Passover Lessons - Gospel of John
The True Lord's Prayer expounded
by
Keith Hunt
PASSOVER LESSONS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN #7 These words spoke Jesus, and lifting up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. As you have given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him" (verses 1-2). Yes, as we have seen in chapter 6, it is God who calls people out of spiritual blindness, to give them a chance to choose the pathway of eternal life or to reject it. The truth of blindness and calling is expounded in some detail by the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 9 through to 11. "And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (verse 3). Once more we should from this verses see that the Father is the "head" - He only is the true and Supreme God. While there is a Godhead, that Godhead has levels of authority (1 Corinthians 11:3). In this aspect of authority, there is no "equal" THREE persons equal in ALL things. The ONE aspect of the Godhead is that the Father is ABOVE all, there is NO equal to His authority. Even Christ calls Him, the "only true God" and put it another way, "the only supreme true God." The word "God" in the NT is used in various contexts, for a "surname" - "Hunt" is my surname, and all my children (I have 5 children) are known as "Hunt" but I am the head of what you may call the "hunthead." So it is with the Godhead, the One being we know today as God the Father is the SUPREME in authority and is head of Christ (1 Cor.11:3). "I have glorified You on earth: I have finished the work which You gave me to do" (verse 4). Jesus lived a perfect life, without sin, not one. In thought, work, speech, body, He glorified on earth the holy perfect character of God the Father. And the work He was send to do, was done. He was sent to overcome sin, to not sin, and hence then be the Savior of all people, and He was sent to teach and witness to the truth of God, and then finally to give His life, to shed His blood, and so secure eternal life to as many as accept Jesus as personal Savior. Jesus still had work to do AFTER His resurrection, and that work is explained to us in the book of Hebrews. And Jesus will STILL have work to do when He returns to earth. But the work for that time frame of His life in the flesh had been accomplished. All of it up to His death on the cross is spoken of as "finished" because what was left to do would be done. "And now, O Father, glorify You me with thine own self with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (verse 5). Here is one of those plain simple verses in the NT that proves Jesus lived before His human birth, in GLORY, WITH the Father! And that is exactly what John said at the very beginning of His Gospel. I know that those who teach Christ did NOT exist until He was born of the virgin Mary, will have all kinds of ways of getting around a simple verse like verse 5, but for a child reading the NT, it is simple to understand. When I was a child reading the Bible, and reading this verses, I just believed what it said, that Jesus had GLORY with the Father BEFORE the world was created. Again John chapter one, verses 1-14 I was able to read as a child and understand it meant exactly what it says. "I have manifested Thy name unto the men which You gave me out of the world: They were Yours, and You gave them to me; and they have KEPT Your word" (verse 6). Those whom the Father will call; those who accept that calling, now become chosen, and such will KEEP the word of God. This is again the teaching of Matthew 4:4 - a true Christian wants to live their life in accordance to the Word of God, not the word of men, the teachings of men, the traditions of men. They will fear God before fearing any other person, be it mother or father, husband or wife, friends, relatives, children. Serving God by letting His Word teach and correct them, will be the joy of all true children of the Father. "Now they have known that all things whatsoever You have to me are from You. For I have given them the words which You gave to me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from You, and they have believed that You did send me" (verses 7,8). Indeed, you cannot have Christ without the Father, INSEPARABLE They come as a "package deal" - they are two sides of the same coin. As you accept the One so must you accept the Other. You believe in Christ you must believe in God the Father; you believe in God the Father, you believe in Christ. This is where the Jew's theology of they accepting only the Father gives them eternal life, is TOTALLY WRONG! And as it is wrong for them, so it is wrong for ANYONE who thinks they can accept just the "Father" God without Christ, and be saved. It is simply NOT POSSIBLE. And so we are back with the truth that billions have lived and died who have never been saved, but will one day be resurrected and given a chance to accept BOTH the Father and Christ. We are again back to my study called "The Great White Throne Judgment" which you need to study if you have not. "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which You have given me; for they are your. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them" (verses 9,10). We see again the unity of the Father and Son, the unity of purpose and direction. If you are Christ's you belong to the Father; if you are the Father's you belong to Christ. And we note that Jesus is still interceding for His brothers and sisters as shown in the wonderful book of Hebrews. "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, KEEP through thine own name those whom you have given me, that THEY may be ONE as we are One" (verses 11). This is what Jesus prayed, and He still does. I do not believe for one second, that He has stopped praying this request. So where are the ones in ONE with Christ and the Father? Jesus in the Gospels made it clear that His sheep are the called and chosen, the salt of the earth, the very little flock, in relation to all that may call themselves "Christian." His disciples are not in the "church organization" per se, they are here and there, a few here, a few there, one here and one over there; now and again a small congregation. It has always been this way. Jesus said many would come in His name saying that He was indeed the Christ, and would deceive MANY! He said people would be looking from without wondering why they were not in the Kingdom, people who would say they did this and that in His name. It's all in the Gospels, but most read right over those passages. Most Christians just do