15-16;Psa 90:2;James 1:17;Mal 3:6

IV. Omnipotent (all-powerful) - Rev 19:6 (KJV); Jer 10:10-13;Isa 44:6-8

V. Omniscient (all-knowing) - Isa 46:9-10;Jer 1:5;Acts 15:18 (KJV)

VI. Omnipresent (present everywhere) - Psa 139:7-12;Jer 23:23-24;2Chron 16:9

VII. Loving and merciful - Lam 3:22-23;Eze 33:11;2Pet 3:9;Mic 7:18-20

VIII. Greater than Christ (Christ always subordinate to God) - John 14:28;5:26-27,30;1Tim 2:5;1Cor 15:24-28

IX. Wrested scriptures on the trinity -- A. John 10:30  (read verses 28-36) both have "sheep" in their hands. In this way they are one.  B. John 1:1  C. John 6:33,35 was the manna manufactured in heaven and sent to the wilderness each day for 40 years? Or...?  D. John 14:9 Jesus and God have the same qualities and attributes.

The Lord Jesus Christ (lesson 18 0f 20 from "Outline of Basic Bible Teachings" by Wes Booker)

I. Is it important to understand everything we can about Jesus? John 17:3;Acts 4:8-12

II. His Nature - mortal, sinful - Heb 2:14-18;Heb 4:15;1John 4:2-3

III. His Character - sinless - 1Pet 2:21-25;2Cor 5:20-21;John 8:46

IV. His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection - Heb 5:7-9;9:24-28;1Cor 15:12-23;Matt 26:26-30

V. His Ascension and Present Work - Acts 1:9-11;1Tim 2:5;Heb 2:17-18;4:14-16

VI. His Second Coming - about 200 references in the New Testament alone - e.g. Luke 21:25-28;Matt 16:27;25:31-34;Rev 22:12,20

VII. His Kingship - Luke 1:31-35;John 18:33-37;Rev 11:15;19:11-16

THE LOVE OF JESUS

How much do we really care about the people God has given us? Often we show we care in ways that make people feel happy, loved and appreciated. That might mean that we give them gifts, say nice things, spend time with them, do things for them or show our care in hugs, kisses or handshakes. All these things are great for people and show that we love them, but if our love does nothing to help those people toward God's kingdom, then are we really showing true love and care to them?

The love Jesus showed was not designed to make his disciples feel warm fuzzies but primarily his aim was to lead them to God's kingdom. There was no doubt he loved them and gave them everything and every opportunity he could so that they could receive the greatest gift of all. He said of his disciples, "I have not lost one of those you gave me." (John 18:9)

So how much of the same love are we showing to our spouse, children, family and friends? Are we doing everything we can to make sure that they are in God's kingdom to share eternity with us? Are we able to say to God, as Jesus did, "I have not lost one of those you gave me."? Let's show the love of Jesus to those we love today.

17:5 This verse is often used to prove that Jesus was God.

Consider phrase talking about the glory Jesus had: with thee before the world was. Doesn’t that prove that Jesus was co-equal with God?

Let us examine the preposition with. In Greek, with is para, which can also be translated from. There are many places in the New Testament where this is so. For example, when Paul received his authority from the chief priests, that word translated from is para (Acts 9:14; 26:10,12).

And so, Jesus received His glory and authority from His Father. That glory and authority existed before the world was because God knows the end from the beginning of all things. But, the glory and the authority were only dispensed when Jesus, the man, was born.

17:21 Jesus is talking about God manifestation. Those accepted by Jesus at the judgment will become the Redeemed, who will be changed to be like Jesus Himself (1John 3:2). Then, God manifestation will occur between Yahweh, Jesus, and the Redeemed. After the Kingdom period is over, all will be manifest in Yahweh (1Cor 15:28).

18:29-30 The discussion between the chief priests and Pilate would indicate that there had already been some sort of discussion and agreement. Pilate’s response which one would think would be quite normal in a court of law seems to surprise the chief priest. Rather than lay down the charge they, in surprise, come out with an amazing comment. They are, in effect saying ‘if he wasn’t guilty we would not have brought him to your court to be tried to find out whether he was guilty or not.’

It is ironic that Barabbas (John 18:40) means "son of the father" and he, the criminal, was released in place of Jesus - the Father's Son.

18:28 Consider the irony and hypocrisy. Whilst involved in an illegal trial they were concerned that they would not be defiled by going in to a Gentile’s presence!

John 18:33-38

“… Art thou a king then? Jesus answered… To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews….”

