The Essence of Life : John 17:1-3 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

Home > Devotionals > What Jesus Did! > October 22

The Essence of Life - John 17:1-3

Key Thought

Jesus came to give us life. His goal wasn't just to prolong our life here, nor was it to just increase the quality of life here. His goal was to give us life that would endure—that would last longer than the mountains, oceans, earth, and sky. What is the secret to this life? To know God and to know his Son, Jesus Christ. This is more than just knowing facts about God and Jesus; it is a relationship and reliance on them in everyday life. It is seeking after God and finding him. It is learning to trust in him with every fiber of our being.

Today's Prayer

Get WJD by EMAIL!

Enter your email address above to subscribe to the email edition of What Jesus Did! Follow along FREE every day as we go through John in a year.

More Info on Mailing Lists

Holy and righteous God, my heavenly Father, please lead me to a deeper relationship with you. I want to know more about you. I also want to know you—your passion, your holiness, your might, your wisdom, and your grace. Please reveal more of yourself to me in my daily walk with you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Now you can get Phil's What Jesus Did devotional as a paperback book!

Today's Verses in Context

After Jesus said these things he looked toward heaven. Jesus prayed, "Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those people you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that people can know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made. "You gave me some men from the world. I have shown them what you are like. Those men belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your teaching. Now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. I gave these men the teachings that you gave me. They accepted those teachings. They know that I truly came from you. And they believed that you sent me. I pray for them now. I am not praying for the people in the world. But I am praying for these men you gave me, because they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And my glory is seen in these men. Now I am coming to you. I will not stay in the world now. But these men are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe. Keep them safe by the power of your name (the name you gave me), so that they will be one, the same as you and I are one. While I was with them, I kept them safe. I kept them safe by the power of your name—the name you gave me. I protected them. And only one of them was lost—the man (Judas) that chose to be lost. He was lost so that what was said in the Scriptures would happen.

— John 17:1-12 (ERV)

Comments on "The Essence of Life":

"I tell you the truth. If a person hears what I say and believes in the One (God) who sent me, that person has life forever. That person will not be judged guilty. He has already left death and has entered into life. I tell you the truth. An {important} time is coming. That time is already here. People that are dead {in sin} will hear the voice of the Son of God. And the people that {accept the things they} hear {from the Son} will have life {forever}. Life comes from the Father (God) himself. So the Father has also allowed the Son (Jesus) to give life. —John 5:24-26 (ERV)

So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth. I am the gate for the sheep. All the people that came before I came were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. The person that enters through me will be saved. That person will be able to come in and go out. He will find everything he needs. A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. —John 10:7-10 (ERV)

So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13 (ERV)