This whole chapter records the prayer that Jesus prayed for His disciples just before He entered into the Garden of Gethsemane. The other gospels record short bits of prayers that were spoken in the garden by Jesus. But John remembers the prayer Jesus spoke out loud before He crossed the brook and entered the garden. Jesus was praying for him, for the other disciples and for those who would believe afterwards. I have always found this prayer very moving because it shows what Jesus thoughts were just before the cross. The verse I used today shows that He knew what was coming soon, and that His focus was bringing God the Glory through all that would happen.
Reading this prayer brings me closer to Jesus, He reveals so much of Himself to me in His words. And it never fails to show me something new no matter how many times I read it. As I began to study this chapter, my mind centered on verse 2 and 3. The Phillips New Testament says it like this " When Jesus had said these words, he raised his eyes to Heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son now so that he may bring glory to you, for you have given him authority over all men to give eternal life for all that you have given to him. And this is eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and him whom you have sent—Jesus Christ. ." And this is Eternal Life...
To Know God!
Whenever I think of heaven, I must confess the picture that comes to mind is a bit selfish really. I mostly focus on meeting my loved ones again, getting to talk to old friends once more. I picture my grandmother and I running flat out across a field laughing like school girls (my grandmother once said to me that the first thing she wanted to do when she got to heaven was run like she used to when she was young). My thoughts on Eternal Life are actually focused on myself, though I have never really thought of it like that. Jesus said that Eternal Life is getting to know God! That puts a whole different spin on things for me.
I guess I just thought that I would immediately and automatically know everything there was to know about God when I got my new body and entered the "pearly gates". But Jesus said Eternal Life is all about God, learning who He is. An Eternal, Omnipotent, All knowing God might take some time to get to "know". It recalls to me the picture of the Garden of Eden. God made Man in His image and then came to the Garden in the cool of the day looking for him so that they might walk together. Is that what Jesus was talking about? Does God long to get back to that relationship with us, so that we might "walk" with Him in the beautiful Gardens of Heaven? Is that what Jesus was looking forward to when He kept mentioning going to His Father again?
I want to conclude by encouraging you to read this chapter, this prayer, often. Jesus revealed Himself as we all do when we pray sincerely to God. Our deepest emotions come out in our words. Our hopes and our fears pour out as we talk to God. We may start by praying in a stilted, formal manner but, with our heads bowed and our eyes closed, we leave the "normal" world behind. Thoughts and emotions we haven't expressed before are being put into words. Even non believers find this happening to them when they are pushed into a situation where prayer is their only option. In the same way, the thoughts and emotions of Jesus are revealed in His conversation with God. Ever wonder what Jesus was thinking about as He approached His death on the cross? Read verse 20.
He was thinking about.....YOU!