Shalom, my dear friends. We are studying together the Gospel of John. Amazing Gospel. The Gospel of John that presents before us the person of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah in His divine personality. This is so encouraging to know as we study the Gospel of John. We are right in the middle of the 17th chapter and we will continue with the Lord's help in this ministry meeting to follow the prayer of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, when He was on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. John chapter 17. John chapter 17. We have covered already, beloved brothers and sisters, the first 12 verses of this chapter, which is entirely present before us this prayer that the man, Yeshua, Jesus, was praying, communicating with God the Father.

We have learned in the first 12 verses that the Lord Jesus the Messiah was praying first of all for Himself in verses 1 to 5. Then, in verses 6 on to 12, He continued to pray for that God's people will know God the Father, to know the Father's name, Abba in Hebrew. And as we continue in the study of John chapter 17 from verse 13 to verse 26, we will learn additional two requests that Yeshua had from His Father on behalf of His people. Namely, that God will be sanctified, that God will sanctify His people through His word. And ultimately, Yeshua prayed that God's people will be soon and very soon will share in His glory and be with Him in glory.

So, while it is a prayer, there are so many lessons that we can learn from this amazing prayer that the Spirit of God allow us to enter into the prayer of the Lord Jesus the Messiah on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, Gatshmanim. So, as we continue on, beloved brothers and sisters, I would like to continue from verse 13. John 17, John 17 and verse 13, Yeshua continued in His prayer and He said, And now come I to thee, and these things I spake in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sake I sanctified myself, that they also might be sanctified through thy truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.

That they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, and the glory which thou gavest me, I give in them. That they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. And that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father, I will the day also whom thou hast given me, be with me, where I am. That they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. For thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name. And I will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. And so, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, in the study of this amazing prayer of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, who lifted up his eyes unto heaven, as we read in John 17 verse 1, in the beginning of the prayer. And he said, "Abba, Abba, Father, the hour is come, glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee." And so, beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua, after he's ending the time in the upper room with the disciples, keeping the Passover, Pesach, introducing the new covenant in his blood, as we would call it, the remembrance of his shed of blood and his giving of his body.

And now on his way to the garden of Gatshmanim, Gatshmanim, we hear this amazing prayer of Yeshua the Messiah, speaking with his Father. And we have already mentioned earlier, that in this prayer that is found in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John, the 26 verses, we see the truth concerning the desire of the heart of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, on behalf of his people. And so he is praying, first of all for himself, then praying that God's people will know the name of God the Father, the Abba. Thirdly, he prayed that God's people will be sanctified through God's word. And fourthly, he prayed that God's people will share in his glory.

And so, in the first 12 verses, we have already learned that Yeshua prayed for himself. And you remember this statement, that is an essential statement to understand. And this is eternal life, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, whom thou hast sent. To know God, to have eternal life, must be based upon the knowledge of God, not only the knowledge about God, but to have a knowledge, spiritual, intimate knowledge with God. Therefore, to know God is not only to know him in one's head and mind, but to know him by faith in trusting him and trusting the Messiah, the Son whom thou had sent.

Jesus, the Messiah, whom God the Father sent. Amen. And so, he prayed, Yeshua prayed for himself. He prayed that the Father's name will be declared to the believers, to the disciples. That they will know that wonderful, intimate relationship with God the Father. That's why we read in verse 6, I manifested thy name. Verse 6. A little bit later on, in verse 12. We read, while I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. The name here in the context of John chapter 17, in the prayer of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, is to know God as Abba, as a Father. We have seen that, that the apostles later on, the apostle Shaul Paul, expound on this in the epistles.

When he said that the believers can cry, Abba, our Father, Abba, our Father. And we as believers can call God our Abba. As we cry to him, and in every situation, in every need, the believer can call God Abba. Now, as Yeshua continued to pray, listen to this, beloved brothers and sisters. We divide it into sections, but the Lord Jesus the Messiah had this one prayer, communicating with his Father. We learn from that, but you can see the intimate relationship, which he is the eternal Son of God, but also now the Son of God in his humanity. He is now speaking to his Father, to his Abba, in this intimate prayer, but what does he do here?

