Welcome back to the sixth episode in our series on "A Word from the Vine," entitled "Eternal Intercession - The Unity, Sanctification, and Love of Christ’s Prayer." I'm Pastor Loren Christensen of Danish Countryside Chapel in Exira, Iowa. We now turn to the concluding verses of Jesus' prayer in John 17, where He expresses His deepest desire for His followers—not only for those with Him then but for all believers throughout time. His words are a tender petition for intimacy, unity, and the revelation of divine love.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24 ESV). In this verse, Jesus articulates a profound longing for His followers to share in His presence and witness the glory bestowed upon Him by the Father—a glory rooted in eternal love. This is not a mere wish for them to observe His glory from a distance, but an invitation to partake in the divine fellowship that He enjoys with the Father.
The glory Jesus refers to is not the transient glory of worldly acclaim but the eternal glory that emanates from His perfect communion with the Father. It is the glory of divine love, grace, and truth—a glory that was His before the world began and that shines most brightly in the redemptive act of the cross. Jesus desires for His followers to experience this glory, for it is in seeing and knowing this glory that they truly understand the depth of the Father’s love.
“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26 ESV). Here, Jesus speaks of the ongoing revelation of the Father’s name—the full disclosure of God’s nature and character. To know God’s name is to know Him personally and intimately. It is to understand His heart, His desires, and His purposes. Jesus has begun this revelation, and He commits to continuing it, ensuring that the love of the Father that has been poured into Him will also be in His followers.
This love is not a mere sentiment; it is the very essence of life and the source of true unity. The love “with which you have loved me” speaks of the eternal, unbreakable love between the Father and the Son—a love that believers are invited to share in. This divine love is transformative; it binds the believer to Christ and to one another, creating a unity that reflects the unity of the Godhead.
As we ponder these verses, we are invited to consider the magnitude of what it means to be loved by God with the same love with which He loves His Son. This love is the foundation of our identity as children of God and the source of our hope for eternity. It is a love that calls us to live in intimate fellowship with the Father, to abide in His presence, and to reflect His love to the world.
Please join me next time in the final episode of this series as we look at the application of what we have learned from these powerful passages in scripture.
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