With
His friends He dined that dark, lonely night;
Soon
his soul would enter the ultimate fight-
An
hour of darkness, beyond all thought,
A
greater battle no man has ever fought.
The
hour would come when His sweat would be red,
And
then to the cross by men He’d be led.
Offering
Himself, He’d be nailed to a tree,
Purchasing
for His people the gift so free.
But
first He must pray for His friends, so dear,
And
for those who’d believe, both far and near;
So
He prayed to His Father up above,
And
asked Him to keep them by His love.
Our
Lord knew He’d be taken by force that night
And
His friends would experience incredible fright.
So
He asked His Father to protect them all,
That
despite their fears, they would not fall.
He
spoke of how long before time began,
Before
God formed the first woman and man,
The
Father had purposed to have for all time
A
people to enjoy His love sublime.
“Those
you’ve given me” Jesus prayed that night
That
we’d be forever kept in His sight.
He
prays we’ll be His, so wherever we walk
Our
lives will be built on the solid rock.
“Sanctify
them,” He cries to His Father,
That
neither storms nor fire will be a bother
To
hinder or hold us in any way,
As
His truth protects us every day.
What
hope that gives to those on the earth
Who
by His grace have received new birth.
The
Son prays to the Father that we’ll be blessed,
In
each joyous moment, in every hard test.
“
Keep through your name,” the Savior prayed.
These
words bring peace when we’re afraid,
For
His name is called a strong, strong tower,
And
that name protects in temptation’s hour.
Can
we doubt, beloved, that the Father would hear
These
glorious words from His Son, so dear?
Surely
He answered, “I will, my Son,
When
you offer yourself, the promise is won.”
Much
more I could say about that eve,
But
for now that subject I will leave.
To
other thoughts I will now turn;
From
these few verses there is more to learn.
What
love the Father has for his Son;
It
was first for Him that the giving was done.
The
nature of love is to give, we know;
Yes,
giving is loving, it has always been so.
“You
gave them to me,” the Son cried out;
A
most perfect gift, there is no doubt.
No,
we’re not perfect, that is true;
Yet
He wouldn’t give Him less than His due.
So
a people He gave Him, a people with sin,
But
His Spirit would come to change them within.
A
new heart to desire those things from above,
Taught
by God’s word, embraced by His love.
He
guards His sweet gift, so precious, yet weak;
He
still prays to His Father, this One so meek.
He
intercedes always, for all of His own;
Could
greater love by anyone be shown?
So
let us rest in the One who freely gives;
Would
He ever let go of the gift that His?
Would
He let us go or set us aside?
Was
it not for us that He suffered and died?
Would
He snub His Father by despising us now?
Could
He break His promise, His commitment, His vow?
No,
never, this One who is Faithful and True;
This
One who said, “I’ll never leave you.”
So
this Lord’s day let’s thank the one who
gave
Himself
for us, our souls to save.
“He
who believes on me will never die;”
Could
there be a better promise for you and I?
Thank
you, dear Father, for the gift to your Son;
For
our eternal life, the victory is won.
And
one day we know He will give back to You
His
sanctified people, unspotted, brand new.
The
gift that you gave Him, He’ll bring to your throne.
And
celebration will begin, as never was known
We’ll
rejoice in the Lord forever and ever,
And
ever and ever, and ever and ever.
Thoughts
from John 17 and I Corinthians 15
