Winterfest Pre-Event Devo — “The Time Has Come”
In John 17:1-26, Jesus knew his time on Earth was about to end. He knew His time had come.
One big thing about this prayer isn’t necessarily what Jesus said during the prayer, but the fact that during this critical moment in time, Jesus chose to pray. With everything that was going on, what was most important to Him was to talk to the Father.
Jesus was in a moment in which his disciples’ hearts were troubled and their future was uncertain to them. Jesus himself was in anguish about what was about to take place. He was at the edge of the most pivotal moment in history (His Story) and He was determined to fulfill His mission and purpose. So, He decided to pray.
At this moment, Jesus asked little for Himself, but spent most of His words praying for His present and future followers. What does this prayer tell us about the heart of Jesus?
These twenty-six verses make it clear that three things were on His heart that night:
1. Jesus Prayed for Himself (verses 1-5). Six times in this prayer, Jesus addresses God as “Father.” You can almost hear the emotion, tenderness, familiarity and love in His words. You can also hear the recognition of the reality that His death is near. The hour has come.
Jesus begins by praying for Himself, though His words convey complete submission to the will of God. This moment occurs just before Jesus and the disciples enter Gethsemane, where He will pray again prior to being arrested.
2. Jesus Prayed for His Disciples (verses 6-19). Jesus prays to the Father and asks Him to not only keep the disciples together but to protect them from the enemy. The enemy is always at work. He had already gotten to Judas. So there’s all the more reason to stay together and be unified. If the enemy can divide, he can conquer.
Notice that Jesus didn’t ask the father to take His disciples out of the world. He never intended for them to be put back into the saltshaker; He intended for them to be sprinkled around. We are to be IN the world, but not OF the world.
3. Jesus Prayed for All Future Believers (verses 20-26). He prayed for our Unity. Jesus strongly desires to see a deep connection between those who are connected to him. The unity that Jesus offers brings peace WITHIN a person and peace BETWEEN persons. He
prayed for our Destiny. Jesus wants our destiny with Him to be realized. And it’s possible because of what He did for us. He prayed for our Love. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves us and we love others.
To grow in unity means knowing when to give in. To know your destiny means knowing when to give up. To show his love means knowing when to give out.
Upcoming Events:
January 22: Teen LifeGroup @ TBD
January 29: Areawide @ Fairfield COC
February 5: Mission Trip Meeting @ 4pm
February 5: Teen LifeGroup @ TBD
February 12: Teen LifeGroup @ Hooper’s
February 15: Winterfest Chaperone Meeting
February 17-19: Winterfest
February 26: Teen LifeGroup @ Boyette’s
March 12: Areawide @ Wartrace COC
April 23: Areawide @ Fairlane
May 7: Areawide @ Southside COC
Child Sponsorship Program: Jorge Morales
$40 of $1,500
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