John chapter 17 takes us to the very end of Jesus’ life. In just a few hours, he's going to be arrested and tried, and crucified. Everything moves quickly after that. Right here, at the end, he asks something of his Heavenly Father. And what he asks of his Heavenly Father has everything in the world to do with all of us who consider ourselves Christ's followers. This week we are going to take a look at what Jesus wanted most for us after He ascended to heaven.
1. Read John 17:11. Jesus is praying for something he thinks is more important than physical protection. What is Jesus asking for in these verses?
2. Read John 17:20–21. In His prayer, Jesus said: “that the world may know.” What is Jesus referring to here, that the world may know what?
3. Pastor James said that Jesus was emphasizing how important unity was; he said, “We are in this together.“ According to Pastor James, and more importantly to Jesus, how important is unity within the church to Jesus?
4. Read Ephesians 2:19. The moment you receive Jesus Christ as Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit that transforms you from the inside out, and you receive a new family that God uses to transform you from the outside in. What does it mean to you to be a part of God’s family?
5. Read Ephesians 4:1–6. We are united through the Spirit. The Spirit is creating and urging us to live unified. Our lives are united through our faith in Jesus Christ. But this will not come easy; we will have to fight for unity, and strive for unity. We have to live believing that we are all in this together. What is Paul saying we have been called to?
6. Read Hebrews 10:25. What is the author of Hebrews encouraging believers to do here? What is one benefit of community?
7. Read Romans 15:7. What has Jesus done for you? What is he asking you to do? Why is he asking you to do this?
8. Read Acts 2:44–47. Relationships aren’t just about getting your needs met. How do these verses describe community?
9. Read 1 Peter 4:10. What are your spiritual gifts? How are you currently using them?
10. Read Philippians 2:3–4. Pastor James said we are to “pursue each other in humility.” How do these two verses describe what it looks like to pursue others in humility?
11. Read Romans 12:17–18, Ephesians 4:2 & Colossians 3:12–13. These verses describe what it looks like to love others even after we have been hurt. What are some of the key words Paul used to describe how we are to love others?