Jesus is praying His final prayer before He is crucified, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have FINISHED THE WORK which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:4-5) What work has He finished? He has not been crucified, Jesus lived a perfect life, and then died an innocent death on the cross so that we could live a life free from the PUNISHMENT OF SIN. What other significant work did Jesus have to do?
In a discussion with His disciples about who Jesus really is Peter said, “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that YOU ARE PETER (pétros: small stone), and ON THIS ROCK (petra: a cliff, huge mass) I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH…” (Matt. 16:16-18) Peter said you are Christ, Jesus said you are Peter, they had a mutual understanding which was the petra on which Jesus built His church. “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He CALLED HIS DISCIPLES TO HIMSELF; and from them HE CHOSE TWELVE…And He came down with them and stood on a level place with A CROWD OF HIS DISCIPLES and A GREAT MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE…” (Luke 6:12-13, 17) Notice, His CHURCH, His DISCIPLES, a great number of POTENTIAL DISCIPLES. He did indeed FINISH THE WORK His Father gave Him to do.
In the prayer Jesus prayed He said: “…I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEM, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they HAVE BELIEVED that You sent Me…I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH THEIR WORD; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be ONE IN US, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:8, 20-21)
Now as far as our problems being finished, Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) James, the Lords ½ brother says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you FALL INTO VARIOUS TRIALS, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (Jam. 1:2-4) When we are confronted with suffering, we can choose how we will respond. Some of us might “count it injustice,” that is, we may consider it to be unfair and we’ll respond accordingly. Some of us might consider it to be the judgment of God and therefore despair that God is angry with them or has turned against them. Others of us might count or consider it an opportunity to demonstrate our own resilience. We might determine to fight back and overcome in our own strength. When trials come, the way we respond is more important in determining the outcome than the actual trial itself.
-Bill Stockham