The Gospel of John where Jesus’ Great High Priestly Prayer has Concluded Review Essay

Introduction

We are now at the point in the Gospel of John where Jesus’ Great High Priestly prayer has concluded. The final teachings Jesus gives His disciples at the end of His arrest, trial, and just before His crucifixion are those prayers in the Upper Room. In previous passages, this prayer highlights the close link between the Father and the Son and humanity’s eternal destiny. Because it sets us back, it teaches us to look at the big picture. Jesus does make several specific requests here, but his prayers also carry overarching ideas about the nature of God and God’s broader agenda. Below is a deeper analysis of the scripture John 17:20-26.

Literature Review

Jesus’ insistence on loving his followers, the Church, easily falls away. Musing on what can be specified, commanded, or forbidden could be expected; it is tempting, but believers must fight it. When they love each other, all disputes can be handled by Christians through conversation¹. However, there is a requirement for clear communication structures across the organization layers at both the centre and the edges². Without understanding and willingness to hear other points of view, antagonism and disinterest occur. Polarisation is completely problematic. Jesus prioritized love with no wavering or compromise; He saw it as a sign of strength, given that everyone is in his life is still a work in progress. However, now, the foundation has already been established: Disciples have immediate access to God’s love.

Christ’s instruction was emphatic: Love thy neighbour. Without that, the community’s compassion, there are no sacrifices. Christianity should be practised by believers everywhere. Jesus not only asked for unity in prayer but also provided a true partnership. As followers give up control, they gradually find that they are needy and capable of connecting with others and reaching out to the world in love.

Methodology

The main methods used in collecting information used in this paper were discussions, one on one interviews and questionnaires. For questionnaires, I printed easy to fill flyers that I distributed to a sampled number of respondents to get their views on the verses. I used Secondary sources as well. Bible commentary books, journals and articles become significant in this research. Above all, the Holy Bible acted as a reference for all the sources used.

Analysis

Meaning of John 17:20-26 to readers

Jesus prays for our unity; he also acknowledges and rejects the boundaries and differences that divide us. We, our families, our Church and our country, are divided. Female or male, poor or wealthy, straight or gay, English or Hispanic , Believer or Non-believer, liberal or conservative, civilised or uncivilised, old or young , heavenly or earthly, human or divine, sinner or saved, orthodox or heretical³. We could go on and on describing the boundaries, we encounter and too often create or promote. They are no longer simple lines of demarcation but have become opposites. These boundaries exist not only in the world but above all in the human heart. We project our different lives into the world.

For every boundary we set, there is a person. Ultimately, it’s not about boundaries or differences. It’s about real people like us, with names, lives, joys, sorrows, sufferings and hardships. I think sometimes we forget that or ignore it⁴. It’s easier to deal with a problem than a real person.

Whether we admit it or not, the boundaries we set and impose are usually for our good; we want to feel good, be in the right, be in control, be chosen and loved, and be recognized, accepted, and acknowledged⁵. Someone has to lose to win, and someone has to be excluded from belonging; otherwise, winning and belonging are meaningless. Disagreements become a kind of self-affirmation in our lives.

We often deal with the boundaries and differences that divide us with agreements, understandings, covenants, contracts and laws that define how we should treat each other and how we should behave in the face of our differences. But this is not Jesus’ prayer.

Jesus is not asking us to be kind, benevolent or just nice to others. He doesn’t even want our differences to be resolved; he asks for unity. He asks that we be united as he and the Father are united, that our unity be a sign of God’s presence in the world. Amid differences, unity becomes a sacramental expression of God’s life in the world.

But this does not mean that we have lost our identity or individuality. Being one, Jesus does not cease to be Jesus, and the Father does not cease to be the Father. Unity is not so much about quantity as it is about quality. Because they love each other and give to each other, Jesus and the Father are one. Unity is a way of life, God’s way of life. The ultimate goal of Jesus’ prayer for unity is that we can be and live like God.

Interpretation

This scripture is the last part of our supplication; it is dedicated to believers of all ages. We must note that the Saviour had not envisioned a quick end to the world nor desired it to see the Church divided; this shows that He did not know the world would last for eternity but desired that the Church remain unified. Also characteristic of the Gospel’s utopian thinking is its lack of a nameⁱ. He did not refer to it as a “church,” or “they also believe in me, and on My Apostles,” it is called “spiritual connection.” How do you describe Christians, and how do you believe they measure them? We have only scratched the surface of the profundity of this petition⁶. Additionally, something is requested or claimed once four times in an initiative or comment section, and then a goal to be reached is assigned to the audience.

Jesus offers a prayer first, then an explanation of how it would impact John 17:21. As we see it, this belief ties together all believers as one in Christ by way of the ineffable equality of their creator with Father and Son, which is the primary cause of believers’ unity. Jesus prays for all of us to be unified and be members of his family. While many people think that concord means agreement or agreement of opinion, there is in the organization that it lies a much deeper sense of harmony and oneness.

