What we pray for indicates our priorities. John 17:13-19 continues Jesus’ prayer. After praying for God’s glory, he prays for his disciples and gives insight into his priorities. He wants his followers to have joy, even in the face of trials – not just happiness in good circumstances. He wants his followers to be kept safe, from the evil one and their own hearts. He wants them to be set apart from the world, yet sent into the world to continue his work. Do we share the same priorities as Jesus?
Author: Andrew
‘Learning from the real Lord’s Prayer’ (John 17:1-12)
John 17:1-12 records the moment Jesus prayed for all of his disciples. With a beautiful blend of intimacy and reverence, John records how Jesus prayed to His Father. By doing so, John gives us insight into the unique relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son. The prayer also gives us a model of all true prayer because it reminds us that prayer comes from the heart, is an expression of a relationship with God and is always motivated by the glory of God.
‘Haters gonna hate, but Christians love like Jesus’ (John 15:18-16:3)
In John 15:18-16:3, Jesus warns his followers that the world will hate them because it hated him. It the coming chapters we see that it hated him to death on the cross. Jesus choses his followers out of the world to be different to it. Christians ought to respond with love and be witnesses to Jesus’ love. His love was shown when he died in our place and rose for our hope.
‘Meeting the highest of standards’ (John 15:12-17)
In John 15:12-17 Jesus called his disciples to be identified by the badge of love. In doing so, He elevated his disciples from the status of servants to friends, gave them explicit instructions as to their responsibility to love each other and then set the highest standard possible by speaking of love as sacrifice. We often remember his words in John 15:13 when we remember our war dead, but these words were not given just to write on a tombstone. Instead they are to be lived out in the world.
‘Promised gifts’ (John 14:15-31)
Steve Blyth spoke from John 14 about Jesus’ love of others – even hours before his own death. With the crucifixion in view, Jesus promised to send his Spirit to prepare them to live well in the world. A selfless bucket-list, but if he could give them anything, why not world peace or an end to poverty? All these things require a change of heart that only the Spirit of truth can bring. As we receive the truth, it brings assurance of peace, a joy in all circumstances and faith in a God who is in control.
‘In the face of death’ (John 11:1-44)
In John 11, when his friend Lazarus falls ill, it seems strange that Jesus does not go to heal him immediately. Jesus is confident in his father and knows the glory will go to him. For us, we see that in the face of death, though God might feel distant (1-16), Jesus draws near to us (17-37) and conquers death (38-44). So even as we face death now, we can grieve with hope in Christ.
Guest Conrad Mbewe on Titus 3
Conrad is the pastor of Kabwata Reformed Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, and is also known as the ‘African Spurgeon’. He spoke from Titus 3 about how Christians, by the grace of God, are different. The truth about Jesus our Saviour changes us from being led astray by foolish passions. Our lives ought to bear witness to this truth. We are urged to give up folly because it not only makes us ignorant of our mortality but also leads to our very destruction. Wisdom is to rely on God and his mercy.
‘A long-distance miracle and a certain kind of faith’ (John 4:43-54)
Here Jesus is met by a royal official whose son is dying. His riches and status cannot protect him and his family from hardship and death. His faith may have only been enough for him to seek Jesus in a time of need but Jesus’ response shows that his power has no bounds – not even distance. The official’s faith grows and he trusts Jesus at his word, leaving to go home and find his son healed. John writes so that we can be encouraged to have faith even without sight just like the official and all generations since.
‘Have a Really New Year’ (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)
Russ Grinter asked us to consider what is noteworthy about the new year. More than wishing “happy new year” and resolving to seek happiness ourselves, in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 we read that Jesus makes us really new. From now on, our identity should be in Christ – not what we do or how the world sees us. We should not depend on our effort but on what Jesus has done as our substitute. By faith, God looks at us and sees Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus makes us really new.
‘Is anybody listening?’ (Psalm 81)
At the end of a year, Hugh Price encouraged us from Psalm 81 to focus on God and listen to him. God’s people ought to celebrate him and his goodness to them. God gives those who do not listen what they want – but it is not good. We are invited to open ourselves to God, ready to receive.