Spurgeon Morning and Evening March 22 PM

Biblical Context

The Gospel of John stands out among the four Gospels. Written by John, one of Jesus’s closest disciples, it offers a distinct view of Jesus’s life, teachings, and divine nature. John’s account is known for its deep theological insights and focuses heavily on Jesus’s identity as the Son of God.

Chapter 17 is often called Jesus’s ‘High Priestly Prayer.’ It’s a truly special moment because it gives you a window into Jesus’s heart and His direct communication with the Father just before His crucifixion. He prays for Himself, for His disciples, and for all future believers. In this prayer, Jesus shares His deepest desires for His followers, including the verse we’re looking at today. It’s a powerful statement of His purpose and His love for you and all who believe.

Key Word Study

The word “will” in John 17:24, as Jesus says, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am,” comes from the Greek word *thelō* (θέλω). This isn’t a passive wish; it means to intensely desire, to intend, to decide, or to have a strong purpose. It shows a powerful determination.

When Jesus uses *thelō* here, it’s not just a casual request. It shows His firm will, His fixed purpose, that you and all who belong to Him should be with Him. It’s a declaration of divine intent, a strong desire from the Son to the Father that His people share in His glory and presence. It means that what Jesus wants, He truly wants with all His being, and He knows His Father will hear and answer.

The Sting of Loss

It can feel like a direct attack, can’t it? You look at life, and then death comes. You ask, “O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest?” You see someone who brought peace, a place of comfort, taken away. It makes you wonder, why do we lose the people who mean so much?

You see the excellent of the earth, those in whom you find all your delight, snatched away. It doesn’t seem fair. If death must use its axe, you think it should go after the trees that yield no fruit. You might even thank it then. But why does it fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? Why won’t it stay its axe and spare the righteous?

The Unavoidable Truth

But you know, it must not be. Death smites the goodliest of our friends. The most generous people you know, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. You might ask, “And why?” It’s a heavy question, one that sits deep in your spirit.

Jesus’s Prevailing Prayer

The answer, though it might surprise you, lies in Jesus’s prevailing prayer. It’s what He said: “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” This isn’t just a wish; it’s a powerful, determined prayer. It’s this very prayer that bears your loved ones on eagle’s wings to heaven.

Think about it: Every single time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it’s a direct answer to Christ’s prayer. This is a truth that changes how you see every goodbye.

Pulling in Different Directions

A wise old divine once remarked on something you might feel in your own prayer life. He said, “Many times Jesus and His people pull against one another in prayer.” You bend your knee, and your prayer is, “Father, I will that Thy saints be with me where I am.” You want them here, with you, in this world. But then you hear Christ’s prayer, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” He wants them with Him, in heaven.

You see, the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. Your soul can’t be in both places. Your beloved one can’t be with Christ and with you too. So, the question arises: Which pleader shall win the day?

The King’s Choice

Imagine if you had your choice. What if the King should step from His throne and say, “Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?” Oh! You’d be sure, even if it brought agony, you would start from your feet and say, “Jesus, not my will, but Thine be done.”

You would give up your prayer for your loved one’s life. You would let it go if you could truly see the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction—”Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be be with Me where I am.” Your heart would cry out, “Lord, Thou shalt have them.”

Letting Go by Faith

It’s by faith that you let them go. It’s not because you don’t want them or don’t feel the ache of their absence. It’s because you trust in Jesus’s powerful desire for His people to be with Him. You trust that His will is always good, always perfect, and always in your loved one’s best interest. It’s in this trust that you find a deep, lasting peace, knowing they are exactly where Jesus wants them to be.