Comments for April 22

5:32    Israel had been told by Moses – Psa 90:12 – to number their days, that is think about the journey they had taken. That instruction is added t with the injunction to turn to the right or left – that is do not deviate from the right way. These concepts are repeated to the “son” – Prov 4:1-27 – where the concepts of thinking about the journey and how it is taken.

5:20        We might feel that we ha vent broken many of the preceding commandments. However do we ever miss represent matters to others?

5:33 Notice they were to ”walk” in the ways of God. It is not sufficient to believe what God has said. We have to live according to what He has said.

5:1 Taking account of what God had instructed falls into two parts. Keeping and doing. “Keeping”    relates to ensuring that the exact details of His ordinances are observed. Doing relates to putting those ordinances into practice. Making sure that the exact details of the laws are not diluted is relatively easy. It is, by and large, a theoretical activity. Doing is far more difficult. The requirement to put into practice what one is preserving as truth is far harder. We need to make sure that in preserving the purity of what God has taught we do not forget to put those things into practice. This was Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees – Matt 23:3

t 5:1   What God gave Israel in the “statutes and judgments” were solemn, binding, laws which the nation must obey. So as Joshua is about to send the people to their inheritance he, using the same Hebrew words speaks of “a statute and ordinance” Josh 24:25.

5:13 By this point in time those listening to Moses had experience of the impact of sabbath observance. They had received the manna each day except the sabbath for their whole time in the wilderness. They were not able to gather Manna on the sabbath. Their life was regulated by God in this respect. So the idea of not working on the sabbath should already be well established in their minds.

v.10 - The point that Solomon is making here is not that no-one ever invents anything that did not exist before - even in Solomon's day this would clearly have been untrue - but that human nature will never improve, and that each generation will not learn from the mistakes of the previous one. His writings are designed, as far as possible, to encourage those who are wise to notice this trait of human nature and work on it privately and seriously within themselves, thereby allowing God to shape our hearts and our lives towards everlasting peace in his kingdom. Matt.23:30-32, Luke 17:26-30, Acts 7:51,

v.2 'vanity of vanities' as a phrase only occurs twice in the book of Ecclesiastes here and 12:8 And nowhere else in Scripture Notice how 'all is vanity' is seen at the beginning and then once at the end of the book. here,1:14 2:17 3:19 12:8 This phrase does not occur outside the book of Ecclesiastes. The phrase and word seem to be marks of the objective of the book.
v.13 The seeming all embracing phrase 'under heaven' has a quite specific use in Scripture. The following references demonstrate the universality of Yahweh's judgement. Genesis 6:17 Exodus 17:14 Deuteronomy 7:24 9:14 25:19 29:20 2 Kings 14:27 Not that it always speaks of the whole world as a place but rather that the judgement that is to come is complete Thus the use here extends this principle to speak of those things which are happening in His domain. The two New Testament references Acts 4:12 Colossians 1:23 expand the theme to show that the Father is indeed concerned with salvation for those who will see that life without Christ is vanity. 'travail' here 2:23,26 3:10 4:4,6,8 5:14 The cyclical nature of our experience has been generated by our creator that we might learn from it. Those experiences are actually part of His chastening. Hebrews 12:11 Therefore these things which, from a natural point of view, are profitable. However it requires a particular frame of mind to benefit. We must have the frame of mind which acknowledges that our Father chastens us. Hebrews 12:5-8

1:13 Exercised therewith is quoted in Hebrews 12:11 in the context of chastening. This teaches us that the circumstances of life are used by God to develop in us a character which pleases Him. The whole of the book of Ecclesiastes is teaching us that God works in our lives. If we see His hand we see a point in life. If we do not see His hand then life seems pointless.

v.4 substantiates the point we were making above, that we are but transient beings in the eternity of God's purpose, unless, of course, we choose to accept His offer of a part in it. The whole issue of Ecclesiastes is to discuss and examine the futile nature of the work we do in this life, and to make us realise, by stark contrast, the wonder of the life to come. 2Pet.3:10-13

:1 Whilst there is some discussion as to who wrote Ecclesiastes the way that the 'preacher' describes himself as 'son of David, king in Jerusalem' we are safe in concluding that Solomon is the author of the book.

