John 17:24-26

²⁴"Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world. ²⁵Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. ²⁶I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that IMyself may be in them."

V24 is the culmination of this great prayer. We see the basis for Jesus’ prayer, the subject of Jesus’ prayer, and the focus of Jesus’ prayer. When Jesus says, “I want those You have given Me to be with Me,” He is revealing that He understands His role as Mediator, and He is praying to the Father with that as the basis, or at least one of the bases, for appealing to God. Another basis is also revealed here. Jesus can make this request of the Father on the basis of the Father’s love for Him, that eternal love. So Jesus’ divinely ordained role and certainty of loving support from the Father serve as the motives for this prayer.

We also see the subject of this prayer – those the Father has given Jesus. This prayer is not for all men everywhere, nor for the world. It is limited to the elect. And this prayer can serve as our basis for missions. Think about fulfilling these words. What effect should Jesus’ prayer on behalf of His elect have on us this evening? It should promote humility. Those of us who believe are the Father’s gift of love to His Son. It should promote dignity. Have you ever been excited to hear that someone is praying for you? Well no one should excite you in this regard like Jesus. He has been praying for you, and He’s doing it now. You are precious in value. Have you ever told someone you’d pray for them and then forgot to do it? I have; I do it all the time. But Jesus never forgets, because you are of utmost value to Him. Finally, it should promote stability. Of all the millions that His Father in heaven has gifted to His Son, He has lost none of them. Your on firm and solid ground; He’s got you and me in His hands. No one can snatch us away – because He prays.

Finally, note the focus of Jesus’ prayer from v24. “I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory.” The answer to the question, “Where is heaven?” is this: Heaven is wherever Jesus is. Think back to the beginning of John 13. In My Father’s house are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will return for you, that you may be with Me, where I am. Jesus is praying here for the sanctification of His people. See v17. We can’t be with Jesus where He is while we are sinful. We must be made holy – sanctified. What does Jesus want from you? He wants you to be holy. Jesus is also praying here for our perseverance. In this world, we will have trouble. Jesus prays that we will be preserved and sanctified through these troubles. Romans 5:1-11 comes to mind again. Suffering brings perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope. Hope does not disappoint.

Finally, Jesus’ glory has shone through a little bit here and there during His earthly ministry. But Jesus’ prayer is like this: “I want them to see Me as I really am, I want them to see Me in My glory, I in You, and You in Me, and Us in the Spirit, the glorious Trinity.” That’s what Jesus wants for us. Do you see what that’s saying to us? If glory is our destiny, if that is what God is preparing for us, that we might behold that vision of Jesus in all His glory, and share in it, shouldn’t we be preparing ourselves for that? Shouldn’t we be praying and living for that?

This final segment of Jesus’ prayer is so deep and rich to do it justice. Jesus sums everything up with a request that is the very essence and soul of the gospel and Christianity, what we were saved for – what constitutes salvation itself, and eternal life: and that is, that we, who have believed in Him, might be brought to be with Him, and to see His glory. There is no joy, no life, no good thing at all, apart from seeing the glory of Christ. People who speak of salvation and think only of escape from hell, and nothing of the wonder of seeing Christ’s glory, are self-deluded, and know nothing of salvation at all. Heaven will be a place for those who delight in seeing Christ. In fact, true salvation is nothing more than seeing Christ in all His glory. If He were not divinely great and majestic, we would soon be bored with the sight of Him, for God has placed eternity in our hearts, so that only infinite greatness can thrill us forever (Ecclesiastes 3:11). But if He were not meek and gentle, we would rather run to hell than stand before His righteous might, weak and sinful as we are. Show me Your glory! Send down Your presence. I want to see Your face. I can’t go on without You Lord.