By T. M. Anderson
"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I
am ..."—JOHN 17:24.
Jesus presented the precious legacy of His prayer when He offered His
intercessory prayer preserved for us by John. The Lord let His disciples have
the pleasure of knowing what His intercession for them in heaven as their High
Priest was like. The disciples had heard the Saviour pray for them many times,
but they had never heard Him pray as He did at this particular time. They must
have been deeply impressed by the simplicity of His approach to the Father. They
heard Him pray with the implicit confidence of the Beloved Son, Who is co-equal
and eternal with the Father. They must have realized that Christ breathed into
His intercessory prayer the efficacy and power of His endless life.
Jesus presented the priceless legacy of His prayer to the Father when He
said, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where
I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou gavest me: for thou lovedst me
before the foundation of the world." These gracious words of Jesus reveal His
final will regarding the blessed estate of the redeemed. His inalienable right
to plead His will before the Father is based on His finished work in the world.
He said, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do."—v. 4.
Jesus made it clear that His intercessory prayer is an integral part of His
redemptive work on the cross. His finished work and His final will are one in
the Divine plan of salvation.
It has pleased the Saviour to disclose the final fulfillment of all He has
willed and devised for His purchased people. The pleasing prospect of being with
Him where He is shall be fulfilled to the glory of the Father and to the
everlasting admiration and joyful acclamation of His adoring saints.
It was difficult for the disciples to understand the Saviour’s avowed purpose
to go away. Their minds were sorely perplexed and their hearts troubled by the
disturbing fact of His sufferings and death. They thought that He was leaving
them alone to serve and suffer in a world hostile toward all they believed and
preached. Perhaps they had almost reached the point of accepting final defeat
when Jesus revived their faltering courage, saying, "Let not your heart be
troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you."—John 14:1,2.
Let us emphasize His gracious words, "... A place for you." Our Lord revealed
the purpose of His departure when He uttered these immortal words. He lifted the
veil between time and eternity to establish the faith of His troubled people. He
enabled His ransomed saints to see the heavenly home of the soul with the eyes
of their hearts. He would have His people rest their faith on His comforting
words, "In my Father’s house are many mansions ..."
There will be no homeless children in the family of God. All shall dwell in
stately mansions throughout the endless day. This unfriendly world has no
permanent abiding place for the children of God. They were born in this world,
and many shall be buried in this world, but this passing world is not their
home. They have no continuing city on the earth. God’s people are citizens of
the celestial City, the heavenly Jerusalem, which John saw coming down from
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Perhaps we are disposed to think of the eternal pleasure and ineffable joys
to be obtained in the place prepared for His people. We try to visualize the
beauty of the City whose Builder and Maker is God. We are inclined to wonder
about the skill of the Infinite Artist who has blended the seven prismatic
colors of white light to enhance the resplendent glory of the holy habitation of
the redeemed.
While meditating on the blessed hope of heaven let us not overlook the fact
that our expectations are based on the finished work of Christ. Jesus said to
the Father, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." He made no
mention of the price paid in blood and tears to prepare the place where we could
be with Him to all eternity. He prays like One returning home after having
completed an assigned task.
His vicarious sufferings on the middle cross provided the necessary fitness
of moral character for us to sharp eternal bliss with Him in the Father’s house.
His intercessory prayer assures us that we can be sanctified through the truth.
It is His will to cleanse us by His blood and present us holy and unblamable and
unreproved in His sight. (Colossians 1:22.)
We have every reason to believe that we can avail ourselves of the blessed
benefits of His finished work, and come to the end of life’s journey and receive
a grand welcome into the City of God. His finished work and final will are the
sure foundation on which we rest our hope to be with Him where He is, and to
behold His glory.
Jesus possessed a peculiar joy in achieving His Father’s purpose in
redemption. He had a peculiar pleasure in providing a place in the Father’s
house for His trusting people. His joy in bringing many sons unto glory enabled
Him to triumph over His physical sufferings and anguish of soul.
The merciless mockery of the multitude, the scorning sneers of the scribes,
and the reproaches of the riotous rabble could not turn Him from His fixed
purpose to finish His work according to the will of the Father. The stripes,
spittle, blood, and bruises could not defeat Him. The insults and indignities
heaped upon Him could not overwhelm His fervent love for His homeless saints.
Being numbered with the transgressors, He was crucified on a lonely hill called
Calvary. He suffered, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to
God.
He was despised by foes, derided by fanatics, and deserted by friends, but He
triumphed over sin and death, and returned to the right hand of the majesty on
High, and ever lives to make intercession for His saints.
It would be utterly impossible to imagine the overwhelming despair and
dreadful disappointment that would sweep over the souls of the redeemed if
Christ’s prayer should not be answered. The black raven of despair would croak
the dirge of eternal death on the graves of the godly. The living sons of God
would lift up their voices in unutterable lament and bewail the day they heard
the hope of the Gospel.
We have no fears and doubts regarding the final triumph of Christ’s
intercessory prayer. He has presented His petition as a legacy to be shared by
His trusting people. His last will and testament has been signed by His
nail-scarred hand and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Every word uttered in His
immortal intercession shall be answered in full.
The voice of His supplication has been heard in high heaven, and the language
of His weeping has been interpreted before the mercy seat of pure gold. His
tears shall triumph and His petition shall be granted.
It is almost unbelievable that our Lord can find pleasure in holy fellowship
with His ransomed people to all eternity. His prayer shows us that it is His
will to dwell with His people in the sacred bond of love throughout all ages,
world without end.
The greatest pleasure to be enjoyed in heaven will be the unspeakable
pleasure of being with the Saviour for evermore. The glory of His presence shall
make glad the City of God.
We would find no pleasure in beholding the beauty of the Father’s house of
many mansions if Christ were not present to fill it with the light of His
countenance. The brightness of His glory, and beauty of His Person shall enhance
the happiness of the redeemed. The river of life, the fruitful trees, and the
anthems of angels enhance the joys of the habitation of the holy people, but
these blessed realities would fail to satisfy the citizens of the land of
endless day unless the glorified Son were present to receive their eternal
praise.
Let us continue to pray that our Lord will count us worthy to receive the
legacy of His intercessory prayer presented to the Father. Let us not fail to
obtain the spiritual fitness provided for us in His finished work. We must ever
be mindful of the fact that without holiness no man shall see the Lord.
Let us take comfort in the Saviour’s immortal prayer, "Father, I will that
they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold
my glory, which thou gavest me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the
world."
