Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1947-03-21

hAi| AfFi SI''.fNll w NV ~ 49, ~
OF comfort and assurance John Ia.
Is, now PRAYED for himself. for
henn and for us
While he spoke most intimately
VIII the Father as his only begotien
Sen he prayed aloud that his dlsci'
piles might hear his prayer and Join
Win MN III II
This prayer Is often called the
Aieh-prestly prayer Of Christ, and
rightly so. TOR here the ''one medi-
ator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus" Il Tim. 2:5) spoke
O. the High Priest Of mankind who
begins bis sacrifice by offering him.
self TO God with all his people"
lCodeO.
First we find that he prayed for
himself az he spoke Of
Z. Salvation Flnished-Then Glory
With the Father wv l-O.
He looked up and said. Father"
ohst was all. No struggling, no
oaeading. just the recognition Of his
own divinity. his intimate and unique
1onship to God. Throughout this
Oatire prayer the same close rela-
tionship 10 found. II was not as we
would pray Cur Father" but "Fa.
eher."
Jesus was the Son Of God. Yes.
be was and is God. He and the Fa.
eher are one In blessed eternal. in
0nite unity. But a. he 10 In the
Father. We who believe are In him.
% the poet well says:
Near. 20 very near TO God.
Nearer I cannot b.
For In the person Of his Son
l am as near ~ he"
This divine Rsdeemer. who laid
down his glory when he came TO
earth Phil 81. o to be Q Ssvit IT.
Uas now ready 10 take up that q, :.
again. He spoke Of the work Of sal.
Uosto0 ~ eompssted- In his ODE.
0ont sgu1 ~ 6esth on the cross
UAieh Wss ~ shssd Yves already
0eeomplishsd.
Nov 10 was ready tor the Father
- slorify him even % he had glori.
Cd The nams Of the Father. That
Osaysr wus answered. and Christ
0sw sits q the right hand Of the
Esther In heaven. What Q glorious
saviour We havei
His prayer was soon turned 10
Oboss who had believed in him. They
0ere precious to him. for they we're
gwen to him by the Father.
q. Out Of the World-Then Kent
~ the Father wv. GID.
There Is something powerfully as
0nftng to the believer to read the
words Of Jesus which declare that
tAess who had believed on him had
been given to him by the Father.
They belonged TO the Father. and
- gave them TO the Son. They kept
- Word Of God, and thus they
onew the Son as the manifestation
- the Fathers name. What could
- more certain for time and eter.
oltyl
Note that they were taken tout Of
- world" does not mean tina,
Ghey left this earth. They lived here
- we live here, but they were de.
0vered from that evil world power
OAich opposes God.
Some protested Christians who
ond their greatest delight In fellow.
snip with the Christ-rej ectins world
Dad better read carefully here. for
d appears that the one who Is truly
= Christ Is not ''of the world.
These disciples had to remain In
he world Though they were not Of
~ and they needed to be kept,
Now thss the earthly ministry Of
Jesus was to be brough, TO a close.
- tenderly placed them anew In the
gathers mighty hand. Again we
cay. what could be more blessedly
O1cute tndn uat!
We must note that our Lord had
Q special interest and prayer for his
ewn Verse Q obviously does not
mean that he II no, Interested In all
mankind He died for them John
3:i6, But here his prayer was for
0is own. and In that prayer the
world was left out That makes US
seel still more assured In him He
ne blessed Son Of God and only
Saviour. prayed for me. for you'll
The closing words Of verse II
reach out into the third petition Of
cur Lord. ss he prayed for their
On. Unity IN Christ-Then Tcsti.
Osny 70 the World wv 2o-23,
Ths verses between the ioress,rs
division and this one wv 1917 are
Anportsnt. Our Lord was concerned
eb0ut the hatred Of the world for
esese who had received the Woro of
~ Father. and yet he would no,
have them taken cat VI the sorld
fsey were to be his Witnesses even
- we are 10 be In our day They
must remain In tire world. but being
sns In Christ and ssnctified through
~ truth. they were TO be KEEP, Tor
0od and used by him.