April 27, 2012
CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!
John 17
Cindy Wright
Central Truth
When the troubles and hardships of this world seem unbearable, take heart! Our Lord and Savior is praying for our protection.
Key Verse | John 17:15
I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
John 17
The High Priestly Prayer
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6 I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 1 17:15 Or from evil 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them 2 17:17 Greek Set them apart (for holy service to God) in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, 3 17:19 Or I sanctify myself; or I set myself apart (for holy service to God) that they also may be sanctified 4 17:19 Greek may be set apart (for holy service to God) in truth.
20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Dive Deeper | John 17
The old 70's commercial goes something like this: a harried woman recounts her stresses for the day saying, "The traffic, the boss, the baby, the dog! That does it . . . Calgon, take me away!" She is definitely looking for an escape from the difficulties of daily life.
Every day, our culture confirms our desire to get away from the hardships of life. Indeed, it tells us that we deserve an easy life. Remember the old McDonald's commercial? "You deserve a break today, so get up and get away . . . ." Or how about those clever Southwest Airlines ads? The character is in an uncomfortable, often embarrassing situation, followed by the question, "Wanna get away?"
It's true, most of us would like to escape the hard stuff. On a more somber note, people all around us try to get away from the troubles in this life by escaping through more destructive methods such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and numerous other addictions. Christians are often guilty, too. Rather than face opposition or persecution, we choose not to associate with the lost in our world. When suffering comes, we often question God's plan and look for a way out.
Earlier in John, Jesus has already told us what to expect. He says, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, NIV) The promise of victory in Christ is encouraging enough.
Then, in chapter 17 we learn that Jesus is praying for us! He knew the hardships we would face in this world. Very soon, He would face suffering beyond what any of us have faced, taking on the sin of the world, crucifixion, and death. Jesus could have removed Himself from this event, but He did not. He knew that carrying out God's plan would save us and defeat the evil one. So Jesus prays for us, not to be taken out of this world, but for our protection from Satan as we live our lives on earth. Be encouraged, we don't need to escape! (And for you young'uns, Calgon is bubble bath!)
Discussion Questions
1. From what hardships or sufferings in your life are you trying to escape?
2. Are you seeking destructive or ungodly avenues of escape? What are they?
3. Can you tell of a time when God protected and blessed you in the midst of hardship or persecution? What promises of God did you rely on?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
John 13-17 (April 23-27)
Read John 15:1-17.
• What did Jesus say He is?
• What did He say we are?
• What does it mean to prune something?
• Why do you think it helps to prune back a vine? (Check out Wikipedia's answer to this question.)
• What kind of pruning happens in our lives? And what it is the pruning for?
• Take time for each person to talk about a time when they experienced pruning (e.g., experienced the removal of something from your life that caused you to grow in your walk with Christ).
• Talk about how God used this in your life to draw you closer to Him and to bring Him glory (e.g., someone saw your response and wondered why you could respond well, or He took you to another team to share about Him).
Activity: Go outside and cut a branch off a tree or bush (it would be great if it was a flowering tree or bush that had the flower and leaves on it.) Put it in your house where everyone can see what happens to it. Do not put it in water.
Then, watch the branch over the next week and see what happens to it. Why is it dying? Where did it get what it needed to live from? Remember what Jesus said about Himself and us in John 15? What happens when we don't stay connected to Jesus? What are ways that you stay connected to Him?