Jesus prayed for His followers in John 17 that they would experience the fullness of His joy, be sanctified by His Truth, and live in complete unity with one another. That’s how He wants us to live in the world as we wait in hope of glorification … to be with Him where He is and to see His glory.
Jesus Prayed That We Would See His Glory
Jesus concluded His prayer in John 17, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am …” (Jn. 17:24). Jesus hadn’t yet ascended and already in anticipation of His coming death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven, longed for his disciples to be with Him in heaven.
Notice that His emphasis wasn’t that they would experience all the magnificence of the place He lived but to be with Him and to see Him more fully — “to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (Jn. 17:24).
To get to know God the Son is to know God the Father. Jesus Himself said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. … I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me …” (Jn. 14:8-11). Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being …” (Heb. 1:3). This was His intent while on earth. — “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (Jn. 17:25-26).
As we wait for our heavenly home with Him, Jesus wants us to continue to grow in our knowledge of Him, praying that we would not just know about Him but truly know Him intimately and relationally. He told the Father, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them”. In heaven, as on earth, God’s priority is love. Heaven will be the culmination of our love relationship with Him, “for now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:12-13).
Pointing People to the Hope of Glorification Requires Confronting Their View of Eternity
What do our students believe about life after death? Much of what people believe possible about life after this one depends on their view of God.
- Do they believe God really loves us enough to prepare a place for us to be with Him forever (Jn. 14:2)?
- Do they believe He really has power enough to raise Jesus from the dead, assuring us that He does indeed have power over sin and death so we too can go to be with Him in heaven one day (1 Cor. 6:14)?
- Do they view God as faithful and good enough to fulfill His promise “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16)?
Most importantly, lets help our students understand that heaven isn’t just about the Place where there will be pearly gates, streets of gold, angels, and no more tears. Heaven isn’t just an escape from the horrors of Hell. Rather, heaven is about the Person with whom we’ll spend eternity … the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Resource for Teaching Adults: Heaven: Sounds Good About Now Adult Discussion Guides