He prays on behalf of all those that become believers in him, that trusted that he was indeed the Redeemer, the Savior, the Messiah. And so in verse 13, we learn the third request that the Lord Jesus had from his Father. Yeshua prayed that God will sanctify God's people through his word. And so verse 13, Yeshua prayed that his joy will be among and in God's people. And now come I to thee, and these things I expect in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in them. Notice this, to have my joy, Yeshua warned the believers in him that we will all have his joy. Remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that the joy of the Lord, as Ezra had to tell our people of Israel of old, that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

When God's people, whether it is historically Israel, or whether it is today the believers in the Messiah, the assembly, the church, the joy that God's people can have is only when they are occupied with him. To remind you, that expression that they might have my joy in them fulfilled in themselves, it simply means that the Lord wants us in the midst of tribulation, in the midst of opposition, in the midst of trials, to have the joy of the Lord. Joy does not depend upon circumstances, but joy depends upon a relationship that is found with a God who loved us, and with a Savior who provided himself for us.

In chapter 12 of the book of Hebrews, the early Hebrew believers had to learn this lesson for themselves. "Wherefore, the apostles said to them, seeing we are compass about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside a weight and a sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race which is before us, looking unto Yeshua, the author and a finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." You see, the Hebrew writers have encouraged these early Hebrew believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, by telling them, looking unto Yeshua.

As we look to him, Yeshua is praying here, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. What is the joy of Yeshua, of Jesus, the Messiah that he was praying for? The joy of providing redemption. The joy of accomplishing salvation. The joy of fulfilling all that which the Hebrew writers wrote years ago by divine inspiration concerning the coming of the Redeemer, the coming of the Mashiach. The joy that was set before the Lord. What was the joy that was set before Yeshua, the Messiah? Is that he will have people that will be forgiven, redeemed, restored to God. So he wants that the believers who follow him will have the joy of the Lord, the joy of the Messiah in them fulfilled.

And he continued in verse 14 and verse 15. Yeshua continued and he said in verse 14, "I have given them thy word." This is so beautiful. "I have given them thy word." That expression here, "I have given to them thy word." "When the Lord was upon the face of this earth, he shared with the disciples God's word." "I have given to them thy word." "The word is logos." To remind you that in John 1:1 in the beginning was the word, the logos. This is the Greek word logos. In Hebrew, the word is "Mimra." "Mimra" simply means God's word, but not only God's word in what God says, not only God's saying, but it's God's word that is expressed in the person of the Messiah himself.

So the word here is logos. I have given them thy logos and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. In other words, there was an opposition that the believers have experienced when they have trusted in the Lord. So when you think about this word for logos, it has to do really the utterances of God, but as a living voice, it is God who is a living person. It is more than even just the saying of God and the decree of God and the precepts of God and that which was given by God, but also it is very interesting because in John 1:1, this word is presented before us in the person of the Messiah himself.

It's God's teaching, God's instruction, God is providing for us his laws, his word, his matters, all that which comes from God that the Lord Jesus the Messiah revealed to the disciples. And so I have given them thy word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. So in anticipation, the world to remind you that when Yeshua lived here on earth, he lived among his people of Israel in the land of Israel. He limited himself in his walk here among his people Israel. But now we can see that this opposition and hatred to those that follow him will come from all over the world.

That's why you find many times the word world mentioned here in the 17th chapter. Verse 5: I had with thee before the world was. Verse 6: Thou gavest me out of the world. Verse 9: I pray for them, I pray not for the world. Verse 11: And now I am no more in the world. But these are in the world. Verse 12: While I was with them in the world. Verse 13: And now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world. And once again in verse 14: I have given them thy word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

You see, beloved brothers and sisters, all true believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, all of them are people that are out of this world. They do not belong to this world. We who belong to the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah belong to him, belong to God. As Yeshua said, the world hates them because they are not of the world. So, in reality, you see, we learn here that the Lord Jesus the Messiah is anticipating now, he is being rejected by the world. Israel the nation will not accept him at his first coming as a nation, though the many and all the early believers of the church were Israelis, Jews, who gave the gospel to the world.

