Ai yai yai….

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land,” (Joshua 8:1)

Joshua learned a hard lesson from the first episode with Ai and the ensuing tragedy of Achan (Joshua 7). From now on, and more than ever before, he would seek the clear and unmistakeable guidance of God in every move he made. And he would obey implicitly what God instructed him to do because to do otherwise has dire consequences.

Even though Joshua and Israel had entered the promised land in triumph, tasted the fruit of the land, and experienced an extraordinary supernatural victory over Jericho, they discovered that they could still fall flat on their faces before their adversaries. The fact is that deliberate disobedience to God (Achan’s sin) has horrendous consequences; not only for the individual who sins but also for the people around them. Man cannot break God’s clear commands with impunity. Wrongdoing has terrible consequences and divine justice demands payment. Sadly we view sin so lightly and wink it away by calling it human weakness or character defect. But divine justice demands the full retribution for wrong done and the cost for such justice is always death. (“The soul that sins shall die,” Ezekiel 18:4.) The death will either be ours or another’s. As Philip Keller writes, “For the person who voluntarily confesses and makes restitution there comes pardon. This is because of the appalling price paid for us by God in Christ at the cross. But without confession of wrong, without genuine repentance of conduct, without deep remorse of spirit, culminating in conversion of conduct, none of God’s mercy avails. Simply because it has not been accepted or claimed in an act of faith by the offender.”

Joshua and the people of Israel discovered through Ai and Achan the terrible consequences of disobedience to God’s commands. Joshua also found out how imperative it is to keep in step with God and to not grow over-confident.  He did not seek the Lord with regard to Ai and thus made a faulty strategy that caused his forces to suffer casualties. To succeed in the conflicts and spiritual battles of life, we must keep pace with God. It is God who makes clear what our course of action should be.  This God did in due course for Joshua at Ai, but the initial setback was severe and shattering. However, Joshua also learned that though they had failed, though there had been tragedy rather than triumph in the initial assault on Ai, they were not utterly forsaken of God. Though wayward, they were restored. The same can be true for us.

Victorious Living

Our UPWORD together readings have taken us into the Book of Joshua and this moves us into the second division of the Old Testament, from the Pentateuch (Law) to the books of History. However, just because we are reading the history of Israel as they moved in to possess the land God promised them, do not give in to the temptation to see this book as merely historical.  In other words, don’t make the mistake of relegating it’s message to the past. While the events took place, the message contained within continues to take place. The book of Joshua contains profound encouragement and wisdom for Christians with regard to the overcoming spiritual life.

The first words of God to Joshua contain profound truths for a victorious life. By carrying them out, Joshua would achieve what his predecessor Moses could not, the settlement of the promised land and a movement into the rest and provision of God. So too, for us. Any person who has a burning desire to move from an empty pointless life of wandering in the wilderness of divided loyalties to triumph under Christ’s control should hear and put into practice what God said to Joshua.  Here are a few principles drawn from Joshua 1:

“Arise, go into the land I am giving,” (Joshua 1:2) – God said to Joshua and the people, “Get up and get moving!” The Lord expects us to respond to his word and his directives in our lives. Jesus regularly called upon his hearers make an act of their will in response to his initiative.  He still call upon his people to respond to him and choose to move out with him. No more vacillation; no more debating; no more waffling. This means refocusing on God’s priorities, plans and ambitions.

“Every place the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised,” (Joshua 1:3).  The victory was already assured before the people ever entered the land because God would be true to his character and his word.  (Every place your foot will tread, I have (already) given you.) Our call is to step out with God in faith that he will accomplish what his word has promised. There is no enemy in your life that is too large for God. Whatever foe you face, whatever land lies before you, whatever sizable vision he has given you, God is able to bring you through to victory.  Only, notice that it would not be an instantaneous event.  The people were to walk with him daily, step by step, as he unfolded the plan and gave them victory.

“Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you,” (Joshua 1:5). The victorious spiritual life with Christ is not one of self-sufficiency; rather our victory comes through the strength of our God who is with us. He will not abandon you. He accomplishes what he sets out. He will see you through. He will never leave you! “For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (verse 9).

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful, ” (Joshua 1:8). For Joshua to be victorious it was imperative that he and his people comply with God’s commands. In essence, God said, “Obey and prosper; disobey and perish.” This same basic principle holds true in the spiritual life for Christians. Make no mistake, Jesus Christ satisfied the requirements of the law through his life and bore the penalty for disobedience to the law through his death. Because Christ satisfied the requirements of the law, we need not live slavishly under all the specifics of the law. However, a victorious life still requires obedience… for us it is not a question of legalism but of loyalty and love for the Lord. “If you love,” Jesus said, “You will obey my commandments.” Jesus made it clear that to love him is to comply with his wishes.