Solomon in this chapter has recorded how he had applied his heart to "search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven" and goes on to say that "this is a sore travail that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith". This word travail is only found in the book of Ecclesiastes but it is clear from the way this word travail is used that this is speaking about the curse of God place upon man in the garden of Eden. What this is implying is that man left to his own devices cannot find out the wisdom of God. Divine wisdom, Proverbs tells us is that which is given by the Lord God for "out of his mouth cometh knowledge and wisdom". This true wisdom only comes through that which God has revealed. Through prayer and regular consistent reading of his word we can grow in knowledge and understanding. Solomon began to flaunt and abuse the wisdom of God. In doing this he showed that he did not fear the God of Israel and it took a lifetime for Solomon to come to the conclusion that Gods wisdom can only be discerned and reflected by those who fear him and obey his commandments.

1:8 How true this is! No matter what we have we always want more. Have we noticed that the more we have the more anxieties we have?  do you ever reflect on your life and think that it was easier in the past when you had less responsibilities? It is very difficult, if not impossible, to move back. We should think about this as we acquire possessions or status and responsibility in life.

 As we begin to read through the book of Ecclesiastes, we may be asking ;What is the purpose of the book? Through out the history of man, they have sought to solve the problem of what is human happiness. The problem is still with us, today, men and women still seek the answer. The book of Ecclesiastes provides us with the account of one of the greatest attempts made to solve the problem, when it was undertaken by Solomon; it also gives us lessons that Solomon learnt from his experiment. Let each one of us take the opportunity to learn what the wise man learnt and his conclusion."Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

If Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes (as is generally accepted) then it would underscore the important point that wisdom and knowledge alone are not sufficient to worship God correctly (vs. 17,18). 

Solomon had wisdom and knowledge more than anyone else of his time (1Kin 3:12) and yet he sinned against Yahweh.  For example, he amassed horses (1Kin 4:26) which was against the Law (Deut 17:16), and women which turned away his heart from Yahweh (1Kin 11:1-3; Deut 17:17). 

The fear of Yahweh is the cornerstone to the correct application of wisdom and knowledge (Psa 111:10; Prov 1:7).  Solomon had forgotten that and had become embroiled in the pride of life (1John 2:16).  Perhaps Yahweh added riches to Solomon's request for understanding as a trial (1Kin 3:13).  When we ask Yahweh for wisdom and knowledge, let us use them to reflect His glory and not our own.

V.4 guarantees that the earth itself will never be destroyed.

Vs.9,10 are talking about human nature and behaviour which have never changed since Adam.

Solomon was king in Jerusalem, and he set his heart to find out, by the wisdom God had given him, the meaning of life (Ecc 1:12-18).  Life, he realised, is short. When we have gone others will take our place. So, the lesson for us must be, make the most of every moment God has given us.

1 An overall view of the book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that life is either futile or there is purpose. How we view life is determined by whether we recognise God at work in our lives or not. If we do not see Him at work then our lives seem futile. If we do see God working in our lives then things take on a totally different perspective.

V.18 Both "Wisdom" and "Knowledge" are excellent in their place. Perhaps, the best place to fully appreciate what is being spoken of here is by going back to the account of the exodus (Exo 31:3; 6). Here we are being told of the skills given to both Bezaleel and Aholiah for the building of the Tabernacle. However, the greater the wisdom and knowledge one obtains of the ways of man (Ecc 1:13; 17), which the further it goes, gives one greater pain to see how "crooked" and "wanting "  they are ( Ecc 1:15, Ecc 12:12). 

V.6 - it was not known 200 years ago and possibly not understood until much more recently that winds whirl around in a circular pattern while continuing on their course. Here we have what appears to be an accurate scientific understanding of rotating wind and weather patterns circa 977 BC. The wind mentioned could also refer to wind currents, perhaps even the jet stream.

1:3The question ‘what profit …’ highlights that without an appreciation of God’s involvement in one’s life it is an endless, pointless cycle. This view has to be contrasted with Ecc 1:13 which shows that life is a learning experience.

Solomon muses that life is full of futility and paradox. What's the point of it? Yahweh's creation continues in its endless cycle, but what does man gain? He comes and goes - but for what purpose? Who can understand it all? Is it worth trying to find out, or is this in itself a futile pursuit which can only bring pain? Seen, alone, in the light of man's post-Eden experience, life is useless. But, God has a plan for man beyond this present existence.  Understanding His plan puts everything into perspective, and gives hope to those who believe Yahweh.

1:4-8  This is the first of a number of series of cyclical events recorded by the ‘preacher’.  They are designed to highlight that life is cyclical. The cycles we experience are all designed to teach us one thing. Life without God is vanity – empty.

