204. Thursday after Third Sunday after Easter.
Lord Jesus, show us this great favor
that we may hear thee pray. Amen.
John 17, 1-5. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is the life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
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This Bible lesson is the first part of the pontifical prayer of Jesus; and there is nothing in the whole Bible which, for simplicity and depth, is more marvelous than this prayer.
In these five verses Jesus himself prays as the Savior of the world; that the Father will glorify him, in order that he may glorify the Father, and may give eternal life to all them whom the Father has given him. The hour was come; he was to suffer death, in order that he might be glorified, and that he might glorify the Father, and give us eternal life. He had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again. Herein is revealed the eternal, wise, and loving counsel of the holy Trinity in respect to the world; here we are met by a glory so overwhelming, and at the same time so gentle and gracious, that it melts the heart; here are righteousness and wisdom, and above all, love, so mighty that they draw unto themselves all whose eyes have been enlightened by the Spirit. “And this is life eternal.” He that knows the one true God, who is revealed on earth by his only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; he that knows the Father and the Son through the coming, the passion, the death, and the victory of the Son; knows him as a result of being enlightened by the Spirit, whom the Son after his ascension sends from the Father; he that knows God in such a way that the knowledge fills his heart, or that he knows him with the knowledge of love, even as the Son knows the Father; — he has life eternal. Love, which is stronger than death, is come to him, into his heart; he lives in Jesus, and Jesus in him. This is life eternal, and this only; but this is, in very truth, eternal life, “that they know thee — know thee, the only true God — the only — only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” How unutterably important is this! This, and this only, is life eternal, everlasting life. In order to give us this life, and thereby honor the Father, Jesus must through death enter into his glory; and this he wishes to do, and for this he prays. He is willing to accept this as a gift from the Father, though he is the only begotten Son, and as such had this glory before the world was. What a marvelous prayer this is! When we hear it every fiber in us is stirred to worship and thank him.
Blessed be thou, Lord Jesus, who didst renounce the use of thy glory, and didst pray the Father to glorify thee through the suffering of death, in order to translate us from death to life. Thou seest that we as yet understand but little of the depth and height of this truth; but give us, we pray thee, thy Holy Spirit, and shew us the Father, that we may in truth be possessors of life eternal. May we know thy love, which passeth knowledge. Glorify thyself in us, precious Savior; and glorify us with thee, that we in heaven may praise thy glory forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus, priceless treasure,
Source of purest pleasure,
Truest friend to me:
Long my heart hath panted
Till it well-nigh fainted,
Thirsting after thee.
Thine I am, O spotless lamb!
I will suffer naught to hide thee,
Ask for naught beside thee.
In thine arms I rest me,
Foes who would molest me
Cannot reach me here;
Though the earth be shaking,
Every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear;
Sin and hell, in conflict fell,
With their heaviest storms assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.