I have recently been speaking on a great revelation that the Lord gave me. The prayer of Jesus in John 17. This prayer is very much misinterpreted, seldom preached on and even more importantly, not clearly understood as to its meaning. Many today look at this prayer as unanswered and for a time yet to come, but this prayer was fulfilled in the early Ecclesia in the Book of Acts. Even as I spoke on this, the depth of it continues to unfold as the Holy Spirit brings me ever deeper into the meaning. I loose the Spirit of understanding upon you to hear what the Spirit is truly saying.
The Prayer of Jesus
John 17:1-8 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Jesus prayed a prayer that all leaders should be striving to pray. Finishing the work given to us, manifesting the Name in such a way those under us would keep His word, and that people would believe He came. Jesus speaks of His Glory, His perfection, His name and His word.
He also gives the description for eternal life. That which is eternal is different from that which is everlasting. The word 'eternal' means something has always existed from the beginning and has no end. 'Everlasting' means it has a set time of beginning and no end. Jesus says that which is eternal life is to KNOW the father. It is not just an acquaintance knowing but the word in Greek means to perceive and understand. It is more than salvation or simple prayer acknowledging our sins and God's redemption. It is stepping into another realm that was designed for us. It is stepping into the place the Father exists!
Now to see clearly with the Spirit of understanding. This prayer is not a prayer for an end time event that will occur in the future. This prayer was actually put into motion immediately after His ascension. It is a road map to release the Kingdom of God upon the earth. Let's look at the four times that Jesus said that His desire was that we would be one.
One in Name
John 17:11-13 (KJV 1900) And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Acts 8:5-8 (KJV 1900) Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.
As Phillip went into the city of Samaria, he was commissioned in the name of Jesus to preach Christ unto them. The power of the Name brought forth the miracles and deliverance. The outcome was great joy in the city. We see that many people were added as revival broke forth in the places that Phillip went. There was a oneness in the Name being acted out and the fulfillment of Jesus prayer was brought forth in the early Church.
One in Word
John 17:14-21 (KJV 1900) I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest 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 sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the 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.
A place that Jesus prayed that we would be one was in the word or the speech of the believers and disciples' lives. He said that He wanted people to believe on Him through their word. The word here in the Greek means logos or the spoken speech, the embodiment of a concept or idea through voice. The root meaning is a word which means a consideration or evaluation taken from a collection or list, and spoken to release revelation to clarify the explanation given. The expectation was that the disciples He was praying for would be filled with Christ the living Word. That the living Word would be so resident in their life that it would establish them firmly in doctrine and in spoken words to declare that doctrine to others. Jesus was not praying for them to make a decision to be united, but that the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives would teach and instruct them to such a degree that the words out of their mouth would convince others to believe in Him. It was singleness of doctrine, but only through the living Word, Jesus and the Spirit of truth, not a manmade interpretation or belief system. This is why we say this prayer cannot be fulfilled until some sort of event happens, while in reality it is being fulfilled, it is the institutional church that will not recognize it. Amazing what the pride in men's heart will keep them from.
When Jesus sent out the 70, He told them to go forth with the Word of the Kingdom. That that Word, the Christ in them alive, would be convincing and the Name would release the signs and wonders. He set out to 12 disciples for the first time. He told them to speak in the Name or go as representatives of the Name being commissioned to do the work. In either case, the advancement of the Kingdom was happening through the saints who became one with Christ. You see it is not a unity He was praying for between us as disciples but it was a oneness He was praying for between us and Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:23-33 (KJV 1900) And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
When they lifted up their voice with one accord, it means that lifted up their voice with one boiling passion that they all had in common. That passion was Christ in them the hope of Glory. The same Spirit that raised Christ was alive in them. The boiling passion inside of them enabled them to ask to speak with all boldness that word, logos. It says they were filled with the Holy Spirit and did speak the logos with boldness. Great grace was upon them all. In the next chapter of Acts, we see Ananias and Sapphira not only coming against the grace that was operating in the believers, but was actually also coming against the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer of them being one in the Word as it was being walked out through them.
One in Glory
John 17 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
The Glory of God is seen here as the word Doxa which means honor, the opinion of value, the expectation, the value of reputation. This specific glory is seen in two places. It is used when talking of Jesus Christ and it is also used when talking about us as His disciples. It is a glory that He wants to give to us. In other words, He wants us to understand we have a value, a reputation and an honor that comes upon us as we become one with Him. It is a great exchange that He wishes to do with us. Now this glory was released to Jesus when He was glorified. As we live out our lives in the Name and Word, it brings glory or Doxa to His name. It is not a glory we are waiting to come upon us but is formed in us and through us as we allow Him to move through us. It is a co-partnering with Jesus Christ and we are the continuation upon the earth to finish what He started in the earth. It is the highest privilege we could ever have. As you look into the Book of Acts, we see the outpouring was His Doxa released to show the honor and value He had to those who believed.
Acts 2:1-4 (KJV 1900) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
One in Perfection
John 17:23-26 (KJV 1900) 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 that they 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 lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath 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 will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus' prayer of perfection is, for many, looked at as a future experience when we die. Yet the definition of the word 'perfect' means to complete, accomplished, to bring to an end goal and purpose, to bring something to a close. It comes from a root word 'Telios' which means to lack nothing, to come to full age and completeness, to consummate integrity and virtue, The execution of resolve. He was not so much saying let them live a normal live and finally make heaven but was saying let their life have virtue flowing from it that brings all things around their lives to completeness! Let them have the resolve to finish what I have started and bring it to full age or the age of the Kingdom.
Acts 2:46-47 (KJV 1900) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.
This perfection was seen in the daily conduct of the believers. It was the singleness of heart - The connection point was not doctrine but heart. The outcome was desire for people to be saved based on what they saw. The virtue that flowed from them being one in perfect love, virtue and resolve led others to truly believe that what they believed was absolute truth of the highest level. Their lives showed what they valued and enabled them to convince even the hardest hearts. The public transformation was stunning to all. Even Paul's life shifted to such a degree. This is what we would call today a radical conversion. We say that to classify the abnormal but in that day, the only kind of conversion that did occur was radical!
The Transfer
John 20:17 (KJV 1900) Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
The transfer point is when Jesus ascended, He transferred all He had and prayed it upon His disciples. The Word, the Name, the Glory, the perfect oneness, is now our portion as we step into the role of Christ. Jesus says here "MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER" - "MY GOD AND YOUR GOD" The transfer was complete. You see at Jesus' birth, He, as the Word, was released. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. Jesus at His death, His name was released. The Name above all names. At His resurrection, His power or Glory was released. The power of His resurrection. And at His ascension, the inheritance, resolve and virtue was released in perfection. How can we honestly think this prayer of Jesus was ignored and left to a chance moment to come? Don't you think the early Ecclesia re-examined His words and prayed and fasted over these things to see how they could be fulfilled through them? Perhaps this deep commitment of oneness began in the Upper Room in commitments to each other to see this fulfilled. You see in Acts how they acted out the things He said. It is truly not a future tense hope we have and are waiting on, but an example has already been given; it is a present tense truth we are to be walking in now to bring the Kingdom into the earth.
Greg Crawford
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