Imitating Jesus Is Not Enough! - John 17:20-26

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
John 17:20-26

This morning I woke up thinking about what it means to be one with Christ and how that relates to glory. This is something that God has been working on me for a while. I want intimacy not mere imitation! I don't want to merely be like Jesus, I want to be one with Jesus. As I laid in bed, reluctant to get up, God was bringing to my mind John 15. I had the passage of the vine and the branches going through my head. Things like... "Apart from me (Jesus) you can do nothing", "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit", and "This is for my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." So I pondered on them and decided to get my bible and read John 15. Well 15 turned into chapter 16 which led to chapter 17. As I was reading chapter 17 I came across Jesus' prayer for all believers and the idea of intimacy and glory was right there... so I will share.

Jesus prays that the believers would be one. I have always immediately assumed that Jesus was just praying for unity... that they would get along, but I do not think this what Jesus is doing. I believe He is praying for intimacy, and that intimacy starts with the Father. Jesus tells us that He and the Father are intimate. "Father, just as you are in me and I am in you" is a declaration of unity. He then prays that "they also be in us". He then goes on to say, "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me." And then he ends His prayer with a reiteration of the kind of intimacy He is asking for... "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." He desires that the love the Father has for Him would be in us and that He HIMSELF would be in us! This is intimacy! This is the kind of unity He is talking about. Paul tells us all throughout the epistles that Christ is IN us. He desires us to not just be like Him, but to be one with Him. In doing this, we bear fruit! What is that fruit? It is glory!

What I am saying is that we need to move toward the crucified life, where we have surrendered everything to Christ. We desire to be one with Jesus and desperately want His glory to radiate through us. It is all about HIM and not about ME! So how does God radiate His glory through you? It is when people see the living Christ living in and through you!

I am my own enemy when it comes to intimacy with Christ. It is my love of self that puts the brakes on oneness! Now before you start saying, "Wow, Jon loves himself?!" I want you to know that I am in good company! We all struggle with self! It is the nasty beast inside us! We say often that it is all about Jesus, but we live like it's all about ME! My agenda, my time, my desires, my entitlements, my family, my money, my glory... and the list can go on! We need our ego stroked and we are quick to point out that we did something good. We want to be the hero and the focus of attention. Self is an ugly beast that keeps us from intimacy and subsequently glory!

John the baptist said "He (Jesus) must become greater, I must become less." John knew it was not about Him but about Jesus. So how do we deal with the beast in order to enjoy oneness with Christ? Jesus said that we need to deny ourselves and take up our cross DAILY and follow Him. We need to think differently... we need to think truthfully. We need to recognize and embrace the truth that Christ is living in each of us. Just as God manifested His presence in the The Most Holy Place of the Temple, He now manifests His presence IN you! We are His dwelling place! He lives in us! He wants to show His glory through us, but first we must die to ourselves!

"I have been crucified with Christ therefore I no longer live, but Jesus Christ now lives IN me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20-21)

Comments

David said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
October 19, 2011 at 1:29 PM
David said…
Turn to Hebrews 6:19, This is the hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters with in the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Now listen to lyrics from the son of a Baptist minister. Your familiar with music, do you like Creed? They aren’t five finger death punch or Katy Perry but they sing so many inspired songs from faith. We are one we are strong the more you hold us down the more we press on…etc … etc … Affirmative may be justified… Beautiful stripped me… etc… etc… That is just words from somebody’s faith, think about how powerful they have proven in our mainstream society today (its still today). Chad Kroger thought Scott to be his little brother according to his fans; therefore, he might want to consider faith himself but “what if” he’s not a leader of men? Is it a simple reason to believe in the deity of Christ with in ourselves or blasphemy? Fans of Eric Clapton nicknamed him god. Some other musicians of the Delta perhaps are a subject for another day but don’t forget who inspired Clapton - Robert Johnson, and help from the devil himself (that’s’ where the song crossroads came from). How about traditional songs, like our Anthem, Marine Corp Hymn, It is Well with my Soul, Unbounded Grace, Heaven Came Down, and In the Garden, Running on Faith, Signe - what are the roots of these songs? African spirituals plus something greater? An old bluesman from Mississippi Delta by the name of Son House wrote a song ( I encourage you to listen to it ) called John the Revelator. The song is detailing the Apostle and two stanzas’ lyrics are as follows: What’s that John Writing ask the Revelator/ What’s that John Writing ask the Revelator/A Book of the Seven seals/Well ooh ooh why me, thousands cried holy/Bound for some son of our God/Daughter of Zion, Judah the Lion/ He redeemed and bought us with His blood/… So do you see, there are reasons to sing for Love today as well as bringing back yesterday. You know, Son House was a murderer as far as I recall. He wasn’t possessed by Satan like Judas or as the legends say, Robert Johnson, but it does seem he had an affection to “righteousness” with in his soul.
October 19, 2011 at 4:08 PM
David said…
I think John the Apostle whom Jesus loved would have been a Beatles fan - God help him! I mean, he‘s in harmony with Jude (Gnosticisms), and preached love, love, love while keeping his shoes off metaphorically compared to the synoptic gospels, and he doesn’t say farewell similar to the famous song, “you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello, I don’t know why you say goodbye I say hello”. Its interesting how we have been studying so far in Hebrews and you switched to this gospel. In church last week they were speaking of Paul in the long sermon recorded by Luke. Similarities of John and Paul are known to be in writing style from what I’ve gleaned online. One has to consider glory, right? I’d ask the doctor, how come life in the Kingdom is talked about by many yet understood through few? The author of Hebrews would probably tell me the Kingdom of life has been established in the Word, but that’s my decimated guess until we find out who wrote this book! I’m not favoring Paul nor am I saying Jesus died in vain with no glory to God. I am saying, He’ll show you favor in time for eternity. Speaking intimately here, last night I was pondering the church age and eschatology - so, it really peaks my interest that you choose this gospel, Jon. Have you ever gone against the grain in the traditional area’s of thought for things to come? Imagine the millennium the last 1000 years instituted by the church’s ability to yield peace to the world. That would make a beast! Regardless of anybody’s view points on the time laps not talked about in Revelations, implementing the will of God has to be from somebody who understands - He is!

p.s. I mis-spoke, Jude wrote Jude, I was wrong. I should of read the title in the book that said, "author". I'm still leaning on Pricilla and Aquilla or even somebody with in the original Chrestus Roman Jewish Settlement for Hebrews, how about you?
October 20, 2011 at 1:32 AM
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