To Be With Me

Over the last few weeks we've been looking at Jesus' prayer in John 17. It has been good to listen in as Jesus has this conversation with His Father. We've been able to see some of what's important to Jesus, some of what He has given Himself to. Today, we're going to look at just one sentence of His prayer. Jesus does something a little different here. Listen.

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.

It's that little phrase, 'I desire', that I want you to notice. It's as if Jesus were saying, 'And Father, here's something that I would like for Myself.' And what is it that He would like? What does He say?

that they may be with me where I am

So, a couple of questions. First, what is Jesus referring to here? Where is He going to be? Jesus is talking about the age to come, what we call heaven. And then the second question: Who is it that He desires to be with Him there? You, His Church. Remember, this is the section where Jesus is praying for all the people who would believe the Gospel that the apostles preached. So, in this part of His prayer, Jesus expresses this desire. He wants you to be with Him in heaven, forever.

Jesus prays for this because He understands what life here is like for you. That's why, elsewhere, He said,

In the world you will have tribulation.

Jesus knew that life here is filled with problems. Oh, there are bright spots in most days. And that's so good. But let's be honest. There are problems most days too. Jesus understands that. He's talked about the solution to this before. Listen.

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

What is the solution to dealing with the problems of this life? The long-term solution is this place that Jesus has prepared for us, this place that He will take us to when He comes again. The long-term solution is heaven.

So, here is Jesus, expressing His desire that you would get to this place of happiness. That's what He's praying for. He's praying for you.

Now, it needs to be said that Jesus' motivation is not without some self-interest. Jesus wants you there for your good. There are things He wants you to enjoy. But remember that Jesus likes you. I talked to you about that a couple of weeks ago. Jesus really likes you and would greatly enjoy lunch with you. Remember? So, it only makes sense that He desires you to be there with Him for His own sake. Jesus prays this way so that He could enjoy you. Yes, enjoy you.

There's an old hymn that some of you might remember. It imagines the time when Mary Magdalene first saw the resurrected Jesus in the garden.

And He walks with me,

And He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own.

And the joy we share,

As we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

The hymn pictures Mary as so very happy. And why not? She walks with Jesus who was dead. But please note that the joy of the moment is not only Mary's. It is a joy that they, both Mary and Jesus, 'share'. This hymn pictures Jesus as happy, too. I think that the hymn writer got that right. Jesus likes you. And spending an eternity with you is something He desires. He is looking forward to heaven. He looks forward to it because you will be there. Jesus wants to spend time with you, a lot of time. And that's what He asks the Father for.

I would urge you to spend more time thinking about heaven. Don't do it as an escape from the here and now. But do it as a way to live well in the here and now. The day will come when the joy pictured in that hymn will be yours as you and Jesus walk and talk in that renewed Garden. It is as you have a solid hope of heaven that you will be able to deal with the troubles of this life. And being heavenly-minded like this, you will be able to live in a way that makes Jesus look good.

Let's move on. Did you notice that Jesus asks for something else? He wants you to see His glory. That might sound odd. But Jesus is not bragging here. He has glory, and He wants you to see it.

Now, again, we need to translate this church word, glory. As I've told you before, someone’s glory is what makes him look good. Jesus is referring to something that makes Him look good. So, what is it? Last week I told you that the glory that the Father gave to Jesus was the glory of the Cross. Jesus goes to the Cross, submitting to the will of the Father, to suffer for you. The Cross highlights His obedience to the Father and His love for you. The Cross is His glory. I explained that last week from a different part of this prayer.

Jesus again prays about His glory. Here, the glory that Jesus wants you to see in heaven is still about the Cross. But instead of looking at what led up to the Cross, His obedience and love, He wants you to see what results from the Cross. And what is that? It's all the people He has saved. And you know some of them. Think of the believers whom you have known and loved but who have died. Jesus wants you to see and enjoy again all these whom He has rescued by His Cross. He's praying about a glorious reunion for you to enjoy, one that will never end.

So, heaven is about walking and talking with Jesus, and having a grand time with Him and He with you. But it's also about having a grand time with all of these whom you miss - or you will miss. And as you enjoy all of this, you will understand that you and they are there because of what Jesus has done. So, your enjoyment of these folk will add to your enjoyment of Him. And this will make Him look so very good. That's His glory, and you will see it.

So, what have we seen? Jesus has this desire. He wants you to be in heaven with Him. He wants that because He likes you. He also wants you in heaven to enjoy again and ever more deeply the relationships that you've had and lost because someone dear to you died. Once you get there, that loss will never happen again. This joy of being with Him and all the others - this happiness will last forever.

But now a question. Why does Jesus pray about this? As I've told you before, why questions have lots of levels and thus lots of right answers. Here's just one. He's praying about this because He really wants you to make it, and He knows that making it to heaven is never automatic. He knows that you have many choices to make between now and when you die, and that you just might make choices that will mean that you aren't going to make it. How many have there been who seemed to start out well as disciples of Jesus but who ended badly? Consider this fellow, Demas, whom Paul wrote about in several of his letters.

Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.

         

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

Demas was a disciple of Jesus. In fact, he was a missionary with Paul. And yet, Paul, later, writes this to Timothy.

Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 

Whatever hope that Demas had in enjoying forever with Jesus was gone. It was replaced. He was 'in love with this present world'. His attitude: Who needs heaven? I'm going to enjoy life now. Jesus knows that that can happen to you. He wants you there, but He knows it’s not automatic. So, He prays.

You need to take this threat seriously. You might not make it. But respond wisely. Don't panic about it. What good will that do? And don't tell yourself that you can avoid the danger as long as you try hard enough. Recognize that, regardless how hard you try, you will still make bad choices. Lots of them. You will sin. The danger is real. Take it seriously. Respond wisely.

This is why I tell you time and again about the importance of repentance and faith. The Christian life is one of repenting of sin and then coming again to Jesus for forgiveness and for change. Repenting is simply admitting that you've chosen badly in some particular way. You've sinned. No excuses. No minimizing. You came to a fork in the road. You rejected God's way and chose the wrong way. When that happens you need come clean and admit it to the Father. Once you do that you need to believe the Gospel. You need to come to Jesus and ask to be forgiven that sin and to be changed so that you don't do it again. As often as you become aware of some sin, repent of it and believe the Gospel. Repent and come to Jesus.

Bear in mind what failing to do this will mean. Refusing to repent and then believe again will mean that you won't make it to heaven. And the only alternative is hell. And whatever else hell is like, this much is clear. There is no happiness there, no joy, no friends, no enjoying anyone or anything. As good as heaven is, hell is that bad.

So, I would urge you to pray. Pray that you would be quick to repent whenever the Spirit points out some sin. Pray that you would not delay. Admit your sin. No excuses. What you did was wrong. Say so. But then, come to Jesus for forgiveness and for change.

Last thought. You may have heard the saying about people who are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Ignore that. It's not true. The Christians who live well, the Christians who respond best to all the garbage that comes at them day after day, the Christians who actually make Jesus look good by how they live are Christians who have their hearts set on enjoying heaven with Jesus and all the saints. That's what you should be aiming at. And bear in mind that Jesus is praying for you about this.