1:17-18 This seemingly negative presentation of the emptiness of life has to be seen against the background of not seeing God at work in one’s life. For that is what life is like without God. The contrasts has already been given in 1:13 where the events of this life, for the servant of God, are beneficial.

V.1 The Preacher can be linked to Solomon via v.12. Preacher in Hebrew is koheleth which means collector, convener, assembler, and lecturer. In other words, this person collects and assembles a congregation to give public lectures. The interesting thing is that koheleth is a feminine word.

V.3 Solomon starts a diatribe on the usefulness of life. But, if we fast forward, we will find that his conclusion is significant (12:13,14).

1:11 That there is ‘no remembrance’ catches the sentiments of the Psalmist – Psa 6:5 – and passes into Ecclesiastes as a recurring theme with the final contrasting exhortation in Ecc 12:1‘remember thy creator’ – as if whatever else is forgotten our Creator must be remembered.

1:15     The ‘crooked’ thing has been made crooked by God – Ecc 7:13 – so we cannot thwart God’s purpose. 

Ecc 1:6

"The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits."

The wind possesses many elements of mystery. Who can weigh, or measure the wind; comprehend its boundaries, or its dimensions? The wind is invisible, yet we can feel it and enjoy it. The wind is something to be experienced, and not something to be defined.

In John 4:24, we are told that, "God is a Spirit." The Greek word for "spirit" is pneuma - Strong's concordance # <4151> and means, "a current of air... breeze." God is a pneuma - wind! His ways and nature do not lend themselves to definitions. We are told in Rom 8:9 that we would not walk according to the flesh IF the pneuma of God dwells in us. The minute we step inwardly, a fantastic inner journey takes place. The power of the transforming Wind brings about generosity to the selfish, passion to the indifferent, and life to the dead. We have been born of the Spirit (John 3:5,6,8).

Ecc 1:9

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done…”

The circle of life first uttered to man was, “… for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:19). Solomon noticed the circularity of life when he said, “That which has been is that which shall be…”

Most expositors agree that Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in his later years comparing it to his early years. The book helps us develop a God-centered view, and recognize the dangers of a self-centered view. With the circularity of life, one generation comes, and another goes.

Solomon noticed the circularity of the earth (verse 4), the sun rises, then sets, then rises again (verse 5), the wind blows toward the south, turns north, and then returns to its circuits again (verse 6), the rivers keep flowing into the sea then through evaporation and rain the water returns to the rivers again (verse 7). They go in circles and nothing ever changes. What Solomon observed then is still true today. Neither the progress of revelation, nor the progress of civilization has proved the Preacher’s inspired book false, or his advice bad. “There is no new thing under the sun” (verse 9).

Solomon was concerned with what is it we have left over when our life is over? He concludes that to, “fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc 12:13-14). Solomon by writing Ecclesiastes was not trying to destroy all hope, but direct our hopes to the only One who can truly fulfill them. Scripture teaches us the true meaning of life and our purpose in it. God has not left us, “under the sun,” but has shown us that the best way to live under the sun is to live in the Son. True satisfaction in life comes only from knowing that what we are doing today is part of God’s purpose for our lives tomorrow.

1:9        We  appreciate that from God’s perspective the is indeed nothing new ‘under the sun. We might be amazed by new technology but in the end God’s plan  salvation is not new. It has been in place from the foundation of the world and it is the only thing of value that there is

Ecc 1:8   An example of a person who advertises the truth of this statement is Haman –  5:11-12.

1. Ecc 1:1 - "Preacher"<6953>.

2. Ecc 1:2 - "Vanity"<1892> "of vanities"<1892> - because of the curse of sin and death, life without the hope God offers us is meaningless, empty, and as a temporary vapor (James 4:14;Psa 144:4).

3. Ecc 1:2-3,14 - with the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ there is hope of eternal life apart from the emptiness the world offers (Gal 1:4;John 16:27-29;1Cor 15:58).

4. Ecc 1:18 - "wisdom"<2451>, "grief"<3708>, "knowledge"<1847>, "sorrow"<4341> - wisdom and knowledge bring increased awareness of the emptiness that this natural world offers.

1:8     Hab 2:5 is an example of self satisfying activities being in the end unsatisfying. 

MAKE THE MOST OF NOW.

I may be taking this slightly out of context, but a powerful lesson struck me as I read these words recently. "There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." (Ecc 1:11).

Over the last few years, my Dad has put together a genealogy of my family going back well over two hundred years. It is interesting looking through their names, and the scant details we know about them, and realising that for the most part their lives have been forgotten. It doesn't matter whether they were athletic, good rugby players, university lecturers, skilled tradesmen, renowned artists or musicians, all that has gone. Little, if anything is left from their lives that will influence me.