But he knew very well that the world would not accept him, and that he will build what is known for us today, the ecclesia they called out once. And all those who will trust in him and become children of God will belong to the assembly, the church, the ecclesia, and the assembly is a heavenly company. That's why in Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus the Messiah said to Shimon Petros, I will build the church, the ecclesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. To do anything against the assembly. They will not prevail against the assembly. Why? Because he will be building this assembly, and he will be building this assembly once he will die, will be buried, will rise again, will be ascended to heaven, will send the Holy Spirit of God to earth.

And then and there on the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Shavuot, the Pentecost, that's where the assembly the church had began. And so from there on, all true believers became part of the heavenly company, and we are only passing through this world, but heaven is our home. In my Father's house there are many mentioned. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, in my Father's house, where I am, there ye may be also. Wonderful truth to know. So you notice this now in verse 15 we read, I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil or the evil one.

You see, beloved brothers and sisters, these are very important lessons to learn, because the world here, even though we are not of this world, even though the true believers are not of this world, for one reason or another, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah prayed that the believers should not be taken out of the world, but the day should be kept by God the Father in the world, until the time will come, and God will come to take us to be with Him in heaven. This will be at the rapture of the church, where the true church, the true assembly, the true Kehillah in Hebrew, will be raptured and taken out of this world.

And so it is so interesting, that Yeshua is praying in such a manner, in verses 14 and verse 15. We have a verse in 1st John chapter 3, and we read these words, 1st John chapter 3 and verse 13. Marvel not my brethren, if the world hate you, we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. In other words, the Lord, through the apostle teaching the believers, that the believers really belong to the Lord. Don't marvel when the world hates you, because the world hates those that belong to God. In 1st John 4, 4 and 5. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

They are of the world. Therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. But to the believers he said, Ye are of God, little children, and you have overcome this world. Greater is He that is in you, this is the Holy Spirit of God, than he that is in the world. In fact, in the earlier chapter, in 1st John chapter 2, the apostle John said that the believers are called not to love the world and its system, to love men in the world, to love people in the world, as God loved the human race, but not to love a system that is against God.

That's why we read in 1st John chapter 2 and verse 15, love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 1st John 2 verses 15, 16, and 17. So beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, is praying that God's people will be sanctified through God's Word, in a world that is opposing God's people.

That's why he continues in his prayer, and in verse 16, we clearly see, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. You see, the believer in Jesus, in Yeshua the Messiah, is really not belong to this world. We read in verse 19 of 1st John 5. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness, or the wicked one. And indeed, Satan is that wicked one. That's why in verse 15, the Lord prayed that God the Father will keep the believer from that evil one. And the evil one is none else but Satan himself, who is the God with a small g of this world, that has blinded the mind of them that believe not, lest the glorious gospel of the Messiah should shine unto them.

And this is fascinating to understand, beloved brothers and sisters. And so, that is what the Lord Yeshua is praying on behalf of God's people. He prays for you, and he prays for me. And this is so important. That's when we are taught in the prayer that Yeshua was teaching the disciples to pray in Matthew 6:13, that we should pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." So, deliver us from evil. This is in Matthew 6:13, as the Lord taught the disciples to pray. Here, once again, Yeshua is praying himself, "Keep them from the evil." And it's not only from doing evil and living in evil way, but from the evil one, Satan himself, who is the God of this world.

So, these verses are so important to understand, as the Lord Jesus the Messiah is praying to the Father, that the people of God will be sanctified through God's Word, in a world that opposes the things of the Lord. So, we continue. As we read of the prayer of Yeshua in verse 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sake I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through their truth." My dear, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, to be sanctified, it means to be set apart.

In Hebrew we call it "lekadesh." It comes from the word kadosh, holy. To be sanctified, but how? To be sanctified through the truth of God. Through the truth of God one can be sanctified and set apart for God. This is amazing. And so, John chapter 17 and verse 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth." It's amazing to see how biblical and scriptural Yeshua was, because really the way he prays here in this prayer, his high priestly prayer, he is praying exactly that which is written in the Hebrew Scriptures, that he himself as the eternal Son of God had given his word to the people of Israel.

A little bit later on in Psalm 119 in verse 43 we read, "And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgment." The word here is "dvar emet," the word of truth. "Don't take it out of my mouth, God," was the prayer of the psalmist of Israel. And here the Lord is saying, "Sanctify them through thy truth." A little bit later on in Psalm 119 in verse 142, "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth." And thy law is the truth. The word here, "Thy law," is the truth, is "Toratcha emet." Your law, your Torah is emet.

