Bible ReadingJohn 17 “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.’”
[00:35]Exodus 34:6-7 “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.’”
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 12:23-26 “And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.’”
Observation questions- In John 17:1-5, what does Jesus ask the Father to do, and what reasons does he give for asking it? [11:21]
- In Exodus 34:6-7, what two sides of God’s character are held together in the same declaration?
- In John 17, what does Jesus say the apostles received from him, and what did they do with it? [16:09]
- According to John 17:20-23, what results are meant to follow when Jesus’ people are one? [24:18]
Interpretation questions- Jesus says, “the hour has come,” and in John’s Gospel that hour points to the cross. Why would the cross be called the place where the Son is glorified, even though it looks like shame and defeat? [10:45]
- Exodus 34 says God is merciful and also that he will not clear the guilty. How does the cross answer that tension in a way that neither ignores sin nor leaves sinners without hope? [14:17]
- Jesus prays for those who will believe through the apostles’ message. What does that suggest about why Scripture matters so much for knowing Christ truly, rather than building a picture of him from personal ideas or spiritual feelings? [17:26]
- Jesus says he has given his people glory so that they may be one. What kind of “glory” is being shared here, and how is it connected to revealing God and serving like Jesus? [27:27]
Application questions- Prayer reveals what sits deepest in a person. When prayers are listened to over the last few weeks, what desires seem to come up most often: self-protection, comfort, guidance, growth, the good of others, God’s glory, or something else? What might that reveal? [05:31]
- The cross is the place where God’s mercy and justice meet. When guilt or failure presses in, is there a tendency to minimize sin, carry it alone, or bring it honestly to Christ? What would it look like to rest more fully in what Jesus finished there? [15:27]
- Jesus points people to know him through the apostles’ word. What place does the Bible actually have in everyday life right now? What helps a person stay close to Scripture, and what usually pushes it to the edges? [18:20]
- Jesus does not pray that his people would be taken out of the world, but protected in it. Where does following Christ feel most pressured at the moment: at home, at work, with friends, online, or somewhere else? What kind of protection is most needed there? [18:36]
- The shared glory of Christ is meant to show up in cross-shaped love and real unity. Where has that kind of love been seen in the church, and where might there be a need to give, forgive, serve, or move toward someone rather than staying distant? [28:03]
- Nominal church produces nominal results. In what ways is there a temptation to treat church as a meeting to attend rather than a people among whom Jesus is making himself visible? What might need to change in attitude or involvement? [30:43]
- Heaven is not mainly God’s gifts, but God himself. If life has been full of chasing smaller paradises, what have those things promised, and how have they fallen short? How does Jesus’ desire to have his people with him forever reshape what is most wanted now? [31:20]