If time goes on, I will be the same. I cannot hope to be an influence two hundred years from now, on those people who are yet to be born.

So the lesson I got from the words of the preacher is to make the most of now. If we want to help people to come to know God, or influence them for good, let's do it with the people around us. Do the best with what we have right here and now.

We will most likely be almost forgotten after we have died, so let's make  a positive mark on the world we live in, here and now, to give glory to God while we live.

1:15       Whilst man cannot make straight crooked things – a blind Israel, for example, God can –Isa 40:5 which is quoted in Luke 3:5

1:3      “under the sun” is a phrase which only occurs in Ecclesiastes. It is not found anywhere else in Scripture. It seems to talk of the environment where men live and work.

In MUCH WISDOM IS MUCH GRIEF (Eccl.1:18)

Solomon highlights 2 kinds of wisdom here in this book of Ecclesiastes - a human wisdom, reasoning or philosophy and the wisdom which comes from God. In these verses Solomon speaks about human knowledge or worldly wisdom. 

When human knowledge ignores God's consul from his word - it is vanity and vexation of spirit.(v.17) Godly wisdom and the "fear of the Lord" is described as the "principal thing" in Prov.9:10.  In otherwords it's the chief principal - not a stage one leaves behind. We must always be seeking Godly wisdom even as our Lord "grew in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2:52)

Let us strive for Godly wisdom - James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” 

1:8     Modern marketing works on this principles. An item is most satisfying until a more up-to-date- version in produced. Then the materialistic person has to have the newest version. Of course the need to update is always justifiable!

Summary of Ecclesiastes 1

1:1        The words king David’s son

1:2-11    life is empty, full of recurring cycles

             Which do not satisfy men

             And future generations do not benefit from the lessons learnt in former generations

1:12-18  As king in Jerusalem I applied my heart to learn wisdom

             And understand the way God is working with mankind

             And concluded that I cannot change anything

1:3    After Adam and Eve had sinned Adam was told that the ground was cursed for his sake –GGen 3:17 So whether there was a profit or not was determined by whether Adam – or ourselves for that matter – see God working in our lives or not.

1:8 this is rather like what we read in Prov 30:15

1:1 The Hebrew for “preacher”, <6953>, means ‘assembler’ (see Bro. Michael Parry’s 2009 comment below) and is related to a verb for ‘assemble’, <6950>. What Solomon had assembled were people to bring the ark into the temple: “Then Solomon assembled <6950> the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled <6950> themselves unto king Solomon …” (1 Kgs. 8:1,2). Note how Solomon is the focal point of the gathering: “Solomon assembled … unto king Solomon in Jerusalem” – he is truly the `assembler’. Solomon writes about going to the temple in Ecclesiastes 5:1: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God”. The significance of the foregoing is that Ecclesiastes is written from the perspective of the temple. Likewise today, the only way to understand the world is from the perspective of the ecclesia, as the psalmist wrote: “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (Ps. 73:17).

1:4 in a changing world which is seen in the transient nature of so much it is reassuring to remind ourselves that the earth abideth forever. We need not be concerned about such things as “Global warming” of the apparent spoiling of the earth.

1:1-13 On an earth that “abideth for ever”  1:1) there are cycles of nature. The water cycle, the 24 hour day, and even the seasonal cycles. But there is one aspect of Creation that is highlighted which is not cyclical. Each generation passes away, to be replaced by another. There is a cycle but unlike the returning sun each generation “passeth away” (:4) We cannot say what would have happened if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God’s commandment. But we can say what did happen. Against the cyclical nature of God’s Creation Adam brought about circumstances whereby life for each individual would come to an end.

So, we might ask, what is the point of it all?

“What profit is there in man’s labour?” (:3)

The answer is “It all depends”. The travail given to man as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin has a purpose. Man has to be “exercised” in those things he experiences. (:13) It is only those of us who are “exercised” who will reap the “peaceable fruits of righteousness” (Heb 12:11). So our non-cyclical life cycle is either vanity or profitable depending on whether we see God at work in our lives.

1:4-7 The contrast is presented between the transient nature of man and the eternal nature of God’s creation. Sadly so often we get caught up in the transient nature of this world that we forget the eternal and timeless promises that God has made to those who love Him.

