John 17:9 I pray for them I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
Christ Jesus does not love everyone in the same manner. The
fashion he loves his followers, his disciples, and his children are dissimilar
from how he loves those who refuse His gift of salvation. In this scripture
verse, Jesus said he was not praying for the world; he was praying for all the
people that the Father had given Him that had separated from the world. This
love is intercessory, and Jesus is in heaven today, mediating for all who
surrender their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls to Him. Jesus paid for the
right to intercede for us on the Cross and applies His precious blood before
the Father as He intercedes for us.
This prayer Jesus prayed for Peter after he denied Him
three times was for when he turned back, not if he turned back (John 18:17-18;
John 18:25-27). Jesus told Peter when he turned back, he should help to
strengthen his fellow followers (Luke 22:32). It is essential to comprehend
that Jesus did not say if you turn back, but when you turn back.
This prayer from Jesus was not for the unrepentant world,
but it in no manner means that He had no concern for the world in general. On
the contrary, the Bible clarifies that God loves all people of the world (John
3:16), and He desires that all people believe in Him (John 17:21). All that we
possess in the world belongs to God; however, all that He has does not belong
to us. We can all say to Father God that all I have is yours, but Jesus alone
can say that all that is yours is mine. The eleven Apostles believed in and on
Christ Jesus as the true promised Messiah. Consequently, His request was for them, not the entire earth, at this juncture.
The foundation for that request was that the 11 disciples belonged to God, so their welfare was Jesus’ particular interest. Those who belong to the Father belong equivalently to the Son. Thus, Jesus claimed equivalent concern for the Eleven with the Father. Jesus is at this time in heaven making intercessions on our behalf before the Father (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). Christ Jesus does not advocate that the Father keep us from going through trials and tribulations; he asks the Father to protect us as we walk through deep dark valleys.
Please leave a request in the comments section if you would like the Verse of the Day sent to your email.
No comments:
Post a Comment