The law of the Lord is truth. In verse 51 of Psalm 119, "Thou art near, O Lord, and all thy commandments are true." "Kol mitzvotecha emet." "Everything that God commands in his word to the people of Israel, to the church, to the assembly, all God's word is emet, is truth. Let God be true, and every man a liar." Verse 160 of Psalm 119, "Thy word is true." Again, "Sanctify them through thy truth." "Thy word is true." This is a direct quotation from Psalm 119 and verse 160. "Thy word is true from the beginning, and every one of thy righteous judgment endureth forever." And the word here, "Dvarecha emet." "Dvarecha emet." "Your word is truth." This is exactly what Yeshua is praying on behalf of, for you and for me and for all God's people, that God's people will be set apart through God's truth.

And where do we find God's truth? It is found in the scriptures. In the Tanakh, that is the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament. In the Brit HaChadasha, that is the new covenant. God's word is true. And if you remember, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friend, the apostle Paul had to remind God's people of the important to submit to God's word. You remember what we read in Romans chapter 3 and verse 4. The apostle said, "God forbid, ye let God be true, and every man a liar, as it is written." And as we continue on in verses 17 and 18 and 19, notice what we read in verse 18. "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world, and for their sake I sanctified myself." Yeshua is saying that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

And so the truth of the word of God must be adhered to, and that will set apart the one that follow after the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And it is interesting that Yeshua said that, "As you have sent me into the world, so also I send them into the world." Beloved brothers and sisters, every one of us is really a messenger sent by the Lord into the world. You see, the work of redemption has been completed. Yeshua paid for the sin of this world. He died, he was buried, and he rose again for our justification. So everyone that trusts in him is ready to go to heaven.

But for one reason or another, in the last, nearly 2,000 years ago, for some 2,000 years, God leaves his people here. And one by one, at the time of death, a person is being ushered, absent from the body to the presence of the Lord in heaven. So, there is a reason. Even though we don't understand, why did God not done away with this age and bring us all to be with him, those that have trusted in him? Well, because God is eternal, and because God is the one that no one needs to give him counsel, everything is from him, everything is by him, and everything is for him.

God, in his wisdom, allow God's people to remain here on earth for one reason or another, to continue to preach the message of the gospel, to share the message of the goodness and the grace of God with the sinful world. And a God, who is a wise God, knows all things. Paul could say in Romans 11, 33, All the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways are past finding out. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor, or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again.

Paul said in Romans 11, In verse 33, 34, 35, and now in verse 36, he says, For of him, and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. So, Yeshua is praying, and we read his prayer that I have sent them into the world, just like you have sent me into the world. He is praying to the world, and for their sake, I set myself apart, I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified, and once again, it is through the truth. Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free, Yeshua said to the leaders of Israel when he was here on earth.

And the truth does set one free. But one must know the truth. And the truth will set one who trusts in the Lord, set him free. This is so important, because only the truth of God's word, and the truth concerning the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, will set up someone to have this freedom by knowing the truth of the word of God. That's why we read that sanctify them, set them apart through thy truth. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, the believer in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is set apart through the truth by receiving salvation first. But secondly, he is set apart through the truth by having guidelines to know how to live life in a world that rejected the Messiah, the rejected God.

You see, so this is so important for us today to realize these beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters. And here the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is mentioning here so clearly in his prayer as he communicates with God the Father. This is fascinating and encouraging us as believers in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. So, in verses 13 to verse 19, this is the third section in the prayer of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that he prayed that God will sanctify his people through his word. Now, let's move along into the last part of the prayer of the Lord in verses 20 to 26. And you will notice that in these last verses of John 17, verses 20 to 26, Yeshua, the Messiah, is praying for the rest of the believers who will become believers through the preaching of the early apostles and disciples.