The quest for truth has driven the world’s greatest philosophers and theologians. It is hard to imagine a more profound question with more momentous consequences. Jesus stood before Pilate with a host of false accusations brought on by the Jewish leaders identifying him as an evildoer, perverting the nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and that he claims to be the Messiah and King (see Matt 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26; Luke 23:2; John 1:49; John 12:13-15).

Pilate walked away after asking, “What is truth?”  His question seems cynical and dismissive, almost as though he said it with a wave of the hand. Pilate wasn't interested in the truth, and wanted to dismiss the case. None of the accusations leveled against Messiah were grounds of death. What Pilate did not realize is that he was staring Truth in the face (John 14:6)!

Plato said that we can know the truth if we, “sublimate our minds to their original purity.” The answer to, “What is truth?” can only be found in the pure and unadulterated written Word of Yahweh (Jer 29:13; Matt 7:7-8; John 5:24). We will not find the Truth if we do not sincerely and prayerfully seek for it. Because of the various creeds that exist, many today reflect Pilate’s cynicism by dismissing the notion that there is such a thing as Truth, and that it can be known. Unlike Pilate, let us stay and listen to what Messiah has to say, take the Bible off the shelf, and put it in our hearts.

John 18:1-24

The Gospel of John is unique from the other three Gospels in its recording of Christ’s crucifixion. John omits the Lord’s Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; he omits Peter’s remorse after denying the Lord, but does record Peter’s restoration (John 21:15-19), while Paul mentions a private appearance of the risen Lord to Peter in 1Cor 15:5. John records the Lord’s trial before the former high priest, Annas, the real power behind the real high priest during the Lord’s ministry, being Joseph Caiaphas.

Annas was still called, "high priest" even though he no longer served in that capacity at the time. Under the Mosaic Law, the position of “high priest” was for life (Num 35:25,28), and perhaps for this reason he was still considered as such (Luke 3:2) even after he was deposed by the procurator, Gratus for imposing and executing capital punishments forbidden by them while under Roman rule. Annas was high priest from 6-15 A.D., Caiaphas from 18-36 A.D.

Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas (John 18:13; Acts 4:6) and the actual high priest, but both worked together as heads of the Jewish people. It was this Caiaphas who plotted to kill Jesus (Matt 26:3-4). It was this Caiaphas who rent his clothes, contrary to the Law, and charged Jesus with blasphemy (Matt 26:63-66). It was this Caiaphas who predicted the necessity of Jesus’ death (John 11:49-53; John 18:14). It was this Caiaphas who sent Jesus to Pilate, the Gentile Governor of Judea to have him put to death (John 18:28-32). It was this Caiaphas, one of the chief priests, who complained about the title, “The King of the Jews” (John 19:21). It was Annas, Caiaphas, and their kindred who after the death and resurrection of Jesus persecuted his disciples (Acts 4:6-7).

We read in Isa 53:7, “…he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Jesus knew exactly the kind of people he was dealing with and Annas who obviously wielded considerable power being approached first, conveniently sent him after to Caiaphas. Neither cared what Jesus would have said, anyway (John 18:19-23). Understanding why Jesus refused to respond to the questions put to him, we will better understand what took place on the stake on Golgotha’s hill just outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem.

I would also like to comment that the apparent discrepancies in the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion are used to claim the Bible has errors because the various accounts seem contradictory, but such reasoning only fails to grasp the dynamic nature of this event, and the way each Gospel writer chose to focus upon it.

THAT WE MAY BE ONE

"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name - the name you gave me - so that they may be one as we are one."(John 17:11)

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be one in usso that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me, and have loved them even as you have loved me."(John 17:20-23)

According to this prayer of Jesus, the most important thing he wants from us is that we become one. We can try and get on with each other, but because we all have personality traits that differ so much, it is almost impossible to become one with everyone just in our own strength and perseverance. That is why Jesus prayed for it. God can help us become one if we let him.

How much have we prayed for unity or that we may become one in our families, marriages or with other believers lately? Let us both pray and make the effort to become one, first with God and Jesus, and then with all believers, to fulfil the prayers of our Saviour.

17:10  Do we think that Jesus is glorified in us? This is what Jesus expects. This can only be achieved by manifesting his way of life now. This is the way in which others can see Jesus today – through the lives of his disciples.

John 17:5.

17:2    This is the beginning of a number of occasions in this prayer where Jesus acknowledges that his disciples are God given, see also verses :6,7,8,9,11,12,14

18:37   The way that John describes Jesus as bearing witness before Pilate is part of the demeanour of Jesus which Paul – 1Tim 6:13 -  refers to when speaking of Jesus giving a good confession before Pilate. 