One little comment I read somewhere a good while ago is that our mortal lives are summed up in a small dash symbol.  Once we have died, if we have a grave stone erected where we are buried, quite often it will have our name and then the dates of our birth and death, These dates are separated by a small dash (birth - death). In between the two dates is our life, however long or short it was. So that little dash is loaded with information not revealed. Only God knows all the details within that dash. So, bearing this in mind, let's try and make that dash as profitable as possible while there is still time!

1:16-17  All the wisdom in the world, no matter who has it will come to the conclusion that without God life is empty – those that deny this fill their lives with empty things which, whilst occupying their time, lead ultimately to death.

Where is our focus?

17 v.3 - Jesus prays first for all flesh, as every human being has the chance to turn to him, that they might know him, although later in v. 25 this prayer is more specifically aimed at those he knew had already responded and would continue to respond (Judas has gone now) ch.13:30, leaving Jesus the opportunity to speak all of the deep and wonderful words of chs.14-16 to them, which were not appropriate to Judas, and allowing him now to pray for them specifically. He prays for us here too. Let us remember that. 1Chr.28:9, Ps.9:10, Isa.53:11, Jer.9:23,24, 31:33,34, 1John 5:11,12,20.

17 v.17 By asking the Father to sanctify his disciples 'though thy truth' and then commenting 'thy word is truth' Jesus indicates the route through which our sanctification comes. There is no mystical operation on our minds. What is required is our application to the Scriptures.

18 v.1 The crossing of the Cedron matches David's flight from Jerusalem from Absalom 2 Samuel 15:23 [the only other occasion in Scripture when crossing the Cedron is mentioned]. The gospel records wish us to see Jesus identifying with David. So when Jesus goes to prayer he withdraws a stone's cast [Luke 22:41] which echoes Shimei 2Sam 16:13. Jesus words 'thy will be done' Matthew 26:42] echo the sentiments of David's realisation of God's involvement in his life [2 Samuel 15:25-26].

17:9, 11 We might think that Jesus, having spent the night in prayer, actually chose the disciples himself we see here that actually he realised that they had been given to him by his Father. Do we think that God is involved in providing for our needs or do we think that we achieve everything by our own efforts?

18:17, 25, 27 We are all familiar with the fact that Peter denied his lord three times. However there is a stark contrast between Peter and Judas. Judas betrayed his lord - the betrayal of Judas is alluded to elsewhere in Scripture (1 Corinthians 11:23) whilst the denials of Peter are never mentioned again.

17:2 'hast ... all flesh' quotes Psalm 8:6 beginning the New Testament application of this Psalm to the lord Jesus.

18:12 In binding Jesus we see fulfilled the type seen in Isaac (Genesis 22:9) Another link with the offering is 'and it was early' quoting Genesis 22:3

In John 17:1; we are told that Jesus "lifted his eyes up to heaven" and prayed to his father.
Why did Jesus do this? Well this was the night before his crucifixion and yet Jesus' concern was not for himself, for this prayer reflects his love and concern for his disciples and for those who would believe the gospel through their preaching. In understanding this background it is quite possible that Jesus was focusing on one of the promises made to Abraham. Gen 15:5; And God Brought Abraham Forth and said to him "Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be". The prayer of Jesus harmonises beautifully with the promise God made to Abraham. Jesus was looking forward to the time when this seed being one with him and his father, would be with him and behold his glory in the coming Kingdom of God.

17:1 "The hour has come." This was the hour in which the son of man would terminate his labours by rendering the one and only atoning sacrifice for the sin of mankind; the hour of fulfilling prophecies, types, and symbols; the hour of triumph over sin; the hour of dismissing the old and of ushering in of the new dispensation. 

17:2 God 'gave' Jesus his disciples. This is a recurring theme in this chapter (17:6,9,11,24). Do we think of ourselves as having been given to Jesus by God? That is what our calling is all about.

18:3 Judas was not simply a pawn in the capture of Jesus. Notice he was the one who was entrusted with the 'band of men'. This was the mind of Ahithophel (2Sam 17:1-3)

17:9 Jesus was, and still is, only concerned with those who are His.  Firstly, these were His disciples  and then those believers to whom his disciples taught the true gospel (17:20).  He is not concerned with anyone else.

Jesus had asked His followers to purchase a sword, which they did (Luke 22:36,38).  He did this not as a defensive manoeuvre but as an object lesson.  It was to show His followers not to use force to resist the evil in their lives (18:10,11,36).

18:1 Having left the house, Jesus, in company of eleven disciples crossed the Kedron. This reminds one of David's flight before Absalom, but there is this great difference; Jesus was in complete control of the situation. He was not fleeing. His entire procedure was voluntary. He knew that Judas would meet him there. So he went there!