By the fact that all believers abide in the Father and the same, it follows that there is the Father and Son’s unity. This singular ability to incarnate Himself through multiple men while preserving their distinctiveness is what created the world’s belief in Jesus’ mission as divine. The world began to notice when it how passionately the people embraced their beliefs. Many people believe Christians are always considered isolated and underdogs and persecuted. However, Christ calls for unity in prayer for the “the oneness of the Spirit,” not “the sameness of company.”

For the moment, the promises to believers had already been given to them. He had begun the campaign to unite the people, which was a plea for him to complete. It was while He was on earth that Jesus Christ’s power and influence shone in Israel.

Being Christ-like in each one’s personality is what unites Christians. We are united with Christ when we are made great by him⁷. The love of God bathed the evilest eyes with a shining radiance. The thousand million lights on the Saviour of the world would reflect flicker in the eyes of all of those in darkness, bearing the actual grace of Christ. here, the answer does not affect the world. Immediately, one’s thoughts are silenced by the words of the world. The lonely pasture appears to have sent Christ’s thoughts about that state of perfection following him who was “not of this world.” That tone is odd for a prayer⁸.

Where does this consciousness come from? Now that the disciples are not referred to as ‘those who believe in me,’ but ‘all that Thou hast was given me” Not only by faith but by His actual execution, as well. And its purpose is to urge Him to complete their oneness, to bring them together with Him at His victorious coming⁹. Jesus came before the world was created by the Father to share His glory means to bear God’s love for all will be a burden to us as well. We were created to walk in beauty, but we know they live in the light and are like Him because we were made the way He is.

To our ears, these passages make no kind of request but rather a strong plea and petition: John 17:25 and 17:26. It is now or never: God has placed believers and unbelievers in opposition for the last time. What propelled the country into worldwide significance was its lack of faith and the knowledge that God had sent him to proclaim His name. Our fundamental knowledge of God comes through Him; the further He continues to influence us, the more we’re going to recognize His mission, and the deeper we are going to understand Jesus in faith and our hearts, in this life.

Application of John 17:20-26 in the Church today

United by the Spirit: The Trinity

We must come to share their unity if we are to be like them. Mark was alluding to Jesus’s remarks in verse 11 when he referred to the disciples in the same language that he employed. This Gospel theme is reiterated in verses 21, 22, 23, and 26 to Christians who have followed the Disciples. If you see a theme mentioned or alluded to several times in a text, it is very important¹⁰. There is an equal partnership between the Father and the Son and a trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is critical to Jesus that Jesus’s work as the Father’s reflection be united with Him.

The basis of unity is the relationship the Father and the Son have¹¹. It is only through our fellowship with God that we can come together¹². You can have unity only have it the way you want it to be true. You may force people to act as though they believe the same thing, but that is not the belief shared by them.

Of course, any military unit must command founded on strict rules and regulations and punish those who do not abide. Simple things are interconnected. If you have ever been in the military, you know it is a license to fail when you are wearing fatigues to dress up for work¹³. The relationship between the Father and the Son is consensual, not under threat.

You can also form a partnership by concentrating on areas of strong agreement and concentrating on the point where the differences lie. That represents the hard work of the ecumenical movement to rally all of the churches who do “say with our mouths the name of Jesus”¹⁴. However, some of these churches call on a different “Jesus” who is not mentioned in the Bible False unity, in the absence of doctrine agreement, is a looser coalition The Father and the Son agree on every point of doctrine, as Jesus always says, because the Father has revealed only what the Son knows.

The Essence of Unity in the Church today

Unity within believers comes from and flows from the Father and the Son. There is, of course, unity among the Three Persons of the Godhead, but it cannot be fully comprehended by many. However, the connection between the Father and Son is somewhat understood because they both agree, Spirit, and have the same goal in mind¹⁵. We can follow in their footsteps. Being clothed with humility is the same thing the Apostle tells us to strive for in Philippians 2: ‘ as Jesus’ prayer illustrates, the individuality of each member of the Church is harmonized with its oneness.

As the Bible tells us in 12:2, when we’re renewed, we’ll have a new mind that is transformed from what we previously had into creatures who are living by righteousness. Believers will see the world from God’s point of view, and we will behave accordingly 2 Corinthians 10:15:3

Thus, if we would all embrace the Holy Spirit as taught in Ephesians 5:15 (which says to submit ourselves to Him), we would all be led together on the same path¹⁶. 1 Corinthians 12 does not tell us that we shall all serve in the same capacity but diverse ways, but the Spirit will utilize all of our resources, different strengths, abilities, and capabilities to build a single tower. To submit to the Spirit, we must be humble and impartial. This aids in bringing the two other aspects of our nature together.

When each of us seeks the same desire to express the love of God and Jesus, there is a place for everyone to speak. The definition of this love for God, as stated in John 14:21, is: ‘faithful love.’” If every one of us did as we should, then all of us together would be perfect in the Lord. We may also be affectionate with other people near and dear to us, but our love is rooted in Jesus’ instruction to love one another as He has loved us. For the greatest good of the greatest number, we are ready to sacrifice¹⁷. Let it happen to you; that is precisely what Philippians 2:3-4 is advising us to do; this is the kind of love that will ensure we are his followers.

