In the spring of 2019, Barbara and I had the privilege of touring Israel with a group from Redeemer. A particular highlight of that trip was getting to visit the Garden of Gethsemane, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, near the Kidron Valley.
It was impactful to be able to stand in that spot and try to imagine what it would have been like for Jesus on the night He was arrested.
Read MoreThere is a song from a few years ago called Yield My Heart by Kim Walker-Smith. Lyrics from this song remind me of John 17. Some of these lyrics are: Holy Spirt come, Holy Spirit rest in this place. Teach us how to be one with You. I yield my heart to You, I yield my heart to You, I yield my heart to You, You’re my King.
At the climax of the song, this line is repeated: I am one with You. Nothing in this world could ever keep me from You.
Read MoreUpon finishing his final instructions to his disciples, Jesus prayed his longest personal prayer recorded in Scripture. Given that this was his final prayer before his arrest, I can only begin to imagine the feelings Jesus was experiencing in these last moments.
There are different elements and themes intertwined throughout his final prayer, many of which are themes that characterize the entire Gospel of John. However, a few of these elements are especially striking. As followers, we can meditate on and model the desires that Jesus conveys to the Father.
Read MoreAs a healthcare provider, I have spent my entire career in the intensive care unit. The nature of this work is as much about watching people die, as it is about helping them defy the odds of their illness. I have the unique responsibility of telling patients and their loved ones that there is nothing more we have to offer, that it is only a matter of time before they will succumb to their condition.
Read MoreThis chapter is a transition—a shift in Jesus’ ministry. John 17 marks the end of three years of Jesus’ earthly mission, and the beginning of His ultimate purpose: to sacrifice Himself. Jesus’ prayer, divided into three main groups, reveals this transition. First, Jesus prays for Himself, then His disciples, and then for future believers.
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