ON THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXTION. JESUS PRAYS TO THE FATHER. " THESE WORD'S SPAKE JESUS, AND LIFTED UP HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, AND SAID FATHER , " THE HOUR IS COME; 'GLORIFY (HONOR) YOUR SON. IN THESE DAYS WE GATHER WITH THE DISCIPLES IN THE UPPER ROOM, WAITING FOR THE SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM THE CHURCH AROUND THE WORLD. IN THE TEXT FOR TODAY (GOSPEL). JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS FOLLOWERS AND FOR THEIR MISSION IN HIS NAME. VERSES 1-5 IS CALLED A HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER, IN WHICH JESUS IS PRAYING FOR HIMSELF TO THE FATHER, AND BY HIS PERFECT OBEDIENCE UNTO DEATH, SECURING ETERNAL LIFE FOR ALL PEOPLE,. AFTER JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS, HE LOOKED UP TO HEAVEN AND SAID, FATHER THE HOUR HAS COME, GLORIFY (HONOR) YOUR SON SO THAT HE SON MAY GLORIFY (HONOR) YOU, SINCE YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM AUTHORITY OVER ALL PEOPLE, TO GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM.
THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE, THAT THEY MAY KNOW YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM JOHN RELATES IT IN HIS GOSPEL
AT THIS POINT CHRIST COMFORTS THE DISCIPLES, JESUS NOW REFER TO THE PURPOSE OF HIS DEPARTURE,AND TO THEIR DESTINY. IN WORDS OF TENDER COMPASSION. HE BIDS THEM' BE UNAFRAID. YE BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME.' JESUS BID THEM TO PUT THEIR TRUST IN GOD AND ALSO IN HIM.
IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS (ABIDING PLACES). ROOMS, HE GOES TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US, AND WHEN WE ARE READY ( , THIS IS INTERPRETED AS AT DEATH, AT THE RESURRECTION OR ESCHATOLOGICAL, (ENDTIMES). THOMAS PROTESTS THEY KNOW NOT THE WAY. JESUS REPLIES, HE HIMSELF, IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
PHILIP ASKS FOR A THEOPHANY, A VISIBLE MANIFESTATION OF THE UNSEEN GOD,
THINKING A PHYISCAL APPEARANCE OF DEITY WOULD YIELD INDISPUTABLE PROOF OF HIS EXISTENCE. ( OBSERVE HOW THIS REFERENCE TO THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF THE DISCIPLES BEARS OUT THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE RECORD. BUT TO SEE JESUS IS TO SEE THE FATHER. JESUS CLAIMS UNION WITH THE FATHER, A UNION WHICH HIS WORKS ARE NOT HIS OWN, BUT HIS FATHERS. HIS WORKS SHOULD HAVE CONFIRM HIS CLAIMS (TRUTH) BELIEF, THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO DO EVEN GREATER OR MORE EXTENSIVE WORKS THEN HIS OWN. THE FATHER IS GLORIFIED IN THE WORKS OF THE SON. EFFECTED THROUGH THE PRAYERS OF THE DISCIPLES.
THE TEXT IS THE CLIMAX OF THAT SECTION OF JOHN'S GOSPEL KNOWN AS THE ' "FAREWELL DISCOURSE." OF JESUS THE WORDS ARE THOSE OF JESUS WHICH THE CHURCH HAS COME TO KNOW AS THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER. THE SETTING IN WHICH JOHN HAS PLACED THE PRAYER IS THAT OF THE LAST HOURS OF JESUS LIFE. THE WORDS- THE WORDS OF A MAN WHO KNEW THAT HIS HOUR HAD COME ARE- THE LAST WORDS OF A MAN ABOUT TO DIE.. AND BECAUSE LAST WORDS ARE PRECIOUS TO US, IT IS HELPFUL TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE LAST WORDS.
TO BRIEFLY SKETCH THE SITUATION WHICH PRECEDED THEM.
IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. EARLIER IN THE WEEK THERE HAD BEEN A QUIET VISIT WITH FRIENDS AT BETHANY-A QUIET HOUR OR TWO FOLLOWED BY THE STIR AND NOISE THAT ACCOMPANIED HIS ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM. BUT THE TIME WAS GROWING SHORT.