17:20  Jesus’ prayer for others who were not present at that time echoes the way in which Moses speaks of God’s desire in Deut 29:14-15

LAST PRAYER

As Jesus prayed in John 17, it was his last opportunity to talk to God before he was taken, tried, tortured and crucified. After this hour, there would be no more time alone with his Father. Everything he wanted to say had to be said now.

The same sort of time will come for all of us sooner or later. We might not even recognize it, but one day, one of the prayers we speak will be our last.
Listen to some of the things that Jesus said in his last prayer: "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." (John 17:4). "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world." (v.6. "I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them."(v.8). "All I have is yours." (v.10). "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me." (v.12). "I have given them your word." (v.14).

When we come to our last prayer, will we be able to say the same sorts of things? Will we be able to say that we have done God's will; that we have given him glory; that we have shared him with others; and that we have protected our families, brothers and sisters?

It's hard to know what we will say, but now is the time to make our lives count for what we might want to say.

PRAY AND MOVE ON

"When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it." (John 18:1)

John's description of the prayer that Jesus offered is the most detailed of all the gospel records, yet John does not go into much detail about the agony and pleading Jesus went through as he prepared for his final few hours. But it is John that records the determined action of Jesus as he walked calmly into the place where his fiercest trials would begin.

Often I find it very hard to follow his example. Even after prayer it can be very difficult to do something you know is going to cause pain, discomfort, or something you don't want to do at all. Confessing a sin, rebuking or resolving issues with another believer, asking for forgiveness, or attending certain meetings can all be things I could be tempted to run away from. But like Jesus, we need to gain the strength we need in prayer, then have the determination he had to go through with what needs to be done.

Once it has been decided, there is no turning back. So when we ask God for strength to do a task that is not to our liking, let's also have the courage to step out in faith and follow it through.

17:6  Do we think of ourselves as having been “given” to Jesus by God? And if so do we see that we are therefore servants of Jesus at God’s instigation? It is a great privilege and responsibility.

John 17:6,11,26

“I have manifested thy name… Holy Father, keep through thine own name… And I have declared unto them thy name…”

Chrysostomos (Chrysostom), 347 – 407 AD, Preacher and Theologian,  advised parents to give their children scriptural names and to read the Biblical passages related to their names, so as they grew up they would strive to live up to their name. Chrysostomos means “golden-mouthed” in Greek and he was a very eloquent orator.

Names in the Bible do not merely identify a person, but express the very nature of its bearer (cf. Gen 27:36; 1Sam 25:25). To know Yahweh’s name is to understand and know Him.

David wrote in Psa 8:1-4, “O Yahweh, our Adon, how excellent is thy name in all the earth…” David shows in Psa 23 just how excellent Yahweh is and identifies Him with eight different names, though not naming some directly, but are there, nonetheless. We find them in the following verses: verse 1, Yahweh Roi (shepherd, or guide), Yahweh Yireh (provides); verse 2, Yahweh Shalom (peace); verse 3, Yahweh Ropheka, (restores or heals) Yahweh Tsidkenu (leads us to righteousness); verse 4, Yahweh Shammah (Yahweh is with us); verse 5, Yahweh Nissi, (our banner, or tower of strength), Yahweh Mekaddishkem (anoints and sanctifies us - cf. Exo 40:9).

Yahweh is identified as goodness to Moses (Exo 33:19). In Exo 34:5-8, Yahweh is identified as merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abounding in goodness and truth…

Yahshua fully manifested the character of Yahweh to us (cf. Col 1:15; 2:9), and he is our example of the kind of character we are to develop and manifest to others. This is all embodied in “truth,” and, thus, obtaining eternal life (cf. Psa 9:10; John 17:3).

When we were baptized, we put on the names of Yahweh and Yahshua (Matt 28:19,20). So, then, it is not just about being baptized in the name, but being the name in observing to do all things commanded us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do it. This has sobering ramifications for us (cf. Isa 43:6,7)! We have been given a great privilege in bearing the name (1John 3:2).

In Psa 1:2; Psa 34:1-3 we read that we are to meditate on His name, and as we do, let us exalt His name by living up to His name, as the true children of Yahweh (cf. Mal 3:16,17).

17:5    In asking God to Glorify him Jesus might seem to be a little selfish. However this cannot be so. Being glorified will give glory to God who was justified in raising Jesus from the dead and also those who believe in  Him – Rom 3:26

John 17:3

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Human beings have this innate desire to live forever. How do we prepare for it? We ask, will God accept or reject me? Every religion attempts to answer these kinds of questions, the answer of which is given n this passage. So, what does it entail?