These three statements express the true nature of love: If we truly love, then we are willing to subject our selfish desires to God’s will. We are different in many ways, but we all bring glory to God.

The Love Triangle

For most of us, love triangles conjunctions are preceded by bad news. Jesus engages us with a multidimensional love problem here. The relationship of unity between the Father and the Son also spills over into our relationships with others. It is mentioned several times in this section of the psalm. Father and Son and Son are one, and I pray that you will join those (vs 21). He is glorified with Him (vs 22). Let the world know that the Father has sent the Son and loves us (vs 23). Jesus has revealed the Father’s love so that we might experience the same, because from that came His request that the same should be in us and be in heaven, as well (vs 24-26)¹⁸. Religion is a gift from the Father to the person who accepts it, and the way through the Son, and a thank you back and hand from the Son to the Father.

A heartbreak like this is hard to come by only once every decade. The Holy Trinity includes the Father, the Son, and those who believe in Him. If they loved each other, both would feel loved and unloved. The love of the Father is seen in the fact that He loved the Son and brought Him into existence¹⁹. God also loves those who love His Son and those who love Him. But what is also of importance is to note is that the Father’s love for the Son: is equal to the Father’s love for the Son. He continued to love them, even as He loved me: This is the prayer that Jesus prays that we can make, “As Thou hast loved Me, Lord, let them love one another.

Conclusion

Finally, this divine love began at the start of the history of creation. The deal was made, and the Father was willing to pay the price for us, but the Son had to sacrifice Himself so that it could be obtained as the human race was unified in Him. The whole of the Father and the Son is glorified, now and forever. In addition, this passage also describes the time factor appealing to the hearts of others as a demonstration of the Father and Son’s concern for the needs of each person; Also, proof of the world as You are, let them be one, even as You are, so may they be in their faith

References

A., Grudem w. “An introduction to biblical doctrine.” Systematic theology (Zondervan Academic.), 2020.

DeYMaz, M. “Building a healthy multi-ethnic church.” Mandate, commitments, and practices of a diverse congregation. ( Fortress Press), 2020.

F, Lozada Jr. “John.” An Introduction and Study Guide: History, Community, and Ideology. (Bloomsbury Publishing), 2020.

Gert, Breed. “The essence and content of the work Of the Diakonos according to the New Testament.” Scriptura 118, 2019: 1-11.

H, Willmington. “Question 20-In light of the clarity of the Scriptures why is there still so much misunderstanding and so many different interpretations of the Bible among Christians?” 2019.

Martins, A. M., & Carlos, J. S. “Essence of Daylight in the Cistercian Monastic Church.” Bento de Cástris, Évora, Portugal. (IOP Publishing) 245, no. 5 (2017): 052012.

Ogden, G. “A guide to building your life in Christ.” Discipleship essentials (InterVarsity Press), 2019.

Persons, I. “An Extended Review of One God in Three Persons.” Unity of Essence, Distinction of Persons, Implications for Life (Priscilla Papers) 30, no. 1 (2016): 21.

Van der Merwe, D.G. “The Christian spirituality of the love of God.” Conceptual and experiential perspectives emanating from the Gospel of John ( Verbum et Ecclesia) 1, no. 41 (2020): 10.

Footnotes

1. DeYMaz, M. “Building a healthy multi-ethnic church.” Mandate, commitments, and practices of a diverse congregation. ( Fortress Press), 2020.
2. ibid.
3. A., Grudem w. “An introduction to biblical doctrine.” Systematic theology (Zondervan Academic.), 2020.
4. Persons, I. “An Extended Review of One God in Three Persons.” Unity of Essence, Distinction of Persons, Implications for Life (Priscilla Papers) 30, no. 1 (2016): 21.
5. Ibid.
6. Ford, D.F. “Reading Backwards, Reading Forwards, and Abiding.” Reading John in the Spirit Now:Journal of Theological Interpretation, 11, no. 1 (2017): 69-84.
7. Van der Merwe, D.G. “The Christian spirituality of the love of God.” Conceptual and experiential perspectives emanating from the Gospel of John ( Verbum et Ecclesia) 1, no. 41 (2020): 10.
8. (Persons 2016).
9. Gert, Breed. “The essence and content of the work Of the Diakonos according to the New Testament.” Scriptura 118, 2019: 1-11.
10. Ogden, G. “A guide to building your life in Christ.” Discipleship essentials (InterVarsity Press), 2019.
11. (Van der Merwe 2020).
12. F, Lozada Jr. “John.” An Introduction and Study Guide: History, Community, and Ideology. (Bloomsbury Publishing), 2020.
13. Ibid.
14. Martins, A. M., & Carlos, J. S. “Essence of Daylight in the Cistercian Monastic Church.” Bento de Cástris, Évora, Portugal. (IOP Publishing) 245, no. 5 (2017): 052012.
15. Ibid.
16. ibid.
17. H, Willmington. “Question 20-In light of the clarity of the Scriptures why is there still so much misunderstanding and so many different interpretations of the Bible among Christians?” 2019.
18. (F 2020).
19. (DeYMaz 2020).