17:15   In praying that the disciples should be kept from evil Jesus is actually implementing the words of his own prayer that we should learn – Matt 6:13

18:5     The comment that ‘Judas stood with them’ is not merely an indication that Judas was there. He chose to stand with the wicked rather than with Jesus. He was not heeding the counsel of Psa 1:1

17:6 In speaking of the disciples as those ‘which thou gavest me’ Jesus is drawing attention to Isa 8:18 where Isaiah prophesies that Jesus’ disciples will be given to him by his Father rather than just being his own choice.

Annas had been High Priest, and had now deferred to Caiaphas his son in law (John 18:13,14). But it seems that he was the wise old man, the power behind the throne. That is why the leaders took Jesus to Annas first, in the hope that they could formulate some charge that would justify the death sentence. Other versions then say “Then Annas sent him …” in John 18:24.

18:4  Jesus' self-control was remarkable considering that He knew in advance what was going to happen to Him.  He knew the scriptures pertaining to events surrounding Him. For example, the confrontation of Judas with the band of men (18:3) had been described in Isa 50:11. It is a good thing that we do not know the future events concerning ourselves. Unlike Jesus, we do not have the character to handle it.

18:22,23 Contrast Christ's reaction to being struck with that of Paul's in a similar situation (Acts 23:2-5). Christ did not react, even though He could have made the legitimate argument that He was the true High Priest. Paul had not yet learned how to react like his Lord (1Pet 2:21-23).

18:19  In seeking the deliverance of the disciples Jesus is seeking to help to bring to pass the words he had spoken in John 17:12. Namely he, having prayed, is striving to save the disciples. We should not just pray for something and then simply sit back and wait. If we pray we should also seek to create the circumstances where the prayer can be fulfilled.

17:9,16  Many sincere people believe that Jesus is their Savior automatically. But, Jesus said: And you are my friends if you do what I command you (John 15:14). That means it is important to understand the true Gospel, be baptised, and continue living in the ways of Jesus.

These steps have to be taken for Jesus to become one’s Savior. He is not the automatic Savior of the world, as some suppose.

That is the reason Jesus only cares for His own followers and does not pray for the world. If we do not do what He says, according to what is written in the Bible, then we have no claim on Him, and we are not His.

17:4 When the work of building the tabernacle – the dwelling place for God – was finished – Exo 40:33 – the glory cloud filed the tabernacle. In like manner when Jesus had ;finished’ his work he was glorified and given the Divine nature.

John 17:3 First Principles>The God we worship
The Bible reveals God to be the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He dwells in the heavens in unapproachable light. He is all powerful, all wise, a God of love, mercy, holiness, righteousness and truth. God is a unity.
1. The importance of the subject John 17:3 Life eternal. Jer 9:23-24
2. The Unity of God - see separate entry below.
3. The attributes of God - go to Psa 148:1-5
4. The doctrine of God Manifestation - go to John 1:18
5. The Name of Yahweh - this was given in Exo 3:14
6. God is manifest in His son Psa 89:24-29
7. The Bible is God's revelation - go to 2Tim 3:15-17
8. Concerning Jesus - go to Matt 3:17
9. The Name of Jesus Christ - go to Matt 1:21
First Principles> For more first principle topics, go to Acts 8:12

17:5 This verse is often used to prove that Jesus was God.

Consider the phrase talking about the glory Jesus had: with thee before the world was. Doesn’t that prove that Jesus was co-equal with God?

Let us examine the preposition with. In Greek, with is para, which can also be translated from. There are many places in the New Testament where this is so. For example, when Paul received his authority from the chief priests, that word translated from is para (Acts 9:14; 26:10,12).

And so, Jesus received His glory and authority from His Father. That glory and authority existed before the world was because God knows the end from the beginning of all things. But, the glory and the authority were only dispensed when Jesus, the man, was born.

In chapter 17 Jesus prays for his followers. In 17:9 he makes the distinction: "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world". In 17:14 he says that because he has given his followers the word of God, the world will hate them. So there is enmity between one and the other. Throughout this prayer we can see the continual reinforcement of this truth: that salvation is not universal. Whilst during his ministry Jesus had said "I came to save the world" (12:46-48) and in 3:17 "that the world through him might be saved", he now carefully defines who in the world will be saved. The world itself will remain condemned unless it accepts the word which has been given to the followers of Jesus Christ (again see 12:48, 18:36, 3:16-18).