Shakespeare once said that history is “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Our view of history is quite a contrast. We believe God ordained it, organized it, and moved it towards a meaningful, definite, and certain purpose.

Eternal life is knowing the true God only through the person of His Son; the Christ. It is only through Christ that we may have a relationship with the Father, having been separated from Him by sin. Those who claim the Old Testament and the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5;  6;  7) pertained only to the Israelites miss some very important points!

1) Old Testament history is factual; it lays the foundation for the teachings and events read in the New Testament. As with a novel, if we skip the first half and try to finish it, we will not understand the characters, the plot, and the ending. The New Testament is only completely understood when we see its foundation of the events, characters, laws, the sacrificial system, covenants, and promises of the Old Testament.

2) Without the Old Testament, we would not understand how the Pharisees perverted God’s Law by adding their own traditions to it. To understand the New, we must understand the Old.

3) To truly know God, we must first receive His son, the promised seed, as prophesied in the Old Testament (cf. John 1:12; John 14:6). We must be in covenant relationship with Him.

4) God reveals Himself, His promises, His will, His love, His discipline and His laws for us throughout the pages of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. It is the Old Testament that makes us wise unto salvation (2Tim 3:15). The New Testament Scriptures did not exist when Paul said this! To know and understand the Old Testament is to know God!

5) The Old Testament also reveals Christ, his obedience, and sufferings. It makes us appreciate and understand the New Testament so much more.

God chose many prophets and disciples, and taught them many things about Himself. He made them write the things down that future generations might know them too. They did not all live at the same time. Some of them died long before the others were born, but they were all taught by God. Then, God sent His only begotten Son to teach us more about Him, and this, too, was written down by men whom God chose (cf. Gal 1:15,16). All these writings concerning Him and Christ were written in one book we call the Bible. If we ignore any part of it, it will only lead to confusion, which we have observed through time. It is this book, the Bible, which we need to diligently read and study faithfully for it is in them that we will find eternal life (John 5:39). Mere intellectual assent to the Truth will not save us. Life eternal is not just to know about God, but to actually know Him as a friend. It is a commitment to prayer.

We have not been told to live by the words of the New Testament only, but by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4).

17:22 Notice Jesus’ “glory” was given to him by God. How was that? It was in the way that Jesus glorified God by His lifestyle. Jesus had learnt that lifestyle from Scripture. In that way God had given “glory” to him.

17:11   Here we learn that whilst Jesus was going to leave his disciples he was not going to abandon them. He prayed for their well-being – not necessarily their physical safety. The focus is on unity amongst them and God. Maybe a lesson for us about how we should pray for our fellow believers.

18:4 So even in the most difficult circumstances Jesus never flinched from doing God’s will. He could have waited until Judas had kissed him but no. He put himself forward so that there would be no uncertainty as to who should be taken captive.

17:5 This verse can be explained by the echoes of Joseph in this prayer. “Joseph made himself known unto his brethren” (Gen. 45:1) and Christ spoke of how his disciples “might know … Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (Jno. 17:3). And that Christ was “sent” echoes Joseph: “for God did send me” (Gen. 45:5). Also, both Christ and Joseph sent: “So he sent his brethren away” (Gen. 45:24); “… even so have I also sent them into the world” (Jno. 17:18). Joseph was given glory, “And ye shall tell my father of all my glory …” (Gen. 45:13). When Christ spoke of “the glory which I had with Thee before the world was”, an example of when this was the case was when Joseph, in the spirit of Christ, foreshadowed him in being glorified in Egypt, “before the [Mosaic] world was”.

17:26 In speaking to his Father Jesus speaks of both what he has done and what he will shortly do. He made this commitment knowing exactly what it involved – his death on the cross.

17:1 Jesus is unlike the publican in the parable – Luke 18:13 – who would not lift his eyes up to heaven. However clearly Jesus was not like the Pharisee in the parable. Maybe in lifting his eyes to heaven he was reflecting on the promise – Gen 15:5 - that was made to Abraham about his large number of descendants. Anticipating the consequences of his death and resurrection which he knew was imminent.

