This teaching is part 1 of 3.
As a follower of Jesus, it is easy to continually think about your desires and what you need from God. But to live a life that truly loves God and still fuels your inner desire, you must know what God desires for you. In this teaching, we specifically discuss the desires that Jesus had for us and why He confessed His desire to His Father. His prayer tells us a lot about who He is, but it also gives us a great example of how to pray to the Father and what to pray for.
One of the greatest prayers in the Bible is found in John 17 when Jesus prayed to His Father concerning His glory. Jesus had a glory that He walked in as a man, and anyone who followed Him was amazed, even though they didn't completely understand it. His glory manifested through Him as the Son of God clothed in flesh and did many signs and wonders for everyone to see and receive. John wrote, "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."
Even though Jesus was a man in flesh and blood, His glory as a man was beyond any other glory humans had ever seen, and yet it wasn't the glory that Jesus was talking about in His prayer to His Father. With all the glory that manifested with Jesus on the earth, there was a higher glory that He wanted all of His followers to see. A glory that was not earthly but was from the beginning, before the world ever existed.
On the earth, you can see a measure of His glory through the miracles that He did. Healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the five thousand, and walking on water were things that no one had ever seen in such abundance. Even in the flesh, you could see the great glory of God upon Him because of His love for His Father and His faithfulness to Him and the kingdom of God. His glory shined through His righteousness and peace, His passion to be obedient, and His willingness to give His life for all God gave Him. No wonder John said, "We beheld His glory." Even when Jesus was veiled in the flesh, His glory was the greatest glory the world had ever seen.
Yet with all that glory, the true glory of who He is in the heavens was another glory that Jesus wanted all His followers to see for themselves. And as you may have already guessed, you must be in the Spirit to see it.
The answer to seeing His true glory unveiled is to go where He is and see Him in the presence of God. He already revealed His glory as a man, which was beyond anything the world has seen, so imagine going to His house and seeing His glory without the robes of flesh to disguise Him. What a glory that would be.
Jesus shared His desire for us with His Father.
The prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17 was glorious in itself. It can teach us many things. But today, I want to focus on the one verse where He shares His desire for us with His Father.
John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
This glory that He desires us to see is clarified in John 17:1-5.
"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."
Notice the bolded words; Jesus spoke of the glory He revealed on the earth by accomplishing the works His Father gave Him to do. Secondly, Jesus spoke of His glory with His Father in His presence before the world existed. This glory goes beyond the flesh and must be seen with spiritual eyes. A glory that is so wonderful that God chose to hide it from those who will not seek Him out.
As I stated above, to see this glory, you must go to His house and be in God's presence with Him. Like the apostle Paul said, we can sit with Him in heavenly places because He has ascended to that place where His glory has no veil. (Colossians 1:20; 2:6)
In part 2 of this teaching, I will discuss the glory that Jesus desires us to see. Today, my desire for you is that you read this prayer and are stirred by the words of Jesus, and you begin to allow His desire to fill your hearts, minds, and spirits, for it's in His presence that you are changed from glory to glory.