JUDAS WAS ALREADY ABOUT HIS WORK. THERE WAS MUCH TO BE SAID., MUCH TO BE DONE. AS IF TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SHORTNESS OF THE TIME. AND PROVIDE A STATEMENT OF HIS ENTIRE MINISTRY. JESUS GATHERED HIS CLOSET FRIENDS TO SHARE HIS LAST MEAL. AS HE DID SO, HE GAVE THEM THE DRAMATIC INSTRUCTION THAT WAS TO SERVE AS THEIR GUIDE AFTER HE WAS GONE. TAKING A TOWEL AND BASIN, HE WASHED THEIR FEET AND SAID, I HAVE GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE THAT YOU ALSO DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU. " IT WAS A MENIAL TASK OF A SERVANT, BUT IT REINFORCED THE NATURE OF HIS MINISTRY. AND THE SCOPE OF THEIR DISCIPLESHIP LEST THEY FORGET THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE HAD COME. THE CAUSE TO WHICH THEY WAS CALLED.
AND SO HE PRAYED..." SANCTIFY THEM IN TRUTH; THY WORD IS TRUTH."
THE TRUTH....A BIT LATER PILATE WOULD ASK HIM ABOUT THAT. HE WAS NOT THE FIRST, NOR WOULD HE BE THE LAST. FOR MANKIND-WAS SO WONDERFULLY MADE, FASHIONED IN THE VERY LIKENESS OF GOD, CREATED ABOVE ALL OTHER CREATURES WITH THE CAPACITY TO THINK AND REASON-HAS ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE ILLUSIVE CONCEPT. AND IN THEIR FASCINATION MEN HAVE APPROACHED THE MATTER OF TRUTH IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS: THAT OF AN ARROGANT DOGMATICISM. ON THE ONE HAND AND A HOPELESS CYNICISM ON THE OTHER.
THE FIRST GOES LIKE THIS: IF YOU WOULD KNOW AND POSSESS THE TRUTH IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE OR MY,RELIGIOUS THOUGHT. SIMPLY THINK AS I THINK, UNDERSTAND AS I UNDERSTAND, BE GOVERNED AS I AM GOVERNED, LIVE AS I, BELIEVE AND THE T!RUTH WILL BE YOURS.! ITS A WAY OF SAYING THAT ONLY THE EXPERIENCES AND INSTIUTIONS OF MY LIFE HAVE VALIDITY. IF THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLE WOULD MARCH INSTEP WITH ME, THEN, AT LAST, PEACE AND TRANQULITY WOULD ENVELOP THE EARTH. FOR TRUTH IS BOUNDED BY THE LIMITS OF MY EXPERIENCE AND CULTURE. AND TRADITION,
NEGATIVELY, ITS LIKE THE GRANDMOTHER WHO, AFTER WATCHING THE LANDING OF THE ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON, DECLARED, " THERE'S NO TRUTH IN IT" IT'S ONLY A TRICK THE TELEVISION PEOPLE ARE PLAYING ON US." FOR ONE WHO HAD TRAVELED TO THIS COUNTRY BY STEAMER SEVENTY YEARS BEFORE, WHO HAD GIVEN BIRTH TO HER BABIES UNATTENDED IN A SOD HOUSE, WHO HAD WATCHED HER HUSBAND FIRST TILL THE LAND OF THEIR HOMSTEAD WITH OX AND PLOW, THERE COULD BE NO TRUTH IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT MEN WERE ON THE MOON. WE DO MUCH THE SAME THING WHENEVER WE THREATEN AND COERCE PEOPLE OF DIFFERING RACES AND CULTURES AND TRADITIONS TO LOCK STEP WITH THE EXPERIENCES AND TRADITIONS OF OUR LIVES IN ORDER TO KNOW AND POSSES THE TRUTH. IT'S THE SIN OF MAN'S FIRST PARENTS REPEATED AGAIN THE SIN OF CLAIMING FOR OURSELVES THE ROLE AND PLACE OF GOD.
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