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Author: Stephen Weller
618 words, 3 minutes read time

Knowing the Father’s Love

Scripture: Jn 17:24-26

In the previous lesson we considered the perfect unity of the body of believers. With this lesson we will finish our study of the prayer of Jesus.

^{Jn 17:24} Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Jesus now expresses a desire to his Father that those believers that he gave to him would be with him where he is to see him in the glory given to him by the Father. Those given, Jesus suffered and died on the cross for and he now looks forward to having eternal enjoyment with them.

Verse 24 contains the whole purpose of salvation and that there is to be those separated out as a people of God, to enjoy being with God to experience his love, glory and kindness. Jesus speaks of the Father’s love for him before the foundation of the world, which implies that love and interpersonal interaction within the Trinity had always existed. Their desire was to share their love with a perfectly united body of believers, bonded together by the Spirit and functioning in perfect harmony.

Before the foundation of the world, God knew mankind would disobey him and come under the bondage of sin and death. Knowing that, God still created the universe and put into place a plan to rescue people dead in their sin and cause them to be born spiritually to form a perfect body of many believers, clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, indwelt with the Spirit, and living in perfect harmony with each member and with God. What a beautiful body this will be; the bride of Jesus Christ arrayed in all his glory given to her.

Jesus confesses the fact that the world does not know the Father, but that he does and so do those given to him by the Father. Being chosen by the Father and caused to be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, we now know the Father through knowing Jesus.

To make known to us the Father’s name is to make known the authority that comes with knowing that name. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him and that we are to minister in that authority to make known the Father. To know the Father, we must first know the Son and as we do, we will come to experience the love that the Father has for Jesus. Not only will this love be in us, but we will experience the great “mystery, which is Christ is [us], the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 ESV).

Conclusion

What a great prayer Jesus prayed on our behalf. He came from the Father, taught about the Father, and went to the cross to die for us so that we could come before the Father. These that Jesus died for that the Father gave to him, Jesus now prays for their arrival to him in heaven. For each one of who believe that day will soon come.