So we each have a choice: accept fully the words of Jesus delivered to the apostles, and through the scriptures delivered to us; or don't accept them and remain in the world. The world which Jesus came to save rejected him, and therefore forfeits the salvation he came to give. Only by coming away from this world, to a "virtual" world away with Jesus, can we escape its judgement (17:15-16, 24). This is in effect a world of words, described in Heb 12:22-24 as a heavenly congregation. We gain entry to this virtual world of words when we daily absorb the words of God, gather with likeminded people to reflect on these words, and through them come to know God and his son 17:3,8.

18:14 We are now reminded of what Caiaphas had said – John 11:49-50 – to show how he unwittingly prophesied Jesus’ death.

v13  When they returned to Jerusalem, they would presumably have re-traced the steps described in verse 1 - that is they would have crossed Kidron.  Kidron was known in Josiah's time as a burial place. 2Ki 22:6, Jer 26:23.

Since there would have been no bridge, in a sense, Jesus put death under his feet as he crossed on the way to his own death and resurrection.

John 18:40 It is ironic that Barabbas means "son of the father" and he, the criminal that the mob wanted, was released in place of their Messiah, Jesus - the Father's Son.

18:8-9  Notice the selflessness of Jesus. His separation to God was for the benefit of others.

18:26 John’s record clearly establishes that there was no doubt that Peter was in the garden. After all being the kinsman of the one who Jesus had healed in a most unexpected environment would cement the certainty in his mind, especially as it was Peter who struck the blow.

Summary Of John

John 15:1-27 - 16:1-33, -17:1-26       Between the Upper Room and Kidron valley

18:1-12         In Gethsemane – Jesus captured

18:3-23         Jesus before Annas

18:24-27       Jesus before Caiaphas

18:28-40       Jesus before Pilate

17:12  Here we see how that Jesus is saying that whilst the disciples were with him he was like a shepherd to them. Maybe they simply thought that they were following a preacher around and taking care of themselves.  If we are not careful we might think that we, likewise, are the masters of our own destiny, forgetting that God cares for His children. 

THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL

How do we get life eternal? Jesus tells us here clearly - by knowing the Father and His son Jesus whom He had sent. Eternal life requires more than just head knowledge - this word "know" John 17:3 is the Greek word "Ginosko", meaning to know by experiential knowledge. This means knowing Jesus by making him real in or lives, by having a personal relationship with him. Today is the day of opportunity - let us strive to make him real in our lives.

THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE CYCLE

When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he listed a series of progress steps that go to making up a complete disciple.
1. God was revealed to them. (John 17:6).
2. Jesus gave them God's word. (v.8).
3. They accepted God's word. (v.8).
4. They believed. (v.8).
5. Jesus prayed for them. (v.9).
6. God was to sanctify them. (v.17).
7. They were sent out to repeat the process with others who would also become disciples of Jesus. (v.18).

The same sort of progress is needed in our own lives and in those we disciple. At any stage we might come to an awareness of God, but if we stop there, we will be completely unfulfilled. We also need to hear from God - to read the Bible and hear God's message to us. Without that we live in a dream world when to comes to knowing God.

Having heard God's word, we need to accept it as truth, and not only to acknowledge it's truth, but to believe it. If the word of God is like a seed in us, it needs protection and nourishing. That's where prayer comes in. We need prayer to keep us safe from temptation and to grow our tender faith. As we grow, God can sanctify us, forgive us, make us holy and dedicated to him.

And lastly, to complete the work of a fruit bearing disciple, we need to go out and preach the word to others, disciple and pray for them as Jesus did for us. Let's not stop part way, but become faithful disciples of Jesus.

18:7 This is the second time that Jesus has told them who he was. His directness took them aback. They maybe thought that he would try to evade capture as he had done on other occasions – Luke 4:30, John 8:59, 10:39

17:4  We often start tasks only to leave them not completed. We take on the task with great enthusiasm. However as time passes other interests intrude and our initial enthusiasm wanes and maybe the task is left not completed. However Jesus leaves us the perfect example.

17:11   We might have thought that Jesus chose the disciples himself when we read of their selection –Mark 3:14. But here we see that they were given by God. We presume, then, that they were God’s choice – thought prayer that Jesus made to his Father the night before he chose them.