Lastly, we simply cannot overexpose ourselves to the Scriptures. As Phillip Keller wrote, “The Scriptures must become the central core of all our convictions as Christians. God’s Word reveals to us in unmistakable terms what his will and wishes are. The responsibility for reading his instructions lies with us. The carrying out of his commands rests with us. The positive response of our wills to His will depends upon us and our total availability to His purposes. His Word can become to us Spirit and life! The instant God detects in us the faintest intention to comply with His supreme desires, He immediately moves into our lives and experience to energize us in the joint exercise. It is He who provides the power, the courage, and the capacity to conquer.”

 

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What’s in a Name?

“And when the ruling council had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then the apostles left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Acts 5:40-41

When I was interviewing for my first clergy position after seminary, I had an interview at a theologically “broad” church in another diocese. The day had gone fairly well until I met with the clergy staff. As we sat around the table getting to know one another, one of the priests became agitated and leaned toward me and growled, “You sure do use the “J” word a lot!” I was startled and replied, “Do you mean Jesus?”  The priest nearly spit at me, “Yeah, him!” I responded back, “But Who else would I speak about?” Needless to say, I didn’t get the job.

What is it about the name of Jesus that is so divisive? Quite simply it is the power and the particularity and the purpose and the person to whom the name points. Unlike our culture, biblical names are more than just identifiers. The people of the bible were very conscious of the prophetic meaning of names. They believed there was a vital connection between the name and the person it identified for a name somehow represented the nature of the person.  And so it makes sense that the only begotten Son of God would be named Jesus (God saves).  The angel’s declaration to Joseph declares the purpose and significance of the child to be born: “Joseph, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins,” (Matthew 1:21).

As the apostles began their ministry in the days following Pentecost, they were constantly talking about Jesus and performing miracles in his name. Consequently, people were constantly coming to faith. And because of this the apostles were constantly in trouble with those who despised Jesus and wanted nothing to do with him. Listen to what the early chapters of Acts say with regard to his name:

Acts 2:21 — “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 2: 37-38 — “When the people heard Peter’s message about Jesus, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 3:6-7 — “Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.”
Acts 3:12, 16 “Peter said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”
Acts 3:19 -20 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.”
Acts 4:7-10, 12 “They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you heal this man?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:18, 20 “So the council called the apostles and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:29-31 The believers prayed, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Acts 5:27-28 “Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Acts 5:40-42 “They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”

What’s in a name? In many names, not much. However in the name of Jesus there is salvation, healing, deliverance, relationship with God, spiritual authority and power, access to God, forgiveness of sin, and persecution and rejection by those who hate him.

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Church!

It’s Christmas Eve day – tonight we will celebrate the birth of Christ. In UPWORD together we’re in Acts 2, the day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church.  Every birthday would be incomplete without gifts; this one is  no different. And God in his goodness gives the church the greatest gift he could give us. Once again, he gives us HIMSELF – this time in the person of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ).  In Acts 1:4, Jesus told the disciples to, “wait in Jerusalem for the gift my Father promised.” He also told them in the Great Commission, “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age,” (Mt 28:30). We heard him say in John, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you,” (John 14:16-17).  Notice the promises: I will not leave you. He will be another counselor (one just like Jesus). He will focus on truth and reality (thus the world will not accept him). An unseen presence (and again the people of the world will not accept him — sadly, sometimes this applies to some people in the church too!). You will not be orphans (parentless, unloved, unguided and unprotected). HE WILL LIVE IN YOU.  You see, the Holy Spirit comes to take up residence in our hearts and lives.  The New Covenant blessing is beginning. God’s great restoration takes it’s next huge step.  Having dealt with our sin and separation from God through the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, God can now take up residence within us to make us vessels of his message to others. And now in Acts 2, the day of Pentecost, the promise is beginning to be fulfilled (it continues emerging in people’s lives to this day).

