Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 17 Notes

Chapter 17 is such a beautiful portrayal of the character and passion of Christ for the Father and for us!

Verse 3
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

According to Jesus Christ, knowing God through Himself, is eternal life.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings...” (3:10)

In John 17:1-5, Jesus prays for three things:

• That He might be glorified
• That the apostles may be sanctified
• That the church may be unified

 The footnotes in my Bible suggest that verses 1- 5 might be better named The Lord’s Prayer, rather than the passage in Matthew 6:9-13.

Jesus went on to pray this way, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word: that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You: that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (20-21).

I am challenged in this passage to be a seeker of unity within the body of Christ. Personal differences in style, approach and practice of non-essentials, should not affect my support of my spiritual brothers and sisters. If my aim and your aim is to know Christ and make him known in the world, I must not give into the temptation for separation and division based on the petty stuff.

My failure comes when I cease to pursue peace and unity. But I don’t plan to stop the pursuit and therefore fail. I choose to participate in the fulfillment of Christ’s prayer for me:
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (22-23).

My desire remains to “know Jesus more and better,” and the results of that are:

• Jesus is glorified.
• We, as individuals, are sanctified.
• And the church is unified.

Walk in unity and carry on!