A Prayer for the Apostles

Jesus made five statements about his Apostles you’ve got to hear. Jesus summarized the most important things he had accomplished in the Apostles during his 3 years with these five statements. Among these was that the Apostles learned this remarkable fact: that everything Jesus has is from God. Everything.

Have you learned this lesson yet? Probably not. A survey would surely show that 90% of professing Christians do not consider Jesus to be subordinate to God, or even dependent upon God—although he repeatedly said he is. Indeed, we must go so far as to affirm with absolute confidence that everything Jesus has is from God. It is, after all, what the Bible says. And it's what Jesus says about himself!

The Twelve Apostles were with the Lord Jesus for at least three years. During those years, he taught them, equipped them, and trained them. He loved them with the greatest love, the love of someone who would die for his friends. In his prayer to God, Jesus described the things he was able to accomplish in the Apostles over the course of their three years together.

These are his striking words:

I have revealed your name to the men whom you gave me out of the World. They were yours, and you have given them to me, and they have kept your Word.

Now they understand that all the things that you have given me are from you, because the words that you gave to me, I have given to them, and they received them and know truly that I have come from you, and they have believed that you have sent me (John 17:6-8; LEB).

A Checklist for the Apostles

Jesus was at a crucial juncture in his life when he spoke these words. He was about to leave the Apostles. He had completed a 3-year discipleship program with them. He thought up a list of accomplishments and recited the list to the One who commissioned him--he recited his list to God.

Jesus gave God an account of what he had done with those twelve souls, of whom Jesus said ‘They were yours, and you have given them to me.’ Those words indicate that Jesus was very aware that he was commissioned by God to take care of men who, in essence, did not belong to him. They belonged to Another--the One God.

Five things from Jesus’ prayer proved that the Apostles had completed their discipleship training. These achievements demonstrated that they were finally prepared to take on the ministry without him:

1. Jesus had revealed God to them.

2. They kept God’s Word.

3. They understood that everything Jesus has is from God.

4. They received God’s Words through Jesus, as God’s Spokesman.

5. They concluded that God had sent Jesus.

Do these achievements sound easy? They weren’t then and they still aren’t today. The Apostles took three years to reach the level they were at. How long have you taken? Have you completed your discipleship training? Definitely not if you haven't gotten to the point where you understand these things.

A Checklist for You

Here’s a checklist for you to evaluate how you're doing in your discipleship process. How far along are you? Examine yourself to see if you are doing well or not. Be honest.

1. Has God been revealed to you? If so, who is he? Who is the One God?

2. Have you kept God’s Word? If so, how well? What percentage of your life is the fulfillment of his will and what percentage is not?

3. Have you come to understand that everything Jesus has is from God? Do you really believe that everything Jesus has (even his very life) is from God?

4. Have you received God’s Words through Jesus as if he were God’s Spokesman? Or do you see Jesus as having his own ideas?

5. Have you concluded that God sent Jesus? Is Jesus God's emissary or not?

The proofs that someone has completed discipleship training are much harder for a professing Christian today—because the Church is very far from what it once was. It's far down the road of apostasy at this point. In fact, although these five are basic truths which every disciple of Christ should know, most professing Christians can’t even understand them.

You have to repeat the questions ten times before they can even grasp what you're talking about. Church-goers around the globe today have major issues with most of these statements. Consider how most people in churches have trouble with the first three:

1. Jesus revealed God to the Apostles, but the great majority of professing Christians today cannot tell you who the One God is.

2. The Apostles kept God’s Word, but “Christians” today are famous for saying "we’re all sinners" and seem to think that holiness is only for Jesus. Worse off, they think Jesus was holy because he had the divine nature when he came to us. (He didn't).

3. The Apostles understood that everything Jesus has is from God, but professing Christians today think that Jesus and the Father are "mysteriously" equal--or even the same. They don’t see Jesus as having become who he is by God’s grace. They think he is automatically powerful.

Everything Jesus Has Is From God

Let’s focus specifically on point #3 of this list: that the Apostles understood that everything Jesus has is from God. This is a truth articulated in this verse:

Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you (John 17:7).

Okay, so all that God has, he shares with Jesus. The Lord Jesus wanted his disciples to get to the point where they really knew this, and he finally got them there—but why was that such an important goal for him? Why is it so important for people like you and me to come to the understanding that God shares all he has with Jesus?

Jesus means a lot to God. Jesus is God’s Son. God loves him the way a father loves his son. Fathers love their sons because it’s written on their hearts. It’s natural for a father to love his son, especially an obedient son. And that's exactly why God loves Jesus so much--because of his obedience. God desires to share everything with his Son Jesus not by virtue of birth, but by virtue of merit.