Notice that they were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit (with God’s life and presence) (verse 4). And the filling was not to the “top” of their beings as though they were simply containers of God (like a dam), but instead they were filled to overflow like a river (they spoke in tongues and declared the wonders of God and people took notice)! The giving of the Holy Spirit is for us and for others to encounter God through us (You will be my witnesses and you will receive God-given spiritual power – Acts 1:8).  Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from WITHIN him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not been glorified,” (John 7:37-39). With the giving of the Spirit, the church was born because Jesus had assumed the throne at the right hand of God in heaven (glorification). Now, we are his presence in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit within us to teach us and lead us into all truth and to help us lead others into the wonderful Kingdom of God through belief in Jesus Christ!

What Comes Next

We begin reading the book of Acts. Written by Luke, Acts continues the story of God’s Kingdom expanding on the earth. If the Gospels show what Christ began to do on earth, Acts shows what He continued to do by the Holy Spirit through the disciples. The Gospels present the Son of Man who came to die for our sins; Acts shows the coming of the Son of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Gospels tell of the crucified and risen Savior. Acts shows Him to be the ascended and exalted Lord and Leader. In the Gospels we hear Christ’s teachings. In Acts we see the effects of his teachings on the apostles and those to whom they were sent. The Gospels are historical with a definite end point; namely, the Ascension of Christ into heaven. Acts is also historical; it begins with Christ’s Ascension and records the acts of the Holy Spirit through the church as it moves out to win the world to Christ. In a sense, the book of Acts has never ended because the Age of the Holy Spirit working on the earth and through the church has not yet ended.

As we read Acts, pay attention to the Holy Spirit. His name is mentioned about 70 times. Resist the temptation to believe that the works of power you will read about in Acts and the success of the growing and expanding church were something limited to “way back then.”  To be sure, we will read about unique and powerful encounters people had with the Lord. But remember, the Lord continues to encounter people in unique and powerful ways. The disciples were successful in carrying out God’s mission because they depended entirely upon the power of God through his Holy Spirit. We will be successful in carrying out God’s mission when we learn to depend entirely upon the power of God through his Holy Spirit.  And what is God’s mission?

Both the mission and the means for accomplishing the mission are given to us in the first chapter of Acts. Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The mission: to be witnesses to Christ and the salvation that comes through him alone. The means: the power of the Holy Spirit.  Are you living into your mission to be a witness to Christ? Have you received the means by which to accomplish that mission; the power of the Holy Spirit?  Is it time to begin? Notice that the disciples began by believing in Jesus, obeying what he told them to do, and then waiting expectantly for what came next. They prepared themselves for the mission in Acts 1 as they prayed, searched the scriptures and worshiped together in unity.

Lordship and Dependency

Jesus appears to his disciples while they are fishing (John 21). Some scholars believe they went fishing because they had abandoned the Lord at this point. I disagree. I think they just went fishing because they didn’t know what else to do.  Jesus had told them to wait for him in Galilee where he would meet them (Mark 14:28; 16:7 — John’s Gospel doesn’t record this). Most men are not very good at just sitting around (remember, T.V. hasn’t been invented yet; neither has football). Peter decides to take the lead – but his lead is, perhaps, more according to what seems right in his own eyes rather than what has been guided by the Lord.  Regardless, Jesus uses the opportunity to reestablish his call on these men and to bring them more completely under his Lordship.  There is a simple truth attested to by the saints down through the ages: when we don’t know what to do, we should simply do our duty (while paying attention for God’s guidance through a posture of attentive receptiveness) and God will guide us.

The guys’ best efforts come up empty. Nothing in the nets.  It is a picture of barrenness. They have done what they thought was the right thing, but they experience utter failure.  And this prepares them to learn a primary lesson of discipleship — Apart from Jesus you can do nothing (John 15:5).  The Christian life is not: Jesus saves me, I live my life, and then I go to heaven when I die.  The Christian life is: Jesus saves me, I become a disciple who follows his Lordship daily, he guides me as I live in dependency upon him seeking to do his will and accomplish his purposes for my life, there is much spiritual fruit born in my life and the lives of others, and He gets the glory, though I get to enjoy being part of the process as his cooperative friend.  Oh, and I get to go to heaven when I die. The reason so many Christians experience so little of God’s power and guidance and also have little purpose or sense of fulfillment in their lives has to do with these issues of Lordship and dependency. If you are still “putting down your nets” and coming up empty in life, perhaps its time to speak to the Jesus about these issues.  Ask him be the Lord of your life. Exchange your independence for dependency.

Change is underway

John 20 contains so much encouragement and peace as the resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples. It is a transitional time in history. Change is underway.