‭“‬Glorify thou me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was‭” John 17:5

‭—‬a sorer trial than we with our blunt apprehensions of Deity,‭ ‬can realise.‭ ‬Jesus was inhabited by a constant,‭ ‬all-pervading sense of the Father.‭ ‬Originally begotten of the Holy Spirit,‭ ‬the fulness of the Spirit coming upon him at the Jordan,‭ ‬and resting upon him without measure,‭ ‬made him the incarnated manifestation of the Highest,‭ ‬with whom his individuality was completely blended.‭ ‬We can therefore to some extent understand the keenness of the wound inflicted upon him by the popular repudiation of his divine sonship.‭ ‬To know that he was of the Father,‭ ‬and had come to carry out the most beneficent of the Father’s purposes,‭ ‬must have made it specially grievous to endure the slight and contumely to which he was daily subject at the hands of a self-righteous,‭ ‬hypocritical flesh-proud generation.‭

- brOTHER ROBERTS, THE AMBASSADOR 1864 – 'PSALM 3'

John 17:3 This Is Life Eternal, To Know Thee, The Only True God 

17:25 May it be that we can say that even though the world does not know God we do from our association with His word.

17:13    we might ask what was the joy that Jesus had that he prayed would be fulfilled in his disciples. We might think it relates to eternal life and unfettered fellowship with God in the future. Doubtless that is part of it. However there was to be a “joy” that no man could take from them – John 16:22 – the certainty of the resurrection of Jesus which provided hope in a dark world. Does our belief in the resurrection of Jesus fill us with joy in a dark world?

John 17:21-23

“That they may all be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us…”

One with Christ is to be in union with Christ. By faith, a continual action of believing and not just a one-time thing, this union holds us together for justification, sanctification, and glorification (Rom 8:29,30). This is the process of regeneration (Col 3:10), that conforms us to Christ’s moral likeness. Our oneness with Christ is like glue that ought to hold us together, and this is accomplished by filling the mind with the Word. Union with Christ is in and through the Word richly dwelling in us (John 15:1-11; Col 3:16).

To be one with Christ is to be one with God (John 17:20,21), united in the deepest possible and holy relationship. It is only through Christ that this is possible. We cannot have the one without the other because they are ONE. This is where the marriage analogy becomes such a beautiful lesson for us! But, there is a difference between the ability to describe our marital relationship and actually having that marital relationship. It is not the same thing. Our actions are the proof if our faith is real. To be one with Christ is not just the physical aspect of being baptized into Christ, it is so much more. It follows with the application of the spiritual oneness (1Cor 6:11), which if disobeyed, we will fail. There is no “one-ness,” natural or spiritual. The two cannot be separated, and if they are, there is no oneness, Scripturally speaking.  

It is beyond amazing how God so desires for us to be one with Him in the same relationship He has with His Son, made possible only by actually being one with Christ! Being one is a beautiful concept when applied Scripturally, and to use it in any other way is to cheapen it.

When the Father looks at us, does He see Christ in us? Our journey is to come to this realization of how the Father sees us according to His truth. This is where Jesus comes in to guide us along this journey that our destination with him be also our destination with the Father.

18:21    We see a similar reaction when Paul was before the high priest – Acts 23:4

18:21   We see a similar reaction when Paul was before the high priest – Acts 23:4

18:4 So even in the most difficult circumstances Jesus never flinched from doing God’s will. He could have waited until Judas had kissed him but no. He put himself forward so that there would be no uncertainty as to who should be taken captive.

New Testimony Book – From Bethany To Gethsemane (Brother Peter Forbes)

The Gospel records cover the three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry, but about a third of the text focuses on just one week.

Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the fateful Passover of his crucifixion, and from the moment he arrives there is an abrupt change of pace in the records. All four Gospel writers now provide a great amount of detail for each day’s events, and by carefully piecing together those details we see the intensity of the opposition Jesus faced, the contrasting characters of his disciples, and how in his darkest hours the Father provided comfort.

This book- 240 pages with charts and tables, a full scripture index, three appendices including a calendar of the week - provides an easy-to-see calendar of events of the final week of the Lord Jesus, and affords insights into those events. Through it we can marvel again at the determination of our Lord to do his Father’s bidding.

£8.00 plus postage

Please order from

Peterlforbes@tiscali.co.uk

18:10  When we appreciate that the word translated “sword” is actually speaking of a large knife – such as a fisherman might use to prepare fish we will realise that Peter had not gone armed for a fight but was simply carrying what were the tools of his trade as a fisherman. So that there were two is not really a surprise as there were a number with Jesus who had in former times been fishermen.

18:25 Notice the word “also”. The damsel, it appears, already knew that the one who was speaking to her gaining Peter access was a disciple of Jesus. Her question to Peter indicates that she was aware of that.