Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This coming Lord’s Day is the first Sunday of Advent 2016! For the next five Sundays, culminating with worship on Christmas morning Sunday December 25, we will be preaching a series of messages from John 17. Most of us will remember that this is the blessed chapter from the Fourth Gospel that contains the record of our Lord’s special prayer for the Disciples in those moments preceding His betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. As the immediate context indicates (16:29-33), Jesus sought to provide the strength and comfort His Disciples needed in order to go from there into the world with the Gospel, even though they would be resisted and persecuted, and would inevitably face the terrible tribulations of which Jesus had spoken. But this is much more than just a prayer offered on behalf of the Twelve. As Jesus Himself says in verse 20, it was uttered for each of us as well—“but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.”
The 26 verses of this sacred prayer give us some amazing insights into the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, the One born in Bethlehem’s manger to the virgin Mary. It is here that His identity, His sovereignty, His mission, and His eternal plan for the cosmos comes into full focus. One simply cannot consider the words recorded here and come away with any confusion about our Lord’s own self-awareness as to His true nature and identity, or the purpose for which He took on human flesh.
Let me encourage you to carefully read John 13:1-17:26 in preparation for this series. And let us all pray that our Lord will open our eyes to the magnificent truths discovered in the supplications of our wonderful Savior.
I love you all, and can’t wait to worship our Lord with you on Sunday!
In His grace,
Mike