John 17:3

“And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”

“We must think of him [Jesus] not only as the immortalizer of our bodies, but as the judge of our actions at his coming; not only as a merciful and faithful high priest, but as the inflictor of vengeance in flaming fire on all the disobedient; not only as the loving and forgiving friend, but as the zealous teacher, the denouncer of unrighteousness, the insister on holiness, the exactor of our utmost affection, and repudiator of the present evil world and all who belong to it. We must remember him not only as brother, but as Lord; not only as the seed of David, but as the Word made flesh. In a word, we must open our minds to THE TRUTH, of which he is the personal incorporation.

In doing this, there is one thing we will not fail to do. We will remember the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole system of truth derives its meaning, and apart from whom it would have no reason or existence. As no man can come to the Father but by Christ, so no man can scripturally come to Christ who does not discern the Father in him.”

Robert Roberts, FURTHER SEASONS OF COMFORT, Remembering Christ Acceptably, pp. 50,51

Taking disobedience against the commands of God and Christ lightly is a sure sign that we have not really repented or became truly converted. To teach grace without obedience, and conversely to teach justice without mercy is to walk contrary to the Truth. We read in Psa 85:10: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” One without the other is not having the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Our walk in the Truth calls that we model ourselves after the life-pattern of Jesus (John 14:6; cf. v. 7; 1Cor 11:1,2). We have been given marvelous insights into Christ’s spiritual development and his obedience to the Father’s commandments throughout the New Testament (Heb 5:7-9). We must grow spiritually, not just academically.

Out of the fulness of Christ, his superabundance of grace and truth, we have received grace upon grace, that is, grace is served upon grace: spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favour upon favour, and gift upon gift (John 1:16,17; cf. Eph 3:16-19); it comes with conditions. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together (Rom 8:16,17), being heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:6,7).

17:7-8 Despite his greatness Jesus never claimed that he had given anything to the disciples of himself. Here the emphasis is that he gave to the disciples what God had given him. In that he shared God’s gift to him. It we truly appreciated we are sharing what God has given us when we talk about His word then we might value it and its teaching a little more.

John 18:6 In saying that those who had come to take Jesus “went backwards” seem to be and answer to the sort of prayer that David voiced – Psa 40:14 – when speaking of his enemies. As Psa 40 is clearly speaking of Jesus maybe we see a link between the Psalm and this event.

John 17:3

“And this is eternal life that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”

If we only had one opportunity to preach to a person, what would it be? Since eternal life is inextricably linked to Jesus for there is no true knowledge of God without Jesus, having revealed Himself through him (John 14:6-11; Col 1:13-23; Heb 1:2,3).

“'God manifest in the flesh.’ We not only behold the greater than Solomon, the greater than Jonas, the greater than the Temple, the Lord of the Sabbath [Sabaoth] but we see him ‘made a little lower than the angels… that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man’ (Heb 2:7-18).

We see him as one of ourselves, though verily in his quiet dignity, the majesty of heaven and earth. We see ‘the captain of our salvation,’ but ‘made perfect through sufferings.’ We have ‘a man of sorrows;’ of ‘travail of soul;’ of bitterness and grief, of strong crying and tears, offering prayers and supplications to Him that was able to save, and was heard in that he feared (Heb 5:7-9). In this we see that ‘both he (Jesus) that sanctifieth, and they (the saints) who are sanctified, are all of one’ – one Father, one stock, one experience: ‘for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren…  

A recognition of this fact helps us to take our part in that bowing of the knee and confessing of the tongue which God requires of all flesh towards His Son Jesus Christ.”

Robert Roberts, SEASONS OF COMFORT, The Greatness of Christ, p. 53

This one verse of John 17:3, compels us to study the Bible back-to-back for within these pages God and Christ are revealed to us. We have a High Priest in heaven now who makes intercession for us, who in the days of his flesh was tempted in all points as we are, yet did not commit sin (Heb 4:14,15), neither by thought, word, or deed (cf. Matt 5:21-37).

Jesus went through a lot of pain, suffering, sadness, and loneliness - much like most of us go through today, and, therefore, who best to turn to (rhetorical).  Sometimes, though, we tend to lose sight of the fact that Jesus did not have a natural male father’s DNA; he was conceived, unlike us, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18-23; Luke 1:35). He was conceived unlike any human being, and this has become a stumbling block to some. This, however, does not diminish his humanity, though being born of a virgin. Scripture clearly tells us that, “that which is flesh is flesh” (John 3:6). Having said that, Jesus was a body specially prepared for his mission (Heb 10:5-7; Psa 40:6-8) and, therefore, we err in attempting to compare Jesus’ reactions under various stresses to potentially ours.

17:15 Jesus’ request here seems to be the basis for what Paul was inspired to write to the Thessalonians – 22Thess 2:2