not even think about that they may be deceived. The One Billion plus Roman Catholics around the world, are not thinking their religion may be false, or that they have been deceived into worshipping God and Christ in VAIN! Most of them, if not all of them, would be SHOCKED and very OFFENDED if you told them they have been deceived by a false Christianity. I can tell you another thing, that is very close to me, having gone through it. Most, in the Churches of God that come from and have roots in the Worldwide Church of God, especially those that did not move out from that organization till about 1990 and after, would be very OFFENDED if you told them they were still committing idolatry by holding on to Herbert Armstrong as they do. And they would be very offended if you told them they have never admitted HWA was teaching false doctrines and had turned his organization into a "cult" before he died. They still think everything was pure and fine before HWA died. They still will not admit there was HUGE sinS and corruptionS inside the very organization that HWA headed up IN THE LAST 20 YEARS OF HIS LIFE, AND A LOT OF IT WAS OF HIS DOING! The true people of God have admitted those corruptions, come out of it, have repented, or were never a part of it to begin with. Today many are indeed part of the Laodicean attitude of mind, and God pulls no punches in telling them what they cannot see, will not see, and telling them to REPENT!! Read about that "church" of people that covers a certain mind-set, it's in the 3rd chapter of Revelation. Today with the wonderful tool of the Internet, the worldwide web, God's truths can go forth, people can find the truths in the Father's Word, the Bible. They can do what they need to do to be "right with the Lord" and so THEY WILL be ONE, even as Jesus prayed to the Father that they would be. We shall see this request of Christ's was REALLY on His mind; He will come back to it again shortly in His prayer. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name; those whom You gave to me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (verse 12). The true disciples of the Lord have truth given to them, they will hear or see it, and they will come to KNOW it is the truth of God, even in the time of the end when Jesus said deception would be so great that IF it was possible even the very elect would be deceived (Mat.24:24). But it's not possible. They will be kept as One with Christ and the Father. "And now come I to You; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves" (verse 13). Yes, it is truly a JOY to be set free from falsehood and deceptions, from sins and corruptions of men. It is a joy to know the truth, which as Jesus said, will make you FREE! "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (verse 14). The true disciples of the Lord will not be accepted by the world, or any of the world's popular Christian religions. The world will not speak well of them. Jesus said, "Woe unto you when men shall speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." The true followers of God will have God's word, and especially the words of Christ as given in the Gospels (all clearly standing out if you have a red-letter NT). God's word is powerful, like a two-edged sword, cutting and dividing even to the joints and marrow (Hebrews 4:12). God's word will clearly show and even AMPLIFY what SIN IS! (the basic answer is found in 1 John 3:4, then amplified by many other passages). It will declare what RIGHTEOUSNESS IS (yes that answer is found in Psalm 119:172). "I pray not that You should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil" (verse 15). Now, read that again! Jesus did not say, "I pray you take them not out of the world, EXCEPT at the end time when you will rapture them to heaven to escape THE great tribulation." Jesus' prayer is quite specific, and if it's not registering in your mind, IT IS A PRAYER - it is a request from Christ to the Father! Jesus is asking that His disciples be NOT TAKEN out of this world, but that they be kept from the evil. There is no qualification of TIME mentioned here. Hence the clear way to understand this prayer request of Jesus' is that it is a request FOR ALL TIME, UNTIL verse 24, which we'll come to shortly. The idea of some "secret rapture" at the very end time, is not taught anywhere in the Bible. I have spent much time and effort to bring you the truth of the matter, concerning the falsehood of this popular modern teaching by the Protestant fundamentalists. Christ's disciples WILL BE on this EARTH right up to the time of His coming in POWER and GLORY, COMING VISIBLY IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN, only THEN will be the RESURRECTION (or as some say "the rapture") of the saints, who by the angels leading them will meet Christ in the air, the clouds, and then in that same day descend to the Mount of Olives (Mat.24:29-31; 1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4:13-18; Rev. 11:15-19; Zech.14:1-4). It's just as simple as putting those passages of Scripture together that I've just given you. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your TRUTH: Your Word is TRUTH" (verse 17). Mark that verse friends. Note it, highlight it in yellow! Christians are set apart (sanctified) from the world BY TRUTH, and it is God's Word that IS truth! It is not the teachings of men or women, it is not the teachings of some church "denomination" - it is not the teachings of any PERSON who claims to be THE apostle of Christ - it is not anyone who BY OTHERS is put as some "inspired" or "infallible" prophet or teacher - it is NOT an individual, who by other "ministers" or "priests" is put as "head cheese" over a church group. It is GOD'S WORD ONLY that is TRUTH!! You need to be "searching the Scriptures daily" as the Bareans did (Acts 17) to see what ANY PERSON teaches SQUARES with the WORD of God!! You need to have your nose and eyes and mind in the BIBLE! You need to do as the apostle Paul admonished, "Prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good." Today, it is even more needful to be doing all this, for as we have seen, Jesus said that at the end time, deception would be so great, that IF it was possible even the very elect would be deceived! (Mat.24:24). "As You have sent me into the world, even so I also send them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (verse 19). It is not some teaching of a man (you Roman Catholics, who look to "the Pope"; you off-shoots of the WCG who still cling to Herbert Armstrong; you Mormons who cling to Joseph Smith