So, initially he was praying for himself, verses 1 to 5, and he continued in his prayer, and he prayed for the disciples themselves and the early apostles, these Hebrew apostles that walked with him and lived with him and watched him and learned from him. But now, in the last verses here of John 17, and verses 20 on, we read, listen to this. In verse 20, Yeshua said, Neither pray I for these alone, namely for the apostles, for the early disciples, but for them which shall believe on me through their word. In other words, now in these last verses, he's praying for you and for me. For us who became believers as a result of the preaching of the gospel of this first century Hebrew believers who follow after the Messiah.

They are still with him now as he's praying. They just finished to celebrate Pesach, Passover. They just learned now that he introduced before them the Lord's Supper, meaning that he will be now going to become the Passover lamb, and he will be the one that will die. He will depart from them. He promised them that he will send the person of the Holy Spirit of God, and that they will be strengthened and have counsel and help by the Perakletos, by the person of the Holy Spirit of God, and they will be the one that will preach the message of the grace of God to an unregenerated world that needed forgiveness of sins.

To preach the message that there is a way whereby a sinner can receive forgiveness of sins. You remember in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, Yeshua said to these very disciples that they will become his witnesses. Acts chapter 1 tells us this in verse 8, But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in, beginning in Yerushalayim, and then in all Yehuda, Judea, and then in Shomron, in the Samaria, and even unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And so notice, beloved brothers and sisters, John 17, verse 20, we read that the Lord is now praying, and He said, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.

And He's praying now for all believers who came to faith since the time of the early apostles who preached the message of the gospel. And since that time, can you imagine how many became believers, accepted the Messiah, recognized that they have sinned, and received forgiveness of sins? And so you notice what Yeshua is praying for us, that is the believers who heard the preaching of the word of God by the early apostles. We read in verse 21, Yeshua prayed that all may be one as the Father and the Son are one in each other. Notice, it says here, that they all may be one, the word is echad, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, and that they may also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

So, you see, this is an area that we need so much help from the Lord because positionally all true believers are one because we have all entered into this body of Christ, the body of Messiah, by one spirit. You remember in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13, for by one spirit ye are all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bound or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. Notice that. one body, one spirit, all believers, true believers, become part of that one body by that Holy Spirit of God. But you notice, he used the expression, Yeshua prayed, that they may be one.

The Lord wants us to be one practically. And this is where the prayer of the Lord, his desire, is that God's people will enjoy practical unity. Sadly to say, he also, elsewhere, in the book of Revelation, showed us how the chronological process whereby the church age will go through, that this practical unity will fail because of our insubmissiveness to the Word of God. It's not his fault, it's our fault, it's not God's fault, it's our fault, it's not the Messiah's fault, it's man's fault. It's the people of God's fault. So, but he's praying, Yeshua is praying, that there may be one as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.

Well, all believers will become and are one in him, but the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, want the believers to be practically enjoying this oneness. In verse 22, he continues on and he's asking that the glory which thou hast has gavest me, I have given unto them that they may be one even as we are one. Do you remember that earlier in John 10, Yeshua, the Messiah, have already proclaimed, I and my Father are one. John 10, verse 30. Here we learn again more than once. Verse 21, verse 22, verse 21 said, as thou Father are in me, we are one. Verse 22, and the glory that thou gavest me, I gave unto them that they may be one even as we are one.

You notice that there is one God and yet within this Godhead there is a plurality of person, the Father, the Son, the Spirit. three persons, three personalities, yet one God. There is no more than just one God, the God of Israel, but God is existing and consisting in a triunity, the Father, the Son, the Spirit. Ha'abba, ha'ben, ha'uach. So, the prayer of the Lord, He asking the Father that the believers will be one practically. We continue in verse 23 and we read that Yeshua prayed that God's people will be mature, perfect, mature, fully developed. He said, I in them and thou in me and that they may be perfect.

Again, that word perfect simply has to do with mature or fully development. Not perfect because the sin nature in us only proves that we are imperfect, that we are sinners, but to be perfect in a sense of mature, in a sense of development, spiritually developed, and that will be the way whereby we can practically enjoy oneness, what we have already have positionally. So, He desire that the people of God will be mature, they will develop and be one, and that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, this is exactly what the Lord Jesus the Messiah said to the disciples earlier in the Passover Seder in Jerusalem.