This change begins as  Jesus reveals himself to Mary in the garden. Seeing the grave clothes, the angels, and even the resurrected Jesus himself have not broken through Mary’s grief. However, hearing his voice (the voice she loves more than any other) speak her name finally pierces the darkness of her soul.  Mary appears to reach out to touch him – either through an embrace or by falling to his feet.  Jesus says, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God,” (John 20:17).  Jesus’ response to her is: Don’t cling Mary. There’s more to come. I am still on the move.  Change is underway. I’m heading back to Father’s House! You can almost hear the joy and anticipation in his voice.  Now go, Mary, and share the news.  She has just found him and he sends her away with a commission to be his witness. Make no mistake, when you find Jesus, you are commissioned and sent to tell others (no theology degree required)!

But there’s more change indicated by this verse. It’s the message she brings that points to a shift in the relations between the Father, the Son and the disciples. Jesus says, “Go to my brothers and tell them.” As Rod Whitacre writes in his commentary on John, “This is the first time in the Gospel that Jesus refers to the disciples as his brothers. This implies that Jesus has inaugurated a new level of intimacy between himself and the disciples. The new community he founded during his ministry became a new family at the cross and now the disciples are to enter into this new form of relationship.”  They are given the right to move from being mere learners and servants, or even friends, to being family (see John 1:12-13). This new relationship with God the Father comes through relationship with God the Son. Because God is Jesus’ Father, he is also their Father; because he is Jesus’ God, he is also their God. And this relationship change will be experienced by them once Jesus has ascended to the Father and with the coming of the Holy Spirit into their lives with power.

John declares at the end of chapter 20, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,” (John 20:30-31). The GOOD NEWS is that when you believe in Christ, you receive his life and you are admitted to the family of God. No doubt, a beautiful change is underway!

How to fight a battle

Deuteronomy 20 caught my eye because it gives instruction on how to fight a battle.  First the historical context: Remember that God’s people were about to cross into the Promised Land where they would encounter much resistance from their ancient enemies; the various people living in the land. Stepping into the promise of God would not come without a fight and the extrication of many obstacles.  However, God gave reassurance that he would be with them. The text says, “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight against your enemies, to give you the victory,’ (Dt 20:1-4).” God’s directive to them was that when they engaged in battle, they need not fear larger numbers or superior technology. Why? Because their strength lay not in the superiority of numbers or weapons, but in God who was with them. The admonition is to have faith in him, and yet, this faith is based on past experience (he brought you out of Egypt). In other words, God will remain consistent. He will see them through. He will remain faithful to his word and his purpose for their lives will be fulfilled.

The New Testament speaks frequently about warfare. Only the warfare spoken of is not a “worldly war”, but more subtle and of a spiritual nature (though no less real!).  In other words, the New Testament speaks of fighting spiritual battles against the 3 real and primary enemies of God’s purpose for your life: the world, your flesh (your fallen sinful nature), and the devil. All three of these enemies are powerful and will whip your tail if you do not deal with them in a spiritual manner. Please understand that the principles of Deuteronomy remain: Just as the Israelites knew of the victorious strength of God from the experience of the Exodus, so too the Christian is on the victorious side, for Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, “disarmed the principalities and powers” (Colossians 2:15).  Victory was the prerogative of Israel going into the battle because of what God did for them in the past through the Exodus. So also, victory is the prerogative for you and me going into the battles we face because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and what God affirmed through his resurrection from the dead. Finally, Christ’s ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit assures us of both power and authority to face our struggles. In Ephesians 1, St. Paul prays that we would know (experience) God’s incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come,” (Eph 1:19-21).

The Christian life is filled with battles of all kinds against enemies that appear far to great for you and me. In the face of what you are dealing with today, may I be like the priest of Deuteronomy 20 and remind you of God’s promise to you, “Do not fear or panic or be in dread of your enemies for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you, to give you the victory.” Trust in him. Remember what he has done in the past. Listen for his promptings. And see the victory of the Lord.

Extra Things

Sometimes I discover that I have brought extra things along on my journey with Jesus that really get in the way of his purpose for me. I’m talking about my tendency to try to help the Lord accomplish his will. For instance, when I strive to be in control of relational or work situations that are clearly beyond me instead of asking the Lord what he wants me to do. Or, becoming anxious about the problems in my life and worrying about what might happen (often becoming paralyzed by indecision) instead of listening to what God knows is best and then following him even when it doesn’t fully make sense to me. Or, becoming afraid about my children’s futures instead of asking the Lord how to shape and mold them toward his future for them. Or when I charge ahead with my carefully crafted plans (always asking the Lord to bless them once in place) only to find myself quickly exhausted and wondering why it didn’t work out. Extra things. Unnecessary things. Exhausting things.

