On the Father’s Word-Lent 35, 2015

With Christ in the Upper Room, the disciples are privileged to witness Jesus’ prayer life as final preparation for His departure.  This third section of the Upper Room Discourse is often called the “High Priestly Prayer.”  Jesus is praying as our High Priest before He goes to offer sacrifice on our behalf—with Himself as our perfect sacrifice!

The completed work of preparation, of Jesus’ planting the faith, is now outlined.  Jesus reports back to the Father what He did:

• He revealed the Father perfectly to those God gave to Him from within the world.
• They belonged first to the Father and they now belong to Christ as part of the completion.
• The disciples accepted the words of Christ and the Word of God.
• The disciples believe—completely (albeit in a shallow sense at the present) that Jesus came from the Father.
• The disciples know enough to obey God’s Word.

The Church in America is appallingly weak in this idea of obedience to the Word of God.  As Jesus is praying, He says

John 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.”

We treat God’s Word like a cafeteria. 

We take a little of this that we like and take a pass on all the stuff we don’t like.  We like love.  We hate judgment.  In that respect, who is God?  Which one of us, the Father, or you and me?

God has every reason to be disgusted with us.

Jesus says the mark of discipleship is accepting everything that comes from the mouth of God as truth.  That’s how we are known by Him as disciples.  The world knows we are disciples by our unity, but Christ knows we are disciples by our obedience.

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Give it Up for Lent: Thinking we can pick and choose through God’s Word.

Put it On for Lent: Full, unconditional obedience.

For further thought:

• Note how much giving is going on.  Jesus reveals the Father to the disciples God has given.  The Father gave them and they obeyed.  Everything has been given by the Father to Christ and He gave these teachings to us.  Some theologians see a case to be made here that God alone grants salvation to individuals by His sovereign choice.  All we can do is accept God’s choice as final.  Grace is like that.  Others see a call and response in which God gives but we obey, accept, and believe.  What do you think?
• Have you accepted the full Word of God?  Do you obey it?
• Read Hebrews 7:26-8:2; 9:11-15, and 10:1-24.  How does the title “High Priestly Prayer” fit?

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Holy Week is the final week for 2015 Lenten devotionals which you can receive in your email (Monday through Saturday during Lent) by entering your email address on the SeminaryGal.com home page in the space provided in the sidebar.  There’s still time to meet With Christ in the Upper Room.  After Lent, sermons and additional devotionals will be posted and arrive in your email.  I hope you will continue to be blessed beyond Lent as other devotional series unfold.