Scripture: John 17:1-5

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Consider:

In John 17:1–5, we are invited into a sacred moment. What strikes me most about this passage is the clarity with which Jesus speaks. So often, I feel as if I’m stumbling through a call from God, not knowing if I’m following God’s agenda or my own…Jesus has no confusion in His voice. No hesitation. Instead, there is real clarity.

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus often said, “My hour has not yet come.” But now He says, “The hour has come.” Jesus’ understanding in this moment is profound- the cross is not a tragedy interrupting the mission — it is the mission. The suffering ahead is not accidental; it is purposeful. He sees the cross as the moment when God’s glory will shine most brightly.

Jesus speaks of the authority given to Him to give eternal life. He defines eternal life not merely as endless existence or as a “prize” for doing the right thing, but as relationship:

The whole point of His life was to bring people into knowing God and God’s loving purpose for all of God’s children. Every miracle, every teaching, every confrontation, every step toward Jerusalem was aimed at this: restoring relationship between God and humanity. God created the most intimate way to partner with God’s creation; becoming one of them. The goal of it all is to restore relationship, to bridge the gap between where humanity stands and where humanity can be.

What must it feel like to have such clarity of purpose? Such full assurance of a path, enough to walk into the end of life knowing that your purpose has been fulfilled. May we all seek to listen closely enough to God to walk confidently into the future, knowing our purpose points directly to the One who created us and called us good.

Respond:

Take a moment today to sit still and QUIET…find a place where you can have 5 undisturbed minutes. Sit with your thoughts, your worries, your lists, and pay attention. What feels like the thing, the purpose, that tugs the most at you right now? Is it something that feels like it points to God or God’s purpose for you? Is it something that furthers the love and justice of kingdom building? Is it something that ignites creativity and inspiration, or does it drain your energy? Just take note today of where your focus and clarity lies in the things occupying your brain. And if you walk away feeling drained or disappointed, perhaps make a plan to shift one intention and see how that sits with you tomorrow…

Pray:

Give us clarity, God, on those things with which we are to focus our time, attention, and purpose… Amen.

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com