That Day Before

It was the day before Jesus’ crucifixion; the day He had spent His entire life preparing for, was finally on the horizon. Thirty three years on earth of Spiritual guidance, learning, teaching, wine making, healing, preaching, instructions, persecutions, mountain climbing, water-walking and storm stopping, mental strengthening, praying, city to city travelling, disciple creating, miracle working, storytelling, and doing only what He saw His Father doing, was coming to an end. He was on the verge of finishing the work which the Father gave Him to do. And on that day before facing the cross, what was Jesus doing?

Have you ever spent, what seemed like a lifetime, preparing for an event? An event so impactful that it was guaranteed to change your life? Perhaps you’ve never had an experience so drastic but I’m almost sure that most of you have had episodes of intense anticipation waiting for some big occasion or occurrence to happen. What did you do the day before that? 

What was coming up for Jesus was like nothing any human being will ever experience. Not one of us can truly imagine the series of varying emotions, Jesus as Man, would have been going through as the time of death drew closer. I for one would have been inconsolable, but unlike me and I dare say most, if not all of you, Jesus did not spend that day before certain death bawling and wailing, instead Jesus spent that day before with His disciples, first in the Upper Room then in the Garden of Gethsemane, ensuring that they’d be well equipped to move on after His death by giving them final instructions. 

Jesus gave critical advice to the ones He had journeyed with for the last three years of His life, the inner circle of disciples who by now had become close friends. After speaking with them for hours, Jesus, recognizing that the hour had come shifted His focus and turned to His Father in prayer. Jesus must have been conscious of His imminent arrest, and engaged in a period of powerful prayer for Himself, His disciples, all believers, and even for the world. 

Read John 17:1-5 and you will see that Jesus’ prayer for Himself was really an exaltation of the Father – His focus was on His Father. Who do you magnify and glorify when you pray? Is your focus on God, or is it all about you, your needs, desires, and wants?

Read John 17:6-19 and you will notice that Jesus was quite specific as He prayed for His friends, the disciples. Notice that the beauty here is that Jesus did not pray only for the eleven, but that His prayer was for ALL disciples everywhere and in every age. Wow!!! It’s good to pray for your friends, look at what happened to Job (Job 42:10). 

Then Jesus prayed for all believers and even for those of the world (read John 17:20-25). 

Every category of person was actually considered in Jesus’ prayer to His Father, and Jesus even now, is still praying. Apostle Paul in Romans 8:34 assures, “Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God--and He is interceding for us.” (BSB)

Dear friends, it’s really not that complicated, provided that your relationship with Jesus is right, you can be certain that you were covered under the prayers of John chapter 17. And if it is, then simple logic dictates that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, mere moments before the greatest event in Christianity, prayed that you and I are protected from the evil one, are sanctified by the Word of Truth, are one with the Father, have received the love and knowledge of God, and the gift of Eternal Life. What more can we ask for?

Please do not let this powerful example of prayer that Jesus left for us in John Chapter 17 go unnoticed. Just as Jesus, that day before, steadied every step to the cross with prayer, you too can face every single day with confidence through prayer. So be encouraged.

Amen†

That Day Before

Shelley Johnson April 13, 2017