You remember what He said to them in John chapter 13, by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have loved one toward another. You remember He said to them in verse 34 of John chapter 13, a new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have loved one another you see when the world look at God's people and they see that they have love among each other then they will know that the believers are truly the Talmidim the disciples of Yeshua and you see whenever this thing is not practiced the world cannot receive a proper testimony that's why many times because of the divided condition of the church of the assembly we don't have a testimony to an unbelieving world because the world does not want to come into a divided condition the world need first of all the unbelieving world need to know first they have sinned and

they need the Messiah the Messiah as their Lord and Savior but how said it is when as we read in verse 23 when there is lack of maturity lack of spiritual development that causes instead of oneness causing division but the Lord Jesus the Messiah prayed and still praying lifting up holy hand on our behalf knowing every failure of ours as a great high priest interceding on our behalf seeking to see in practical way the change in the life of God's people to be a testimony in the world and so we read that he is praying very interesting that word is essential notice this Paul Shaul Paul in Ephesians chapter 4 he really showed the desire

that he had that the people of God will be practically one you notice what we read in Ephesians chapter 4 I therefore verse 1 the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called how to walk with all lowliness and meekness and long suffering forbearing one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity the oneness not the oneness of the body but the oneness of the spirit because the oneness of the body is already existing positionally because Yeshua paid for the price of our sins Jesus the Messiah already died was buried and rose again and every believer in him is already part of the body of Christ

the body of Messiah but to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit that's the man as Paul said with all lowliness and meekness and long suffering forbearing one another in love as Yeshua the Messiah said by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one towards another this is fascinating that's why notice we read in verse 12 and 13 of Ephesians 4 for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Messiah the body of Christ till we all come to the unity here is again the oneness the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son

of God unto a perfect this is a mature person mature man unto the measure of the statutes of the fullness of Christ and that is the desire both of Yeshua Jesus the Messiah in prayer to the Father the Apostle Paul in teaching that and the instruction that we receive here practical unity to show evidence that we are belonging to the Lord and whenever it is not happening it is dishonoring unto the Lord and we all who belong to the Lord need to ask the Lord to help us to practice this in our day by day communication and the interaction with the believers with other believers and so as we head on to the end of

the prayer of Yeshua the Messiah we read in verse 24 25 and 26 Yeshua is praying to the Father that all whom the Father has given unto him will be with him where he is Father I will the day also whom thou has given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou has given me for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world you see the love relationship that the Lord Jesus the Messiah had in his eternal being as the eternal son was already before the foundation of the world you see beloved brothers and sisters we learn at least a few important lessons concerning that which was

there before the foundation of the world in in fact let me point to those three important facts that we have in scripture concerning that which was there before the foundation of the world in first Peter chapter one and verse 18 and 19 we read for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of the Mashiach listen to this as of a lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in this last time for you so in the plan and the program

of God the lamb of God the Messiah was foreordained before the foundation of the world and that's how we know the second lesson that we find in Ephesians chapter one and verses three and four that God also have chosen the believers those of us who belong to him before the foundation of the world as we read in Ephesians chapter one and verse three and four blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ in the Mashiach according as he has chosen us in him notice this before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blemish before

him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of the children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will God God knew before the foundation of the world that he will have in the person of the son to come down to this world to become a lamb who will shed his blood for the sin of this world but at the same time we learn that those that came to trust in Yeshua Jesus the Messiah they are an elected people who were chosen in Christ in the Messiah before the foundation of the world this is fascinating but even more even more my dear friend we learn here from John chapter 17

that Yeshua revealed this to us he revealed to us as we read this prayer and we listen to his communication with God the Father and here in John 17 in verse 24 we learn that there was a love relationship between God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit before the foundation of the world Father I will that they also verse 24 of John 17 whom thou has given me be with me where I am the day may behold my glory which thou has given me for listen to this beloved friend thou lovest me before the foundation of the world oh how wonderful to know that you see God is love God is

light first John 1 God is love first John 4 that God of ours had this eternal love within the persons of the Godhead before even humanity came to being before the world was before God created the heavens and the earth there was a love relationship thou lovest me Yeshua said before the foundation of the world you see before God the son took union humanity with his divine nature in the Godhead there was a love relationship between the father the son the spirit the triune God one God three persons there was a love relationship and God wanted to extend this love relationship to humanity that he is intending now to create knowing that sin will come