There is a logical reason why God wants to give everything to Jesus. It's not an emotional reason, but a logical one. It’s because Jesus gave everything he had to God. The Bible tells us so. It’s exactly what Jesus expressed in the verse below. He said ‘All I have is yours’ before he said that all God has belongs to Jesus. And it makes sense. God is a rewarder of those who serve him--and that means God is especially a rewarder of Jesus!

[Jesus speaking to the Father said] All I have is yours, and all you have is mine (John 17:10).

There is nothing God holds back from Jesus, the Son who gave his all to God. The Father loves Jesus that much. And Jesus deserves that love. He earned it by going through the hardest trials ever.

True Love vs. Confusion

This sharing God did with Jesus demonstrates what true love is. God’s love for Jesus is not meant to confuse us—although most everybody has become confused by it. For example, they see a glorified and powerful Jesus, and they see that he has all authority and power—and yes, they are seeing what is true. But then they confuse Jesus with the One who gave Jesus all power and authority, and they call both of them together "the One God"--then they throw in the Holy Spirit for good measure. That, in turn, brings them to say that the One God is "three Persons."

It's a heresy. To deny that the One God is the Father is a heresy because it contradicts one of the seven basic Truths of Christianity. It's called trinitarianism. Confront it by contending for the Truth of One God and Father.

They think that Jesus is somehow part of the One God—“It's a mystery” they say, but only because what they believe is completely irrational. They invent illogical theories which they attempt to adorn in an attractive way by calling them “theologies,” but that's just a fancy way of saying that they have replaced the Word of God with the doctrines of men.

God have mercy on them! Their error lies in the fact that they are trying to explain something that goes beyond human logic—the love the One God has for his Son. You can't explain God's love for Jesus with a "theology." You actually have to experience it.

... you loved me before the Creation of the World (John 17:24).

... the World will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23).

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you (John 15:9).

Don't Be Confused, Be Impressed

The love God has lavished upon Jesus should impress us. Indeed, it is so impressive that it has made Jesus greater than anyone else in the Universe, except God. But most so-called “Christians,” because of this greatness of Jesus, can’t tell the difference between Jesus and his Father. They live in confusion. They can't even pray rightly. Their concept of God is blurred and they do not know God.

Now this is eternal life: that they might know you, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3).

Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father (1 John 2:22-24).

To be the Christ is to be the One sent by God. We cannot deny that Jesus was sent by God. If we do, then we deny God Himself. Understand one, and you'll understand the other because Jesus comes from God. Bad theologies, poor Bible interpretations, and an unfamiliarity with God’s love are the reasons why so many so-called "Christians" don’t understand even these most basic truths.

Given to Him

One particular truth might help you if you're struggling, so let's highlight it. It will allow you to view and appreciate the love of God with crystal clarity. It's this: that everything Jesus has comes from the Father. Jesus stated this truth after his Resurrection to the Apostles at the Great Commission:

Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me…’ (Matthew 28:18-19)

The key word in this statement is given. Given is the passive form of the verb to give. The passive voice means that the action was performed by another. Jesus means to say that God gave him all authority, and that Jesus passively received it. Yes, that's what happened.

Few people have ever witnessed so much generosity as this--especially with something as valuable as divine glory. Giving generously is something human beings rarely do—and even the most generous of all men could never give a fraction of what God gives.

Most kings and presidents take all the political and economic power for themselves. Giving authority is not common in this World, so we don’t understand great giving when we see it. But we have to see it in Jesus. We must view him as the object of God's love. Yes, Jesus is the very deserving object of the love of God!

Subjecting Himself to God

In Heaven, Jesus continues to act in subordination to his Father to this day. During the Millennium, he will not be subject to God. It is a 1000-year period of time in which the sovereign rule of Earth and its inhabitants will be completely granted to Christ. It pleases God to grant this.

For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven (Colossians 1:19-20; NASB).

Jesus will return everything to the Father at the conclusion of the Millennium. When the Father descends to Earth to be with us, Jesus will deliver all things into the hands of the Father.

Then the End will come, when he [Jesus] hands over the Kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is Death. For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’

Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

So that’s how Jesus’ reign will come to a close. He will return to God all the things that God had given him, and will subject himself to God once again.

Being Made Complete

In the meantime, what will you do with your life? Will you allow the love of God to make you complete? We have Christ as our example of how the love of God can make a person whole. Jesus today possesses everything the Father possesses. He is complete--and it's all because God made him complete.

All that belongs to the Father is mine (John 16:15).

That same love of God that made Jesus whole, can make anyone just as whole—but here’s the catch: we must be willing to carry our cross. You must be willing to lose your life and to stop doing things your way.

Anyone who follows Jesus’ example will experience the same fulfillment he has experienced. Will you follow Jesus' example? Are you willing to lose your life in order to gain it?

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it back (John 10:17; NASB).

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it (Matthew 10:39).