etc.) or woman (you SDA people who cling to Ellen White). Jesus was, is, the Word, who became flesh. It is the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, that is INSPIRED, not some words or teachings of some man or woman. It is the WORD of God that is TRUTH! And that word of truth will SANCTIFY - set you apart from all the false ways, lies, practices, and teachings of the world, and its MANY false religions and "denominations" within those false religions. KEEP YOUR EYES AND MIND IN THE BIBLE! "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" (verse 20). Oh yes, God will have His people teaching and preaching His word. You just have to know the word so well, that you will recognize the word of truth when you hear it. Emotions will not tell you who teaches the Word correctly; the person's looks, or skill of oratory, or fancy "educated" language; none of that is going to tell you who teaches the truth of God's word! You will only know by doing what the Bareans did .... they searched the Scriptures daily to see if it was so, that Paul and his helpers were teaching, if it all squared with the Bible (Acts 17). "That they ALL may be ONE; as You, Father, are in me, and I in You, that they also may be ONE, in US: that the world may believe that You have sent me. And the glory which You gave me, I have given to them; that they may be ONE, even as WE are ONE. I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in ONE; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as You have loved me" (verses 21-23). Do you see HOW MUCH Jesus' prayed for His disciples to be ONE! It was IMPORTANT that it be so. Notice how many times the word "ONE" is used in these few verses. Could the Father turn down such a request from His Son, who had put aside glory, the Godhead, and was willing to come as flesh and blood, to face Satan and sin, to have to go through conquering sin, and then a horrible beating and death on a Roman cross? In these end times those people called "Philadelphia" in Revelation 3:7-13, will have what seems like little strength, no large "organization" behind them, no big money budget to work with, but God will OPEN A DOOR that no man can shut. Because those people have NOT denied God's name (and God's name is TRUTH, there is nothing about God that is not truth), the Father has given enough time in this age, that a DOOR like the Internet and Worldwide Web, is OPEN, FREELY OPEN, to even His salt of the earth people, his little flock. No man can shut this door. The Worldwide Web has been specifically designed by those who built it, to be FREE to the world, with no person to shut it down, no nation can shut it down. God directed the minds of the inventors of the worldwide web, to place that invention in free public domain. Who could have thought of such a human communication, free worldwide network of knowledge, 40 years ago. Such a modern invention I certainly was not thinking about. But here we are, where just ONE of God's children, one of the salt of the earth, like myself, has an open door to the WORLD, that no man can shut down. It is mind-bending when you think about it. With the help of TWO other people in my life (Jesse was one of them, now resting in death), I have been able to produce this HUGE KNOWLEDGE of God on this Website. Two people helped build the physical side of this Website, and yes I have a Website "host" who for just $100 a year keeps all advertizing off and renders my Website possible for the whole world. You talk about a little flock, with little strength, but an OPEN DOOR .... you are seeing it right before your eyes. And so it is also, with those others who are the true servants of God doing His work. In this way, as like no other time in history, the disciples of Jesus are ONE. Those whom believe can FIND the truth of God, when they hunger and thirst for it, search for it, and so they ARE ONE! "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me; for You loved me before the foundation of the world" (verse 24). The time when Jesus' disciples will be with Him, to behold His glory, is when they shall see Him as He is today, and will be like Him, hence able to see Him in His glory (1 John 3:1-3). And that will not be until Jesus returns in VISIBLE GLORY, coming on a white horse in the clouds of heaven, when the angels are sent to gather the elect from the four corners of the earth, when the resurrection to glory comes for the saints of all ages. That is when Jesus' disciples will be with Him, as fully expounded in many studies on my Website. God will be with Jesus, after the great tribulation, after the heavenly signs, at the trumpet sound; the angels go forth to gather the elect to Jesus in the air, in the clouds [1 Thes. 4: 13-18] and in that day return with Him to the mount of Olives [Zech. 14]. "O righteous Father, the world has not known You: but I have known You, and these have known that You did send me. And I have declared unto them Your name, and I will declare it, that the love wherein You have loved me may be in them, and I in them" (verse 25-26). It is not only "have declared it" (God's name of truth) but it is also "I will declare it" - Jesus moves, He does not sit on His duff doing nothing on the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is head of His church, that He said He would build. He is constantly through the Spirit, guiding, teaching, correcting, leading His people into the truth, as He promised the Spirit would do when it came. Being a true disciple of Jesus is "growing in grace and knowledge" of Him and the Father. Truth is not given out all at one time. We shall be led into truth, but at the Lord's time. Being called to hear and understand, having blindness removed and spiritual insight given, is for the Lord to determine as to the when. Some are called when young, some in middle age, some in late age. Then, at whatever age you are called and chosen (doing your part of accepting), truth is started to be given to you, more truth is given later, when you have accepted that which is given now. And so it goes. Jesus is constantly declaring God to you. The LOVE they BOTH have will then be IN you. So it is indeed as Jesus said in chapter 14:23..... "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and WE shall come unto him, and make OUR abode with him." I PRAY IT WILL BE SO FOR YOU!! ....................... It is the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the year 2010. Indeed the Gospel of John is a FEAST of a book for this festival. |
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