In John 18, Peter brought something extra.  His extra thing was a sword that he planned to use to help protect Jesus and himself from the unfolding future. I believe Peter did this because he was anxious and afraid and seeking to be in control.  He would help the Lord! He would also prove that he would never deny Jesus (even though Jesus said he would 3x before morning). He would die for Jesus if that’s what it took to show his loyalty!  And Peter would seek to protect himself from feeling out of control in the midst of God’s unfolding plan of suffering and pain. Peter’s plan didn’t work and within a few short hours he used that sword (poorly) and then he denied the Lord (as predicted) and in the process he came to the end of himself (by God’s mercy and grace). The good news for Peter was that God was fully in control and not a bit surprised by Peter’s fleshly, human condition. Jesus was about to provide the answer to Peter’s deepest dilemma (himself), though it would come at the most extraordinary price of the cross.  Peter would be restored.  Only, perhaps, a little smaller in stature. And certainly carrying a few less things.

What about you? What extra things are you carrying today? Is it time to lay them down and ask the Lord what he wants?

Kings and Prophets

Deuteronomy 17 and 18 speak of God’s prophets, priests and kings… what they will be like and what is required of them. Remember that the large story of the Scripture is the Kingdom of God. The Lord has always intended to be the Sovereign with mankind as his sub-regents ruling the earth in relationship to him and under his guidance and direction (see Genesis 1:26-28). So here in Deut. 17, as the people of God are preparing to enter the Promised Land, God gives directions for the administrative structure of the nation. It will be a theocracy – God will be the King. However, the Lord knew that the people would want to set a human king over themselves in order to be like the other nations (Dt 17:14).  So his direction for the King was as follows: The King must first be chosen by God (since he would represent God ultimately and not himself).  He must: (1) be from among the people of Israel (no outsiders), (2) he must not acquire too many horses, too many wives, nor too many riches (lest his heart turn away from God), (3) he must not allow the people to return to Egypt (remember Egypt is a type for the world – so he must protect the nation from operating in the world’s ways), and (4) he MUST know and reign from the law so that he fears the Lord, reigns rightly, and doesn’t become proud in his position. Israel’s history (stay tuned, we will read about this shortly in the historical books of Samuel, Chronicles and Kings) shows how the nation fared based upon how the kings fared in relation to this ordinance. It’s is extraordinary how Jesus fulfills the requirements of the true King and has been speaking about this throughout the Gospel of John.  He states in John 17: “Father the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son my glorify you, since you have given him all authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:1-5). The true and chosen Son, given all authority (not only on earth but also in heaven), about to be glorified as King (here in Advent we look forward to the fulfillment of that statement — he reigns now in heaven – he will come again to rule the earth).

We also see the requirements for God’s Prophets laid out in Deut. 18. The Prophet would: (1) be from among God’s people (no outsiders), (2) he would speak for God and therefore must be listened to (the prophets would have the final say over the kings – this will lead to many future prophets being killed by ruthless kings), (3) he would only speak the words God gave him (this could be tested by whether or not the words came true). Remember the people had decided that they did not want to speak hear directly from God nor see his fire lest they die due to their own sinfulness. So the Prophet would be the true voice from heaven speaking God’s words to God’s people. In John 17 Jesus states “Father, 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. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me,” (John 17:6-8). Jesus as the true Prophet has come speaking only the words the Father has given him; he has revealed the Father to the people through signs and wonders, and he is about to fulfill what he prophesied: that when he is lifted up on the cross he will provide us with access to God.

Interestingly, Deut 18 also mentions priests; though their roles are spelled out more fully elsewhere. However, it does say of the priest: “For the Lord has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord for all time.”  John 17 is called the “High Priestly Prayer of Jesus.”  In this prayer Jesus makes intercession (the role of a priest) for God’s people. Likewise he is about to offer the final himself as the final sacrifice for the sins of the world (stay tuned in the readings ahead).

Finally, Jesus declares that we who belong to him have a mission.  It is similar to and part of  his continuing mission: t(1) We are to be sub-regents (sent out into the world to represent the King) (Jn 17:18, 22); and (2) we are to be sanctified in the truth of God’s word so that we can make that word known to the world (Jn 17:17, 21). As we live in Him, and allow his love to live in us, this will be accomplished – and many will come to eternal life!