in and so knowing this in eternity past in the counsel of God the lamb of God namely the Lord Jesus the Messiah will become a lamb was already planned and it was foreordained by the Godhead before the foundation of the world knowing that the people whom God will save and will bring to himself that he will choose them for himself and that's why Paul reminded us that we are chosen in Christ in a Messiah before the foundation of the world this is to me and to you all should be a precious truth to understand you see God is love and his plan was not a coincidence in eternity past in his wisdom his plan was

to bring a people to himself to enjoy the love relationship that the father the son the spirit the three persons of the Godhead have enjoyed in eternity past so notice now in conclusion of the prayer of the Lord verses 25 and 26 we read these words by the Lord Jesus the Messiah oh righteous father you remember that we did say the day the progression in the way that Yeshua is praying here in verse 5 he says oh father in verse 11 he says oh holy father and now in verse 25 he says oh righteous father the world has not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou has sent me

and I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be in them and I in them in other words the last words of the Lord in his prayer to God the father is that righteous father he righteous father this righteous father will do all things justly and righteously righteous father he says the world has not known thee but I do the people of God know that the father sent the son for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life the father sent the son to be the savior of

the world first John 4 and verse 14 and here all righteous father the world has not known thee but I know thee and these have known that thou has sent me in other word the believers the apostles receive something that others did not receive the understanding that Yeshua was sent from God in accordance with the promises of the prophets unto us a child is born but unto us a son is given Isaiah said to Israel so God the son was given how he was given he was born through the virgin Miriam into the world so he will be a sinless man here on earth sent by the father so the world did not know God

unregenerated world sadly the vast majority today still do not know God but you notice they know the disciples knew how do they know because they received the revelation from the Lord as you and I received the revelation from the Lord we would have never know anything about Yeshua the Messiah we would have never know anything unless the spirit of God revealed this unto us Yeshua had to say to Shimon Petros blessed blessed are thou Simon bar Yonah for flesh and blood does not reveal it unto you unto thee but my father which is in heaven God the father revealed to us these truths by the spirit and so the conclusion here in verse 26 precious

precious I have declared unto them thy name and I will declare it that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be in them and I in them Yeshua declared unto his own people you and I the name Abba father the creator God and not only that creator God but the character of God the love of God as Abba he is the one that is a father to all those that have trusted in him this is wonderful my dear brothers and sisters and dear friends to know now we know God is our Abba as our father even though to Israel nationally Israel knew God the father nationally now every believers here are able to know

God as our own Abba our father today in this present day and so the Lord declare the fact that the name of Abba the father and that he is a merciful God and you notice beloved friend even though we have a lot more light today than Israel of all our people have head but notice what the Lord revealed to Moshe in Exodus chapter 34 and the Lord descended in a cloud verse 5 and with him there he stood with him there and he proclaimed the name of the Lord the name of Jehovah Jehovah and notice what he said and Jehovah passed by before him and he proclaimed Jehovah Jehovah God merciful and gracious and long

suffering and abundance in goodness and in truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquities and transgression and sin but yet he is holy and by no mean will clear the guilty and he will visit the iniquities of the father upon the children and upon the children children and to the third and to the fourth generation if the children of the father will rebel against God God will visit them and God will deal with them in the children of the father will turn to God God will bless them and show them mercy and grace and long suffering and goodness and truth and forgiveness here we learn that the Lord Jesus is revealing to his people that what

was revealed to Moshe and beyond because now God the father sent the son the Mashiach and provided redemption for us and in conclusion of the prayer wonderful prayer verse 26 I have declared unto them thy name will declare it that the love wherewith thou hath loved may be in them God want us to enjoy the love that the father had towards the son and you can just imagine you can just imagine my dear friend of the love of God the father towards his son therefore does my father love me John 10 17 because I lay down my life that I might take it again imagine the love that God had towards his son in eternity

past and now there was an additional reason to love his son and the Lord Jesus is praying that the believers may learn of this love and enjoy it themselves in their life so may the Lord help us my dear friend may the Lord bless his word may the Lord lead us to continue to follow after our blessed Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah until the next ministry meeting God bless you and Shalom Shalom