Jesus had come to “do the Will of My Father.” Anytime you or I have been anticipating an event for a period of time, there seems to arise an interest in every movement, moment, or circumstance. We are excited about the “finishing up” of all the plans that have been made and carefully go over and over in our minds the final steps of preparation. Sure, we are tired of the preparation process and often dread the last pull up to the finish line but we persevere knowing what we are committed to and to whom, yet there is a kind of delight that comes across our expressions when we know that we are finally making the last load!! For the last 5,000 years or more Jesus Christ had lived every moment of the last week. There would be NO detail that His Father had assigned Him that He would not have scrutinized to the most minute detail. There must have been a little more excitement in His voice, a quicker step in His walk, and compassion in His dealings with His disciples that they may have recognized, but not knowing His time on the Earth was over, they would probably not have questioned. Just One More Week!, the last week and the plan of the ages would be completed as far as God’s part was concerned. Being complete, He would never again have to be scorned, spit on, slapped in the face, ignored, or impugned. It Would All Be Over!! Christ knew this; “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18 And for you who think Christ was not God, that he was some kind of super human, nothing He would have done would have been understood by you, anyway!
GOING HOME, not as a coward but a Captain!! There is a joy in that. Christ did not have to worry about the fact that He had not completed All that was given Him to do. In fact in this last recorded conversation with the Father, Christ said: “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” John 17:4 God the Father did not have to worry that some half-human form was coming back to Heaven, Christ said: “And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” John 17:5
The time of this communication with the Father is important. As we who preach the gospel must pray for they to whom we preach, so Christ goes to God, the Father in behalf of His disciples. He wanted them to hear what no man had ever heard in any dispensation of time: personal communication between two who possessed equal love for they who would become martyrs for Christ’s Bride!! When He spoke before His disciples to God, the Father, it was an instructional communication for the edification of His elect. Never before had Christ spoken directly to the Father in the hearing of man. Never had man been privileged to listen in on such a conversation. Never before had God talking to God been witnessed by man!! How precious the eleven were to have been so privileged!! Sadly, most of the religious world does not know Who was speaking to Whom or even what the conversation was about and even miss the purpose of this communication!!
These were “the last words of Christ to His family.” Some never have the opportunity to such a privilege-their parents not being Christians or the parents being “play around” Christians. The stillness of the moment sometimes intensifies the dedication of its purpose leaving an eternal weight on the hearts of those who so enjoy these moments. Some of us never got to witness this when our parent(s) were leaving this world. We were in another place or another room or maybe did not have parents who had opportunity to speak to us. Have you not often wondered just what they would have said? Not so with Christ. He who knew all things KNEW the end had arrived, He KNEW this would be the last address from Him they would hear so He intently wanted the disciples to “listen in” on God talking to God!! Abraham had taught his household, Genesis 18:19, Jacob called all his sons together before his parting and blessed them, Genesis 49, dying Moses blessed Israel, Deuteronomy 33, but men like David had never seized upon such an opportunity with his sons {as far as it being recorded} and NONE of them ever heard this great man of God even pray, so all of them were lost!! John 17 then was the dying Savior blessing His family just before His death was accomplished!! Read this prayer often brothers and sisters, this is a type of what Christ does for each one of us now as our High Priest!!
One of the most stringent and striking things as we begin goes unnoticed but is mentioned by the Holy Spirit through John; “and He lifted up His eyes to Heaven.” John 17:1
